Barroso Tells G20 'We Have Not Come to Receive Lessons'
BBC: European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has mounted a strong defence of the EU's handling of the financial crisis.

He told world leaders at a G20 summit in Mexico "we have not come here to receive lessons", and pointed out that the financial global crisis "was not originated in Europe". Watch BBC video » | Tuesday, June 19, 2012

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José Manuel Barroso was quite right to tell those assembled at the G20 that the EU wasn't there to take lessons from them on how to manage the economy. This financial crisis was caused by the reckless bankers, not the EU. Further, the Americans can teach nobody how to manage the economy: they can't manage even their own economy. It's in a parlous state. So just who is there in the G20 to give Barroso or the EU lessons in economics, or management of the economy? And as for Obama, he couldn't manage the accounts of a McDonald's outlet, still less an economy. If the US economy were managed as well as the German economy, the country would be in fine shape.– © Mark

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Ägyptens Islamisten erklären sich zu Wahlsiegern
REUTERS DEUTSCHLAND: Kairo - Nach der ersten freien Präsidentenwahl in Ägypten hat sich der gemäßigte Islamist Mohammed Mursi am Montag zum Sieger erklärt.

Mursis Muslimbruderschaft erklärte, der Politiker habe 52 Prozent der Stimmen auf sich vereinen können. Das Wahlkampfteam seines Rivalen Ahmed Schafik widersprach dieser Darstellung. Die Militärmachthaber machten mit einem Dekret unterdessen klar, dass das neue Staatsoberhaupt zunächst nur wenig Macht haben wird. Vor Beginn der Wahl lösten die Generäle bereits das Parlament auf, in dem Islamisten die Mehrheit haben.

Am Montag gab es zwar zunächst kein offizielles Auszählungsergebnis. Ein Mitglied der Wahlkommission bestätigte die Angaben der Muslimbrüder aber im Wesentlichen. Die Muslimbruderschaft gab die Wahlbeteiligung mit 50 Prozent an. Es handelte sich um den zweiten Wahlgang. Viele Ägypter, die noch am ersten Durchgang teilnahmen, blieben am Wochenende zuhause. Viele von ihnen waren enttäuscht, weil es sich nach ihrer Ansicht nur die Wahl zwischen einem künftigen religiösen Staat und der Rückkehr zum alten Regime gab.

Schafik ist ein früherer General der Luftwaffe. Er war der letzte Regierungschef unter dem gestürzten Präsidenten Husni Mubarak. Viele Ägypter sehen den 70-Jährigen als Vertreter des alten Regimes. » | Montag, 18. Juni 2012

Prosecutors Seek Jail for Berlusconi in Mediaset Trial
REUTERS.COM: Italian prosecutors asked a court on Monday to sentence former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi to three years and eight months in jail on fraud charges in connection with the purchase of broadcasting rights by his Mediaset television company.

Prosecutors also asked in a public hearing for a jail sentence of three years and four months for Mediaset chairman Fedele Confalonieri.

Berlusconi and other executives at Mediaset are accused of inflating the price paid for acquiring television rights via offshore companies controlled by Berlusconi, skimming off part of the sum declared to create illegal slush funds. » | Reporting By Manuela D'Alessandro | MILAN | Monday, June 18, 2012

Saudi Arabia's King in Mecca for Crown Prince's Burial
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The aged king of Saudi Arabia led a burial ceremony on Sunday for his brother, Crown Prince Nayef Abdul-Aziz, in the holy city of Mecca before his internment following evening prayers.

He was the second heir to the throne to die outside the country in less than a year. The 88-year-old King Abdullah gathered with royal family members and international envoys for the service. Prince Nayef's wrapped body was carried through crowds of relatives in a ceremony broadcast live on several television channels.

Abdullah has now outlived two appointed successors from among the elderly group of sons of Saudi's founding monarch, King Abdul-Aziz.

Health issues increasingly preoccupy the ruling inner circle in Saudi Arabia and show the vivid contrast between a leadership born at the dawn of Saudi's oil-rich age and the current population heavily weighted toward youth – with more than half under 25 years old. » | Monday, June 18, 2012

G20 Summit: Barroso Blames Eurozone Crisis On US Banks
THE GUARDIAN: EC president says European leaders have not come to Mexico to receive lessons on how to handle the economy

The opening day of the G20 summit was threatening to deteriorate into a fractious row between eurozone countries and other non-European members of the G20, notably the US, as EU commission president José Manuel Barroso insisted the origins of the eurozone crisis lay in the unorthodox policies of American capitalism.

As Europe's leaders came under intense pressure to act decisively to cure the euro's ills, and a campaign gathered pace to relax some of the austerity programmes laying waste to countries burdened with unsustainable debt levels, Barroso insisted that Europe had not come to the G20 summit in Mexico to receive lessons on how to handle the economy.

When asked by a Canadian journalist "why should North Americans risk their assets to help Europe?" he replied: "Frankly, we are not here to receive lessons in terms of democracy or in terms of how to handle the economy.

"By the way this crisis was not originated in Europe … seeing as you mention North America, this crisis originated in North America and much of our financial sector was contaminated by, how can I put it, unorthodox practices, from some sectors of the financial market." » | Patrick Wintour in Los Cabos, Ian Traynor in Brussels and Helena Smith in Athens | Monday, June 18, 2012

Die Angst der Griechen

Saudi Arabien: Verteidigungsminister wird Kronprinz

Dearborn Arab International Festival Violence

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Screaming Anti-Islam Protesters Taunt Muslims with Pig’s Head: ‘You’re Going to Melt in the Fires of Hell!’
THE BLAZE: If you‘re looking to spread God’s love, it’s probably not a good idea to show up to the Arab International Festival in Dearborn, Michigan, with a pig‘s head on a stick and signs telling Muslims that they’re poised to burn in hell. Yet this is exactly what happened over the weekend when some Christians from an anti-Islam group showed up at the event and confronted Muslim adherents with some unwelcome messages.

One of the protesters yelled, “You’re going to burn in hell,” among other sentiments. The signs the individuals held were less-than-covert in their messaging as well. One read, “Islam is a religion of blood and murder” and another said “Muhammad is a…liar, false prophet, murder, child molesting pervert.” Clearly, those in attendance weren’t there to play nice (caution: language). » | Posted by Billy Hallowell | Monday, June 18, 2012

Les néonazis s'enracinent en Grèce
LE POINT: Le parti grec d'extrême droite a obtenu, dimanche, 7 % des voix lors du second tour des élections législatives.

Le parti néonazi l'Aube dorée (Chryssi Avghi) a confirmé dimanche sa percée électorale, signe de l'enracinement d'une idéologie ultraviolente dans une Grèce déboussolée par la crise, selon les analystes. Ce sont quelque 430 000 Grecs, soit 7 % des votants, autant qu'au scrutin de mai, qui ont choisi d'envoyer au Parlement 18 députés de ce parti nationaliste et raciste qui n'avait recueilli en 2009 que 18 000 votes et obtenu aucun élu.

"Chryssi Avghi est là pour rester", a affirmé son chef et fondateur, Nikos Mihaloliakos, un mathématicien de 55 ans, qui clamait sa proximité avec le dictateur fasciste grec d'avant-guerre Ioannis Metaxas. Nikos Mihaloliakos avait été élu au conseil municipal d'Athènes en 2010, y faisant une entrée fracassante, sous escorte musclée, en tendant le bras comme un salut hitlérien. "Le pourcentage de Chryssi Avghi ne tient pas du hasard, et ses électeurs savent à quoi s'en tenir en votant à nouveau pour eux, ce qui témoigne d'une tendance actuelle à l'enracinement" de cette formation dans l'électorat grec, affirme Sophia Vidali, professeur de criminologie à l'université de Thrace. » | Source AFP | lundi 18 juin 2012

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Griechenland-Wahl: Europas zweite Chance
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Griechenland hat gewählt, aber Europa ist damit noch lange nicht gerettet. Der Kontinent steht in den nächsten Wochen vor einer Richtungsentscheidung: Entweder die EU wächst jetzt endlich zusammen, oder das Projekt ist am Ende. Die Totengräber warten schon.

Wer braucht eigentlich Europa, den Euro, diesen andauernden Ärger mit den Griechen? Was soll das alles noch? Ein Land, elf Millionen Einwohner klein, führt den Rest des Staatenbunds monatelang vor. Jede Wahl in Hellas wird zur Zitterpartie für ganz Europa. Viele Griechen benehmen sich wie eine Gruppe Halbstarker, die in einem Club Party gemacht haben und jetzt empört sind, dass sie dafür eine Rechnung bezahlen sollen. Ja, geht's noch?

Wenn es gut läuft, wird Griechenland nach dem Wahlsieg von Antonis Samaras nun endlich eine Regierung bekommen. Aber Griechenland wird ein Problemfall bleiben, die politischen Verhältnisse sind instabil, Samaras ist ein politischer Wendehals, wenig zuverlässig. Es muss aber weiter gelten: Die neue Regierung in Athen darf mehr europäisches Geld nur erhalten, wenn die zugesagte Erneuerung des Landes und die Sparbeschlüsse umgesetzt werden. Anders wird Griechenland niemals aus dem Tief herauskommen. Ein Wanken darf sich Europa an dieser Stelle nicht erlauben, Ausnahmeregelungen für große und kleine Schuldensünder gab es in der Vergangenheit schon zu viele, sie haben uns diesen Euro-Ärger erst eingebrockt.

Aber es gilt auch: Die neue griechische Regierung braucht Unterstützung aus Europa. Griechenland braucht Hilfe, um seine Wirtschaft anzukurbeln, das Land braucht ein echtes Konjunkturprogramm. Und: Wenn der Zeitplan für die Umsetzung der Reformen verändert werden kann, dann soll er verändert werden. Der neue Regierungschef kann das als Erfolg verkaufen und wenigstens zum Teil sein Gesicht wahren. Sei's drum. Vielleicht hilft das, die Verhältnisse in Athen wieder zu stabilisieren. » | Ein Kommentar von Roland Nelles | Montag, 18. Juni 2012

Greece Poll: Pro-bailout Party's Narrow Win Hailed
BBC: World leaders have welcomed the narrow election victory of Greece's broadly pro-bailout New Democracy party and urged Athens to form a cabinet quickly.

The eurozone group said reforms were Greece's "best guarantee" to overcome tough economic and social challenges.

European markets reacted positively, rising in early trading after Asia had also recorded gains.

The Syriza party, which rejected the bailout terms and came a close second, said it would lead the opposition.

With 99.9% of ballots counted, interior ministry results put New Democracy on 29.7% of the vote (129 seats), Syriza on 26.9% (71) and the socialist Pasok on 12.3% (33). There are 300 seats in parliament and Greece has a rule that gives the leading party 50 extra seats.

Greek voters had gone to the polls on Sunday following inconclusive elections in May. New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras said Greeks had chosen to stay in the euro and called for a "national salvation government".

Syriza's leader Alexis Tsipras said his party would not take part in the government, and would instead become a powerful anti-austerity voice in the opposition. » | Monday, June 18, 2012

Google Removes 640 Videos from YouTube Promoting Terrorism
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Google removed 640 videos from YouTube in the second half of last year amid fears they promoted terrorism.

The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) made a request for five user accounts to be closed for allegedly promoting terrorism.

Google agreed and deleted the 640 videos.

The web giant has previously been criticised by politicians in Britain and the United States for hosting extremist propaganda on YouTube, its video sharing website, including as the sermons of Anwar al-Awlaki, a senior al-Qaeda cleric, who killed by a US drone strike last year.

Awlaki’s online sermons inspired Roshonara Choudhry, 21, to become the first al-Qaeda fanatic to attempt a political assassination in the UK when she stabbed MP Stephen Timms at his constituency surgery in May. » | Monday, June 18, 2012

Greek Far-right Defies Predictions with Vote Success
REUTERS.COM: The leader of Greece's ultra-right Golden Dawn party savored unexpected success in Sunday's election by taunting journalists and defiantly appearing on camera alongside a party official who went on the run for assaulting a leftist rival.

Hundreds of cheering supporters thronged the party's headquarters in Athens and officials threw ballot papers as confetti from windows after the group defied predictions to once again emerge as among the winners of the night.

"Today's vote proves that the nationalist movement is here to stay," leader Nikolaos Mihaloliakos said in a televised message. "Golden Dawn represents the Greece of the future." » | Deepa Babington and Yiorgos Karajalis | ATHENS | Sunday, June 17, 2012

Greek Election Favors Pro-Bailout Party
THE NEW YORK TIMES: ATHENS — Greek voters narrowly favored a pro-bailout party in parliamentary elections on Sunday, a result that is likely to calm world markets and ease fears that the country will leave the euro zone.

Official projections showed the conservative New Democracy party as coming in first, giving it the chance to collect enough support to form a pro-bailout coalition and keep Greece in the euro zone.

Late Sunday night, Alexis Tsipras, the leader of the leftist Syriza party, conceded the election and congratulated the conservative leader of New Democracy, Antonis Samaras. Syriza had called for a rejection of the loan deal that Greece had made with foreign creditors.

Though no party is expected to earn enough seats in the 300-member Parliament to form a government, official projections show that the two traditional parties — New Democracy and the socialist Pasok — would get enough seats to form a coalition. » | Rachel Donadio | Sunday, June 17, 2012

Smoking Ban Splits Bulgarian Public
SOUTHEAST EUROPE TIMES.COM: A new law adopted by parliament in mid-May, extending Bulgaria's smoking ban to all indoor and some outdoor public areas, took effect on June 1st against the backdrop of a lingering war of words between the measure's opponents and supporters.

The move comes seven years after smoking was first disallowed in government buildings, schools, kindergartens, airports, public transport and taxis in Bulgaria.

Smoking is now also fully prohibited in cinemas, playgrounds, school courtyards, at open air events as well as restaurants, bars and cafes -- where, over the past seven years -- such facilities had to create separate sections for smokers in order to stay in business.

Patrons who wish to light up in between meals or drinks must now go outside or risk being fined 150 to 250 euros. Fines for owners -- or managers -- range from 2,500 euros for a first offence up to 5,000 euros for a repeat violation.

Nearly half of the 7.4 million Bulgarians smoke regularly, making the country the second heaviest-smoking nation within the EU after Greece. » | Svetla Dimitrova for Southeast European Times in Sofia | Saturday, June 16, 2012

Bangers Ban in Hundreds of Schools
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Pork is being banned from school dinners even where the majority of parents have no religious objection to it.

Head teachers are deciding for “cultural” and “religious” reasons to drop traditional sausages and ham from children’s lunches.

One council has issued "best practice" advice to all schools in its area to “ban all pork products in order to cater for the needs of staff and pupils who are not permitted contact with these for religious reasons”.

The guidance, issued in Haringey, north London, does not specify what proportion of a school’s intake should object to the meat - which is not eaten by devout Muslims or Jews - before it is dropped.

The policy was criticised last night by MPs and farmers’ leaders, who accused head teachers of depriving other children of a choice and pointed out that all schools already offer vegetarian options.

Pabulum, a school caterer in south-east England, said that around 20 of the 48 primary schools it supplied chose only non-pork lunches.

Most serve no halal or kosher meat, however, so many Muslim or Jewish pupils would not be able to eat the dishes anyway.

In Luton, 23 out of 57 schools which contract their dinners from the local authority have a “no pork” policy. In Bradford the figure is 24 out of 160; in Newham, east London, it is 25 out of 75; in Tower Hamlets, east London, it is 85 out of 90. In Haringey’s infant, junior and primary schools, 37 out of 47 serve no pork. Read on and comment » | Julie Henry, Education Correspondent | Sunday, June 17, 2012

Saudi Royals Face Challenges as Heir Dies
THE GUARDIAN: Saudi succession issue after Crown Prince Nayef's death adds to state's problems such as Shia unrest and youth joblessness

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah prepared to bury his former heir, Crown Prince Nayef, on Sunday before naming a new successor at a challenging time for the world's top oil exporter and self-styled steward of Islam.

The crown prince's body arrived in Jeddah a day after his death, where it was met at King Khaled airport by a host of Saudi princes. Among them was the most likely candidate to take the position to succeed the 89-year-old king is Prince Salman, 76, another son of Saudi Arabia's founder Abdul-aziz Ibn Saud.

The new crown prince will become heir to a king who is aged 89 at a time when Saudi Arabia faces a variety of challenges at home and abroad.

Although the interior ministry, which the late Nayef headed for 37 years, crushed al-Qaida inside Saudi Arabia, its Yemeni wing has sworn to topple the ruling Al Saud family and has plotted attacks against the kingdom.

Saudi rulers are also grappling with unrest in areas populated by the Shia Muslim minority and with entrenched youth unemployment.

The kingdom is also locked in a region-wide rivalry with Shia Iran – the party at the airport included former Lebanese prime minister Saad al-Hariri, representing the Sunni Muslim political alliance that Saudi Arabia cultivates against Iran. » | Reuters in Riyadh | Sunday, June 17, 2012

I Want to Lead Europe (But Not Now), Says Tony Blair
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Tony Blair has hinted that he would like to be president of the European Union.

The former Labour Prime Minister left open the option when he told BBC Radio that he did not want a major job in the EU “at the moment”.

Asked on BBC Radio Four’s World at One if he had would like to be the elected president of the EU, he said: “I think that’s a way, way down the line”.

But he added: “When the European presidency came up last time I would have taken it if the job had been offered, but I’ve no thought of stepping back into politics, European politics, at this moment.”

Tony Blair today questioned the very survival of the euro unless growth is linked to fundamental reform in Europe.

Mr Blair, who wanted to take Britain into the euro during his premiership, said the only long-term solution was for Germany to stand fully behind the single currency. » | Christopher Hope, Senior Political Correspondent | Sunday, June 17, 2012

BBC: Tony Blair says UK must help shape post-crisis Europe: Tony Blair says it is "critical" that the UK helps to shape the political reconstruction of Europe in the wake of the eurozone crisis. » | Sunday, June 17, 2012

MSN: Blair warns of need for reform: Tony Blair has questioned the very survival of the euro unless growth is linked to fundamental reform in Europe. » | Sunday, June 17, 2012

BBC: The World This Weekend » | Sunday, June 17, 2012

Welsh and Cornish Are the 'Purest Britons', Scientists Claim
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Natives from Wales and Cornwall could hold the title for the "purest" Britons, a scientific study suggests.

Scientists drew up a map of the British Isles revealing the genetic ancestry of people from different rural areas across the UK.

After extensive DNA surveying, they found that Welsh and Cornish people were among the most genetically distinct groups in the country.

One theory for the difference in their DNA is that they are a "relic" population, tracing their ancestry back to the tribes that colonised Britain after the last Ice Age 10,000 years ago.

Welsh genes proved to be similar to those of the French and Irish, suggesting they were connected to the pre-Roman population.

The Cornish were also shown to have a distinctive DNA make-up, different to those from the neighbouring county Devon. » | Harriet Cooke | Sunday, June 17, 2012

Saudi Crown Prince Nayef Dead
Crown Prince Nayef, the long-serving interior minister who led Saudi Arabia's crackdown against al-Qaeda's branch in the country and then rose to become next in line to the throne, has died. He was in his late 70s. Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who became heir to the throne last year at the age of 78, was head of the country's interior ministry since 1975. Nayef had traveled abroad for medical treatment and had "died outside the kingdom", Al-Ekhbariyah Television said, quoting a statement from the royal court. Al Jazeera's Tarek Bazley reports.

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Greece's Far-left Party Gains Support
Syriza as Greece's number one party in the city of Chalkida and the surrounding regions - something that was unthinkable until the May 6 election. An estimated 6,000 jobs have been lost in the region - once a centre of industry - over the last nine months. And many voters now feel Syriza is the natural choice. On Sunday the far-left party is hoping to deliver a final knock out blow to mainstream politicians by winning the general election. Al Jazeera's Andrew Simmons reports from the city of Chalkida.

Split Views Among Rural Greek Families
The troubled economy is the main issue for voters ahead of Greece's second general election on Sunday. Two parties are ahead in the polls: one promising to fufil its bailout deal with Europe, the other wanting to find a new solution Al Jazeera's Andrew Simmons is taking a journey through Greece's islands, mountains and cities to gauge the political mood. His latest stop was in Kissos, where three generations of one family are living together to make ends meet.

Greek Americans Brace for Vote on Euro
Greeks around the world are following what is considered to be their homeland's most critical vote in 40 years. In one city in the US State of Florida, Greeks say they are frustrated by the political turmoil in Greece. Al Jazeera's Andy Gallacher reports from Tarpon Springs.

Greeks Go to Polls on Euro's Day of Destiny
Voters face stark choice between rejecting austerity and risking ejection from euro, or accepting punishing rescue deal

Leftist Candidate Tsipras Votes in Greece
June 17 - Leftist leader Alexis Tsipras cast his ballot in Greek elections. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).

World Bank Warns That Euro Collapse Could Spark Global Crisis
THE GUARDIAN: Europe 'facing Lehmans moment' says outgoing head Robert Zoellick as Greeks are warned over key election

The outgoing head of the World Bank, Robert Zoellick, will warn the G20 summit that Europe runs the risk of sparking a Lehman-style global crisis that will have dire consequences for developing nations.

As Greek voters go to the polls in elections that could determine the future of the eurozone, Zoellick told the Observer he was advising emerging nations to ready themselves for the consequences of events in the single-currency area.

The election of an anti-austerity government would spark the most serious crisis for the euro so far, following the apparent failure of a Spanish bank bailout last week. German chancellor Angela Merkel yesterday ruled out renegotiating Greece's bailout, saying the country must stick to its deals with international lenders. Unofficial polls suggest the conservative New Democracy party is ahead of the anti-austerity Syriza by four percentage points — though as much as 15% of the electorate remains undecided.

As all eyes focus on Athens, Zoellick said: "Europe may be able to muddle through but the risk is rising." He added: "There could be a Lehmans moment if things are not properly handled." The bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers in September 2008 proved to be the trigger for the deepest slump in the global economy since the 1930s, and Zoellick said developing countries needed to "prepare for the uncertainty coming out of the eurozone and the wider financial markets". He added: "It will be better if they can avoid piling up short-term debts that can come due in volatile periods and look to the fundamentals of future growth – infrastructure and human capital." » | Larry Elliott, Helena Smith in Athens and Julia Kollewe | Saturday, June 16, 2012

Décès du prince héritier saoudien - François Hollande : "La France perd un ami"
LE POINT: Le président de la République a fait part samedi de son "émotion" après la mort de Nayef ben Abdel Aziz.

Le président de la République François Hollande a fait part samedi de son "émotion" après le décès du prince héritier et ministre de l'Intérieur de l'Arabie saoudite, Nayef ben Abdel Aziz, assurant que la France avait "perdu un ami", selon un communiqué de l'Élysée. "L'Arabie saoudite perd un homme d'État qui aura marqué de son empreinte l'essor de ce pays et aura contribué de façon décisive à sa sécurité et à la lutte commune contre le terrorisme", souligne le communiqué. » | Source AFP | samedi 16 juin 2012

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Orban im Interview: "Wir haben die Linke zertrümmert"
DIE PRESSE: Ungarns Premier Viktor Orbán hat kein Problem mit Denkmälern für den autoritären Reichsverweser Miklós Horthy, erläutert sein "neues Wirtschaftssystem" und plädiert für ein "Europa der Nationen".

Am Höhepunkt der Eurokrise bewegt sich die EU in Richtung einer stärkeren Integration, einer Fiskal- und Bankenunion. Mitgliedstaaten werden wohl mehr Souveränitätsrechte an Brüssel abtreten. Begrüßt Ungarn diese Entwicklung?

Viktor Orbán: Diese Frage berührt Ungarn noch viele Jahre nicht. Wir haben aus der Krise der südlichen Länder eine Lehre gezogen: Der Euro-Gruppe vorschnell beizutreten, führt ins Desaster. Denn dann könnte man gezwungen sein, die Eurozone wieder zu verlassen, was einem Erdbeben gleichkommt. Ungarn wird erst zur Euro-Gruppe stoßen, wenn es dafür perfekt vorbereitet ist. Die Frage, ob sich die EU zu den „Vereinigten Staaten von Europa" entwickelt, geht nicht nur die Euroländer an.

Es gibt zwei Visionen für die Zukunft Europas: ein Europa als Imperium oder ein Europa der Nationen. Ich trete definitiv für ein Europa der Nationen ein. Der größte Vorteil des europäischen Kontinents ist, dass wir unterschiedlich sind. Deshalb müssen wir sehr vorsichtig sein, wenn wir Souveränitätsrechte abgeben. Die Schlüsselentscheidung ist, ob man der Eurozone beitritt. Eine Währungsunion ist ohne politische Union nicht möglich. Länder, die schon in der Zone sind, haben nicht allzu viele Optionen. » | Von Michael Fleischhacker und Christian Ultsch | Die Presse | Samstag, 16. Juni 2012

Portugal: Nouvelle manifestation contre l'austérité
24 HEURES (CH): Plusieurs milliers de personnes ont défilé à Lisbonne à l'appel de la principale confédération syndicale, pour protester contre la politique d'austérité menée par le gouvernement sous l'égide de l'UE et du FMI.

Les syndicats s'attendaient à une participation plus importante que lors de la manifestation de samedi dernier à Porto, la grande ville du nord du pays, qui avait rassemblé quelque 30 000 personnes selon leurs propres estimations.

«Si le gouvernement poursuit sur cette voie, le Portugal va couler», a déclaré à l'AFP Joao Cruz, un cheminot de 43 ans qui a perdu cette année deux mois de son salaire à mille euros en raison des mesures de redressement budgétaire.

«Cette crise en Europe ne profite qu'à l'Allemagne, tandis que les pays comme le notre sont abandonnés à leur sort», s'indignait également Susana Leal, une ouvrière textile venue de la province. » | afp/Newsnet | samedi 16 juin 2012

Wahl in Griechenland: Merkel bleibt eisern beim Spardiktat für Athen
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Angela Merkel fordert von Griechenland ein klares Bekenntnis: Kurz vor der Wahl lehnt sie jegliche Änderung am Sparpaket ab. Es könne nicht sein, dass diejenigen, die sich nicht an Abmachungen hielten, jeden anderen "am Nasenring durch die Manege führen".

Hamburg - Angela Merkel kennt kein Erbarmen. Vor etwa 300 Delegierten des hessischen CDU-Parteitags plädierte die Bundeskanzlerin am Samstag für mehr Europa. Notfalls würde sie auch einen gewissen Verlust an nationalstaatlichen Kompetenzen in Kauf zu nehmen, so Merkel.

Entschieden lehnte sie - unmittelbar vor der Wahl in Griechenland - jegliche Änderung am Sparpaket ab und verlangte ein eindeutiges Bekenntnis der Griechen zu den getroffenen Vereinbarungen. Es könne nicht sein, dass diejenigen, die sich nicht an Abmachungen hielten, jeden anderen "am Nasenring durch die Manege führen." Entscheidend sei, dass aus der Wahl in Griechenland am Sonntag diejenigen Kräfte als Sieger hervorgingen und eine Regierung bildeten, die sich an die getroffenen Vereinbarungen hielten, betonte Merkel.

"Deshalb ist es so wichtig, dass auch bei der griechischen Wahl morgen möglichst ein Ergebnis herauskommt, bei dem diejenigen, die zukünftig eine Regierung bilden sagen: Jawoll, wir wollen uns an die Abmachungen halten. Das ist das Fundament, auf dem Europa nur gedeihen kann", sagte Merkel. » | jjc/Reuters/dpa | Samstag, 16. Juni 2012

Saudi Crown Prince Nayef, Heir to Throne, Dies
REUTERS CANADA: RIYADH - Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, next in line to rule the world's top oil exporter, has died just eight months after becoming heir to 89-year-old King Abdullah, the royal court said on Saturday.

Analysts and former diplomats said the succession process was likely to be stable, however, with the king and a family council expected to start work on the appointment of a new crown prince, who would probably be another brother of King Abdullah.

"With deep sorrow and grief... King Abdullah mourns his brother... Crown Prince Nayef who passed to the mercy of God on Saturday outside the kingdom," said a royal court statement carried by state media.

State TV said Nayef had died in Geneva where he had been receiving medical treatment for an unknown problem - he was thought to be 78.

His death was not expected to trigger any major changes to the kingdom's energy policy or to key relationships with the United States and other allies.

"The fundamental principle that the Saudis operate under is stability. So they will I'm sure develop a consensus among the senior members of the family over an orderly succession. That has likely been forming in recent months in any event," said Robert Jordan, U.S. ambassador to Riyadh from 2001-03.

Defence Minister Prince Salman, 76, has long been viewed as the next most senior prince after the late Nayef. If he became king, analysts believe he would continue King Abdullah's cautious reforms.

Nayef, interior minister since 1975, was appointed crown prince in October after the death of his elder brother and the previous heir Crown Prince Sultan.

State television said the burial would be in Mecca on Sunday.

In a statement, British Foreign Secretary William Hague expressed his government's condolences, saying he was sad to hear of Nayef's death.

"He served the Kingdom for many years with great dignity and dedication and his contribution to the prosperity and security of the Kingdom will be long remembered," said Hague.

The king of neighboring Bahrain ordered a three-day mourning period, Bahrain News Agency said.

Nayef had a reputation as a steely conservative who opposed King Abdullah's reforms and developed a formidable security infrastructure that crushed al Qaeda but also locked up some political activists. » | Angus McDowall | Editing by Sami Aboudi, Louise Ireland and Andrew Osborn | Saturday, June 16, 16, 2012

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Saudi-Arabien – Kronprinz gestorben: Das arabische Königreich steht erneut vor der Suche nach einem Thronfolger. Mit dem Tod von Kronprinz Naif überlebt der greise König Abdullah den zweiten Anwärter auf seine Nachfolge. Beobachter rechnen dennoch mit einer „geordneten“ dynastischen Erbfolge. » | Quelle: DPA | Samstag, 16. Juni 2012

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Arabie Saoudite – Le prince héritier est décédé à Genève : Le prince héritier d’Arabie saoudite, Nayef ben Abdel Aziz, est décédé à Genève, où il se trouvait depuis mai pour des raisons médicales. Ses obsèques seront célébrées dimanche à La Mecque. » | ats/Newsnet | samedi 16 juin 2012

Related »

Whatever Euro's Fate, Europe's Reputation Savaged
REUTERS INDIA: Whether the euro lives or dies, the chaotic way Europe has tackled the crisis could undermine the region's geopolitical clout for years to come and leave it at a distinct disadvantage in a rapidly changing world.

With an apparently never-ending series of last-minute summits and telephone calls, Europe's leaders and finance ministers have held the bloc together in the face of growing strains between states, a rising political backlash and market alarm.

But with hindsight, outsiders say each measure proved too little, too late. US officials in particular complain European leaders have either failed to grasp the scale of the problem or proved unwilling to countenance the awkward political decisions necessary to fix it.

As a result, they say, what should have been one of the most stable parts of the world has now become one of the most unpredictable.

At one extreme, the euro area might be about to embark on a journey towards further fiscal and political union as an almost totally unitary "super state". At the other, it could unravel and collapse into an unstable mess of regional rivalry.

"From almost every conversation I've had in the last year - with Chinese, with Indians, with just about anybody - the message is always the same," says Fiona Hill, a former senior officer for the US National Intelligence Council and now head of the Europe programme at Washington think tank the Brookings Institute. "Europe can no longer be trusted. It seems to be moving from being a source of stability to a driver of instability[.]"

Long-held certainties were being challenged, she said. Even non-euro member Britain suddenly appeared at risk of breaking up, with Scotland due to hold a referendum on independence that experts say could yet go either way. » | Peter Apps, Political Risk Correspondent | LONDON | Saturday, June 16, 2012

Griechenland: Knapper Wahlausgang erwartet

Aung San Suu Kyi Gives Nobel Speech in Norway, 21 Years Later


Read the article and watch more videos here | Laura Smith-Spark | CNN | Saturday, June 16, 2012
Related »

The Rise of Islam in Japan

Ahmadinejad dit qu'il se retirera de la vie politique en 2013 LIBÉRATION: Le président iranien Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a assuré dans un entretien à la presse allemande samedi qu’il se retirerait de la vie politique à l’issue de son second mandat en 2013 et qu’il envisageait «de retourner à la science».

«Huit ans ça suffit», a-t-il souligné dans le Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung à paraître dimanche et dont des extraits ont été diffusés samedi. «Je prévois de retourner à la science», a-t-il ajouté alors que la Constitution ne lui permet pas de se représenter l’an prochain. » | AFP | samedi 16 juin 2012

Saudi Crown Prince Nayef, Next In Line to the Throne, Dies
REUTERS.COM: Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz al-Saud has died in Geneva, Saudi state television said on Saturday, citing a royal court statement.

Nayef, interior minister since 1975 and thought to be 78, was the heir to Saudi King Abdullah and was appointed crown prince in October after the death of his elder brother and predecessor in the role, Crown Prince Sultan.

State television said the burial would be in Mecca on Sunday.

His death means the 89-year-old King Abdullah must nominate a new heir for the second time in nine months. » | Angus McDowall | RIYADH | Editing by Louise Ireland | Saturday, June 16, 2012

Suu Kyi Accepts Nobel Peace Prize 21 Years Late
REUTERS.COM: Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi finally accepted her 1991 Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo on Saturday after spending a total of 15 years under house arrest and said full political freedom in her country was still a long way off.

"Absolute peace in our world is an unattainable goal," Suu Kyi said in her acceptance speech during her first trip to Europe in nearly 25 years.

"Hostilities have not ceased in the far north; to the west, communal violence resulting in arson and murder were taking place just several days before I started out the journey that has brought me here today."

Suu Kyi, the Oxford University-educated daughter of General Aung San, Myanmar's assassinated independence hero, advocated caution about transformation in Myanmar, whose quasi-civilian government continues to hold political prisoners.

"There still remain such prisoners in Burma. It is to be feared that because the best known detainees have been released, the remainder, the unknown ones, will be forgotten," Suu Kyi, 66, told a packed Oslo City Hall.

A day earlier, she arrived from Switzerland to a jubilant reception as dancing and chanting crowds filled Oslo's streets and showered her with flowers. » | Balazs Koranyi | OSLO | Saturday, June 16, 2012

Debt Crisis: Tensions Mount as Angela Merkel Attacks French Economy
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Deepening splits between Angela Merkel and François Hollande erupted into the open on Friday as the German chancellor attacked Paris for allowing the French economy to stall.

Mrs Merkel warned the policies of the new Socialist president could destroy the eurozone by bringing the sovereign debt crisis to France itself.

The bleak assessment came on the eve of an important weekend that will see elections in Greece and France and a key G20 meeting of world leaders in Mexico.

"Europe must discuss the growing differences in economic strength between France and Germany," she said.

Tensions are running so high that Jean-Marc Ayrault, the French prime minister, was forced to deny that Paris had broken off the Franco-German partnership, following Berlin anger at a Franco-Italian summit in Rome on Thursday.

There was a growing sense of crisis in European capitals after David Cameron, the Prime Minister, took part in a tense conference call with Mrs Merkel, Mr Hollande and Mario Monti, the Italian prime minister.

G20 leaders meet in Los Cabos on Monday afternoon for talks dominated by the deepening eurozone crisis and the result of close elections that could put Greece on course to leave the EU's single currency.

Eurozone finance ministers are on standby for an emergency telephone conference on Sunday night, if Greek exit polls put the radical Left Syriza coalition in the lead, to trigger contingency plans, including possible capital controls in the event of a run on banks in Greece, Portugal or Spain.

A victory for Syriza could prompt a default and Greek exit of the eurozone. Read on and comment » | Bruno Waterfield in Berlin | Friday, June 15, 2012

The World from Berlin: Banning Salafists 'Won't Solve Social Problems'
SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: German authorities carried out a major crackdown on radical Salafist Muslims on Thursday, raiding properties and banning an organization. German media commentators welcome the moves but warn that bans aren't enough to change how extremists think.

The debate on Salafists, members of a fundamentalist strain of Islam who are suspected of having close ties to Islamist extremists, has been raging in Germany for months. Following a number of recent violent incidents, including the stabbing of police officers in Bonn, there have been growing calls for the government to act.

On Thursday, it did just that. In an operation involving 1,000 officers, authorities raided Salafist facilities in seven German states. They also banned one of the most important Salafist groups in the country, the Millatu Ibrahim.

"The organization acts in opposition to the idea of constitutional order and multicultural understanding," German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich said on Thursday. He added that the group promotes violence in its "fight against the existing constitutional order."

The German government considers Salafists to be particularly dangerous and prone to violence, primarily because of their single-minded goal of establishing Sharia in Germany and their rejection of Western values. They have been in the headlines all spring, initially because of their drive to attract new members by handing out free copies of the Koran in major German cities. But it was their violent response to a campaign in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia that landed them in the spotlight of justice officials.

In early May, the Islamophobic mini-party Pro-NRW launched a campaign to display anti-Islam caricatures in front of mosques and other Muslim facilities in North Rhine-Westphalia ahead of elections in the state. Counter-demonstrations in both Solingen and Bonn turned violent, with Salafists attacking police with rocks, sticks and even knives. In Bonn, 29 police were injured, two of them landing in the hospital with stab wounds.

On Friday, German commentators welcome the action but warn that more needs to be done. » | David Gordon Smith | Friday, June 15, 2012

Related here, here, here, here, and here

Drachmageddon? Middle-class Poverty. Feral gangs. Neo-Nazis. Athens Waits for the Volcano to Explode
MAIL ONLINE: Antonis Perris was a devoted son. When his elderly mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s four years ago, there was no question of putting her in a state facility.

He would care for her at home in Athens and they would face the future together.

But then things started getting very much worse.

‘The problem is that I was not prepared when the economic crisis hit and I do not have enough money in my account,’ wrote the 60-year-old unemployed musician.

‘My credit card is overdrawn, we do not have enough food to feed ourselves. I live a drama with no end. Does anyone have a solution for me? World leaders, you who brought this financial crisis, you all need hanging!’

Perris wrote of his despair in an internet chatroom three weeks ago. Then, one morning, he led his mother on to the roof of their five-storey apartment block. Hand-in-hand, they jumped off.

Not long ago, this episode would have been a national scandal. Today, it is just another tragic footnote to the story of a society on the brink of collapse.

On Monday morning, this modern European nation could be waking up to a nightmare scenario, which runs as follows. The cash machines start drying up. Supermarket shelves are cleared by families fearful that food supplies will run out.

There are queues round the block for the last dribbles from the petrol pumps, and deliveries come to a halt. Within a day or two, protests have turned to looting and random acts of violence against strangers. Overwhelmed, the police retreat to their bases. The most vulnerable citizens lock the doors and pray.

And gradually, the country that gave the world ‘democracy’ descends into another word it also created — ‘anarchy’. Read on and comment » | Robert Hardman | Friday, June 15, 2012

Greek Election Is Euro versus Drachma, Samaras Says
BBC: Sunday's Greek election is a choice between staying in the euro and going back to the drachma, the leader of the centre-right New Democracy party has told a final campaign rally in Athens.

The general election, the second in six weeks, is seen as crucial to Greece's future in the eurozone.

New Democracy broadly accepts the EU/IMF bailout of debt-laden Greece but wants changes to the terms.

Main opponents Syriza reject the terms of the bailout but back the euro.

Syriza surged into second place on 6 May, in an election that produced an inconclusive result, with no party or coalition able to form a government.

Unofficial opinion polls suggest a fall in support for anti-bailout parties.

Under Greek election law, official opinion polls are banned in the two weeks before the election. » | Friday, June 15, 2012

Turkey: Kurd with Lemon Accused of Supporting Terror
BBC: A Turkish prosecutor has demanded that a Kurdish man who is deaf, illiterate and unable to speak be jailed for 25 years for supporting terrorism.

Possession of a half-lemon was cited as evidence against Mehmet Tahir Ilhan. Lemon can ease the effects of tear gas.

Mr Ilhan is charged with making propaganda for the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and with taking part in an illegal organisation.

Mr Ilhan, a bazaar porter from the city of Mersin, denies the charges.

Using sign language at a hearing in the south-eastern city of Adana, he said he had got caught up in a violent pro-Kurdish demonstration.

Under Turkey's anti-terrorism law it is an offence to show any sign of support for the PKK. » | Friday, June 15, 2012

Obama 'Lifts Shadow' of Deportation for Thousands of Young People
THE GUARDIAN: Civil rights groups hail president's order to end deportations for young people who came to America as children

The Obama administration has taken the biggest step towards granting legal status to undocumented immigrants in America in 25 years by ordering the end to deportations of law-abiding young people who came to the US as children.

Announcing the change in the Rose Garden of the White House on Friday, Obama said that it would remove the fear of deportation from young people known as Dreamers. "These are young people who study in our schools, play in our neighbourhoods, pledge allegiance to our flag. They are Americans in their heart and minds, and in every single way but one: paper."

The dramatic shift gives about 800,000 people the chance of gaining temporary legal status to live and work in the US[.] That makes this the most dramatic shift since Ronald Reagan granted an amnesty to 3 million largely Hispanic undocumented immigrants in 1987.

In a country sharply divided over what to do with the millions of people living illegally in the country, the controversial nature of the announcement was underlined by a heckler, later revealed to be Neil Munro of the the rightwing blog the [The] Daily Caller [blog post], who broke into Obama's address. The president, clearly furious, berated Munro for interrupting him.

The president went on to say: "Put yourselves in [the Dreamers'] shoes. Imagine you've done everything right your entire life, only to suddenly face deportation to a country you know nothing about with a language that you do not speak."

Obama added that it made no sense to deport young people who were making an extroardinary [sic] contribution to the US economy. » | Ed Pilkington | Friday, June 15, 2012

Innenminister Friedrich verbietet Millatu Ibrahim

Nobelpreisträgerin Suu Kyi bereist Europa