Britain's Royal Family Should Cut Costs and Staff, Lawmakers Say

LOS ANGELES TIMES: LONDON – Time was when being queen (or king) meant having the power to make your enemies’ heads roll. Now it means being told by upstart lawmakers to cut your expenses and chop the number of people on staff. And could Your Majesty please do a better job of keeping your home in decent condition?

In a report released Tuesday on the finances of Britain’s royal household, members of Parliament criticized the state of disrepair of much of Queen Elizabeth II’s considerable estate, saying that nearly 40% of it was in subpar condition. The boiler in Buckingham Palace hasn’t been overhauled in 60 years and buckets catch water leaking from the roof inside a gallery where priceless artworks are kept, one lawmaker said.

Yet even as urgent home repairs were needed, the world’s most famous extended family spent $74.5 million in 2012-13, going over budget by $3.8 million. The number of people serving them remains unchanged from several years ago. And the household’s rainy-day reserve fund has dwindled to a decidedly less-than-princely sum of $1.7 million. » | Henry Chu | Tuesday, January 28, 2014

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Wanted: an enthusiastic and proactive individual to run the Queen’s bath: A new housekeeper is wanted at Buckingham Palace to look after royal guests, furnishings and art » | Gordon Raynor, Chief Reporter | Friday, January 24, 2014

DAILY EXPRESS: Boomtime Britain as Buckingham Palace goes on a recruiting spree: FOR those who have ever wondered what it would be like to work in Buckingham Palace, they no longer need to dream about such a job as the royal residence is opening it's doors to new employees. » | Kirsty McCormack | Saturday, January 25, 2014

Iraq and Iran Plot Oil Revolution in Challenge to Saudi Arabia

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Iraq's goal of pumping 9m barrels a day of crude could be a game changer for oil prices and British companies

Iraq is poised to flood the oil market by tripling its capacity to pump crude by 2020 and is collaborating with Iran on strategy in a move that will challenge Saudi Arabia's grip on the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

"We feel the world needs to be assured of fuel for economic growth," Hussain al-Shahristani, Deputy Prime Minister for Energy in Iraq told oil industry delegates attending a Chatham House Middle East energy conference.

Al Shahristani said on Tuesday that Iraq plans to boost its capacity to produce oil to 9m barrels a day (bpd) by the end of the decade as Baghdad rushes to bolster its economy, which is still shattered by war and internal conflict. Iraq was producing 3m bpd in December, according to the International Energy Agency.

Iraq's intention to challenge Saudi Arabia's status as the "swing producer" in the OPEC cartel could see a dramatic fall in oil prices if Baghdad decides to break the group's quotas and sell more of its crude on the open market. » | Andrew Critchlow | Tuesday, January 28, 2014

The Return of the Firing Squad? US States Reconsider Execution Methods

THE GUARDIAN: Shortages of lethal drugs and doubts over efficacy prompt lawmakers to take fresh look at long-abandoned practices

With lethal-injection drugs in short supply and new questions looming about their effectiveness, lawmakers in some states with the death penalty are considering bringing back relics of a more gruesome past: firing squads, electrocutions and gas chambers.

Most states abandoned those execution methods more than a generation ago, in the hope of making capital punishment more palatable to the public and to a judicial system worried about inflicting cruel and unusual punishments that violate the constitution.

But to some elected officials, the shortages of lethal drugs and the recent legal challenges around them are beginning to make lethal injection seem too vulnerable to complications.

"This isn't an attempt to time warp back into the 1850s or the wild, wild west or anything like that," said the Missouri state Republican representative, Rick Brattin, who this month proposed making firing squads an option for executions. "It's just that I foresee a problem, and I'm trying to come up with a solution that will be the most humane yet most economical for our state." » | Associated Press | Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Jewish Documentary

Faith and Fate is a documentary telling the story of the Jews in the 20th Century.

What Does it Really Mean to be Jewish?

Is Anti-semitism Rising in Germany?

BBC: Monday is International Holocaust Remembrance Day and ceremonies will be held to remember the victims of the Nazi holocaust during World War II.

Six million Jews, two million Roma and thousands of other people were killed in Nazi death camps.

Now there are fears that anti-semitism is on the rise - a recent survey of 6,000 Jewish people found that a third have faced physical or verbal abuse.

Stephen Evans reports from Berlin. (+ BBC video) » | Monday, January 27, 2014

Forgive or Forget: Survivors of Genocide in the Holocaust, Rwanda and Cambodia Describe Their Experiences

Watch the harrowing testimonies of Freddie Knoller, Sophie Masereka and Sokphal Din, who lived through mass killings during the second world war, the Rwandan genocide and the Cambodian Killing Fields. The three work closely with the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust charity to raise awareness of genocide in the hope that others will be spared similar horrors

Holocaust Survivor Miriam Reitzenstein’s Testimony

This testimony from Jewish Survivor Miriam Reitzenstein is from the archive of the USC Shoah Foundation Institute. She is a member of The "1939" Club.

Holocaust Survivor And Her Amazing Story

Etta Katz is my step-grandma. She is a holocaust survivor. She persevered from two notorious concentration camps: Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. This feature covers her life pre, during and post-war. There's an entire generation of survivors that will be extinct in the next decade or so. Before we know it, video interviews will be the only medium to watch, listen, learn and share this tragic, but inspiring story.

Please Meet is a short video documentary series. The concept of this series is to interview unique individuals that inspire thought, creativity, action, etc. The influencers who are interviewed range from celebrities to a guy selling Streetwise in the freezing cold in Chicago. Everyone has a story, a dream and I want to share their stories with you through my lens.

Remembering the Six Million: Jews around World Mark International Holocaust Memorial Day

Jews around the world are marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It was on 27 January 1945 that the Soviet Union's Red Army liberated the Auschwitz death camp in Poland, where over a million Jews and other minorities perished in World War Two.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day: Holocaust Survivor Recalls Horrors of Nazi Camp Ordeal

As the world marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day, one survivor has been speaking about her ordeal of living in a Nazi concentration camp. Rina Quint, born in central Poland, was just four years old when World War Two broke out in 1939. She recalls the moment she entered the Bergen-Belsen camp in north-western Germany.

Himmler Letters: 'I Am Travelling to Auschwitz. Kisses. Your Heini'

Himmler with his daughter, Gudrun

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Newly discovered collection of letters, notes and photographs from Heinrich Himmler shed light on private life of man who organised the Holocaust

A collection of letters, notes and photographs from Heinrich Himmler are to be published in full on Sunday, shedding light on the private life of the man who orchestrated the Holocaust.

Spanning from Himmler’s courtship of his future wife in 1927 to just a few weeks before he committed suicide in 1945, the archive published by Die Welt promises to be an unprecedented insight to the domestic relationship of the Nazi high command.

Personal archives relating to Adolf Hitler, Hermann Goerring and Joseph Goebbels have all been destroyed either by close aides or in the final onslaught on Berlin.

In excerpts released by the German newspaper on Saturday night, some exchanges between Himmler and his wife Marga contain a chilling informality.

In a July 1942 note to his wife, he wrote: “I am travelling to Auschwitz. Kisses. Your Heini.” » | Damien McElroy and Inna Lazareva | Sunday, January 26, 2014

DIE WELT: Kapitel 1: Himmler: Die Handschrift des Massenmörders » | Sonntag, 26. Januar 2014

YNET NEWS: Himmler's letters revealed: 'I'm going to Auschwitz. Kisses': Private correspondence of architect of Final Solution shows how top Nazi was willing to shoot his own mother if Hitler asked, but despite mass murder surrounding him family life was indispensable‬‬ » | Yehuda Shohat and Elad Zeret | Sunday, January 26, 2014

Related »

Religious Difference, Not Ideology, Will Fuel This Century's Epic Battles

THE OBSERVER: We must encourage education and tolerance if we are to bring about peace in the Middle East and the rest of the world

The last weeks have seen a ghastly roll call of terror attacks in the obvious places: Syria, Libya, Iraq and Lebanon, as well as Egypt, Yemen, Tunisia and Pakistan. Also suffering are places where we have only in recent years seen such violence: Nigeria, and in many parts of central Africa, in Russia and across central Asia, and in Burma, Thailand and the Philippines. We can either see all of these acts of killing as separate – produced by various political contexts – or we can start to see the clear common theme and start to produce a genuine global strategy to deal with it.

The fact is that, though of course there are individual grievances or reasons for the violence in each country, there is one thing self-evidently in common: the acts of terrorism are perpetrated by people motivated by an abuse of religion. It is a perversion of faith. But there is no doubt that those who commit the violence often do so by reference to their faith and the sectarian nature of the conflict is a sectarianism based on religion. There is no doubt either that this phenomenon is growing, not abating.

We have to be prepared to take the security measures necessary for our immediate protection. Since 9/11, the cost of those measures, and their burden, has been huge. However, security action alone, even military action, will not deal with the root cause. This extremism comes from a source. It is not innate. It is taught. It is taught sometimes in the formal education system; sometimes in the informal religious schools; sometimes in places of worship and it is promoted by a vast network of internet communications.

Technology, so much the harbinger of opportunity, can also be used by those who want to disseminate lessons of hate and division. Today's world is connected as never before. This has seen enormous advances. It means there is a kind of global conversation being conducted. This is exciting and often liberating. But it comes with the inevitable ability for those who want to get across a message that is extreme to do so. This has to be countered. » | Tony Blair | Saturday, January 25, 2014

Related »

Extremist Religion Is at Root of 21st-century Wars, Says Tony Blair

THE OBSERVER: Former prime minister will reignite debate on Iraq as he calls on governments to switch tactics

Tony Blair has reignited debate about the west's response to terrorism with a call on governments to recognise that religious extremism has become the biggest source of conflict around the world.

Referring to wars and violent confrontations from Syria to Nigeria and the Philippines, Blair, writing in the Observer, argues that "there is one thing self-evidently in common: the acts of terrorism are perpetrated by people motivated by an abuse of religion. It is a perversion of faith."

Identifying religious extremism as an ever more dangerous phenomenon, the spread of which is easier in an online age, he says: "The battles of this century are less likely to be the product of extreme political ideology, like those of the 20th century – but they could easily be fought around the questions of cultural or religious difference."

The former prime minister, who led the country into the Iraq conflict in 2003, appears to acknowledge that previous aspirations to export liberal democracy focused too much on political objectives.

But sources close to Blair insist that he is not in any way indulging in a mea culpa over past interventions by the west, including in Iraq. In the future, he writes, "the purpose should be to change the policy of governments; to start to treat this issue of religious extremism as an issue that is about religion as well as politics, to go to the roots of where a false view of religion is being promulgated and to make it a major item on the agenda of world leaders to combine effectively to combat it. This is a struggle that is only just beginning." » | Toby Helm, political editor | Saturday, January 25, 2014

François Hollande officialise sa rupture avec Valérie Trierweiler

LE PARISIEN: Voilà, c'est fini. François Hollande et Valérie Trierweiler ont acté leur séparation. Le chef de l'Etat a annoncé ce samedi soir «la fin de sa vie commune» avec sa compagne, dans une déclaration à l'AFP. Précisant qu'il s'exprimait à titre personnel et non en tant que président, car il s'agit de «(sa) vie privée», il a déclaré : «Je fais savoir que j'ai mis fin à la vie commune que je partageais avec Valérie Trierweiler.»

Selon nos informations, la première dame ne voulait pas signer de communiqué commun. «Il l'a consultée et mise au courant, elle accepte la situation de fait, mais elle lui laisse l'inititative de son acte», explique son entourage au «Parisien».

Valérie Trierweiler a quitté la Lanterne, la résidence de Versailles où elle se reposait depuis une semaine après son hospitalisation, pour réintégrer l'appartement du couple, rue Cauchy dans le XVe arrondissement de Paris. La journaliste s'y est rendu ce samedi après-midi, selon nos informations. C'est donc en simple citoyenne qu'elle va effectuer son voyage à Bombay (Inde) où elle s'envolera dimanche, en faveur de l'association Action contre la faim (ACF). » | Par Frédéric Gerschel | samedi 25 janvier 2014

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: It’s official: François Hollande and Valérie Trierweiler announce separation: President François Hollande tells French news agency he has separated from Valérie Trierweiler on eve of her planned charity trip to India » | David Cjazan, Paris | Saturday, January 25, 2014

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Hollande-Liebesaffäre: Au revoir, mon amour: Frankreichs Staatschef François Hollande und seine Lebensgefährtin trennen sich. Mit der offiziellen Ankündigung geht die mediale Telenovela um die mutmaßliche Präsidentenaffäre zu Ende. Zumindest vorläufig. » | Von Stefan Simons, Paris | Samstag, 25. Januar 2014

Who Is the Real Barack Obama?

This is an extraordinary fact based expose of the fairy tale story "sold" to the American public about Barack Obama and those who have surrounded and influenced him since childhood. Do you know ANYONE who believes the things Obama believes or would do the things Obama has done? What is most disturbing is the extent to which the mainstream media has been complicit in keeping these facts from the American public.

UAE President Stable after Stroke

THE HINDU: The President of the United Arab Emirates suffered a stroke, but is now in a stable condition, the official news agency WAM reported on Saturday.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al—Nahyan “suffered a stroke on Friday morning. He immediately underwent a surgical operation. » | DPA | Saturday, January 25, 2014

State of the Union: Barack Obama Will Have Little Concrete to Offer Disillusioned Middle Classes

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: As public disaffection with politics deepens after another corruption scandal and Mr Obama's own star-power wanes, this year's State of the Union promises to be a down-beat affair

For all the numbers that will be bandied around by Barack Obama during his annual State of the Union address on Tuesday, one of the most revealing – the television ratings - will be published the morning after the event.

Mr Obama's fifth State of the Union will focus on inequality and the cost of living crisis that is uppermost in the minds of millions of those ordinary Americans, but if the trend of recent years continues, fewer of them than ever will bother to tune in to listen.

The increasingly flaccid viewing figures – from a high of 52.3 million in 2009 down to 33.3 million last year – reflect the ebbing of Mr Obama's personal star power and the reality of his political impotence since losing control of Congress in 2010.

With presidential prospects for 2016 already exerting magnetic pull over the political conversation and Congress fixated on the upcoming mid-term elections, this year's speech will be much more a wish-list than a "to-do" list.

Mr Obama will expound on America's great predicament: over the last 20 years the cost of maintaining the four pillars of a middle class life – housing, education, healthcare and retirement – have increased far more sharply than wages, and it will be a long haul back. » | Peter Foster | Saturday, January 25, 2014

François Hollande 'To Announce Separation from Valérie Trierweiler'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: French president expected to make statement revealing the end of their relationship ahead of a charity trip to India by Trierweiler

French President François Hollande is expected to announce his separation from partner Valerie Trierweiler on Saturday following a media storm over allegations he is having an affair with an actress, according to the Journal du Dimanche.

Trierweiler, 48, the first lady and Mr Hollande's partner since 2006, plans to travel to India on Sunday for a charity trip and the president wants to settle the issue of their future before her departure, the newspaper said.

"The press release from the Elysee Palace should be released sometime today," the respected national weekly said on its website, without citing its sources.

A spokesman for the president declined to comment on the report, and Trierweiler's spokesman did not immediately return a request for comment. » | Reuters | Saturday, January 25, 2014

Salafist ruft Muslime in Deutschland zum Jihad auf

Dennis Rodman 'Investigated for Violating Sanctions' against North Korea

Dennis Rodman

THE INDEPENDENT: Former NBA star's lavish birthday gifts for 'friend for life' Kim Jong-un may have violated international sanctions imposed on North Korea

Dennis Rodman is reportedly being investigated by the US Treasury on suspicions that he violated sanctions against North Korea by splashing thousands of dollars in luxury gifts for Kim Jong-un.

On his fourth trip to Pyongyang, the former NBA player allegedly showered "friend for life" Kim with expensive gifts to celebrate his 31st birthday; these reportedly included Irish Jameson whiskey, a fur coat, an Italian suit, several bottles of his "Bad Ass Premium Vodka" brand and a Mulberry handbag for his wife, Ri Sol-ju.

A US official told the Daily Beast the Treasury Department is investigating whether Rodman violated US sanctions under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act signed by President Barack Obama in 2010, which makes it illegal for US citizens to "import, export, or reexport" luxury goods to or into North Korea.

Rodman's gifts also appear to violate UN sanctions imposed on North Korea prohibiting "the provision of luxury goods" adopted in 2007. These were reinforced last year after the country conducted its third nuclear test in February 2013. » | Maria Tadeo | Friday, January 24, 2014

North Korea Proposes Family Reunions with South

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Kim Jong-un's regime sends surprise letter to South Korea calling for reconciliation

North Korea has made a sudden proposal for the resumption of reunions for families separated since the Korean War, saying the programme could help improve cross-border ties.

South Korea immediately welcomed the offer, which followed a recent series of trust-building gestures from the nuclear-armed communist country.

The North's Red Cross faxed a message to its South Korean counterpart, calling for a family reunion event after the Lunar New Year on January 31, according to its official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The North suggested that the South could choose a date for the event "at its convenience" after the Lunar New Year when the weather thaws. » | AFP | Friday, January 24, 2014

Heinrich Himmler's Letters to Be Published

Heinrich Himmler, Reichsführer of the Schutzstaffel

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Nazi SS leader Heinrich Himmler's letters are to be published by Germany's Die Welt

Heinrich Himmler’s love letters to his wife that also document the rise and fall of the Nazi regime are to be made public for the first time, it has been claimed.

Hundreds of the SS commander’s private letters, notes and photographs from 1927 to five weeks before his suicide in 1945 will be published by Die Welt newspaper on Sunday.

The architect of the Holocaust, which claimed the lives of six million Jews, met his future wife Marga, who ran a nursing home in Berlin, in 1927. The letters apparently detail the early months of their relationship, with Himmler signing them “Dein Heini” (“Your Heini”).

But the correspondence between the couple apparently confirms the “not-so-glamorous private life of the Himmler family”.

The relationship started to break down from 1938 onwards, as Himmler had an affair with his private secretary, but contrary to biographers of the Reichsführer SS, he remained in touch with his wife and also wrote several times to his daughter, signing them off with “Euer Pappi” (“Your Daddy”). » | Barney Henderson | Friday, January 24, 2014


DIE WELT: Verschollene Briefe Heinrich Himmlers aufgetaucht: "Welt" exklusiv: 69 Jahre nach dem Suizid Heinrich Himmlers sind in Israel Briefe und Fotos aus seinem Privatbesitz aufgetaucht. Sie geben Einblick in das Leben eines der schlimmsten Nazi-Verbrecher. » | sfk/J.S./sim | Freitag, 24. Januar 2014

DIE WELT: Heinrich Himmler's missing letters surface: "Die Welt" exclusive: 69 years after Heinrich Himmler's suicide his private letters and photographs have surfaced in Israel. They provide insight into the life of one of the main orchestrators of the Holocaust. » | sfk/J.S./sim | Translated by Thilo Maluch | Friday, January 24, 2014

Four Bombs Strike Central Cairo

Nine people are killed as a car bomb on Friday hits the police headquarters before two smaller blasts are detonated, a day ahead of the third anniversary of the revolt against Hosni Mubarak

Read the Telegraph article here | Louisa Loveluck, and Magdy Samaan in Cairo | Friday, January 24, 2014

Hand Guns Should Be Legalised and Licensed, Nigel Farage Has Said

Nigel Farage, UKIP leader

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Ukip leader says the ban on the guns, which were made illegal in the wake of the Dunblane shooting, was a "kneejerk" reaction and should be lifted

The Ukip leader has said it is party policy for hand guns to be legalised and licensed in the UK despite being banned in the UK for the last 18 years.

Mr Farage said the current ban on the guns, which were made illegal following the school shooting at Dunblane in 1996, was “ludicrous.”

Speaking on LBC Radio Mr Farage said that it was Ukip policy to create a “proper licensing policy” and that people who kept hand guns responsibility locked up and had were willing to get an official license should “absolutely” be allowed them.

Experts have said his comments were “stupid” and encourage an American-style idea that you and your home are only safe if you are armed.

Peter Squires, professor of criminology at Brighton University and a member of Association of Police Officer’s advisory group on the criminal use of fire arms said that Mr Farage’s comments were "irresponsible". » | Georgia Graham, Political Correspondent | Friday, January 24, 2014

John Boehner: Wine and Cigarettes More Important Than Running in 2016

THE GUARDIAN: Republican House speaker says he wouldn't make sacrifices for White House - including cutting the grass

US House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner says he has no interest in running for the White House because he doesn't want to give up smoking, drinking – and cutting his lawn.

Boehner, who has fought a bitter battle with President Barack Obama over health reforms and spending, said on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno that he was not about to give up red wine and cigarettes to be president.

Asked by Leno whether he ever thought of running for president, Boehner replied, "No.

"I like to play golf. I like to cut my own grass," said Boehner, the top Republican in Congress.

"I do drink red wine. I smoke cigarettes. And I'm not giving that up to be president of the United States." Read on and comment » | Friday, January 24, 2014

Pope Francis Tells François Hollande: 'We Share a Patron Saint'

With his complicated love life attracting global headlines, François Hollande holds an awkward first audience with Pope Francis

Read the Telegraph article here | Nick Squires, the Vatican | Friday, January 24, 2014

Ukraine Government Ready to Resign, Protests Spread across Country

Rioting has spread to the west of the country - with protesters sieging and breaking into administration buildings. Meanwhile in Kiev, the opposition and the government are now expected to announce the results of their talks. Let's get the latest from RT's Peter Oliver, who is there in the capital.

British Man Sentenced to Death for Blasphemy in Pakistan

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A Pakistani court has passed the death sentence on a British national with mental health problems

A court in Pakistan has sentenced a British man to death for blasphemy for claiming to be a prophet of Islam, a prosecutor and police said Friday.

Mohammad Asghar, a British national of Pakistani origin, was arrested in 2010 in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, near Islamabad, for writing letters claiming to be a prophet, police said.

The special court inside Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail, where Asghar is being held, rejected defence claims that the 65-year-old has mental health problems.

"Asghar claimed to be a prophet even inside the court. He confessed it in front of the judge," Javed Gul, a government prosecutor, told AFP.

"Asghar used to write it even on his visiting card." » | AFP | Friday, January 24, 2014

Mark Carney: No Need for an Immediate Rate Rise

Mark Carney, Canadian Governor of the Bank of England

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Bank of England governor seeks to reassure markets that interest rate rise is not imminent, saying he doesn't want to focus on one indicator

Bank of England Governor Mark Carney has pledged there will be no “immediate” increase in interest rates as unemployment nudges closer to the 7pc threshold in an apparent softening of his forward guidance policy.

He said Bank of England policymakers look at “overall conditions in the whole labour market”, rather than just one indicator, and that any change, when it comes, would be “very gradual”.

The governor, who said that the UK economy was "in a different place" to when he introduced the guidance, added: “We don’t see an immediate need to change monetary policy."

Asked if he would consider lowering the 7pc threshold, Mr Carney added: “There are a broad range of things we could do, I wouldn’t jump to that conclusion … we’re trying to get across is that it’s all about overall conditions in the labour market.

“We wouldn’t want to detract from that focus by unnecessarily focusing on one indicator.” » | Denise Roland | Thursday, January 23, 2014

My comment:

"No need for an immediate rise [in interest rates]" – Mark Carney

No, there is no need for him. He's sitting pretty with his huge salary and exorbitant expenses. The rest of us have to make ends meet from our savings. What a thoughtless, unreasonable man Carney is!

Never in my lifetime can I remember not being able to get interest on my capital that at least equates to the rate of inflation, and then some. Does this man have no sense of true capitalism? Does this man have no sense of economic history?

What an utter disappointment this Governor is! – © Mark

This comment appears here too.

French Holiday Home Alert after Burglaries Rocket by 18 Per Cent

The village of Castelnau in Dordogne, France

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: French police launch 'Operation Holiday Tranquility' to crack down on thefts from second homes

Burglaries in rural holiday homes in France, where tens of thousands of Britons own properties, rocketed by almost 18 per cent in a year, according to new figures released yesterday, with the government blaming the sharp rise on an influx of Eastern European criminals.

Figures by The French National Supervisory Body on Crime and Punishment , ONDRP, showed burglary and theft were up in 2013 across France but that second homes — both foreign and French-owned - were by far the hardest hit, despite increasing efforts by police and the gendarmerie to step up protection.

Approximately 200,000 Britons own second homes in areas such as the Dordogne and other parts of France, particularly those serviced by budget airlines. » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Thursday, January 23, 2014

Ukraine Protests Spread beyond Kiev amid Crisis Talks

BBC: Violent protests in Ukraine have spread beyond the capital, Kiev, ahead of a crisis meeting between President Viktor Yanukovych and three key opposition leaders.

The governor of Lviv, in the west, was forced to sign his resignation as protesters stormed his offices.

Other reports spoke of protests in at least five more western cities.

Two people died in clashes in Kiev on Wednesday, the first deaths in two months of protests over EU links.

The anti-government protests flared in late November over Mr Yanukovych's decision to pull out of a landmark treaty with the European Union.

A fragile truce is currently being observed in Kiev.

However, an opposition ultimatum is set to expire after the talks with Mr Yanukovych, which have now begun and are set to go into the evening.

Ahead of the talks, Mr Yanukovych asked the speaker of parliament to hold an emergency session next week to discuss the crisis.

But he told the head of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, that he would not introduce a state of emergency.

Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, who is in Davos in Switzerland, echoed this, but added: "People should not think that the government lacks available resources to put an end to this. It is our constitutional right and obligation to restore order in the country." (+ BBC videos) » | Thursday, January 23, 2014

Protest greift auf weitere ukrainische Städte über

TAGES ANZEIGER: Ukrainische Medien vermelden, dass in mehreren Städten Verwaltungsgebäude gestürmt worden sind. Präsident Janukowitsch versucht mit einem politischen Manöver Zeit zu gewinnen.

Wie die «Kyivpost» schreibt, haben heute in den Städten Lemberg und Riwne im Westen der Ukraine Demonstranten das Gebäude der regionalen Verwaltung gestürmt. In Lemberg zwangen sie den von Präsident Viktor Janukowitsch eingesetzten Gouverneur Oleg Salo, ein Rücktrittsgesuch zu unterzeichnen. Salo widerrief die Unterschrift später. Am Abend wurden dann auch Proteste aus der Stadt Tscherkassy südlich von Kiew gemeldet. Tausende Menschen hätten das Gebäude der Provinzverwaltung gestürmt. » | ldc/mw/sda | Donnerstag, 23. Januar 2014

So viele Gotteskrieger stellt die Schweiz

TAGES ANZEIGER: Schon länger werden Schweizer Jihadisten in den Reihen der syrischen Widerstandkämpfer vermutet. Der Bund bestätigt dies erstmals und nennt eine Zahl.

Der Nachrichtendienst des Bundes geht davon aus, dass rund zehn Schweizer Kämpfer in Syrien sind oder dorthin aufgebrochen sind. Das bestätigte Sprecher Felix Endrich heute in der Sendung «Echo der Zeit» von Schweizer Radio SRF.

Bei den Kämpfern könne es sich um Dschihadisten oder um Abenteurer handeln, sagte Endrich. Der Nachrichtendienst beobachte die Jihad-Reisenden aufmerksam. Sie könnten im Ausland in einem Lager ausgebildet und radikalisiert werden. «Sehr gefährlich sind die Rückkehrer und jene, die in der Schweiz rekrutieren. Und diese Szene überwachen wir», erklärte Endrich. » | mrs/sda | Donnerstag, 23. Januar 2014

West's 30-year Vendetta with Iran Is Finally Buried in Davos

Hassan Rouhani

TELEGRAPH BLOGS – AMBROSE EVANS-PRITCHARD: The Iranian nuclear deal is on. Hassan Rouhani's charm offensive in Davos has been a tour de force, the moment of rehabilitation for the Islamic Republic. His words were emollient.

"The world hasn't seen a speech like that from an Iranian leader since the Revolution," tweeted Ian Bremmer from the Eurasia Group.

Anybody betting on oil futures in the belief that Iran's nuclear deal with great powers is a negotiating ploy – to gain time – should be careful. There is a very high likelihood that the sanctions against Iran will be lifted in stages, leading to an extra 1.2 barrels a day on the global market just as Libya, Iraq, and the US all crank up output.

“One of the theoretical and practical pillars of my government is constructive engagement with the world. Without international engagement, objectives such as growth, creativity and quality are unattainable," said Rouhani.

"I strongly and clearly state that nuclear weapons have no place in our security strategy,” he said. Read on and comment » | Ambrose Evans-Pritchard | Thursday, January 23, 2014

Ein deutscher Muslim spricht über sein Leben als Konvertit

New Converts to Islam

Almost Two Sydney Women a Week Are Converting to Islam

THE TELEGRAPH (AUSTRALIA): MORE THAN 100 people - most of them women - are converting to Islam in Sydney each year, and ­experts warn some new converts are more likely to adopt extremist elements of the religion.

Such radicalism was highlighted by the death last week in Syria of former Queensland Anglican schoolgirl turned Muslim jihadist Amira Karroum, 22, who is believed to have been killed by rebel fighters in Aleppo alongside her US-born husband Yusuf Ali.

Ms Karroum had adopted an extremist form of the faith, praising terrorist Osama bin Laden and supporting the ­violent Muslim riots in Sydney in 2012.

The pair were based in Granville before travelling to Syria to fight in December.

Another Granville man, Caner Temel, 22, has been named as the latest Australian victim of the civil war in Syria.

The Australian New Muslim Association estimates two-thirds of the converts they see each year are female, with more than 60 per cent converting because of their husbands or partners.

Julia Moukhallalati was just 18 when she swapped her Orthodox Christian upbringing for the mosques of western Sydney. » | Ben McClellan | Saturday, January 18, 2014

Yard's Plea to Muslims: Help Stop Children Turning to Terror

Commander Richard Walton

LONDON EVENING STANDARD: Scotland Yard’s counter-terrorism chief today appealed to Muslims across the country to help stem the flow of young Britons heading for the fighting in Syria.

Commander Richard Walton warned that a “shocking” number of children are being lured into terrorism.

He said officers were already receiving increasing support from Islamic organisations and families in their struggle to combat radicalisation. But police were “desperate” to obtain further help to prevent vulnerable teenagers and other young Britons becoming involved in the Syrian war.

It was “almost inevitable” that some Britons fighting in Syria would seek to carry out attacks here on their return, he added, and the conflict had “all the ingredients for making terrorists”. » | Martin Bentham | Thursday, January 23, 2014

Anjem Choudary: Transform Buckingham Palace into a Mosque

Pat Condell: A Knighthood for Andy Choudary

Islamic Economics - The Solution for World Crisis

Father of Islamic Banking, Dr. Hussain Hamed Hassan at Dubai International Peace Convention 2010.

Erdogan will totale Kontrolle über das Internet

DIE WELT: Zeitungen werden in der Türkei schon lange zensiert. Mit einer Änderung im Internet-Gesetz will Erdogan nun auch Online-Inhalte beeinflussen und so das Verhalten seiner Bürger im Netz kontrollieren.

Erst Gewalt gegen die Gezi-Park-Proteste, dann die Korruptionsskandale der türkischen Regierung und schwerwiegende Eingriffe in die Justiz – jetzt erhitzt die Regierung des türkischen Premiers Recep Tayyip Erdogan mit einem neuen Aufreger die Gemüter.

Er möchte per Gesetz Internetseiten sperren, Inhalte im Netz kontrollieren, das Internetverhalten der Bürger beobachten und Daten für zwei Jahre speichern. Kritiker fürchten staatliche Internetzensur, der türkische Unternehmerverband bewertet das Vorhaben als "besorgniserregend".

Die türkische Regierung möchte mit den neuen gesetzlichen Eingriffen erreichen, dass der Staat ohne jeglichen Gerichtsbeschluss die freie Nutzung des Internets kontrollieren und steuern kann. So soll er Zugriff auf Daten haben, die zeigen, welche Seiten besucht worden sind, welche Begriffe die Bürger in Suchmaschinen eingegeben haben und welche sozialen Medien sie nutzen. » | Von Cigdem Toprak, Istanbul | Donnerstag, 23. Januar 2014

Snowden Requests Extra Security After Receiving Death Threats

Whistleblower Edward Snowden is reportedly set to request additional protection from Russian authorities after receiving a growing number of death threats. The former NSA contractor has been living at an undisclosed location in Russia since August when he received asylum from Washington's prosecution. RT's Marina Portnaya reports.

Malaysia King Says ‘Allah’ Is Only for Muslims

The 14th king of Malaysia, Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah

RUSSIA TODAY: Only Muslims can use the word Allah to refer to God, the Malaysian King has declared adding fuel to the long-running dispute and raising questions over rights of religious minorities in the country where Islam is followed by about 60 % of the population.

Intervening in the dispute for the first time, Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah urged Sunday representatives of all other communities to respect Muslims’ exclusive right in order to maintain stability and harmony in Malaysia.

“In the context of a pluralistic society, religious sensitivities especially related to Islam as the religion of the federation should be respected,” the King said in a speech, cited by Malaysian state news agency Bernama.

“Confusion and controversy can be averted if there is adherence to the provisions of the law and judicial decisions,” he added.

The term ‘Allah’ came to the language used by the nation’s dominant Malay ethnic group from Arabic and is used to describe ‘God’ by people of all faiths.

Sultan Abdul Halim, 86, is one of the nine sultans who take turns every five years to serve as head of state.

The king’s role in Malaysia is largely ceremonial and his powers are limited. However, he is considered a defender of Islam and enjoys the respect of the Muslim population. » | Published: Sunday, January 19, 2014 | Edited: Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Iran's President Announces New Policy of 'Constructive Engagement' with Outside World

Iran's president seeks to mend relations with the outside world - but speech sparks angry reaction from Israel for what it 'misses out'

Read the Telegraph article here | Szu Ping Chan in Davos and Colin Freeman | Thursday, January 23, 2014

Jeremy Browne: Ban Muslim Women from Wearing Veils in Schools and Public Places

Jeremy Browne

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Britain should consider banning Muslim girls and young women from wearing veils in schools and public places, a Home Office minister has said.

Jeremy Browne, a Liberal Democrat, said there needs to be a national debate about whether the state should step in to protect young women from having the veil “imposed” on them.

Mr Browne said he is “instinctively uneasy” about banning behaviour, but suggested the measure may still be necessary to ensure freedom of choice for girls in Muslim communities.

The Home Office minister is the first senior Liberal Democrat to raise such deep concerns about Islamic dress in public places. A growing number of Conservative MPs also want the Government to consider a ban.

Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, has suggested he may support banning the veil in classrooms, but downplayed the chances of wider restrictions.

He said: “My own view, I don’t think we should end up like different countries where we tell people how they go about their business. I do think there is an issue with teachers in the classroom…that might be an area where a full veil might be inappropriate.” » | Steven Swinford and Christopher Hope | Wednesday, September 15, 2013