Rio de Janeiro wird zur Kampfzone

DIE WELT: Ein Protestmarsch gegen das brasilianische Bildungssystem endet im Straßenkampf. Vermummte zerstören Läden und stehlen Geräte. Und skrupellose Polizisten gehen mit fragwürdigen Methoden vor.

Als ein Teil der Demonstranten Steine und brennende Gegenstände gegen das Haus des Stadtrates von Rio de Janeiro schleuderte, war die friedliche Demonstration vorbei. Erneut hatten Zehntausende Brasilianer am Montagabend gegen das schlechte Bildungssystem und die Unterbezahlung der Lehrer protestiert.

Nach zwei Stunden allerdings sonderte sich eine Gruppe von etwa 200 vermummten Menschen ab, die in Geschäften randalierte, mit Eisenstangen Bankfilialen demolierte, einen Bus anzündete und Molotow-Cocktails warf. Die Polizei schoss daraufhin mit Tränengas in die Menge. » | Von Julia Jaroschewski, Rio de Janeiro | Dienstag, 08. Oktober 13, 2013

Argentine : Cristina Kirchner opérée avec succès

LE FIGARO: La présidente argentine souffrait d'un hématome dans la boîte crânienne, après une mystérieuse chute intervenue début août. L'intervention s'est bien passée.

Cristina Kirchner a subi ce mardi une opération en urgence: la présidente argentine, âgée de 60 ans, souffrait d'un hématome après un traumatisme crânien survenu après une chute. Dans un premier temps, les médecins lui avaient accordé samedi trente jours de repos. Mais, dimanche soir, après de nouveaux examens, ils ont choisi d'opérer en urgence. «La présidente a ressenti dimanche des fourmillements dans son bras gauche constatant une perte de force musculaire brève et temporaire dans ce membre. Une intervention chirurgicale consistant à drainer l'hématome est indiquée», a expliqué avant l'opération l'équipe médicale de l'hôpital Fundacion Favalaro, où Cristina Kirchner a été admise lundi à la mi-journée. Le porte-parole de la présidence a confirmé mardi après-midi que l'intervention avait été un succès. «Elle a déjà regagné sa chambre où elle se remet et est d'humeur excellente», a ajouté Alfredo Scoccimarro. L'opération d'ablation a duré plus de deux heures, selon plusieurs sources médicales. » | Par Roland Gauron | mardi 08 octobre 2013

Tommy Robinson Quits EDL Saying It Has Become 'Too Extreme'

THE GUARDIAN: English Defence League leader and its co-founder leave far-right group in move announced by counter-extremism thinktank

The leader of the English Defence League, Tommy Robinson, has announced that he is leaving the organisation because it has become too extreme.

Robinson, who leads anti-Islam protests that have often turned violent and have been marked by racist chanting, said Islamist ideology should be challenged "not with violence but with better, democratic ideas".

Robinson, who set up the EDL in 2009 ostensibly to combat extreme Islamism in the UK, is facing criminal charges in relation to his activities with the group.

The 30-year-old from Luton, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, said: "I have been considering this move for a long time because I recognise that, though street demonstrations have brought us to this point, they are no longer productive. I acknowledge the dangers of far-right extremism and the ongoing need to counter Islamist ideology not with violence but with better, democratic ideas." » | Haroon Siddique | Tuesday, October 08, 2013

The Ottomans: Europe's Muslim Emperors

Rageh Omaar examines the history of the Ottoman empire. He starts by looking at the unlikely roots of the Ottomans, as nomadic horsemen in a rural backwater of modern day Turkey.
Watch Episode 1 here

I Was Told I'd Have to Wear a Hijab, I said 'I Don't Think So': Today Programme's First Muslim Presenter on Why She Won't Wear the Veil

Mishal Husain

MAIL ONLINE: Mishal Husain, 40, was told to cover her face by Muslim train passenger / She is the first Muslim to present BBC Radio 4's Today programme / Cambridge-educated journalist said Koran didn't order women to wear garment / Comments reignite row about wearing of the veil in British society / PM David Cameron last month backed a ban on the garment in schools / Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he would not want to be treated by a medic wearing a veil

The first Muslim journalist to present Radio 4’s flagship current affairs programme has vowed never to wear a veil.

Mishal Husain - who joined the Today programme this morning - recalled the moment she was accosted by a fellow Muslim while boarding a train who told her she will soon have to adopt the face covering hijab.

She said: ‘He complimented me on my work and then said, “But you’ll have to wear a hijab one day.” “I don’t think so,” I replied.’

The Cambridge-educated journalist, 40, is the latest high-profile public figure to intervene in the debate about whether the veil is an acceptable item of clothing in Britain. » | Tom Gardner | Monday, October 07, 2013

Has Madonna Ditched Kabbalah for Islam? Singer Reveals She Is Studying the Koran

MAIL ONLINE: It is almost a quarter of a century since she first sang Like A Prayer.

But it seems the intervening years have done little to help Madonna decide exactly who she’s praying to.

For it appears the queen of re-invention may be on the verge of one of her most startling changes yet, after she revealed she was studying the Koran.

The 55-year-old was raised a Roman Catholic, but for the past 17 years she has been a devout follower of Kabbalah, a mystical offshoot of Judaism. Now the singer, whose current partner is a Muslim, has begun investigating Islam.

She said: ‘I am building schools for girls in Islamic countries and studying the Koran.

‘I think it is important to study all the holy books.

‘As my friend Yaman always tells me, a good Muslim is a good Jew, and a good Jew is a good Christian, and so forth. I couldn’t agree more.

‘To some people this is a very daring thought.’ » | Aladair Glennie | Monday, October 07, 2013

As Socialist Dream Crumbles, Venezuelans Find Nicolas Maduro 'A Bad Copy' Of Chavez

Nicolás Maduro Moros, President of Venezuela

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Amid food shortages, rampant inflation and widespread electricity blackouts, many Venezuelans are wondering if Chavez chose the right heir to his revolution

The army has been sent into toilet paper factories, fights for basic foodstuffs have resulted in several deaths and new, multi-million dollar oil tankers are sitting idle in dock. And, despite sitting on the world’s largest oil reserves, Venezuela’s socialist government can’t quite manage to keep the lights on.

Now many in Venezuela are wondering how much longer President Nicolas Maduro, the anointed successor of the country’s firebrand Leftist leader Hugo Chavez, can keep hold of the reins of its crumbling socialist revolution.

Last week Mr Maduro was forced to turn to a well-worn answer for his country’s woes, blaming a US plot to “sabotage the electrical system and the Venezuelan economy” and kicking out Washington’s envoy to the South American country. “Out of Venezuela!” he railed on state television, adding in English: “Yankees go home!”

It was a move copied straight from the playbook of Chavez, the vocal anti-imperialist who passed away in February, and one which killed off any hopes of rapprochement with the US following years of thorny relations.

If that wasn’t enough, Mr Maduro then accused the US Drug Enforcement Agency of orchestrating the presence of 1.3 tons of cocaine seized last month from an Air France plane flying out of Caracas. With the government long accused by Washington of complicity in the drug trade - counter-narcotics officials say some 50 per cent of cocaine in Britain is now trafficked through Venezuela - the bust was likely a US plot using mafias to brand the country a “narco-state”, he said. » | Alasdair Baverstock in Caracas and Hannah Strange | Sunday, October 06, 2013

Benjamin Netanyahu Ridiculed over Suggestion Iranians Are Banned from Wearing Jeans

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Benjamin Netanyahu faces ridicule for claiming that Iranians are banned from wearing jeans

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may have sought to win over Iranians in an interview with British Persian-language television, but a casual assertion that they were banned from wearing jeans won only gentle ridicule from some of his audience.

Mr Netanyahu has watched with some concern a diplomatic drive by new Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to build warmer ties with the United States and other Western powers and achieve an easing of sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear programme.

But his statements in an interview with the BBC Persian television on the need for Iran to end its uranium enrichment programme were somewhat overshadowed by his comments on fashion freedoms allowed to Iranians by their government.

"I think if the Iranian people had freedom, they would wear jeans, listen to Western music, and have free elections," Mr Netanyahu said in the interview, which was dubbed into Persian and released late on Saturday.

That statement drew a barbed reaction from Iran where, though women are required to cover their hair and wear loose clothing in public, jeans are not forbidden. Much Western music is illegal, but people find a way to listen to it at home. » | Reuters | Monday, October 07, 2013

Nicolas Sarkozy's Corruption Charges Dropped

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Way could be cleared for Nicolas Sarkozy's political return after claims that corruption charges into the Bettencourt affair are dropped

Corruption charges against Nicolas Sarkozy, the former French president, linked to the financing of his 2007 election campaign, have been dropped, according to sources.

Such a decision could clear the way for Mr Sarkozy to return to front line politics in time for the 2017 presidential election against Francois Hollande. Opinion polls suggest that a rematch of the 2012 election would see Mr Sarkozy victorious.

Mr Sarkozy had been charged in March with accepting funds from Liliane Bettencourt, France's richest woman and the L'Oreal [sic] heiress. » | Chris Irvine, agencies | Monday, October 07, 2013

'Shocked to Discover My Grandfather Was a Nazi'

BBC: A German woman, with a Nigerian father, has spoken of her shock at discovering her grandfather was an infamous Nazi.

Jennifer Teege's mother had never revealed the family connection to the concentration camp commandant Amon Goeth.

Ms Teege told the BBC's Steve Evans that her grandfather would have had her killed for her ethnicity. Watch BBC video » | Sunday, October 06, 2013

Mann starb nach Selbstverbrennung nahe US-Kongress

KRONEN ZEITUNG: Zum zweiten Mal in einer Woche erschüttert ein tödlicher Zwischenfall die US-Hauptstadt: Mitten im Zentrum von Washington hat sich ein Mann mit Benzin übergossen und angezündet. Er starb an den Folgen seiner schweren Verbrennungen in der Nacht auf Samstag, wie die Polizei mitteilte.

Auf der Parkpromenade National Mall nahe des Kongresses, an der viele bekannte Museen und Denkmäler liegen, hatte der Mann am Freitag einen Benzinkanister genommen, sich übergossen und sich selbst in Brand gesteckt. Ein vorbeikommender Jogger riss sich das T-Shirt vom Leib und versuchte, die Flammen zu ersticken.

Als das Feuer erstickt war, sei der verbrannte Mann noch bei Bewusstsein gewesen und habe geatmet, sagte eine Sprecherin der Polizei. Er habe sich noch bei einem seiner Helfer bedankt, berichtete eine Joggerin. Dutzende Polizeiwagen eilten herbei. Sanitäter flogen den Verletzten ins Krankenhaus, doch jede notärztliche Hilfe kam zu spät. » | AG/red | Samstag, 05. Oktober 2013

Bachar al-Assad candidat en 2014 «si le peuple le veut»

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Tandis que le président syrien sollicite un nouveau mandat, le commandement de l'Armée syrienne libre (ASL) a appelé samedi à l'unité des forces de résistance.

Le commandement de l'Armée syrienne libre (ASL) a appelé samedi à l'unité après le rejet par plusieurs groupes rebelles de l'autorité de la Coalition nationale de l'opposition.

Bachar al-Assad a, lui, annoncé qu'il serait candidat à l'élection présidentielle de 2014 si le peuple syrien le «voulait».

Le conseil militaire de l'ASL a indiqué dans un communiqué avoir décidé de «lancer un appel pour resserrer les rangs, renoncer aux divisions, et rejeter toutes formes de dissensions provoquées par les tentatives pour séparer l'aile politique de l'aile militaire». » | ats/Newsnet | samedi 05 octobre 2013

Vladimir Putin Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

THE INDEPENDENT: Vladimir Putin has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Despite Russia’s role as the main supplier of weapons to Bashar al-Assad’s regime, an advocacy group has put the president’s name forward because the former KGB agent “actively promotes settlement of all conflicts arising on the planet.”

The International Academy of Spiritual Unity and Cooperation of Peoples of the World made no mention of Putin’s ruthless and violent campaign against the separatists in Chechnya or the war he waged on Georgia, but instead points to his efforts to prevent a US air strike on the Syrian regime following a chemical gas attack in August. » | Felicity Morse | Wednesday, October 02, 2013

Barack Obama Implores Republicans to End Government Shutdown

During his weekly video address, Barack Obama criticises the Republicans' role in bringing about the government shutdown. He reads letters from people who have been affected by the loss of government services, which have been closed for five days on Saturday. Both Democrats and Republicans have refused to budge on their positions to bring the shutdown to an end

'Western Special Forces' Raid al-Shabaab Stronghold in Somalia

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Western special forces raided a town in southern Somalia controlled by al-Shabaab on Saturday, carrying out a strike aimed at senior commanders of the radical Islamist movement behind last month’s Kenya shopping centre massacre.

The assault took place shortly before dawn on the coastal town of Barawe, 110 miles south of Somalia's capital, Mogadishu.

Ahmed Abdi Godane, the leader of al-Shabaab, is known to have stayed in Barawe in the past. The fishing town is in the heart of an area controlled by the al-Qaeda affiliate.

Al-Shabaab claimed that British and Turkish special forces carried out the raid and that one SAS officer was killed. However, a Ministry of Defence spokesman said that "no UK forces at all" were involved. Turkey's government made a similar denial.

France, which has carried out raids in Somalia in the past, also said that none of its soldiers was deployed.

In Washington, Pentagon spokesman George Little said: "I decline comment." » | David Blair | Saturday, October 05, 2013

Deutsche konvertieren zum Judentum

Drei deutsche Konvertiten berichten über ihren Weg ins orthodoxe Judentum.

Bangladeshi Christians Told to Close Church, Convert to Islam

CHARISMA NEWS: A local government official in central Bangladesh has halted the construction of a church, forced Christians to worship at a mosque and threatened them with eviction from their village unless they renounce their faith.

The Tangail Evangelical Holiness Church in Bilbathuagani village, Tangail district, about 100 kilometers north of Dhaka, was created Sept. 8 by a group of about 25 Christians who had been meeting secretly for three years.

However, local council chairman Rafiqul Islam Faruk joined around 200 demonstrators Sept. 13 to protest against the start of the building of the church.

The following day, the Christians were summoned to his office. More than 1,000 Muslims waited outside, following an announcement at all local mosques to gather at the chairman’s office.

Ordered to Embrace Islam

Mokrom Ali, 32, told World Watch Monitor he was forced to accept Islam.

“The chairman and the imams of the mosques interrogated me for accepting Christianity. They asked me why I had become a Christian. It is a great sin to become a Christian from Islam,” Asli said. “If I did not accept Islam, they would beat me, burn my house, and evict me from the society.

“Their threats chilled me to the bone. That is why I pretended to accept Islam, but faith in Christ is the wellspring of my life. Now I am no longer a Muslim; I am a Christian.”

Mojnu Mia, 31, told World Watch Monitor he was also forced to accept Islam against his will.

“The chairman and the imams asked me what my religion is. I said I was a Christian. Then they threatened to beat me and evict me from the village unless I recanted my faith in Christianity,” Mia said.

“They had browbeaten me into accepting Islam. I accepted it only to get out from that predicament. But later, I embraced Christianity by swearing a confession in the court.

“The chairman came to know that I became a Christian again, by affidavit. He threatened that it would not be possible to practice Christianity in that area. If I stick to this religion, I must leave this place.

“The chairman is clipping the wings of our faith. I do not know how long we can grin and bear it. We want religious freedom. We want to practice our religion freely.”

Eight Christians agreed to return to Islam since Sept. 14, under the chairman’s orders. The chairman and his associates had already beaten some of those Christians three years ago for accepting Christianity. » | World Watch Monitor | Friday, October 04, 2013

Is Obama Really the One on an 'Ideological Crusade'?

Both sides are far apart in the partial suspension of government services, and the president may not be helping but vowing not to negotiate

Another Violent Episode Making America Look Bad

Talking Points 10/4

Shutdown lähmt US-Aussenpolitik

Der Präsident sagt eine Reise ab, die Tore vieler Nationalparks bleiben geschlossen und die neuen US-Arbeitsmarktdaten werden verspätet veröffentlicht. Nun wirkt sich der Verwaltungsstillstand nach dem shutdown auch zunehmend auf die Aussenpolitik Washingtons aus. Mit gravierenden Folgen.

GB : bras de fer entre le Daily Mail et le chef du Labour

LE FIGARO: Après avoir vu la mémoire de son père insultée par le quotidien populiste, Ed Miliband, leader du Parti travailliste, a entrepris une croisade risquée contre les méthodes du tabloïd. Correspondant [du Figaro] à Londres

«L'homme qui haïssait la Grande-Bretagne.» En titrant ainsi un article sur le père défunt du leader travailliste Ed Miliband il y a huit jours, le Daily Mail a déclenché une tempête politico-médiatique qui ne retombe pas. Après le scandale du piratage téléphonique par le groupe Murdoch il y a deux ans, ce quotidien populaire indépendant, vendu à 1,9 million d'exemplaires et numéro deux mondial de la presse en ligne, se trouve à son tour sur la sellette pour des pratiques cavalières.

Dans son article, le Mail dénonçait les convictions marxistes de Ralph Miliband, réfugié juif de Belgique en Grande-Bretagne avant la Seconde Guerre mondiale. A 17 ans, il critiquait le nationalisme atavique des Anglais, se laissant aller à ironiser dans son journal intime: «On souhaiterait presque qu'ils perdent la guerre pour leur donner une leçon». Ce qui ne l'a pas empêché de combattre dans les rangs de la Royal Navy. Pourquoi s'en prendre à cet homme, mort il y a vingt ans? Le tabloïd a décidé de passer à l'offensive après les déclarations de son fils, surnommé «Red Ed» par la presse, au congrès de son parti, où il a assumé vouloir mener une politique «socialiste». » | Par Florentin Collomp | vendredi 04 octobre 2013

Cash Bern: Swiss May Grant Unconditional Income for All

Swiss citizens are demanding a crucial change in the constitution, pushing for the introduction of a guaranteed income for everyone. RT teamed up with RUPTLY video to follow the story.RT's Peter Oliver is in Bern where supporters of the basic income idea have gathered for a rally.

Saudi-backed Radicals behind Damascus Chemical Attack - Russian Sources

The August chemical weapons attack in the Syrian capital's suburbs was done by a Saudi Arabian black operations team, Russian diplomatic sources have told a Russian news agency.

Nazi Rhetoric? Ecuador Slams Obama's Exceptionalism Stance

In a recent speech, Barack Obama expressed his belief in America's exceptional role in world's affairs, something that gives it the right to get involved in conflicts around the globe. But, in an exclusive interview with RT, Ecuador's President says Obama's rhetoric resembles that of the Nazi leadership during the second world war. It's not only Ecuador that has been left unimpressed by Obama's exceptionalism rhetoric, his claims were met with bewilderment all across the globe. George Galloway, British MP for the Respect Party believes such ideas won't bode well for the United States.

Charity Millions 'Going to Syrian Terror Groups'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: People giving money to help millions of refugees from the civil war in Syria are inadvertently supporting terrorism, the charity watchdog has warned.

Some of their cash was “undoubtedly” going to extremist groups, said William Shawcross, the chairman of the Charity Commission.

Conditions on the ground in the midst of conflict made it difficult or impossible for charities to know where aid ended up, he said.

The Disasters Emergency Committee, which represents 14 of Britain’s biggest charities, has raised £20 million since the launch of its Syria Crisis Appeal in March. Its members include the British Red Cross, Oxfam and Save the Children.

But it said it was unable to guarantee that no cash was falling into the hands of terrorists. » | Christopher Hope, Senior Political Correspondent | Friday, October 04, 2013

Hassan Rouhani's New York Diplomacy 'Not Proper' Says Iran's Supreme Leader

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Iran's Supreme Leader voiced guarded criticism of President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday, saying that some aspects of his diplomacy at the United Nations in New York were “not proper”.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who sits at the apex of Iran’s power structure, said that he supported Mr Rouhani’s overtures to the West, but denounced America for being “untrustworthy”.

Since assuming the presidency in August, Mr Rouhani has made clear his wish to settle the confrontation over Iran’s nuclear ambitions within “months not years”. While in New York last month, he offered “peace and friendship” to Americans and spoke by telephone to President Barack Obama for 15 minutes, the first direct contact between the leaders of the two countries since Iran’s revolution in 1979.

However, this conversation is believed to explain Ayatollah Khamenei’s criticism. America had offered a meeting between the two presidents, but Mr Rouhani is understood to have lacked the Supreme Leader’s authority to accept. In choosing to speak to Mr Obama by phone instead, Mr Rouhani was implicitly defying the Ayatollah’s instructions. » | David Blair | Saturday, October 05, 2013

Related »

Asad warnt die Türkei

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Nach den Worten des syrischen Präsidenten Asad wird die Türkei die Unterstützung der syrischen Opposition teuer zu stehen kommen.

Präsident Bashar al-Asad hat die Türkei vor den Folgen einer Unterstützung islamistischer Kämpfer im syrischen Bürgerkrieg gewarnt. Er zeigte sich überzeugt, dass sich die Terroristen, denen die Türkei seiner Ansicht nach Unterschlupf gewährt, schon bald gegen ihre Gastgeber wenden werden. «Man kann den Terrorismus nicht in die Jackentasche stecken und ihn als Trumpfkarte nutzen wollen, weil er wie ein Skorpion ist, der nicht zögern wird, dich bei der ersten Gelegenheit zu stechen», äusserte sich Asad in einem Interview mit dem oppositionellen türkischen Fernsehsender Halk TV. Zudem warf er der Türkei vor, den Rebellen zu erlauben, von türkischem Gebiet aus Angriffe gegen die syrische Armee und Zivilisten zu starten. » | ceh./(Agenturen) | Freitag, 04. Oktober 2013

Oktoberfest: la Bavière en fête

LE FIGARO MAGAZINE: Avec 7 millions de visiteurs, elle n'a pas d'égale dans le monde. Mais la Fête de la bière est avant tout une célébration de l'identité bavaroise.

Midi pile, samedi 21 septembre. Sous le chapiteau Schottenhamel, un maillet au poing, Christian Ude, le bourgmestre de Munich, s'apprête à enfoncer le robinet dans le premier fût de bière. Un coup, deux coups: le liquide ambré et écumant jaillit. «O zapf is!» (Il est percé!) crie la foule. Des explosions de pétards donnent le signal aux autres chapiteaux. L'Oktoberfest est ouverte pour seize jours de folie.

En France, on ne la connaît que sous le nom de Fête de la bière. Label sommaire et réducteur. L'Oktoberfest est beaucoup plus que cela. C'est d'abord la plus grande fête populaire au monde. Jusqu'au 6 octobre, près de 7 millions de visiteurs se presseront sur la Theresienwiese, Wiesn pour les locaux, un terrain de 42 hectares sur ­lequel se dressent 14 chapiteaux géants - ­entre 3000 personnes pour le plus petit et 10.000 pour le plus grand. C'est aussi une formidable fête foraine avec montagnes russes, carrousels et attractions high-tech. Mais c'est surtout LA fête des Bavarois, un 14 Juillet pour ce peuple qui revendique une place à part au sein des Allemands. «Mir san mir!» (Nous, c'est nous!) martèlent-ils en dialecte. » | Par Jean-Marc Gonin | vendredi 04 octobre 2013

Circoncision : Israël dénonce le «racisme» du Conseil de l'Europe

LE FIGARO: Israël a condamné une résolution définissant la circoncision des garçons pour motifs religieux, pratiquée dans le judaïsme et l'islam, comme une «violation de l'intégrité physique».

Le gouvernement israélien n'a pas mâché ses mots pour condamner, vendredi, la résolution adoptée trois jours plus tôt par l'Assemblée parlementaire du Conseil de l'Europe (APCE). Ce texte, qui établit un parallèle entre la circoncision et les mutilations génitales féminines, recommande aux États «de sensibiliser davantage leurs populations aux risques potentiels que peuvent présenter certaines de ces pratiques pour la santé physique et mentale des enfants». Une démarche qui, aux yeux du porte-parole du ministère israélien des Affaires étrangères, constitue «une tache morale» et «encourage la haine et les tendances racistes de l'Europe». » | Par Cyrille Louis | Correspondant du Figaro à Jérusalem | vendredi 04 octobre 2013

Snow Buries South Dakota, Wyoming, as Storms Threaten Midwest

SEATTLE PI: SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Blizzards rolled into parts of Wyoming and South Dakota on Friday, bringing the snow-savvy states to an unseasonably early winter standstill and even forcing a tourist town to cancel its annual Octoberfest's polka-dancing bar crawl.

A foot of snow had fallen in western South Dakota's scenic Black Hills by early Friday, though residents were bracing for as much as 3 feet of snow and wind gusts of up to 70 mph. The storm system also spawned a tornado in Nebraska, blanketed Colorado's northern mountains with snow and was threatening to push strong thunderstorms as far east as Wisconsin. » | Dirk Lammers, Associated Press | Friday, October 04, 2013

What Did Westgate Mean to Kenyans?

Bill Clinton on Putin and Syria

Netanyahu: I'm Prepared to Talk to Rouhani on the Phone

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Benjamin Netanyahu has said he is prepared to speak with the Iranian president on the telephone, and would consider meeting him, but only to demand that Tehran abandon its nuclear programme.

The Israeli prime minister said in interviews following his appearance at the United Nations General Assembly this week that he did not rule out engaging in diplomatic contact with Hassan Rouhani.

Having told CNN that he would accept a call from the Iranian president, he was then asked by NPR if he would agree to a meeting. “If I’m offered, I’ll consider it,” said Mr Netanyahu.

However, the hawkish Israeli leader reiterated that nothing less than the comprehensive scrapping of Tehran’s nuclear enrichment scheme would be acceptable to his country.

“The reason they insist on enrichment is because they want to maintain the path to nuclear weapons,” he said, dismissing Iran’s claims the programme is directed at civilian energy production.

Mr Netanyahu also poured cold water on hopes that Mr Rouhani, a relative moderate who last week held a landmark phone conversation with President Barack Obama, could achieve significant reform.

“He is a servant of the regime,” said Mr Netanyahu. » | Jon Swaine, New York | Friday, October 04, 2013

Stubbing It Out: Ireland Plans to Be 'Tobacco-free' by 2025

THE INDEPENDENT: Ireland’s health minister has outlined plans for a “tobacco-free” country by 2025.

Dr James Reilly’s proposals contain 60 recommendations to significantly reduce smoking over the next 12 years. He defines a “tobacco-free” Ireland as one where less than five per cent of the population smoke.

According to the Department of Health, the aim of the new policy is to de-normalise tobacco use in Irish society. Efforts to meet this end would include greater restrictions on the types of outlets where tobacco products could be sold, and the possibility of tax increases on tobacco to be applied over five years. » | Andrew Ansell | Thursday, October 03, 2013

Radical Ukraine: Crimea Becomes 'Breeding Ground' for Terror Cells

Syrian ambassador to Ukraine says a number of Ukrainians are fighting alongside armed rebels in his country. And reported some are members of Hizb ut-tahrir party an Islamist movement that was to unite the Muslim world. Aleksey Yaroshevsky reports from Crimea.

Gunshots Heard In Front Of US Capitol Building

Multiple gun shots have been heard near Capitol Hill in Washington DC. Several people have reportedly been injured. For more we're now joined live by RT's Anissa Naouai, who's in Washington.

Rebel Infighting: Secular & Extremists Clash as Radicalism Grips Syria

Fresh clashes have erupted in Syria between secular rebels and Al Qaeda-linked extremists. It's the latest spate of infighting among the anti-Assad camp, which has seen a rapid rise of radicals in their numbers. Western analysts put the total number of rebels at around a hundred thousand. They're split into as many as a thousand different groups. Ten thousand fighters are radical jihadists with links to Al Qaeda. Up to 35 thousand others are hardline Islamists, who share many of Al Qaeda's views. That leaves the more moderate rebels vastly outnumbered. Let's get reaction from independent news editor James Corbett.

Finlande : exclusion d'un député pour un salut nazi pris en photo

LA PRESSE: Le parti des Finlandais (extrême droite) a annoncé jeudi qu'il allait expulser un de ses députés après avoir appris qu'il avait photographié son invité en train de faire un salut nazi au Parlement.

Le député James Hirvisaari, dont l'invité est connu pour avoir posté fréquemment sur Internet des photos et vidéos du même genre, a pris celui-ci en photo faisant le salut nazi, dans les locaux ouverts au public du Parlement fin septembre. La photo a été ensuite publiée sur Internet.

Le président du parti, Timo Soini, a jugé l'action de M. Hirvisaari «inacceptable» et a déclaré qu'il allait «certainement» être expulsé au cours de la prochaine réunion de la direction du parti.

«J'ai toujours pris position contre le racisme», s'est défendu M. Soini à la chaîne de télévision finlandaise YLE. » | Agence France-Presse | Helsinki | jeudi 03 octobre 2013

Nicolas Sarkozy's 'Shocking Comments' Lost Him Election, Says Ex-wife

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Nicolas Sarkozy displayed a “worrying impulsiveness” and his “shocking comments” to woo the far-Right lost him the last election, according to his ex-wife in extracts of a “tell-all” autobiography released today

Cecilia [sic] Attias, whose marriage to Mr Sarkozy, the former French president, lasted for 11 years until their divorce in 2007, has said he was an impulsive man who would fly into rages, in contrast to his public image. The couple had a well-publicised split when she left Mr Sarkozy in May 2005 for several months for the international communications consultant, Richard Attias. She returned to her husband in the run-up to the 2007 elections, but they divorced later that year.

In her new book Une Envie de Vérité (A Desire For Truth), extracts of which were published in Le Point and Elle magazine, the 55-year-old former model reveals that she fell for the “solid and calm” Mr Attias in contrast to the “misleading superficiality” of Mr Sarkozy.

In some of the most damaging extracts for a man widely tipped to be seeking to make a presidential comeback in 2017, Mrs Attias comments on Mr Sarkozy’s temperament and political judgment.

“It is strange that a man who in private was totally placid and would never raise his voice could — notably later — give such an impulsive image of himself,” she writes. » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Thursday, October 03, 2013

Tony Blair Signed Up to Help Albania to Join EU

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Albania has signed up Tony Blair as an adviser and lobbyist in its uphill struggle to join the 28-nation European Union.

Edi Rama, the Prime Minister of the formerly Communist country, said Mr Blair would be “personally, totally and voluntarily” helping his government.

Mr Blair, who was Labour Prime Minister between 1997 and 2007, is considered to be a hero in Albania, a formerly Communist state of just three million people.

He was involved in Nato intervention in Kosovo in 1999, where ethnic Albanians were being attacked by Serb forces.

At the time, many children in the country were named “Tonibler” in his honour.

At a joint briefing in Tirana, Mr Blair – who is not being paid in his new role - said joining the EU is the “right and proper” prospect for the former Communist country.

He said: “The orientation toward Europe is immensely important, and personally I'd love to see this country join the family of European nations.”

Albania first applied for EU candidate status in 2009, when it joined NATO. Read on and comment » | Christopher Hope, Senior Political Correspondent | Thursday, October 03, 2013

My comment:

Tony Blair is committed to the Islamisation of Europe, obviously. Albania is a Muslim majority nation.

Is this a suitable nation to bring into the EU? If I remember correctly, Tone also wants Turkey in the Union. What is this meddlesome man trying to do to us?

The sooner this man retires from politics, the better it will be for all of us. – © Mark

This comment also appears here

Deutschland: Einheitsfeier in Stuttgart

In der Landeshauptstadt von Baden-Württemberg haben die offiziellen Feierlichkeiten zum Tag der Deutschen Einheit stattgefunden.

Shutdown Spectacle: 'America Is Already Politically Bankrupt'

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: As the United States government shutdown enters its second day, Washington is the target of both ridicule and concern overseas. German commentators describe the situation as a "specifically American problem" with far-reaching consequences.

The illustration on the cover of German business daily Handelsblatt on Wednesday morning fairly well encapsulates the way the US federal government shutdown is being perceived across the Atlantic. The Statue of Liberty stands bound in chains, her torch hand hanging listlessly by her side. Across it reads the headline: "The Blocked World Power."

Many Germans have found it hard to understand American lawmakers' inability to resolve their budget disagreements in time to prevent a shutdown of all nonessential government services, which went into effect at midnight on Monday night. "What Washington currently offers up is a spectacle, but one in which the spectators feel more like crying," writes the conservative daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. » | Charly Wilder | Wednesday, October 02, 2013

GCHQ Faces Legal Challenge in European Court over Online Privacy

THE GUARDIAN: Campaigners accuse British spy agency of breaching privacy of millions in UK and Europe via online surveillance

The UK spy agency GCHQ is facing a legal challenge in the European courts over claims its mass online surveillance programmes have breached the privacy of tens of millions of people across the UK and Europe.

Three campaign groups – Big Brother Watch, the Open Rights Group and English PEN – together with the German internet activist Constanze Kurz have filed papers at the European court of human rights alleging that the collection of vast amounts of data, including the content of emails and social media messages, by UK spy agencies is illegal.

The move follows revelations by the US whistleblower Edward Snowden that GCHQ has the capacity to collect more than 21 petabytes of data a day – equivalent to sending all the information in all the books in the British Library 192 times every 24 hours.

Daniel Carey, solicitor at Deighton Pierce Glynn, which is taking the case, said: "We are asking the court to declare that unrestrained surveillance of much of Europe's internet communications by the UK government, and the outdated regulatory system that has permitted this, breach our rights to privacy." » | Matthew Taylor and Nick Hopkins | Thursday, October 03, 2013

Rebuffing Hassan Rouhani Would Be 'Diplomatic Malpractice', John Kerry Says

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: America would be guilty of "diplomatic malpractice" if it rebuffed offers by Hassan Rouhani to seek an agreement over Iran's disputed nuclear programme, John Kerry, the US secretary of state, has said.

Speaking in Tokyo, Mr Kerry said the US had an obligation to respond positively to the olive branch extended by Mr Rouhani, the Iranian president, who has embarked on a charm offensive aimed at achieving rapprochement with the West and ending the decade-long stand- off over his country's uranium enrichment programme.

"It would be diplomatic malpractice of the worst order not to examine every possibility of whether or not you can achieve that before you ask people to take military action and do what you have to do to prevent it," he told reporters. "You have to exhaust the remedies before you ratchet up to a next tier of remedies that may have more dramatic consequences."

Mr Kerry words jarred with the belligerent message of Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, who gave a series of interviews on US television warning of the dangers of engaging Mr Rouhani. » | Robert Tait, Middle East Correspondent | Thursday, October 03, 2013

Egypt Military Head Attracts a Cult Following

Campaigns aim to persuade General Sisi, who oversaw crackdown on Muslim Brotherhood supporters, to run for president.

Video Shows Egypt Generals Plotting Media Gag

New footage released by activists shows army top brass discussing ways to tighten control over country's media.

Angleterre : une école musulmane ferme ses portes

LE POINT: En plus de porter le voile, les enfants de l'école primaire Al-Madinah à Derby avaient interdiction de chanter ou de jouer de la musique non musulmane.

Même au pays du multiculturalisme roi, la tolérance face à l'islamisme, en particulier à l'école, commence à sérieusement s'éroder. Al-Madinah, une école primaire située dans la ville anglaise de Derby, vient ainsi de se voir obligée de fermer ses portes il y a trois jours, après une visite de l'Ofsted, l'organisme britannique en charge de l'inspection des écoles. Cette dernière avait été organisée à la suite de plaintes face aux règles strictes imposées par l'école, qui obligent notamment les filles à s'asseoir au fond de la classe et à céder leur place aux garçons quand elles font la queue lors de sorties scolaires.

En septembre, une enquête menée par le Sunday Times avait déjà dénoncé plusieurs pratiques mises en place par l'administration de l'école, telle que l'interdiction pour l'ensemble des 200 enfants de chanter, de jouer de la musique non musulmane ou de raconter des contes de fées, car apparemment considérés comme contraires au Coran. Par ailleurs, l'enseignement obligatoire inclut trois prières par jour, et deux heures d'études quotidiennes consacrées au Coran et à l'Arabe. » | Par Frédérique Andréani, à Londres | jeudi 03 octobre 2013