Is Tony Abbott's Australian Administration the Most Hostile to His Nation's Environment in History?

THE INDEPENDENT: Shark culling, dumping on the Great Barrier Reef and the felling of Tasmanian forests have made the country an ‘international laughing stock’, environmentalists say

In Western Australia, endangered great white sharks are being slaughtered. In Queensland, dredging spoil is to be dumped on the Great Barrier Reef. In Tasmania, ancient forests – harbouring some of the planet’s tallest trees – are in danger of being stripped of their World Heritage listing.

Australians could be forgiven for wondering if the federal government they elected last September is the most conservation-hostile in living memory.

Critics warn that moves by Tony Abbott and his Environment Minister, Greg Hunt, will not only degrade the country’s most outstanding natural assets, but make Australia an international laughing-stock. The UN has already threatened to list the Great Barrier Reef as “in danger” when its World Heritage watchdog committee meets in Qatar in June.

Compounding the right-wing government’s apparent disregard for Australia’s unique environment, say conservationists and scientists, is its resistance to any meaningful action to tackle climate change.

Mr Abbott has axed three key agencies, including one which supported private investment in renewable energy. So contemptuous is he of the science behind climate change – of any science, for that matter – that he has not even bothered appointing a science minister. » | Kathy Marks in Sydney | Tuesday, February 04, 2014

World War I in Color & HD: Episode 2: Slaughter in the Trenches

This episode looks at trench warfare on the Western Front, which was at stalemate in 1915. Communications proved to be a major drawback for both sides, as messages were sent by runners - who invariably faced death. Two simultaneous battles to push back the Germans were launched at Artois by the French, and by the British at Festubert in May 1915. Both failed and brought the realization that such massive casualties could not be sustained. With a need for more troops, Lord Kitchener went about a recruitment campaign that amassed some one million volunteers. The new volunteer soldiers lacked the discipline of the regulars, and were regarded with some disdain. At the battle of Loos in 1915 a pattern of trench warfare emerged - artillery barrage followed by troops going over the top, and slaughter.

Episode 1 »

World War I in Color & HD: Episode 1: Catastrophe

World War I in Color is a documentary (6 x 50-minute episodes) made with the cooperation of the Imperial War Museum, designed to make the Great War come alive for a 21st-century audience. The events of 1914-18 are authoritatively narrated by Kenneth Branagh, who presents the military and political overview, while interviews with historians add different perspectives. The human cost is conveyed by moving interviews with the now very elderly survivors, and by extracts from letters and memoirs. All aspects of the war, on land, sea and air are covered in separate programmes.

Episode 1- Catastrophe:

This first episode, Catastrophe, looks at the fact that between 1914 and 1918, 65 million men took up arms. Ten million were killed and 20 million were emotionally and physically incapacitated. The war ushered in new terminologies, new and massive weapons and a scale of artillery barrages never before imagined.

Barack Obama en Arabie saoudite en mars

LA PRESSE: Le président Barack Obama se rendra fin mars en Arabie saoudite pour parler sécurité et coopération avec le roi Abdallah, grand allié des États-Unis au Moyen-Orient, a annoncé lundi la Maison-Blanche.

Sur fond d'accord nucléaire intérimaire avec l'Iran, concurrent de Riyad dans la région, M. Obama effectuera cette visite dans la foulée d'une tournée européenne qui le mènera aux Pays-Bas, en Belgique et en Italie, a précisé le porte-parole de l'exécutif américain, Jay Carney.

«Le président se réjouit de discuter avec le roi Abdallah des liens durables et stratégiques entre les États-Unis et l'Arabie saoudite, ainsi que de notre coopération pour faire progresser des intérêts communs liés à la sécurité du Golfe et de la région, de la paix au Proche-Orient, la lutte contre l'extrémisme violent et d'autres dossiers» économiques et liés à la sécurité, selon la même source.

M. Obama s'est jusqu'ici rendu une seule fois à Riyad, en juin 2009, soit au début de son premier mandat. Il avait reçu le roi Abdallah dans le Bureau ovale de la Maison-Blanche un an plus tard. » | Agence France-Presse, Washington | lundi 03 février 2014

Clara Sabinne: "Mon fils s'est converti à l'islam, même pas peur..."

FRANCE INFO: Clara Sabinne raconte comment elle a découvert et accepté la conversion de son fils de 18 ans à l'islam. Son témoignage Mon fils s'est converti à l'islam, même pas peur... est publié aux éditions La Boîte à Pandore.


L'invité de 19h15 - Clara Sabinne by FranceInfo
Vous pouvez lire le court article ici | jeudi 30 janvier 2014

New Afghanistan Law to Silence Victims of Violence against Women

Sahar Gul was chained in a basement and starved, burned and whipped

THE GUARDIAN: Small change to criminal code has huge consequences in country where honour killings and forced marriage are rife

A new Afghan law will allow men to attack their wives, children and sisters without fear of judicial punishment, undoing years of slow progress in tackling violence in a country plagued by honour killings, forced marriage and vicious domestic abuse.

The small but significant change to Afghanistan's criminal prosecution code bans relatives of an accused person from testifying against them. Most violence against women in Afghanistan is within the family, so the law – passed by parliament but awaiting the signature of the president, Hamid Karzai – will effectively silence victims as well as most potential witnesses to their suffering.

"It is a travesty this is happening," said Manizha Naderi, director of the charity and campaign group Women for Afghan Women. "It will make it impossible to prosecute cases of violence against women … The most vulnerable people won't get justice now."

Under the new law, prosecutors could never come to court with cases like that of Sahar Gul, a child bride whose in-laws chained her in a basement and starved, burned and whipped her when she refused to work as a prostitute for them. Women like 31-year-old Sitara, whose nose and lips were sliced off by her husband at the end of last year, could never take the stand against their attackers. » | Emma Graham-Harrison | Tuesday, February 04, 2014

Going Underground: Inside Britain's Prisons, Cash-crazy MoD & the Answer to Benefits Street

Afshin Rattansi goes underground on the real conditions inside Britain's prisons. And who better to give insider knowledge than Vicky Pryce, Chris Huhne's ex wife, who went to jail for perverting the course of justice. Now a campaigner for prisoner rehabilitation, she's also landed herself a role as Vince Cable's new advisor! The MoD is charging you millions to sort out its IT mess. Plus, how the rich are siphoning off more money than those on benefits -- and the website that's out to set things straight. And the Queen's so broke, she's selling off the Royal Ascot -- to Qatar!

Deutschland vor dem ersten Weltkrieg 1913

(Ein dokumentarischer Animationsfilm mit Archivbildern aus der Zeit des Kaiserreichs)

Kaiser Wilhelm II. inszeniert eine beispiellose Jubelfeier: die Hochzeit seiner einzigen Tochter Prinzessin Viktoria Luise mit dem Welfenprinzen Ernst August von Hannover. Der Kaiser ruft und der europäische Hochadel kommt -- sogar seine Cousins, König George V. von England und der russische Zar Nikolai II.. Die drei mächtigsten Monarchen der Welt sind nach Kaiser Wilhelms Überzeugung Garanten für Sicherheit und Frieden in Europa. Das Berliner Stadtschloss wird zur Bühne eines ebenso prunkvollen wie extravaganten Heiratsspektakels.

Doch hinter der glänzenden Festfassade gehen Risse durch das Fundament der "Alten Welt". Die Regierungen erwarten einen grossen Krieg und überbieten sich im Rüstungswettlauf. In den Industriestädten drängen ausgebeutete Arbeitermassen aus ihren Elendsquartieren auf die Strassen. Terroristen zielen mit blutigen Attentaten auf das Leben von Monarchen.

Ein einziger Vorfall während der Feierlichkeiten könnte Europa in die Katastrophe stürzen -- für den Berliner Polizeichef Traugott von Jagow und Oberhofmarschall August Graf zu Eulenburg ist die Hochzeit ein organisatorischer Albtraum. Aber für Wilhelm II. sind Schauspiel und Selbstdarstellung wesentlicher Teil seiner Politik.

Das grandiose 
Vermählungstheater im Preussenstil bis hin zum skurrilsten aller Hochzeitsrituale, dem mittelalterlichen "Fackeltanz", ist ein Tanz auf dem Vulkan.

Ein Jahr später stürzt Europa in den Abgrund des Ersten Weltkriegs, der Wilhelm und Nikolai Krone und Reich kosten wird. Und 30 Jahre nach Kriegsende wird das Stadtschloss restlos zerstört.


Welfen »

Erster Weltkrieg »

Sale of Ultra-cheap Alcohol to Be Banned in England and Wales

THE GUARDIAN: New rules will ban deep discounting, which has resulted in cans of lager being sold more cheaply than water in supermarkets

The government is to ban the sale of the cheapest alcohol in England and Wales, the Home Office has announced. Ministers hope the move, which will come into force on 6 April, will stop the worst instances of deep discounting, which has resulted in cans of lager being sold more cheaply than water in supermarkets.

An official impact assessment says that the ban on sales of alcohol at below cost, defined as duty plus VAT, will mean an ordinary 440ml can of beer or lager cannot be sold below 50p.

The new "floor price" for a bottle of wine will be £2.24; a bottle of vodka or other spirits will cost a minimum of £10.16.

Low-strength beers that have an alcoholic content of 1.2% or less will be exempt from the policy, as will duty-free sales on ships, aircraft and in airports. Read on and comment » | Alan Travis, home affairs editor | Tuesday, February 04, 2014

Spain's Royal Family Sees Its Budget Cut Once More

Princess Cristina

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Spanish royal household has seen its budget cut for the fourth consecutive year, as it unveiled the accounts of senior royals in a bid for greater transparency amid faltering public support.

Damaged by a series of scandals and ahead of the appearance on Saturday of the King's youngest daughter in court to answer financial fraud allegations, Spain's Royal Palace on Monday published a breakdown of its annual spending in an attempt to stem growing criticism of the monarchy.

The belt-tightening has seen Spain's royal budget slashed from nearly €9.4 million (£7.8m) five years ago to €7.78 million (£6.44m) in 2014 – a cut of two per cent from last year under the state-spending plan approved by parliament.

The salary of King Juan Carlos has been frozen for the third year running at €140,519 plus a further €152,233 to cover the "cost of representation" including the wardrobe needed for official functions.

The 76-year-old monarch's medical bill for three surgical operations at a private clinic during 2013 amounted to €165,189, a figure that also came out of the palace budget.

Crown Prince Felipe who has increasingly stepped in to represent the Crown during the past year while his father battled with ill health, is again to receive an amount equal to half his father's salary and expenses. » | Fiona Govan, Madrid | Tuesday, February 04, 2014

Venice At War Over Islamic Heritage

Grand Canal, Venice

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Venice unveils controversial plans to build an Islamic museum

Centuries after providing a massive armada for the crusades against the Saracens and battling the Ottomans, a fight has broken out in Venice over plans to build a museum of Islamic art on the banks of the Grand Canal.

The initiative was announced by Enrico Letta, the prime minister of Italy, during a diplomatic and trade visit to Qatar.

Speaking in Doha, Mr Letta said his government had "made a commitment to explore the opportunity to build an Islamic museum in Venice on the Grand Canal".

But the plan was immediately attacked by the separatist Northern League, which counts the Veneto, the region around Venice, as one of its strongholds.

Luca Zaia, the governor of the region and a senior member of the League, said he found it hard to believe that the government in Rome had “money to throw at an Islamic museum” when Venice had so many other problems, with its cultural heritage under threat from rising sea levels and the crushing weight of mass tourism. The museum would be “a waste of resources”, he said.

“I’m amazed that with all the problems that Italy has, from sky-high unemployment to businesses closing down because of excessive taxes and the worst economic crisis since the Second World War, that they could even think of putting money into a new, useless museum. “Is this really the priority?”

Massimo Bitonci, a senator in the anti-immigration party, said: “We don’t want any Islamic museum in Venice. Letta would do better to focus on the economic crisis instead of thinking (of ways) to spread Islam.” » | Nick Squires, Rome | Tuesday, February 04, 2014

Extremismus: Mein Sohn, der Salafist

In Berlin beteten Salafisten vergangenes Frühjahr auf dem Potsdamer Platz

WIENER ZEITUNG: In Deutschland bieten Experten Hilfe für radikalisierte Jugendliche des Politischen Islams / Einrichtung einer Ombudsstelle in Österreich für 2014 geplant.

Wien. Wenn Ahmad Mansours Telefon klingelt, geht es um alles: Andreas isst plötzlich kein Schweinefleisch mehr. Er will auch nicht mehr Weihnachten feiern, Alkohol trinken oder seinen weiblichen Verwandten die Hand geben. Seinen deutschen Vornamen hat er abgelegt, ebenso wie seine Jeans, die er durch eine lange Baumwollhose ersetzt hat.

"Meistens rufen mich die Mütter an. Die Väter spielen zu diesem Zeitpunkt meistens schon keine Rolle mehr in der Familie", sagt Mansour. Der israelisch-palästinensische Psychologe arbeitet bei der Berliner Beratungsstelle "Hayat". Es ist die letzte Anlaufstelle für Eltern, deren Kinder Gefahr laufen, in den Salafismus abzugleiten - oder bereits abgeglitten sind.

Eltern fühlen sich von ihren Kindern gekränkt

Der Salafismus ist eine radikale Strömung innerhalb des Islams. Seine Anhänger berufen sich auf die Zeit des Propheten Mohammed, interpretieren den Koran wortwörtlich und nehmen ihn als Leitfaden für alle Lebensbereiche. Sie streben einen Gottesstaat an, in dem ein islamisches Rechtssystem, gilt - und sie lehnen jegliche Lebensweise ab, die dem Westen zugeschrieben wird.

So viel zur Theorie. Mansour kennt die Praxis. Wer mit ihm spricht, der kann viel lernen über die Radikalisierungsprozesse - und wie sie in den Familien Betroffener ablaufen. Seit zwei Jahren gibt es die Beratungsstelle "Hayat" (arabisch für "Leben"). Eltern, die sich bei "Hayat" melden, haben nicht nur Angst um ihre Kinder. In der Regel fühlen sie sich tief von ihnen gekränkt, weil sie von ihren eigenen Kindern abgelehnt werden. Sie reagieren darauf, indem sie den neuen Glauben ihrer Kinder abwerten, drohen sogar mit dem Abbruch der Beziehung. Die Kinder wiederum sind meist seit Jahren unglücklich und frustriert, sie kämpfen um gesellschaftliche Anerkennung und Zuwendung und vermissen oftmals eine Vaterfigur. All dies finden sie in der schwarz-weiß gestrickten Welt der Salafisten. Übrigens betrifft das nicht nur die Söhne der verängstigten und wütenden Eltern, sagt Mansour, dessen Beratungsstelle mit dem deutschen Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge zusammenarbeitet: In rund einem Drittel der Fälle sind auch Töchter betroffen. » | Von Mona El Khalaf | Mittwoch, 08. Januar 2014

EU-Beitrittsverhandlungen mit Türkei: Merkel lässt Erdogan abblitzen

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Der türkische Premier Erdogan fordert von Berlin mehr Unterstützung für den EU-Beitritt. Doch Kanzlerin Merkel gibt sich zurückhaltend, sie spricht weiterhin von einem "ergebnisoffenen Prozess". Die Charme-Offensive des Kollegen aus Ankara verpuffte.

Berlin - Es soll eine große Werbetour für sein Land und vor allem ihn sein: Der türkische Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan hat sich am Dienstag in Berlin selbstbewusst präsentiert. Er verlangt von Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel (CDU) mehr Einsatz bei den stockenden EU-Beitrittsverhandlungen. Doch die Regierungschefin zeigte sich auf einer gemeinsamen Pressekonferenz am Mittag zurückhaltend.

Die schwarz-rote Bundesregierung sehe die Beitrittsverhandlungen als einen ergebnisoffenen Prozess, betonte Merkel. "Er ist zeitlich nicht befristet", sagte sie auf Nachfrage. "Es ist kein Geheimnis, dass ich einer Vollmitgliedschaft skeptisch gegenüber stehe." » | heb/vek/dpa | Dienstag, 04. Februar 2014

FOCUS ONLINE: Erdogan: Die EU braucht die Türkei - nicht umgekehrt: Seit 1999 ist die Türkei EU-Beitrittskandidat. Die Verhandlungen laufen seit 2005, kommen aber nur schleppend voran. Bei seinem Deutschland-Besuch geht Ministerpräsident Erdogan nun in die Offensive: In seinen Augen sei die Europäische Union auf sein Land angewiesen. » | Dienstag, 04. Februar 2014

Ganze Dörfer in Tirol sitzen im Schnee-Gefängnis

FOCUS ONLINE: Massen von Neuschnee stellen die Menschen in den südlichen Alpen vor große Probleme: Noch immer sind Dörfer von der Außenwelt abgeschnitten. Nicht einmal ein Helikopter erreicht die eingekesselten Orte Osttirol, denn das Wetter erlaubt keine Flüge.

Nach dem Schneechaos der letzten Tage entspannt sich die Gefahrenlage in weiten Teilen der Alpen am Sonntag nur leicht. So war mancherorts binnen 24 Stunden mehr als ein Meter Schnee gefallen. In Österreich und in der Schweiz besteht deshalb weiterhin hohes Lawinenrisiko. Zudem könnten nasse und daher besonders schwere Schneemassen Dächer zum Einsturz bringen, erklärten Behördenvertreter. In Österreich waren Tausende von Soldaten im Schneeräumeinsatz. » | Sonntag, 02. Februar 2014

Queen to Meet Pope Francis in Rome

The Queen made her third visit to the Vatican in 2000

BBC: The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are to visit Rome later this year for an audience with Pope Francis, Buckingham Palace has said.

The royal couple will also have a private lunch with Italian president Giorgio Napolitano.

The one-day trip in April was originally planned for last year but was postponed when the Queen fell ill.

The BBC's royal correspondent Peter Hunt said the Queen's "relaxed" meeting with the Pope will be at his residence.

He added that the Queen would not wear black or a veil, as she has done on three previous visits to the Vatican in deference to convention.

In 1980, the Queen dressed entirely in black, with a tiara holding a cascade veil in place, to meet Pope John Paul II in Rome, just as she had done on her visit to Pope John XXIII in 1961.

And in 2000, the Queen wore black again and a hat with a veil.

This was despite royal tradition that female members of the Royal Family do not wear black. » | Tuesday, February 04, 2014

Slovenia Hit by Severe Blizzards

BBC: A quarter of Slovenians have been left without electricity, as parts of Europe battle some of the worst winter blizzards for decades.

Around 40% of the country's schools have been closed, transport is disrupted and residents in some areas have been advised not to drink tap water.

Parts of Croatia, Serbia, and Germany have also been severely affected by snow.

Alpa Patel reports. (+ BBC video) » | Tuesday, February 04, 2014

Europe-wide Move to End FGM 'Barbarism'

LONDON EVENING STANDARD: The European parliament is set to debate sweeping plans to eradicate female genital mutilation across the continent.

Politicians will discuss proposals to eliminate the practice, which affects around 500,000 women and girls in Europe, as part of zero tolerance day on Thursday, a UN-sponsored awareness day.

Members of the gender equality committee want Europe to toughen its stance. This week they will call for all member states to prosecute those who carry out FGM and for the number of victims to be recorded properly.

They want it to be formally recognised that FGM, which involves the partial or total removal of female genitalia, is a “gross form of violence against women and violence against the child”. » | Anna Davis | Monday, February 03, 2014

Syria Conflict: Clashes between Rebels and Army Edge Near to Iconic Crusader Castle Krak des Chevaliers

THE INDEPENDENT: As the fighting creeps ever nearer to Syria’s landmark fortress of Krak des Chevaliers, Patrick Cockburn reports from Homs on a civil war in which no historic monument – however famous – is safe from the threat of destruction

The battle lines of the Syrian civil war are edging closer to Krak des Chevaliers, the most famous Crusader castle ever built. The massive walls and towers of the great fortress on its hilltop glistened white in the sunshine yesterday, as the Syrian Army fought rebels in the valleys below.

The rebels hold the castle and the two nearby villages of al-Zara and al-Hosn while much of the rest of this area, 25 miles west of Homs city and just north of the Lebanese border, is inhabited by Christians who support the government. The 13th century castle was damaged by a Syrian air force attack and mortars last year and the Syrian government says it is eager to prevent further damage.

“We launched an operation to retake this area last week,” the governor of Homs, Talal al Barazi, told The Independent. He said that so far the army had taken 50 per cent of al-Zara “and we think the rest of it will be in our hands within a week.” Syrian army officers on the spot were more cautious on how long the fighting was going to last, saying it might be a week or two.

The reason why the Syrian army is attacking has less to do with Krak des Chevaliers’ strength as a defensive position and more to do with strategic importance of the area in which it stands. This commands the main road between Homs and Tartous on the coast, just as it did in the 13th century when the castle was rebuilt in its present form by the Knights Hospitaller (its original and less romantic name was Crac de l’Ospital). » | Patrick Cockburn | Monday, February 03, 2014

Op-ed: EU Has Found an Efficient Way of Fighting Anti-Semitism – Completely Ignoring Its Existence

YNET NEWS: BERLIN – The European Union has found an efficient way of fighting anti-Semitism: Concealing it by completely ignoring its existence, especially in Europe.

In honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day which took place last week, Catherine Ashton, the high representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy for the EU, issued a short statement which included only two paragraphs and 120 words in English.

One could find there wordings like: "We honor every one of those brutally murdered in the darkest period of European history," "We also want to pay a special tribute to all those who acted with courage and sacrifice to protect their fellow citizens against persecution," "It is an occasion to remind us all of the need to continue fighting prejudice and racism in our own time," "The respect of human rights and diversity lies at the heart of what the European Union stands for."

Two words were missing from Ashton's laconic statement: Jews and anti-Semitism.

The Holocaust was an exclusive outcome of European anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism which is raising its head again today in the old continent. In Greece, Hungary and Austria, neo-Nazi anti-Semitic parties are sitting in the parliaments again, France is agog over a comedian marketing anti-Semitism as entertainment for the masses, and mass media outlets in Germany, France and Poland are filled with anti-Semitism. » | Eldad Beck | Monday, February 03, 2014

Streit um Siedlungen: Israel debattiert über Boykottdrohungen

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Die seit langem schwelende Diskussion über Boykottaufrufe gegen Israel hat in jüngster Zeit Auftrieb erhalten. Die Wirkung eines solchen Protests gegen die Siedlungspolitik ist umstritten. In der Regierung macht sich jedoch Nervosität breit.

Gegen Israel gerichtete Boykottaufrufe haben in Israel in den letzten Wochen Schlagzeilen gemacht. Zeitungen und auch das Fernsehen widmeten sich dem Thema ausführlich. Am Wochenende heizte eine Verstimmung zwischen Israel und den USA die Debatte erneut an. Der amerikanische Aussenminister Kerry erwähnte die Boykottaufrufe gegen Israels Siedlungspolitik, als er vor Konsequenzen eines Scheiterns der Verhandlungen mit den Palästinensern warnte, um deren Gelingen er sich intensiv bemüht. Mitglieder der israelischen Regierung kritisierten Kerry scharf. Wirtschaftsminister Bennett sagte, Amerika müsse Israel zur Seite stehen, statt Boykottforderungen eine Plattform zu bieten. Das amerikanische Aussenministerium liess verärgert verlauten, Kerry lehne einen Boykott ab. Er habe lediglich vor möglichen Gefahren gewarnt. » | Monika Bolliger, Tel Aviv | Montag, 03. Februar 2014

Athener Neonazis gründen neue Partei

TAGES ANZEIGER: Die griechischen Behörden gehen seit Herbst gegen die Neonazi-Partei Goldene Morgenröte vor. Deren Mitglieder wollen einem drohenden verbot der Partei nun zuvorkommen.

Anhänger der griechischen Neonazipartei Goldene Morgenröte (Chrysi Avgi) haben auf einer von den Behörden abgesperrten Hauptstrasse im Zentrum Athens eine Parade abgehalten. Die Rechtsextremen gaben zudem die Gründung einer Alternativpartei bekannt.

Die Gründung der «Nationale Morgenröte» genannten Partei verkündete der Sprecher der «Goldenen Morgenröte», Ilias Kassidiaris, an der Kundgebung. «Die 'Nationale Morgenröte' kann an allen Wahlen teilnehmen, sollte die Partei 'Völkischer Bund - Goldene Morgenröte' verboten werden», hiess es dazu auf der Internetseite der rechtsextremen Partei. » | ajk/sda | Sonntag, 02. Februar 2014

Le Djihad islamique promet de s'opposer à tout accord entre Israéliens et Palestiniens

LE FIGARO: Ahmed al-Mudallal, un haut responsable de l'organisation, est hostile aux négociations entre les deux peuples et assure qu'il détruirait tout accord qui légitimerait l'occupation sioniste de la Palestine.

Le Djihad islamique, dont la branche armée compte quelques milliers de combattants et demeure la deuxième faction la plus influente, après le Hamas, dans la bande de Gaza, promet de s'opposer de toutes ses forces à un éventuel accord entre Israéliens et Palestiniens. «Nous sommes totalement hostiles à ces négociations, qui ne peuvent rien apporter de bon, affirme ­Ahmed al-Mudallal, haut responsable de l'organisation. Comme nous avons par le passé combattu le processus d'Oslo, nous détruirons tout accord qui légitimerait l'occupation sioniste de la Palestine. Nous ne transigerons pas car notre raison d'être est la libération de notre terre, de notre peuple et de nos lieux saints.» » | Par Cyrille Louis | dimanche 02 février 2014

L'Iran condamne l'Holocauste

LE POINT: Un ministre iranien a affirmé que l'extermination des Juifs sous le régime nazi avait été une "cruelle tragédie qui ne doit jamais se reproduire".

Le ministre iranien des Affaires étrangères, Mohammad Javad Zarif, a affirmé dimanche à la télévision allemande que l'extermination des Juifs sous le régime nazi avait été "une cruelle tragédie funeste qui ne doit plus jamais se reproduire". "Nous n'avons rien contre les Juifs et le plus grand respect pour eux à l'intérieur de l'Iran et en dehors. Nous ne nous sentons menacés par personne", a déclaré, sur la chaîne de télévision allemande Phoenix Mohammad Javad Zarif, après avoir participé à la conférence sur la sécurité de Munich (sud). » | Source AFP | lundi 03 février 2014

Tower Block Detonated in One of Europe's Biggest Ever Explosions

Frankfurt University destroys one of its buildings in a controlled detonation, making it one of Europe's tallest buildings ever to be demolished in this way

Arms Exports: Berlin Backs Large Defense Deal with Saudi Arabia

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Berlin has often been criticized in recent years for selling weapons to questionable regimes. Now, the German government is backing a billion-euro deal for 100 patrol boats.

The German government has often drawn serious criticism for supporting defense deals with countries known to have democratic deficiencies. In the latest controversial move, SPIEGEL has learned that the new government in Berlin wants to secure a major defense deal with Saudi Arabia by offering Hermes export credit guarantees.

The information comes from a classified letter from a senior official in the Finance Ministry to the German parliament's budget committee. The letter states that the German government intends to provide guarantees for the planned export of more than 100 patrol and border control boats to the Gulf state with a total value of around €1.4 billion ($1.9 billion). In the letter, official Steffen Kampeter writes of the "high importance in terms of economic and employment" of the deal, which includes contracts for the Bremen-based Lürssen Shipyard. Kampeter, a politician with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union, asked for the "confidential handling of the business data" because negotiations are still in progress and competition is expected from other countries. » | dsl/SPIEGEL | Monday, February 03, 2014

Lost Youth: UK Voters Back Away from Ballot Box, Losing Faith in Mainstream Politics

Brits just can't get themselves fired up about voting anymore with turnout on elections in recent years on a downward slide. And it's young people in particular who are backing away from the ballot box, only 10% say they'll definitely take part in next year general election.

Bill O'Reilly Interviews President Obama before the Super Bowl

Bill O'Reilly sits down with President Obama at the White House to discuss the IRS scandal, Benghazi, the Affordable Care Act and the Super Bowl.

Cigarette Plain Packaging ‘Fuelling Black Market’

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Plain packaging for cigarettes in Australia has not cut smoking and boosted sales of black market products, tobacco industry report claims

Forcing shops to sell cigarettes in plain packaging does not in itself cut smoking levels but boosts sales of smuggled packets, a Government review has been told.

According to a report commissioned by the tobacco industry, initial evidence from Australia – the first country in the world to introduce plain packaging laws – suggests that overall smoking levels are unchanged.

But it estimates that the country has missed out on the equivalent of £530 million of tax as smokers switch to cheaper, illegal varieties – often in packaging which resembles traditional boxes.

The report has been submitted to a government review investigating evidence for introducing a similar policy in the UK. » | John Bingham, Social Affairs Editor | Monday, February 03, 2014

Muslim Cartoon Row – Maajid Nawaz

"A Liberal Democrat candidate who tweeted a cartoon featuring Jesus and Muhammad has received death threats and faces calls to be deselected from contesting the 2015 general election.

Maajid Nawaz, chosen for the London seat of Hampstead and Kilburn and founder of the anti-extremist think-tank Quilliam Foundation, has faced a petition against him, and told the BBC he was advised by police not to appear on TV to debate the issue.

Andrew Neil spoke to Mohammed Shafiq, a member of the Liberal Democrats Ethnic Minority group calling for deselection, and to Kenan Malik, who writes about multi-culturalism and free speech."

Maajid Nawaz Explains the Difference between Islam and Islamism to Bill Maher and Richard Dawkins

Maajid Nawaz is the co-founder and Executive Director of Quilliam, the world's first counter-extremism think tank. He is also the co-founder of Khudi, a counter-extremism social movement working towards the promotion of social democratic change in Pakistan. This clip is from "Overtime" with Bill Maher where he has a discussion about the roots of islamism and the difference between islamism and islam with Maher, Richard Dawkins, Michael Moore, Valerie Plame and Al Sharpton. From "Overtime" with Bill Maher, October 25, 2013.

John Kerry Labelled 'Anti Semite' for Warning of Possible Boycott of Israel

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: US Secretary of State has been labelled an 'anti Semite' for warning of a possible economic boycott if Israel failed to reach a peace accord with the Palestinians

John Kerry, the US secretary of state, triggered an angry backlash from Israeli leaders on Sunday after warning Israel faces economic boycott if it failed to reach a peace accord with the Palestinians.

The uproar came as Mr Kerry held cordial talks with his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif in Munich at which the pair vowed to intensify nuclear diplomacy.

Ministers in Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet accused Mr Kerry of effectively endorsing "anti-Semitic" efforts to impose sanctions on Israel by issuing the warning.

"The risks are very high for Israel," Mr Kerry told the conference. "People are talking about boycott. That will intensify in the case of failure.

"Do they want a failure that then begs whatever may come in the form of a response from disappointed Palestinians and the Arab community?"

While the US secretary of state's remarks were made against a backdrop of new EU regulations barring deals with Israeli businesses based in West Bank settlements, they provoked accusations that he was threatening Israel in on-going peace talks with the Palestinians. » | Robert Tait, Jerusalem | Sunday, February 02, 2014

Freedom of Speech: Is It My Right to Offend You?

THE INDEPENDENT: Last week, a political figure tweeting a cartoon about Mohamed prompted death threats. In a civilised society, we need to know how to express views without censorship

Maajid Nawaz is a former Islamist who now campaigns against extremism as the executive director of the Quilliam Foundation. He is also a Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate. Three weeks ago, he appeared on the BBC's religious debate programme, The Big Questions. On that show, two atheist students wore T-shirts featuring cartoons of the Prophet Mohamed. Nawaz declared that he was not upset by the images. After the show, he tweeted one of the cartoons, declaring that his God was greater than to feel threatened by it. And then everything went mad.

Nawaz has faced an appalling string of death threats. About 22,000 people have signed a petition calling for his deselection. Thousands more have leapt to his defence. Last week, Nick Clegg promised that he would not be deselected. But as various media outlets have reported on the subject, they, too, have faced criticism for their squeamishness: no one has shown uncensored the cartoon at the centre of the storm.

There is so much to unpack here. Where to begin? Well, how about, for the record, a simple declaration: Maajid Nawaz has an absolute right to tweet a picture of the Prophet Mohamed. I would not vote for any political party that dismissed him for doing so. But actually, this is the least interesting, least fruitful aspect of the whole discussion. This is primary school stuff. » | Archie Bland | Sunday, February 02, 2014

Related »

'Jesus and Mo' Debate

After Liberal Democrat prospective candidate Maajid Nawaz pointed out how he is was not offended by the charming satirical comic strip "Jesus and Mo", a mob of fascists and extremists launched a petition to have him deselected, and to (according to the comments from the supporters of the petition) have him executed/beheaded/tortured, etc.

Hollande and Cameron's Pub Lunch Unlikely to Improve Ailing Entente

THE GUARDIAN: The lack of a silver-service banquet may only add insult to president's perceived injuries from 'le French bashing'

As François Hollande arrived to meet David Cameron in London, the entente was threatening – like the weather – to be less than cordial.

The British prime minister had extended an invitation that the French president could have surely easily refused; not a multi[-]course silver-service banquet à la Elysée Palace, but a pub lunch in Oxfordshire. How Hollande's Gallic heart must have sunk as he crossed the point of no return under the Channel: he may style himself as "Monsieur normal", but he is still the president of France and we can only hope Cameron's local could produce a better glass of red than that available at most of Britain's traditional ale-houses.

If this was not reason enough for Hollande to find a more pressing international crisis demanding his attention, there was what the French media coined in defiance of the country's language police, "le French bashing".

There had been rumours that the French were about to cancel the meeting given the level of sniping from the British side of the Channel. The economics they could discuss and agree to disagree, but the idea that an insolent and disrespectful British press was more interested in the Elysée soap opera involving the president and the actor, thus provoking even more "total indignation" from the already indignant Hollande, was almost too much.

But the Elysée was determined to be grown up about it all. "If we cancelled for that, we'd never have a summit," one presidential adviser told Le Figaro newspaper.

Given the amount of flak that Cameron, his Conservative colleagues and the British media have given the president since he was elected in May 2012, Hollande might have been sorely tempted to give the prime minister a punch on the nose and return to Paris. » | Kim Willsher in Paris | Friday, January 31, 2014

Stop Rich Overseas Investors from Buying Up UK Homes, Report Urges

THE OBSERVER: Rightwing thinktank proposes curbs on non-EU residents to open up more of housing market to Britons

Radical plans to stop rich overseas residents who live outside the EU buying British houses – as well as tight restrictions on them acquiring "newbuild" properties as investments – will be published in a report by a leading rightwing thinktank on Monday.

Free-market organisation Civitas castigates government ministers for allowing wealthy foreign investors to stoke a property boom that it says is driving up prices and locking millions of UK citizens out of the housing market.

The plans would prevent the likes of Roman Abramovich, owner of Chelsea football club, or other Russian oligarchs from adding to their multimillion-pound UK portfolios. They also aim to stem a flood of investment from countries such as China, Malaysia and Singapore.

Concerned that many middle and lower earners are being forced to pay high rents in London because they can't afford to buy, Civitas calls on ministers to adopt a scheme similar to one operating in Australia, which ensures that no sale can take place to overseas buyers unless they can show that their investment will add to existing housing stock.

Such a system would mean that no existing home could be sold to a buyer from outside the EU, and that such buyers could acquire newbuild homes only if their investment led to one or more additional properties being built. » | Toby Helm, political editor | Saturday, February 01, 2014

Serbia Snow: Hundreds of Stranded Drivers Rescued

BBC: Hundreds of drivers in Serbia have been rescued after becoming stranded due to heavy winter snow.

Gusts of more than 150km/h (93mph) battered towns across the country, as police and the army helped motorists trapped by snow drifts.

Guy De Launey reports from Belgrade. (+ BBC video) » | Saturday, February 01, 2014

Meltdown: The Men Who Crashed the World

The first of a four-part investigation into the world of greed and recklessness that led to financial collapse.

Kerry: We Stand with the People of Ukraine

US Secretary of State says West backs protesters to have a say on the future of their country, to anger of Russia.

Related »

'Dollar Valueless, About to Crash' - World Bank Whistleblower

Poverty Crime: UK Shoplifting Soaring as Tough Economic Times Bite Deeper

The five-finger discount is no longer the domain of bored kids and petty criminals in Britain. Many are now resorting to shoplifting for their basic needs, as RT's Polly Boiko has been finding out.

Tried & True? Firing Squad, Electric Chair Return in US for Death Penalty

U.S. lawmakers are looking for alternatives to help them kill. The lethal-injection drugs used to execute prisoners on death row are in short supply, and there is concern over how effective they are anyway. But some of the other methods being considered are neither new, or campaigners say, humane. RT's Marina Portnaya reports.

Related »

The Unspeakable Hell of North Korea Concentration Camps

Un Français remporte 88,3 millions de francs

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Un joueur français a remporté ce vendredi le gros lot de l'Euromillions.

Le chanceux empoche 88,32 millions de francs [Suisse]. Il s'agit du septième gain le plus important en France depuis la création de la loterie européennes en février 2004. » | ats/Newsnet | vendredi 31 janvier 2014

Should Neo-Nazis Be Allowed Free Speech

THE DAILY BEAST: New studies show that unbridled hateful speech can cause emotional harm. Is it time for the United States to follow other democracies and impose limits on what Neo-Nazis and other haters say?

Over the past several weeks, free speech has gotten costlier—at least in France and Israel.

In France, Dieudonne M’Bala M’Bala, an anti-Semitic stand-up comic infamous for popularizing the quenelle, an inverted Nazi salute, was banned from performing in two cities. M’Bala M’Bala has been repeatedly fined for hate speech, and this was not the first time his act was perceived as a threat to public order.

Meanwhile, Israel’s parliament is soon to pass a bill outlawing the word Nazi for non-educational purposes. Indeed, any slur against another that invokes the Third Reich could land the speaker in jail for six months with a fine of $29,000. The Israelis are concerned about both the rise of anti-Semitism globally, and the trivialization of the Holocaust—even locally.

To Americans, these actions in France and Israel seem positively undemocratic. The First Amendment would never prohibit the quenelle, regardless of its symbolic meaning. And any lover of “Seinfeld” would regard banning the “Soup Nazi” episode as scandalously un-American. After all, in 1977 a federal court upheld the right of neo-Nazis to goose-step right through the town of Skokie, Illinois, which had a disproportionately large number of Holocaust survivors as residents. And more recently, the Supreme Court upheld the right of a church group opposed to gays serving in the military to picket the funeral of a dead marine with signs that read, “God Hates Fags.” Read on and comment » | Thane Rosenbaum | Thursday, January 30, 2014

Hague Alderman Could Get Prison

NL TIMES: The Hague City Council member, Arnoud van Doorn (Partij van de Eenheid) is facing 6 month imprisonment with 2 months probation for selling weed to minors, leaking confidential information, and possession of a weapon.

Van Doorn gave his access card to the City Council to a journalist of AD/Haagse Courant, who in turn stole confidential information.

Police reportedly also found an alarm pistol under his bed. » | Posted by Audrey Graandogst | Saturday, February 01, 2014

Syria Becoming Magnet for Young French Muslims

U-T SAN DIEGO: PARIS (AP) — Two high school classmates, both French Muslims, headed off to Syria this month instead of going to school. They were located, brought home — one fetched by his father — and are now being investigated on terrorism-linked charges.

The unfolding drama of the teenagers, aged 15 and 16, highlights how Syria has become a magnet for a vulnerable fringe of young Muslims in the West. It is among a small wave of cases that are putting French authorities, and some families, on edge.

The bloody three-year-old conflict in Syria has drawn thousands of Muslims to join the ranks of battalions trying to topple the regime or other fighting groups looking to conquer the region in the name of Islam.

French authorities say that more than 600 French have gone to Syria, are plotting to go or have returned, and more than 20 French have been killed in fighting. As of mid-January, a dozen French adolescents were in Syria or in transit, according to authorities. » | Elaine Ganley | Associated Press | Saturday, February 01, 2014

Michael Bloomberg Tapped to Be UN Envoy for Cities and Climate Change

THE GUARDIAN: Former mayor's new role gives billionaire philanthropist an international stage to push for action on climate change

Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg was appointed Friday to be the United Nations special envoy for cities and climate change, a position that will give the billionaire businessman and philanthropist an international stage to press for action to combat global warming.

Secretary general Ban Ki-moon chose Bloomberg, who made combating climate change a major focus of his 12 years as mayor and was very outspoken on how cities should be run to cope with ever increasing populations without harming the environment.

UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said Bloomberg will assist the UN chief in his consultations with mayors and other key parties "to raise political will and mobilize action among cities as part of his longer-term strategy to advance efforts on climate change". » | Associated Press at the United Nations | Friday, January 31, 2014

My comment:

If Bloomberg pursues combatting climate change with the rigour he has pursued his anti-smoking agenda, then he'll have it sorted in no time! Trouble is, we'll have to put up with years more of this ideologue just when we thought we were rid of him. – © Mark

This comment appears here too.