Unbelievable! European Court Backs Immunity for Saudi Arabian Officials Accused of Torture

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: European human rights judges uphold the immunity of Saudi Arabian officials accused of torturing Britons

Saudi Arabian officials have immunity in Britain's courts from being sued over the alleged torture of British nationals including rape, European human rights judges have ruled.

The European Court of Human Rights has upheld a judicial ruling in the House of Lords that stopped four Britons from taking legal action against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Ron Jones, Alexander Mitchell, Leslie Walker and William Sampson claimed they were subjected to torture following their arrest after a series of terrorist bombings carried out by opposition groups in 2001 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's capital city.

The four Britons confessed to acting as spies under orders from the British government, and were convicted in closed court without legal representation.

The men claimed that they were subjected to beatings, sleep deprivation and anal rape as well as being given mind-altering drugs during their time in custody and have to pursue Saudi Arabian officials, their alleged torturers, in the British courts. Mr Sampson has since died. » | Bruno Waterfield, Brussels | Tuesday, January 14, 2014

François Hollande's 'Affair' Leads to Poll Boost... Thanks to Support from French Women

Valérie Trierweiler | François Hollande

LONDON EVENING STANDARD: François Hollande has won the support of tens of thousands more French women following reports of his affair, a poll reveals today.

The survey for Le Nouvel Observateur magazine showed a three-point jump among women in approval for the French leader, from 23 per cent in December to 26 per cent. The biggest increase in backing for him in the LH2 poll appeared to be among women aged 25-34 and 50-64.

In contrast, men in France seem far less impressed by the president’s reported liaisons with actress Julie Gayet. His 26 per cent approval rating remains unchanged.

The poll also appeared to show that France is divided in its reaction to the revelations about Mr Hollande’s love life and has crystalised opinion about him. The percentage of women who disapproved of him has also gone up three points, leaving his overall net popularity unchanged. » | Nicholas Cecil, Peter Allen | Tuesday, January 14, 2014

François Hollande's 'Escapades' - A Glossary

Valérie Trierweiler

BBC: Followers of France's political love story may have been intrigued by some expressions used in the media, writes Hugh Schofield. What, for example, to make of a presidential spokesman's statement that Valerie Trierweiler has succumbed to the blues?

Le blues means (as in English) sadness or melancholy. To have a coup de blues is to get an attack of the blues, to feel down all of a sudden. Used of Valerie Trierweiler, it underplays the extent of her distress. You would not normally go to hospital with le blues.

Some have said that Trierweiler, President Francois [sic] Hollande and his alleged new girlfriend Julie Gayet are all from the gauche caviar - the caviar-eating left. This is the French equivalent of champagne Socialists. But because left-wing thinking is very much part of the French establishment, the gauche caviar is an easily identifiable social class.

These people may abhor the pursuit of money, but find it normal to have a pied-a-terre in the Rue du Cirque - an exclusive street a stone's throw from the presidential residence, the Elysee [sic] Palace. This is where Julie Gayet was lent a flat by actress Emmanuelle Hauck, in order (allegedly) to facilitate the affair. Incidentally, had it been Hollande's flat, it would have been not a pied-a-terre, but a garconniere (bachelor pad). » | Magazine Monitor | Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Suivez la conférence de presse du président de la République

Pope Francis Denounces Abortion as ‘Horrific’

THE INDEPENDENT: The Pope described abortion as part of modern ‘throwaway culture’ which has grown to encompass human beings themselves

Pope Francis has denounced abortion as “horrific”, describing it as part of a “throwaway culture” that has grown to encompass human beings themselves.

Speaking in his annual “State of the World” address, the Pope finally bowed to conservative Catholic demands that he break his silence on what they call “the evil of abortion”.

While he has never looked likely to change the Church’s position on the practice, Pope Francis has been much less willing to publicly rail against abortion in the same manner as his predecessors Pope Benedict XVI and the late John Paul II.

And in a landmark interview with the Italian Jesuit magazine Civilta Cattolica, he said it was time for the Church to be rid of its “obsession” with teachings on abortion, contraception and homosexuality.

But addressing diplomats in the Vatican yesterday, the Pope spoke about the rights of children around the world.

“It is horrific even to think that there are children, victims of abortion, who will never see the light of day,” he said.

Abortion, he said, was part of a “throwaway culture” that had enveloped many parts of the world.

“Unfortunately, what is thrown away is not only food and dispensable objects, but often human beings themselves, who are discarded as unnecessary,” he said. » | Adam Withnall | Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Hidden Homophobia: Is Germany Really as Liberal as It Seems?

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Germany last week celebrated the coming out of former professional football player Thomas Hitzlsperger. But discrimination remains a fact of life for gays and lesbians in the country. How truly liberal is German society?

A gay couple that was seeking to open a restaurant near the Bavarian town of Freying received an anonymous letter early last year. "Stay away. We don't need people like you here," it read. Additional threats followed, including a faked obituary and an open, though anonymous, letter claiming that one of the two was HIV-positive and that there was a danger that diners could be infected. The restaurant was never opened.

Can a story like be really be true? In Germany of all places, a country that was last week enraptured by the coming out of former professional footballer Thomas Hitzlsperger and where it seemed like the entire country supported him?

Hitzlsperger made his announcement in the influential weekly Die Zeit, unleashing a tidal wave of media backing. "Respect" blared the left-wing Berlin daily Die Tageszeitung. Its conservative counterpart Bild chose the exact same headline, marking one of the very few times when the two publications have concurred. Everyone in the country seemed to be in agreement when it came to Hitzlsperger's courageous step.

Yet the jubilation was so great that it at times seemed a bit too much for the occasion. A former football player came out. Is that really such a monumental event? Of course its progress when it is made clear that homosexuality exists in the world of football as well. No player the caliber of Hitzlsperger had thus far gone public with his homosexuality.

But the rejoicing sounded suspiciously self-serving and smug: "We are so amazingly liberal that we can even get excited about a gay professional football player," the message seemed to be. "Germany is so much better than Russia, where homosexuals are openly discriminated against, and superior to France, where hundreds of thousands take to the streets to protest gay marriage."

One could almost feel the relief at the fact that the positive reaction to Hitzlsperger's announcement was large enough to cover up the normal hostilities, clichés, stereotypes and discrimination against gays that exist in Germany. But they were there. Even as Bild pronounced its "respect" for Hitzlsperger, the paper's columnist Franz Josef Wagner wrote in an open letter to the former German national team player: "Nobody thought that you are gay. You were athletic, a power-player." The prejudice was clear, even as it was hidden behind the admiration. » | Anna Kistner, Dirk Kurbjuweit, Ann-Katrin Müller and Simone Salden | Monday, January 13, 2014

Verwandt »

Pourquoi il faut absolument manger des fibres

Les légumes secs sont très riches en fibres

LE POINT: Une équipe franco-suédoise vient de découvrir le rôle exact des fibres dans le maintien de la glycémie et donc dans la prévention du diabète et de l'obésité.

Cela fait bien longtemps qu'une alimentation riche en fibres est recommandée, car elle protège - entre autres - contre l'obésité et le diabète. Même si, jusqu'ici, on ne connaissait pas exactement les mécanismes expliquant ses effets bénéfiques. C'est désormais chose faite grâce aux travaux d'une équipe franco-suédoise* qui a montré le rôle de la flore intestinale et la capacité de l'intestin à produire du glucose (sucre) entre les repas. Ces résultats, qui viennent d'être publiés dans la revue Cell, précisent également l'implication de l'intestin et de ses micro-organismes associés dans le maintien de la glycémie (taux de sucre dans le sang).

La plupart des fruits sucrés et différents légumes - notamment les salsifis, les choux ou les fèves - sont riches en fibres dites fermentescibles. Elles ne sont pas digérées directement par l'intestin, mais elles sont fermentées par certaines bactéries intestinales (comme le propionate et le butyrate) qui les rendent assimilables par notre organisme. De nombreuses études scientifiques montrent que des animaux recevant une alimentation riche en fibres grossissent moins et sont moins enclins à développer un diabète que ceux qui n'en consomment pas. » | Par Anne Jeanblanc | mardi 14 janvier 2014

Cameron 'Bribes' Councils to Allow Fracking

Britain's Prime Minister has given a massive lift to the controversial fracking industry. David Cameron has said local authorities who allow shale gas extraction will be able to keep 100% of business rates they collect from the sites.

Al-Qaeda Armies Seize Entire Iraqi Cities in Chaos Left Behind by War

The black flag of Al-Qaeda was this week raised over two Iraq cities which are now under the control of Jihadists bent on creating a new Islamic nation. But the real blood-letting is yet to begin, warn experts, as the Iraqi army and tribal militias mobilise, and prepare to counter-attack.

Fashion vs Politics: BBC Chat to Be More Dolce & Gabbana Than Barack Obama?

Clintons Kept a Political 'Hit-list' of Friends and Enemies after Failed 2008 Bid

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: As Hillary Clinton deliberates on whether to run for president in 2016 a new book paints the Clintons as vindictive and raises ugly memories of desertions and betrayals in the 2008 campaign

Hillary and Bill Clinton keep a detailed "hit-list" of everyone who has crossed them during more than 20 years at the apex of American politics, a new book has claimed.

The list of so-called "sinners and saints" – including John Kerry, now secretary of state, and the late Ted Kennedy - was compiled on a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet in the dying days of Mrs Clinton's losing bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008.

The alleged "cheat-sheet" of betrayals – and there were many that year – ranked offenders on a scale from 1 to 7 and was compiled by aides to give the Clintons an instant database of those who deserved political favour, and those who did not.

"Almost six years later, most Clinton aides can still rattle off the names of traitors and the favors that had been done for them then provide details of just how each of the guilty had gone on to betray the Clintons as if it all had happened just a few hours before," wrote the authors of HRC: State Secrets and the Rebirth of Hillary Clinton.

The Clintons have a reputation in Washington for long memories, but the existence of a digital "favour book" raises questions about how Mrs Clinton, now 66, might conduct another run at the presidency in 2016. » | Peter Foster, Washington | Monday, January 13, 2014

Israel: Ya'alon: Kerry Should Win His Nobel and Leave Us Alone

Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon | Secretary of State John Kerry

YNET NEWS: Defense Minister says in private that US security plan 'not worth the paper it's written on', insists Kerry 'cannot teach me anything about the conflict with the Palestinians'.

While the United States is pushing hard for a final agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon has expressed his great skepticism of these efforts, both in private conversations in Israel and in the US. In particular, Ya'alon has harsh words to say about Secretary of State John Kerry.

"Abu Mazen (Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas) is alive and well thanks to us," Ya'alon said. "The moment we leave Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) he is finished. In reality, there have been no negotiations between us and the Palestinians for all these months – but rather between us and the Americans. The only thing that can 'save us' is for John Kerry to win a Nobel Prize and leave us in peace."

Ya'alon, who was IDF chief of staff from 2002-2005, at the height of the second intifada, also has little regard for the US-devised security provisions for a post-peace region.

"The American security plan presented to us is not worth the paper it's written on," Ya'alon said. "It contains no peace and no security. Only our continued presence in Judea and Samaria and the River Jordan will endure that Ben-Gurion Airport and Netanya don't become targets for rockets from every direction. American Secretary of State John Kerry, who turned up here determined and acting out of misplaced obsession and messianic fervor, cannot teach me anything about the conflict with the Palestinians." » | Shimon Shiffer | Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Atheist Afghan Man Granted Asylum in UK to Protect Him from ‘Religious’ Persecution

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: An Afghan asylum seeker who become an atheist has been granted leave to remain in Britain because he would face ‘religious’ persecution for abandoning Islam

A young Afghan man who became an atheist after coming to Britain has been granted asylum on the grounds that the threat to his life for having no faith would amount to “religious” persecution.

In what is thought to be the first case of its kind in the UK, the Home Office accepted that sending the man back to his country of birth could put him in danger specifically because of his lack of religious beliefs.

The man, who is not being named for safety reasons, was born a Muslim but abandoned his faith after coming to the UK as a teenager around five years ago.

Apostasy – or abandoning the faith – can be punished with the death penalty under Afghan law.

Central to his case to the Home Office was the example of Abdul Rahman an Afghan man who was put on trial and faced death in 2006 for converting to Christianity. » | John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor | Monday, January 13, 2014

Thomas Hitzlsperger: "Homosexualität wird im Fußball ignoriert"

Thomas Hitzlsperger, Fußballprofi

ZEIT ONLINE: Als erster prominenter deutscher Fußballprofi bekennt sich der frühere Nationalspieler Thomas Hitzlsperger. Er begründet sein jahrelanges Schweigen, spricht über "schwule Pässe", dumme Sprüche in der Kabine und die Frage, ob homosexuelle Fußballer ihre Karriere gefährden.

DIE ZEIT: Herr Hitzlsperger, Sie haben um ein Gespräch gebeten, warum?

Thomas Hitzlsperger: Ich äußere mich zu meiner Homosexualität. Ich möchte gern eine öffentliche Diskussion voranbringen – die Diskussion über Homosexualität unter Profisportlern. Das Thema bleibt immer wieder in den Klischees stecken – Profisportler gelten als perfekt "diszipliniert", "hart" und "hypermännlich". Homosexuelle dagegen gelten als "zickig", "weich", "sensibel". Das passt natürlich nicht zusammen. Ein homosexueller Profisportler? Da werden Widersprüche aufgebaut, über die ich mich in meiner Profikarriere immer wieder geärgert habe. Diese Widersprüche werden an den Stammtischen als Sensationen verkauft. Mich hat zusätzlich geärgert, dass gerade diejenigen mit dem geringsten Sachwissen am lautesten über das Thema reden.

ZEIT: Warum wollen Sie dann jetzt sprechen? Hat Ihnen jemand gedroht, Sie zu outen?

Hitzlsperger: Das wäre für mich keine Drohung. Was soll das? Als Profi war ich eine öffentliche Person, an der sich jeder Soziopath ohne großes Nachdenken reiben konnte. Im Fußball kann dir alles nachgesagt werden, dann giltst du als: "manisch-depressiv", "homosexuell", "spielkrank", "Pleitier". Am häufigsten ist aber zurzeit "homosexuell", vor allem mit der genüsslich-denunziatorischen Bewertung "schwul".

ZEIT: Sie halten den Begriff "schwul" für denunziatorisch?

Hitzlsperger: Ja, so wird er meistens verwendet. (+ Video) » | Von Carolin Emcke und Moritz Müller-Wirth | Montag, 13. Januar 2014

Valérie Trierweiler to Remain in Hospital for Several More Days

THE GUARDIAN: François Hollande's partner was said to have suffered a 'very strong emotional shock' after hearing claims of affair

A top aide to France's first lady says she will remain in hospital for several more days to recover from the shock of a tabloid report that her partner, François Hollande, is having an affair with an actor.

Valerie Trierweiler's chief of staff, Patrice Biancone, said on Monday she could stay in hospital for a further six or eight days. She was initially expected to leave the hospital on Monday. He said she suffered a "very strong emotional shock" and needed rest. One official said she was receiving treatment for "a severe case of the blues".

Hollande has never married. He and Trierweiler have lived together since 2007 and she occupies the so-called "madame wing" of the presidential palace.

Meanwhile, the "Hollande affair" has taken an unexpectedly sinister turn with claims – and counter-claims – that the flat used for the president's alleged love tryst with an actor was linked to the Corsican mafia.

French media reported that the apartment where François Hollande met Julie Gayet was lent to her by a friend who was involved with two mobsters. » | Kim Willsher and Anne Penketh in Paris | Monday, January 13, 2014

Britain's Mean Streets – Immigrant Life in the UK

The economic migrants looking for a better life who end up in the gutter. The UK is bitterly divided on the EU and immigration. As the opening up of Europe's borders creates a new wave of poverty on its streets, we witness the deprivation and anger as it reaches crisis point.

Nigeria Criminalises Same-sex Relationships

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: Abuja: Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan signed a bill that criminalises same-sex relationships, the presidency said, defying pressure from Western governments to respect gay and lesbian rights.

The bill, which contains penalties of up to 14 years in prison and bans gay marriage, same-sex "amorous relationships" and membership of gay rights groups, was passed by the national assembly last May but Jonathan had delayed signing it into law.

Two similar bills have been proposed since 2006 but failed to make it through parliament.

"Yes, Mr President had signed the bill into law, a statement will be issued on it within the week," presidency spokesman Reuben Abati said.

As in much of sub-Saharan Africa, anti-gay sentiment and persecution of homosexuals is rife in Nigeria, so the new legislation is likely to be popular. Jonathan is expected to seek re-election in 2015 but is under pressure after several dozen lawmakers and a handful of regional governors defected to the opposition in the past two months.

Under existing Nigerian federal law, sodomy is punishable by jail, but this bill legislates for a much broader crackdown on homosexuals and lesbians, who already live a largely underground existence. » | Felix Onuah | Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Auslandsjournal: Die Netzwerke der Salafisten in Europa

Ariel Scharon: Israel trauert um ehemaligen Regierungschef

Mit einer Trauerfeier haben Staatsgäste aus aller Welt in Jerusalem Abschied von Ariel Scharon genomment. Auf seinem Landsitz wurde er beigesetzt.

Religious Charter Sparks Furor in Canada

Public consultations underway on contentious proposal to ban civil servants from wearing religious symbols in Quebec.

Meet Al-Qaeda's New Poster Boy for the Middle East

Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The fall of the Iraqi city of Fallujah back into the hands of al-Qaeda has shown the power of the movement's new leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

The FBI “most wanted” mugshot shows a tough, swarthy figure, his hair in a jailbird crew-cut. The $10 million price on his head, meanwhile, suggests that whoever released him from US custody four years ago may now be regretting it.

Taken during his years as a detainee at the US-run Camp Bucca in southern Iraq, this is the only known photograph of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the new leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq and Syria. But while he may lack the photogenic qualities of his hero, Osama bin Laden, he is fast becoming the new poster-boy for the global jihadist movement.

Well-organised and utterly ruthless, the ex-preacher is the driving force behind al-Qaeda’s resurgence throughout Syria and Iraq, putting it at the forefront of the war to topple President Bashar al-Assad and starting a fresh campaign of mayhem against the Western-backed government in Baghdad. » | Colin Freeman | Saturday, January 11, 2014

Right March: Anti-EU Nationalist Parties Surge Amid Economic Hardship Fears

Nothing seems to be able to stop Europe's lurch to the political right. With only tentative signs of economic growth and precious little good news for deeply indebted countries like Greece and France, it's a movement that seems difficult to reverse. RT's Peter Oliver takes a closer look at a continent in search of new answers to hard problems.

Koran Handouts in Germany: Freedom of Religion vs Fears of Islamism

Islamic radicals have been distributing free copies of the Koran in downtown Berlin - sparking concerns about the spread of Muslim extremism in Europe. There's nothing illegal however about the move - which those behind it say is freedom of expression. RT's Egor Piskunov investigates.

Koran Handouts in Germany: Freedom of religion... by RTnews

BBC Whitewash? Armed Forces Imam: UK 'Not At War With Islam'

Britain's armed forces first Muslim chaplain, Imam Asim Hafiz

BBC: The British armed forces' first Muslim chaplain says there is no conflict between being a Muslim and fighting for Britain.

Imam Asim Hafiz also challenged Muslim extremists who claimed the UK and US were waging a war against Islam.

Referring to people like the men who killed Fusilier Lee Rigby, he said: "These individuals are misled. They are not educated. They haven't necessarily studied the Koran... and have no appreciation of what the faith is about.

"To consider an unarmed individual in a time of peace to be a legitimate target for murder is absolutely unacceptable." Watch BBC video » | Monday, January 13, 2014

François Hollande's Partner Valérie Trierweiler in Hospital with 'Exhaustion'

THE GUARDIAN: Journalist has been prescribed rest by doctors after learning of claims that French president was having affair with Julie Gayet

Valérie Trierweiler, the partner of the French president, François Hollande, has been taken to hospital with "exhaustion" following claims that he has been having an affair, it has emerged.

After hearing of Hollande's alleged trysts with the actor Julie Gayet, Trierweiler, a journalist, was taken to hospital where doctors prescribed rest. Trierweiler's office told L'Express magazine she had been taken to hospital on Friday afternoon and was due to be released on Monday.

An unidentified Élysée official told Le Monde that Trierweiler was suffering a "severe case of the blues". » | Anne Penketh in Paris | Sunday, January 12, 2014

Al-Qaeda Armies Seize Entire Iraqi Cities in Chaos Left Behind by War

The black flag of Al-Qaeda was this week raised over two Iraq cities which are now under the control of Jihadists bent on creating a new Islamic nation. But the real blood-letting is yet to begin, warn experts, as the Iraqi army and tribal militias mobilise, and prepare to counter-attack.

German Ex-Muslim Reveals Absolute Truth about Islam, Explains What Is Going On in Europe, the West

Inside Story: Iran and the West: Thawing of Relations?

As a British delegation visits Tehran, we ask if it is to renew ties or to explore business opportunities.

Ariel Sharon's Body Lies in State in Jerusalem

BBC: Ariel Sharon death: Israelis pay respects at Knesset: Israelis are filing past the body of ex-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon who has died aged 85 of heart failure after eight years in a coma. » | Sunday, January 12, 2014

France's Hollande Attacks Report of Affair with Actress

Julie Gayet has appeared in more than 50 films

BBC: French President Francois Hollande says he is considering suing a magazine which claimed he was having an affair with actress Julie Gayet, 41.

Mr Hollande described the report as an "attack on the right to privacy", but did not deny the allegation.

Friday's print edition of the weekly tabloid Closer features seven pages about the alleged affair.

Closer later said it would remove its website version of the story at Ms Gayet's request.

"Julie Gayet's lawyer contacted us to request we remove from the website all mention of this relationship," Laurence Pieau, editor of Closer, told Agence France-Presse news agency, adding that the removal would probably take place by Friday evening.

No action was announced about the print version however.

Ms Pieau said there had been no contact with the presidential palace. (+ video) » | Friday, January 10, 2014

Sochi Safety: Unprecedented Security in Place around Winter Olympic Host City

An unprecedented level of security is in place around the Russian city of Sochi, the host of the 2014 Winter Olympic games. Tens of thousands of police officers have been drafted in, with the sole aim of keeping citizens, visitors and athletes safe. RT's Paul Scott takes a look.

Turkish Bizarre: MPs Throw Tablets, Punch Colleagues in Heated Brawl

'Don't Frack with My Future!' Hundreds of Water-contamination Complaints Filed in US

The states in the U.S. enjoying an energy boom due to fracking, are having to deal with the backlash that comes with it. A new report found that people who live in those states have filed hundreds of complaints of well-water becoming contaminated because of oil and gas drilling. Further casting doubt on claims by industry bosses that these problems are rare. RT's Marina Portnaya reports.

New Nationalism: Far-right Voices Get Louder in Japan

Some parts of Japanese society want to drag the pacifist nation to the right. Nationalist groups are growing louder in their calls for the country to take a harder-line against enemies home and abroad. RT's Aleksey Yaroshevsky looks at the possible political repercussions for the entire region.

Tel Aviv Unveils First Memorial to Gay Holocaust Victims

People lay flowers in memory of gays killed by Nazis in WWII

BBC: Tel Aviv has become the first Israeli city to unveil a memorial in honour of gay and lesbian victims of the Nazi Holocaust.

The monument in the centre of the city is designed around a pink triangle - the symbol gay prisoners were forced to wear in the concentration camps.

As many as 15,000 homosexuals were killed in the Nazi camps.

Similar monuments in their memory have been erected in Amsterdam, Berlin, San Francisco and Sydney. » | Friday, January 10, 2014

French President Hollande Attacks Reports of Affair

Julie Gayet (left) and François Hollande

BBC: French President Francois Hollande is considering legal action against a magazine that has claimed he is having an affair with an actress.

The latest edition of the weekly tabloid Closer features revelations concerning his alleged relationship with Julie Gayet, 41, an established television and cinema actress.

Mr Hollande says his privacy had been breached.

Hugh Schofield reports from Paris. Wayche BBC video » | Friday, January 10, 2014

Almost a Tenth of Babies and Toddlers in England and Wales Are Muslim, Census Figures Show

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The percentage of Muslims among the under-fives is almost twice as high as in the general population, according to a breakdown of census figures

Census figures reveal a ‘startling’ shift in Britain’s demographic trend with almost a tenth of babies and toddlers born in England and Wales being Muslim.

The percentage of Muslims among the under-fives is almost twice as high as in the general population. Less than one in 200 over 85s are Muslims – an indication of the extent to which birth rate is changing the UK’s religious demographic.

The Office for National Statistics produced the breakdown of Britain’s religions and age groups. The figures, according to the [sic] Times, were extracted from data collected in the 2011 census.

One expert said it was possible that Muslims who worshipped would outnumber practising Christians. “It’s not inconceivable,” said David Voas, Professor of Population Studies at the University of Essex. » | Keith Perry | Friday, January 10, 2014

Freezing Weather Spreads into Eastern US

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Forecasters said some 187 million people in all could feel the effects of the 'polar vortex' by the time it spread across the country


The coldest, most dangerous blast of polar air in decades gripped the US Midwest and pushed toward the East and South and eastern Canada, closing schools and day care centres, grounding flights and forcing people to pull their hoods and scarves tight to protect exposed skin from nearly instant frostbite.

Many across the nation's midsection went into virtual hibernation, while others dared to venture out in temperatures that plunged well below zero Fahrenheit (minus 18 Celsius). » | AP | Tuesday, January 07, 2014

Saudi Man Sentenced to 80 Lashes for Accusing Kuwaiti Pop Singer of Adultery on Twitter

Kuwaiti singer, Shams

THE INDEPENDENT: The unidentified Saudi national allegedly accused pop singer Shams of adultery 'without providing proof' of her affair

A Saudi man has been sentenced to 80 lashes and three months in jail, after being convicted of defaming a Kuwaiti singer by accusing her of adultery on Twitter.

The unidentified Saudi national allegedly accused pop singer Shams of adultery "without providing proof" of her affair, according to the Saudi Sabq news agency. The news agency said he also posted fabricated photos showing Shams in "obscene" positions.

Shams subsequently filed a legal suit against the man. The Sabq said the verdict was based on sharia law, which states those who accuse others of adultery must be flogged.

The man, believed to have been a fan of a rival singer, was also fined 10,000 riyals (£1,600), AFP has reported. » | Heather Saul | Friday, January 03, 2014

Toto: Africa

Happy New Year! Bonne année ! Gutes Neues Jahr! ¡Feliz Año Nuevo! Felice Anno Nuovo! Felix sit annus novus! Blwyddyn Newydd Dda! ! سنة سعيدة

Wishing all my visitors, followers, and Twitter followers a wonderful, healthy, happy, and prosperous 2014. Thanking you all for your continued support

Saudi Prince Facing Execution for Murder after Senior Royalty Insisted 'There Is No Difference between Rich and Poor'

Crown Prince Salman: no-one is immune from sharia law

MAIL ONLINE: So far, the identity of the prince and his victim has not been made public / Crown Prince Salman said Islamic law shall be applied 'without exception'

A Saudi prince who murdered a fellow Saudi may be executed, a newspaper reported on Sunday, in a rare example of a member of the kingdom's ruling family facing the death penalty.

The English-language Arab News did not name the prince or his victim, but said a senior member of the family and government, Crown Prince Salman, had ‘cleared the way for the possible execution of a prince convicted of murdering a Saudi citizen’.

In a message about the case to Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, Prince Salman said: ‘Sharia (Islamic law) shall be applied to all without exception’, the daily reported.

Prince Salman's message followed a statement from the victim's father that he was not ready to pardon the killer and he was not happy with the amount offered as blood money.

The families of murder victims are encouraged by authorities to accept blood money instead of insisting on execution.

The paper quoted Crown Prince Salman's message as saying: ‘There is no difference between big and small, rich and poor ... Nobody is allowed to interfere with the judiciary's decision. This is the tradition of this state. We are committed to following the sharia.’ » | Ted Thornhill | Monday, December 30, 2013

Turkey First of Fed Taper Victims as Political Crisis Scares Investors

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Lira tumbles as Turkey goes from star performer to 'sick man' of the emerging market block

The Turkish lira has tumbled to a record low amid a deepening political crisis in Ankara, the first emerging market domino to wobble as the US Federal Reserve starts to wind down global dollar stimulus.

The currency has weakened by 6pc against the euro over the last two days, culminating a 25pc fall this year. Foreign funds have cut holdings of Turkish debt by a quarter since the May.

Turkey has gone from star performer to 'sick man' of the emerging market block as the Fed begins to taper bond purchases, a move that threatens to set off a further rotation of funds back into US dollar assets. » | Ambrose Evans-Pritchard | Friday, December 27, 2013

'Orwell's 1984 a Fairytale Compared to Reality': Snowden Delivers Christmas Message

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has delivered his 'Alternative Christmas Message' via a British TV channel. The whistleblower called for an end to mass spying by governments, stating that a child born today will have "no conception of privacy."

Related »

Islamophobia: Surge Revealed in Anti-Muslim Hate Crimes

THE INDEPENDENT: Many forces reported a particular rise in anti-Islam hate crimes following the murder of soldier Lee Rigby

Islamophobic hate crimes across Britain have risen dramatically this year, new figures have revealed.

Hundreds of offences were perpetrated against the country's Muslim population in 2013, with the Metropolitan police alone - Britain's largest force - recording 500 Islamophobic crimes, compared with 336 incidents in 2012 and 318 in 2011.

A large number of forces across the country reported a particular surge in the number of anti-Muslim hate crimes following the murder of soldier Lee Rigby by two Islamic extremists in Woolwich, south-east London.

In May, the month in which Fusilier Rigby was killed, Scotland Yard recorded 104 anti-Muslim hate crimes, followed by a further 108 in June.

The figures were obtained by the Press Association which sent Freedom of Information requests to every police force in England and Wales. » | Tomas Jivanda | Friday, December 27, 2013

Putin's Nightmare: 'Emir of the Caucasus' Vows to Stop Sochi Winter Olympics

THE INDEPENDENT: In truth, this guerrilla war is just the latest stage in a cycle of oppression and resistance lasting centuries as Islamist leader and self-styled Emir of the Caucasus promises to use 'maximum force' to stop these Games

Any day soon, a bomb may go off in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. And if it does, it will be the nightmare that Vladimir Putin has been spending billions of roubles trying to prevent. The Winter Games, which start in February, have long been his pet project, designed to show the world how complete is his control over the territories of which he is president. The sudden rush of amnesties is just his latest ploy to sanitise the image of the Games.

With its sub-tropical climate, palm-fringed beaches, and sulphur springs, Sochi has been Russia’s most sybaritic winter holiday spot since the days of the tsars: it’s the Riviera of the Caucasus whose high mountains stretch eastwards, with embattled Chechnya just two hundred miles away. As a narrow ribbon of land where sea and snow-capped peaks are in close proximity, it was the obvious venue for the winter Olympics, and it has now been transformed by Putin’s hi-tech new infrastructure.

But Doku Umarov, the Chechen Islamist leader and self-styled Emir of the Caucasus, has promised to use “maximum force” to stop these Games. In a video message released in July, he declared: “They plan to hold the Olympics on the bones of our ancestors, on the bones of many, many Muslims buried on our land by the Black Sea. As mujahideen we are required not to permit that, using any methods that Allah allows us.” » | Michael Church | Thursday, December 26, 2013

Edward Snowden's Alternative Christmas Message

Watch Edward Snowden’s message here
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