Swiss Immigration: About 50.5% Back Quotas

BBC: With almost all votes counted, a Swiss referendum on whether to bring back strict immigration quotas appears to have passed by a narrow margin.

About 50.5% voted in favour of measures which would end the Swiss-EU free movement of people agreement.

Fiercely independent Switzerland is not a member of the EU, but has adopted large sections of EU policy.

Brussels has already warned the Swiss that they cannot just choose the aspects they like.

A Yes vote of more than 50% is needed for the referendum to pass. » | Sunday, February 09, 2014

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: SVP-Abstimmungskrimi: Die Überraschung ist perfekt: Die SVP-Vorlage «Gegen Masseneinwanderung» ist angenommen worden. Zürich lehnte die Initiative als letzter Kanton mit 52,7 Prozent ab. » | Sonntag, 09. Februar 2014

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Kommentar des Chefredaktors: Eine Zäsur für die Schweiz: Das Verdikt ist deutlich, so einmalig knapp es auch ausfällt. Eine Mehrheit aus Volk und Ständen will in der Schweiz wieder die Steuerung der Einwanderung durch Kontingente. Die Initianten aus dem rechtsbürgerlichen Lager haben sich durchgesetzt; gegen den Bundesrat, gegen eine parlamentarische Mehrheit, gegen alle Regierungsparteien, gegen die Wirtschaft und ihre Verbände, gegen die Arbeitnehmervertreter und gegen die Empfehlungen fast aller Medien, dieses Organ eingeschlossen. » | Markus Spillmann | Sonntag, 09. Februar 2014

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Violence Could Force Out CAR's Muslim Population – HRW

BBC: Religious violence in the Central African Republic could force its entire Muslim population to flee, a senior human rights worker has told BBC News.

Human Rights Watch emergency director Peter Bouckaert said this could affect the economy, as Muslims control the livestock market and other businesses.

Violence between the Christian majority and Muslims has torn the country apart since a coup last year.

Mr Bouckaert said at least nine people died this weekend in the capital city.

He said he had personally witnessed a Muslim being hacked to death in the capital, Bangui, in retaliation for the reported killing of six people by Muslim fighters.

The French news agency AFP said there was some dispute over the religion of the victim.

Tens of thousands of Muslims have already fled the to neighbouring Cameroon and Chad.

The CAR, one of Africa's poorest nations, has been in chaos for more than a year since Muslim Seleka rebels seized power.

Coup leader Michel Djotodia, who became the CAR's first Muslim leader, resigned as interim president last month as part of a regional peace process.

However, violence, largely perpetrated by either Christian anti-Balaka militias or Seleka members, has continued despite interventions by thousands of peacekeepers from the African Union and the former colonial power, France. » | Sunday, February 09, 2014

Swiss Immigration Vote Very Close, Early Projections Say

BBC: A Swiss referendum on whether to bring back strict immigration quotas is extremely tight, with first projections showing the vote split 50:50.

If approved, the measures will end Switzerland's free movement of people agreement with the European Union.

Fiercely independent Switzerland is not a member of the EU, but has adopted large sections of EU policy.

Brussels has already warned the Swiss that they cannot just choose the aspects they like.

The vote comes amid increasing debate across Europe about migration and the impact of free movement of people.

Analysts had expected a tight race, but the BBC's Imogen Foulkes in Switzerland says it appears to be incredibly close. » | Sunday, February 9, 2014

Related »

Europe Watches Swiss Immigration Vote

BBC: Swiss voters are going to the polls on Sunday in a nationwide referendum on immigration which is being watched closely right across Europe.

The proposal, from the right-wing Swiss People's Party, calls on Switzerland to abandon its free movement of people treaty with the European Union and introduce strict quotas on immigration.

Switzerland is not a member of the EU, but has adopted large sections of EU policy, including free movement and the Schengen open-borders agreement, in order to have access to Europe's single market.

Brussels has always insisted that the Swiss will not be allowed to cherry-pick only the aspects of EU policy they like.

But its successful economy, and soaring unemployment in many eurozone countries, make Switzerland a very attractive destination. » | Imogen Foulkes, BBC News, Geneva | Saturday, February 08, 2014

Related video »

Spain's Princess Cristina Arrives at Court in Mallorca

Princess Cristina of Spain

BBC: Spain's Princess Cristina has arrived in court to be questioned in connection with a corruption scandal involving her husband's business dealings.

It is the first time in history that a member of Spain's royal family has appeared in court as the subject of a criminal investigation.

Her husband Inaki Urdangarin is alleged to have defrauded regional governments of millions of Euros of public money.

Rebecca Jones spoke with BBC correspondent Tom Burridge, who reports live from outside the courthouse in Mallorca. (+ BBC video) » | Saturday, February 08, 2014

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Record Snowfall Turns Italian Village White

BBC: Record snowfall in the north of Italy has left some people trapped in their homes.

Villagers in Madesimo had to dig their way out of their properties after several days of wintery weather.

Rebecca Donovan reports. (+ BBC video) » | Friday, February 07, 2014

Istanbul Clashes Over Turkey's New Internet Laws

Taksim Square, Istanbul

BBC: Turkish riot police have fired water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators marching in Istanbul in protest at new laws tightening government control of the internet.

Demonstrators threw fireworks and stones at police cordoning off Taksim Square, the city's main square.

The president is under pressure not to ratify the legislation.

It includes powers allowing authorities to block websites for privacy violations without a court decision.

The opposition says it is part of a government attempt to stifle a corruption scandal.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has denied accusations of censorship, saying the legislation would make the internet "more safe and free". (+ BBC video) » | Saturday, February 08, 2014

Skiers Warned of Terrain Traps in Scotland's Mountains

BBC: Skiers, climbers and walkers have been warned to be aware of a danger created by huge amounts of snow and high winds in Scotland's mountains.

A terrain trap is a hollow or flat area of land where avalanched snow accumulates, raising the risk of further snow slides.

The Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) said many people were unaware of the term and the threat.

It has advised mountaineers and skier to avoid such areas. » | Saturday, February 08, 2014

Holder Says Justice Department Will Aggressively Defend Same-sex Marriage

Eric Holder

THE GUARDIAN: • Attorney general vows to apply landmark supreme court ruling
 • Holder compares gay marriage to 60s campaign for civil rights

In an assertion of same-sex marriage rights the US attorney general, Eric Holder, will announce on Saturday that he will apply a landmark supreme court ruling to the Justice Department.

In prepared remarks to be delivered in New York to the Human Rights Campaign, an advocacy group which works on behalf of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights, Holder said same-sex spouses could not now be compelled to testify against each other, should be eligible to file for bankruptcy jointly and are entitled to the same rights and privileges as federal prison inmates in opposite-sex marriages.

The Justice Department runs a number of benefits programmes, and Holder said same-sex couples will now qualify for them. They include the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund and benefits to surviving spouses of public safety officers who suffer catastrophic or fatal injuries in the line of duty.

“In every courthouse, in every proceeding and in every place where a member of the Department of Justice stands on behalf of the United States, they will strive to ensure that same-sex marriages receive the same privileges, protections and rights as opposite-sex marriages under federal law,” Holder said.

Just as in the civil rights struggles of the 1960s, Holder said, the stakes in the current generation over same-sex marriage rights “could not be higher”. Read on and comment » | Associated Press in Washington | Saturday, February 08, 2014

Queen Victoria's Children – Episode Two: A Domestic Tyrant

Episode One »

BBC Queen Victoria's Children – Episode One: The Best Laid Plan

Japan Snowfall Disrupts Air, Rail and Road Transport

BBC: A severe snow storm warning has been issued in the Japanese capital, Tokyo, with residents urged to stay indoors.

Correspondents say it is the first such warning for the city in 13 years.

Hundreds of flights have been cancelled, roads closed and some train services suspended. (+ BBC video) » | Saturday, February 08, 2014

UK Storms: Coastal Areas in West Hit by Renewed Gales

BBC: Gales are continuing across southern parts of the UK, with coastal areas facing west bearing the brunt of the strongest winds and heavy rain.

Forecasters said gusts reached 80mph along the coasts of Cornwall, the Bristol Channel and west Wales. » | Saturday, February 08, 2014

Spain's Princess Cristina Accused of Being 'Evasive' in Tax Fraud Court Case

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Daughter of Spanish King Juan Carlos grilled for several hours in historic inquiry into alleged financial scandal involving her husband, Iñaki Urdangarín

Spain’s Princess Cristina was accused of being “evasive” today as she gave evidence for the first time in a corruption case that has tarnished the image of the country’s royal family.

The 48-year-old younger daughter of King Juan Carlos was grilled for several hours by José Castro, an investigative judge, as part of an inquiry into an alleged financial scandal involving her husband, Iñaki Urdangarín. » | Fiona Govan, Madrid | Saturday, February 08, 2014

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Is America Losing Faith? Atheism on the Rise But Still in the Shadows

American Way: Atheist activists' numbers are growing in the US as they take on Big Religion, but many keep quiet for fear of alienation in one Bible-minded Virginia town

Read the Telegraph article here | Peter Foster, Blacksburg, Virginia | Saturday, February 08, 2014

Syria: Western Recruits Turning to Islamic Terrorism

The Syrian government has confirmed its participation in the next round of Geneva peace talks, that are set to take place on Monday. Meanwhile radical factions are believed to be gaining momentum in the war. Islamists are thought to have recruited tens of thousands of foreigners, which, potentially cause an intelligence headache in their homelands. Tesa Arcilla reports.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews Protest against Plan to Draft Them into Israel Defense Forces

Israeli police used water cannon on ultra-Orthodox Jewish protesters on Thursday in the southern city of Ashdod, following demonstrations against plans to enlist them in the military. Police also claimed that highways were being blocked across the country as part of the protest. In Ashdod, demonstrators hurled stones at police, injuring two. While in Jerusalem around 400 ultra-Orthodox Jews tried to block the entrance to the city. The trouble follows a Supreme Court ruling this week ordering funding halted to ultra-Orthodox seminaries whose students dodge the draft.

Protesters Clash with Police, Set Government Buildings Ablaze in Bosnia

Thousands of people across Bosnia set fire to local government buildings and clashed with police. Hundreds have been injured in three days of protests in a state that's slipping into serious economic stagnation with around 40 per cent of the population out of work.

The capital Sarajevo, rioters set the Presidential building ablaze, along with police cars and tires. Authorities fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas to disperse the crowds. In other parts of the country protesters hurled rocks at security forces and torched local government buildings.

The unrest initially erupted over the closure of several state-owned companies that were sold off and then collapsed under private ownership.

Outsiders Out? Swiss Decide on Tougher Immigration Limits

Swiss voters are set to decide this weekend on whether to put a cap on the country's influx of migrants. A controversial bill proposed by Switzerland's nationalist party plans to introduce quotas against foreigners. But some say shutting the Swiss border would only cause problems for the economy - as RT's Lucy Kafanov reports.

Google s'immisce dans le débat sur la législation anti-gay en Russie

LE FIGARO: Le moteur de recherche célèbre l'ouverture des Jeux olympiques en affichant sur sa page d'accueil un logo aux couleurs du drapeau arc-en-ciel de la communauté gay. Un pied de nez à la législation russe réprimant la «propagande» de l'homosexualité.

C'est un doodle politiquement engagé. Le moteur de recherche Google célèbre vendredi l'ouverture des Jeux olympiques d'hiver de Sotchi en affichant sur sa page d'accueil un logo aux couleurs du drapeau arc-en-ciel de la communauté gay. Chaque case comprend une lettre, une couleur et une discipline sportive représentée à ces JO d'hiver. En dessous, Google a repris un extrait de la Charte olympique: «La pratique du sport est un droit de l'homme. Chaque individu doit avoir la possibilité de faire du sport sans discrimination d'aucune sorte et dans l'esprit olympique, qui exige la compréhension mutuelle, l'esprit d'amitié, de solidarité et de fair-play». » | Par lefigaro.fr | vendredi 07 février 2014

Une loi Internet «liberticide» en Turquie

LE FIGARO: Une loi contrôlant strictement le Web a été votée par les députés turcs. L'opposition dénonce une nouvelle atteinte à la liberté d'expression de la part du pouvoir d'Erdogan.

«Big brother» a les Turcs à l'œil. Le gouvernement islamo-conservateur a toujours eu Internet dans le collimateur mais de là à placer sous surveillance tous ses utilisateurs, il y a un pas… qui a été franchi. En dépit des inquiétudes des organisations des droits de l'homme, des partis de l'opposition à l'unisson ou de l'Union européenne, qui la jugent liberticide, une loi contrôlant strictement le Web a été votée par les députés turcs. » | Par Laure Marchand | vendredi 07 février 2014

Kenyan 'Cutter' Says Female Genital Mutilation Is Her Livelihood

THE GUARDIAN: Margaret, who has put more girls through FGM than she can remember, says cutters ask her how they will eat if they stop

There can be few women who understand both the agonies and the economics of female genital mutilation better than Margaret, a grandmother in her 70s from Pokot, northern Kenya.

Her life has spanned the clumsy colonial efforts to ban the practice, which saw it become a cultural cornerstone of the Mau Mau uprising against British rule, right through to independent Kenya's decision to re[-]impose the prohibition.

She has also put more girls than she can remember under the knife. When Margaret started, the tool of choice was a curved nail; more recently this has been replaced with imported razor blades.

The work, she concedes, is gruelling: frightened young girls would typically sit naked on a rock; once done, their excised clitorises would be thrown to the birds. For the cutters, or "koko mekong", who can earn 2,500 Kenyan shillings (£18) for each girl, it is a livelihood.

"The cutters ask me: 'If we leave doing this thing, what will we eat?'" Margaret says. "Tell the government to give us what to eat. If it's just workshops then it will be no use. The circumcisers will not leave their career simply because they're being told to leave it."

The "cut" has been outlawed in Kenya since 2001. Despite this, a public health survey in 2009 found that 27% of women had been subject to FGM. Among some ethnic groups – such as the Somalis (98%) and Masai (73%) – that figure is much higher. » | Daniel Howden in Baringo County | Friday, February 07, 2014

Iranian Women Footballers to Undergo Gender Tests

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Iran's female footballers are to be given mandatory exams to prove that they are real women

Footballers in Iran's professional women's league are to undergo mandatory gender tests to establish that they are fully female.

The country's football governing body is bringing in the random checks after it was revealed that several leading players - including four in the national women's team - were either men who had not completed sex change operations, or were suffering from sexual development disorders.

Gender change operations are legal in Iran according to a fatwa - or religious ruling - pronounced by the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, spiritual leader of the 1979 Islamic revolution. The law contrasts with the strict rules governing sexual morality under the country's Sharia legal code, which forbids homosexuality and pre-marital sex.

Medical examiners will turn up unannounced at training sessions of teams playing in Iran's women's premier league, as well as those playing in the indoor league, known as footsal.

Ahmad Hashemian, head of the Iranian football federation's medical committee, said the clubs themselves were now obliged to carry out medical examinations to establish the gender of their players before signing them on contracts. » | Robert Tait, Middle East Correspondent | Friday, February 07, 2014

World War I in Color & HD: Episode 8: Making The Series

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.

Episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 »

Spanish Royal Family Braces for Princess Cristina's Court Appearance

Princess Cristina de Borbón and her husband, Iñaki Urdangarin

THE GUARDIAN: Allegations of money laundering and tax evasion against king's daughter are latest episode in family's fall from grace

When a boulevard in Palma de Mallorca was renamed to honour Princess Cristina de Borbón and her husband, Iñaki Urdangarín, in 1998, it seemed like a good fit. It was one of the city's most regal thoroughfares, lined with trees and dotted with fountains and Roman statues, and they were the feted new couple of the Spanish crown. The princess's father, King Juan Carlos, had recently given the pair the titles the Duke and Duchess of Palma.

Fifteen years later, the city changed its mind. Urdangarín was under investigation for embezzlement and questions were being asked about how much his wife knew. "He has conducted himself poorly and has shown a lack of consideration towards the title and the name of our city," said a spokesperson in explanation for why the city was reverting back to the old name of the boulevard.

On Saturday, just a few streets away from the renamed La Rambla, Spain's royal family will live out another chapter in their steady fall from grace. At 10am Princess Cristina de Borbón has been summoned to the city's imposing stone courthouse to answer allegations of money laundering and tax evasion.

The 48-year-old princess will be the first royal-born member of Spain's ruling Bourbons to appear in court since the monarchy was restored in 1975. She will be questioned by prosecutors, the investigating judge José Castro and dozens of lawyers over her role in one of Spain's longest-running corruption scandals. Both Cristina and her husband have denied any wrongdoing.

At its best, Cristina's appearance in court on Saturday could be cathartic for Spain's ailing monarchy, clearing her of wrongdoing and showing the world that justice plays out equally for every Spanish citizen, royal or not.

But at its worst, this weekend's court appearance could result in criminal charges against the princess, and up to six years of jail time and steep fines. Read on and comment » | Ashifa Kassam in Palma de Mallorca | Friday, February 07, 2014

Family Blames Saudi Gender Segregation Rules for Student's Death

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Female student died after university stopped male paramedics from treating her

The family of a Saudi woman student who died of heart problems has said her university prevented medics from getting to her in time because of rules barring men from the women-only part of the campus.

The King Saud University in Riyadh denied the accusation and said Amena Bawazir, who had a history of heart disease, received quick medical attention after suffering a stroke last Sunday, causing her heart and lungs to stop functioning.

The case has revived memories of a 2002 incident in which 15 schoolgirls in Jeddah died in a fire after the Saudi morality police sent them back into the building because they were not veiled.

Al-Arabiya television's news website quoted Amena's sister, Fahda Bawazir, as saying that medics arrived at a campus gate shortly after her sister fell ill at around 11 a.m.

"But the medics were not allowed to enter the campus until 1 p.m.," she said, in a report published late on Thursday. » | Friday, February 07, 2014

Brave German Women against Islamic Prayer in Protestant Church

CBN NEWS: 'Brave German Woman' Rebukes Islam's Lie » | Thursday, February 08, 2014

Printemps arabes : une catastrophe économique

LE POINT: En Égypte, Tunisie et Libye, les révolutions n'ont pas seulement engendré le chaos politique mais un désastre économique et social.

"C'est pire qu'avant." Du Caire à Tunis ou à Tripoli, dans les maisons confortables ou les quartiers miséreux, la phrase revient comme une litanie lancinante. Le Printemps arabe n'a pas seulement débouché sur un grand chaos politique. Les pauvres sont plus pauvres, les classes moyennes laminées, les économies encalminées. La misère progresse. » | Par Pierre Beylau | jeudi 06 février 2014

First Major US Drugstore Drops Cigarettes

CVS will phase out cigarettes, cigars and chewing tobacco by October because it's no longer compatible with its healthcare business.

Related video »

Hitlers Aufstieg zur Macht

Obama's Ex-Bodyguard: Scandals 'Worse Than You Know'

Former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino - "It's to the point where these (Obama) scandals in and of themselves would be huge, backbreaking scandals are just lost in the 'scandal fog' of this administration," he said in disbelief. "It's worse than people know; I'm not trying to scare you either."

Dutch Populist Politician Geert Wilders Wants Netherlands to Leave EU

Geert Wilders

CTV NEWS: THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- In a foretaste of his campaign for European parliamentary elections in May, Dutch populist politician Geert Wilders is making his case that the Netherlands would be better off leaving the European Union.

He claimed Thursday a "NExit" -- Netherlands exit from both the European Union and euro currency zone -- would add nearly 10,000 euros ($13,000) to GDP per capita over two decades, from around 35,000 euros now.

The Dutch government rejects Wilders' views, saying a pullout from the European Union would cause irreparable damage to trade relations in a country heavily reliant on trade, and a euro departure would lead to a new financial crisis.

"I cannot explain to any voters in the Netherlands that we have to raise taxes, cut health care for the elderly, for example, but that we send billions of euros to the Southern European countries (for bailouts), or all the fees we pay to Brussels," Wilders said at a press conference outside Dutch parliament.

Wilders' views on leaving the European Union have so far gained little traction in the Netherlands, and are seen as practically unworkable. However, his euro-skeptic stance, like that of other parties elsewhere on the political extremes -- such as France's Marine Le Pen, Greece's Alexis Tsipras and Britain's Nigel Farage, does resonate with a wider public. » | Toby Sterling, The Associated Press | Thursday, February 06, 2014

Tunisia: Free Blogger Jailed for Mocking Islam

Early Test for the New Constitution
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: (Tunis) – Tunisian authorities should mark the celebration of the country’s new constitution on February 7, 2014, by immediately quashing the sentences of anyone convicted under laws that violate human rights, Human Rights Watch said today. One of these is Jaber Mejri, a blogger imprisoned since 2012 for publishing caricatures deemed insulting to Islam. Many foreign heads of state and officials, including the President François Hollande of France, will attend the ceremony.


On March 28, 2012, the First Instance Criminal Court of Mahdia sentenced Mejri and another blogger, Ghazi Beji, to seven-and-half years in prison for harming “public order or good morals” and “insulting others through public communication networks.” Beji fled and became the first Tunisian to gain political asylum in France since the 2011 revolution. Mejri is in Mahdia prison. The courts of appeal and cassation confirmed the lower court ruling. President Moncef Marzouki has the authority to pardon Mejri and should, Human Rights Watch said. » | Thursday, February 06, 2014

HRW: Tunisie : Il faut libérer le blogueur emprisonné pour avoir tourné l'islam en dérision : Un premier test pour la nouvelle constitution tunisienne » | jeudi 06 février 2014
HRW: باللغة العربية »

British Politician Wants UK Muslims to Denounce Parts of Quran

AL ARABIYA: A far-right UK Independence Party (UKIP) politician reiterated on Tuesday his belief that a declaration denouncing specific parts of the Quran must be signed by Muslims living in Britain.

Gerard Batten, an MEP, renewed his suggestion first proposed in 2006 while speaking to the British daily news website the Guardian, adding that Europe made a huge mistake by allowing “an explosion of mosques across their land.”

“If that represents the thinking of modern people, there's something wrong, in which case maybe they need to revise their thinking,” Batten said.

“If they say they can't revise their thinking on those issues, then who's got the problem – us or them?” he added.

During the interview, Batten said: “I would expect the fundamentalists to agree with me that democracy is incompatible with fundamentalist Islam. Moderate Muslims have to decide which side of the argument they are on.”

"Muslims need to sign the charter and accept to “re-examine and address the meaning and application of certain Islamic texts and doctrines,” Batten said in a statement released on Ukip’s official website.

Batten said he stood by the 2006 “charter of Muslim understanding.”

In the charter, Muslims are requested to reject parts of the Quran which promote that “violent physical Jihad” should be regarded as “inapplicable, invalid and non-Islamic,” a move Batten said would not be an issue for “any reasonable, normal person.” » | Eman El-Shenawi | Al Arabiya News – Dubai | Wednesday, February 05, 2014

Related »

Bahraini Activist Speaks Out

CNN: New law: Insult Bahrain's king, get thrown in jail: Bahrain's king has ratified a new law that imposes a prison sentence of up to seven years and fine of up to $26,500 for anyone who publicly insults him, state-run media said. » | Schams Elwazer, CNN | Thursday, February 06, 2014

Locals Help Police Target Homosexuals in Bauchi State, Nigeria

BBC: People in Nigeria who are suspected of being gay could face the death penalty, as parts of the country crack down on practices not consistent with Islamic law.

Homosexuality has long been illegal in the country, with a recent law extending the penalty for those convicted to 14 years in prison.

But in Bauchi State in northern Nigeria, some of those standing trial could face the death penalty.

Will Ross reports. (+ BBC video) » | Thursday, February 06, 2014

Female Genital Mutilation: A Family Speaks Out against the Practice

BBC: Doctors and nurses in the UK will be required to log details of the injuries suffered by victims of female genital mutilation (FGM).

The practice has been illegal in Britain since 1985, but no-one has ever been prosecuted for FGM, which is widely carried out by communities originally from the Middle East, Africa or Asia.

At least 66,000 girls and women in the UK are believed to be victims.

Three generations of one Somali family, scarred by the practice, have spoken out.

Reeta Chakrabarti reports. (+ BBC video) » | Wednesday, February 05, 2014

Female genital mutilation: Hospitals to log victims » | Thursday, February 06, 2014

Female Genital Mutilation: 'I Was Screaming'

BBC: A BBC investigation has revealed concerns that girls are being brought to Scotland from overseas to undergo female genital mutilation.

Specialist agencies have warned that the procedure is conducted here because the country is seen as "a soft touch".

Fatou Baldeh, remembers being cut aged seven: "I remember I was screaming for my mum and my grandmother to help me but no-one did."

Lucy Adams has been investigating the issue for BBC Scotland. (+ BBC video) » | Friday, November 15, 2013

Inside Story: Is 'Brand Israel' Under Threat?

As the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement gains traction, how will the country deal with the pressure?

Turkish MPs Endorse Internet Control Law

Turkey's parliament has adopted a new Internet bill roundly criticised as an assault by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on freedom of expression, access to information and investigative journalism. Al Jazeera spoke to Mehmet Karli, assistant Professor of International Law at Galatasary University, in Istanbul.

Related »

Nick Clegg's Ex-headmaster Jailed for Abusing Boys

Roland Peter Wright was led away from court by prison officers

BBC: The former headmaster of a school attended by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has been jailed for eight years for sexually abusing five pupils.

Roland Peter Wright, 83, of Farnham Royal, Buckinghamshire, abused boys aged between eight and 13 at Caldicott Preparatory School from 1959 to 1970.

His sentencing went ahead despite the death of another former teacher who had been due to appear with him.

Hugh Henry, 82, apparently threw himself under a train on Tuesday.

Judge Joanna Cutts QC told Wright: "These offences were so serious that it is beyond question that only a custodial sentence can be justified.

"I have to sentence you for multiple offending against each of these victims.

"This was prolonged activity, the boys were groomed by a master at a school responsible for their care."

Mr Clegg was a pupil at the school from 1974 until 1980 and was joint head boy in his final year.

When Wright was convicted in December, Mr Clegg said: "I am shocked and appalled by the gross betrayal of trust and violation of childhood innocence that has been shown to have taken place at Caldicott." » | Thursday, February 06, 2014

Royal Cousins at War: A House Divided

How the tangled relationships and emerging rivalries between Europe's royal houses at the outbreak of the First World War played a crucial role in the conflict.
Watch the BBC documentary here on BBC iPlayer

Ban Ki-moon Condemns Persecution of Gay People in Russia

THE GUARDIAN: Amid criticism of Russia's anti-gay laws, UN secretary-general urges 'speaking out against prejudice' in keynote speech to IOC

The United Nations secretary-general has used a speech ahead of the Winter Olympics in Sochi to condemn attacks on the LGBT community, amid growing criticism of Russia's so-called "gay propaganda" laws.

Ban Ki-moon, addressing the IOC before Friday's opening ceremony, highlighted the fact that the theme of the UN's human rights day last December was "sport comes out against homophobia".

"Many professional athletes, gay and straight, are speaking out against prejudice. We must all raise our voices against attacks on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex people," he said. "We must oppose the arrests, imprisonments and discriminatory restrictions they face."

"The United Nations stands strongly behind our own 'free and equal' campaign, and I look forward to working with the IOC, governments and other partners around the world to build societies of equality and tolerance. Hatred of any kind must have no place in the 21st century." » | Owen Gibson and Shaun Walker | Thursday, February 06, 2014

THE GUARDIAN: Russian laws choking free speech must be repealed now » | The Guardian | Thursday, February 06, 2014

Turkey Pushes Through New Raft of 'Draconian' Internet Restrictions

THE GUARDIAN: New law requiring ISPs to make web user data available to authorities seen as threat to democracy, says opposition party

The Turkish government has been accused of imposing draconian censorship after pushing harsh new internet curbs through parliament. The new internet law was met with outrage in Turkey on Wednesday night, with opposition parties accusing the government of wanting to introduce ever tighter control by bypassing the courts.

The regulations were adopted after a heated Parliamentary debate yesterday, during which one MP of the main opposition People's Republican Party (CHP) compared Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyıp Erdoğan to Hitler. The law now needs to be signed by Turkish President Abdullah Gül to go into effect.

"When you came into power you talked of increasing democracy in Turkey, but now you are trying to implement fascism," Hasan Ören said. "Remember that Adolf Hitler used the same methods when he rose to power."

The new measures will allow Turkey's telecommunications authority (TIB) to block any website in 24 hours and without first seeking a court ruling. The law also obliges internet providers to store all data on web users' activities for two years and make it available to the authorities upon request.

Deputy prime minister Bülent Arınç rejected all accusations of censorship. "We are freer and have more press freedom than many other countries in the world", he said.

However, critics say that the law violates citizens' rights to freedom of expression and current privacy rights, turning Turkey into an Orwellian surveillance state. » | Constanze Letsch in Istanbul | Thursday, February 06, 2014

Fury as Racist Christian Patrol Drive Armoured Car in Muslim Street Giving Out Booze

DAILY EXPRESS: BRITISH faith leaders have united to condemn a BNP-linked vigilante group called Christian Patrols which drove two armoured vehicles into a Muslim-dominated street and baited residents with alcohol and cigarettes.

The Bishop of Stepney and the chairman of the East London Mosque issued a statement yesterday to call for a halt to the stunt.

They were reacting to a recent incident in which nationalist group Britain First drove two Gulf War armoured Land Rovers down the length of Brick Lane, one of the most famous streets in the east London borough of Tower Hamlets.

The group said they were there to “defend British soil against Muslim extremists”.

They said they were reacting to the so-called “Muslim Patrols” who were convicted in December for threatening non-Muslims in the area.

Britain First’s chairman Paul Golding, a former Sevenoaks councillor for British National Party in Kent, told the East London Advertiser he was deliberately taunting people with beer and cigarettes. (+ video) » | Ted Jeory | Wednesday, February 05, 2014

Schröder: "USA haben keinen Respekt vor Deutschen"

KRONE.AT: In der Spionageaffäre um abgehörte Telefonate durch den US- Geheimdienst NSA wird der Ton zwischen Berlin und Washington zunehmend rauher. Nach Berichten, wonach auch Deutschlands Alt- Bundeskanzler Gerhard Schröder während seiner Amtszeit vom NSA abgehört worden sein soll, erhob der Amtsvorgänger von Kanzlerin Angela Merkel schwere Vorwürfe gegen die US- Regierung. "Die USA haben keinen Respekt vor einem loyalen Bündnispartner und der Souveränität unseres Landes", sagte Schröder der "Bild"- Zeitung.

Da hatte er noch Vertrauen in die USA: Ein Bild aus dem Jahr 2005 zeigt den damaligen deutschen Bundeskanzler lachend bei einem Besuch beim damals amtierenden US- Präsidenten George W. Bush. Doch angesichts neuer Berichte über eine NSA- Abhöraktion gegen ihn in seiner Zeit als Bundeskanzler (siehe Story in der Infobox) dürfte nun auch Schröder die Beziehungen zwischen Berlin und Washington in einem neuen Licht sehen.

Gegenüber der "Bild"- Zeitung bekräftigte Schröder, er habe ein solches Vorgehen der USA "nicht für möglich" gehalten. "Dass sich Staaten gegenseitig ausspionieren, ist zwar keine neue Erfahrung. Aber das Telefon einer Bundeskanzlerin oder eines Bundeskanzlers abzuhören, geht eindeutig zu weit." » | AG/red | Mittwoch, 05. Februar 2014

Wendi Deng's 'Love Note for Tony Blair' Published

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Wendi Deng, former wife of Rupert Murdoch, wrote about loving Tony Blair's "good body" and "piercing blue eyes"

Wendi Deng, the former wife of Rupert Murdoch, allegedly developed a passionate obsession with Tony Blair and wrote a note in which she rhapsodised about his “good body and really really good legs [and] Butt”.

Miss Deng is said to have become infatuated with the former Prime Minister while she was still married to the media mogul.

In the note, Chinese-born Miss Deng wrote in broken English: “Oh, s***, oh, s***. Whatever why I’m so so missing Tony. Because he is so so charming and his clothes are so good.

“He has such good body and he has really really good legs Butt… And he is slim tall and good skin. Pierce blue eyes which I love. Love his eyes. Also I love his power on the stage… and what else and what else and what else… [all sic]”

The contents of the sensational note are detailed in Vanity Fair magazine, which described it as “a steamy, lovelorn missive”.

Mr Blair has denied all allegations of an affair with Miss Deng. Friends of Miss Deng say the pair were never more than friends. » | Anita Singh, Showbusiness Editor | Wednesday, February 05, 2014

DAILY EXPRESS: Murdoch spitting blood after 'love' note from ex-wife to Tony Blair surfaces: IT has always been one of the weirdest true stories in modern history. ¶ Time was when Rupert Murdoch and leaders of the Labour Party hated each other with a vengeance but in the mid-Nineties Tony Blair shocked the traditional wing of his own party by jetting off to a shindig hosted by the News Corp tycoon on an Australian island. From then on it was kissy-kissy all the way, with Murdoch a frequent visitor to No 10 once Blair was in power. » | Simon Edge | Thursday, February 06, 2014