US Government Giving Up Control of Internet

Mar. 17, 2014 - 3:12 - James Rosen reports from Washington, D.C.

The Foxhole: How Is US Diplomacy Viewed in the World Today?

Mar. 18, 2014 - 26:04 - American Enterprise Institute's Michael Rubin on how the US strategy of establishing a dialogue might not be our best course of action

Tit for Tat: Mocking Sanctions

Mar. 20, 2014 - 3:13 - Sanctions in Russia-US tension over Crimea mean nothing as both sides laugh off measures

Singing Nun Stuns Judges on Italy's The Voice

Sister Cristina Scuccia performs a version of Alicia Keys' song No One on Italy's The Voice. The nun, from Sicily, impresses the judges who unanimously opt to keep her in the TV talent competition. She has been quoted as saying she hopes to gain renown in her country which may lead to her meeting the Pope

Crimea, Sevastopol Officially Join Russia as Putin Signs Final Decree

Russia has finalized the legal process of taking Crimea under its sovereignty, as President Putin signed a law amending the Russian constitution to reflect the transition

THE GUARDIAN: Putin laughs off sanctions as he signs bills to transfer Crimea to Russia: President promises to open account at blacklisted bank as west signals intent to maintain pressure over Ukraine crisis » | Alex Luhn in Moscow | Friday, March 21, 2014

Inside Story: Oil and Gas: At What Price?

Regional power shifts and how they affect the supplies of gas and oil central to 21st Century life.

France Says Britain Must Extend Sanctions to Russian Oligarchs in London

Laurent Fabius, Foreign Minister of France

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: France's foreign minister Laurent Fabius tells William Hague oligarchs should suffer

Britain should target the assets of Russian oligarchs in London if more sanctions are adopted against Moscow over Ukraine, France’s foreign minister has said.

Laurent Fabius made the remarks as he said France might envisage suspending a €1.2billion (£1billion) contract to supply two warships to Russia.

The decision not to deliver two Mistral-class helicopter carriers, he said, could be part of a potential “third level” of sanctions if Russia did not respond to those imposed by the European Union and the US on Monday on a number of top Russian and Ukrainian figures.

But he insisted this could only take place “in the framework of general sanctions imposed by all countries”.

Mr Fabius went on to single out Britain, saying it must do “the equivalent with the assets of Russian oligarchs in London. Sanctions have to touch everyone”. » | Henry Samuel, in Paris and Bruno Waterfield in Brussels | Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Krim-Krise: Schulz warnt vor Krieg in Europa

EU-Parlamentspräsident Schulz bei der Ankunft in Brüssel:
"Wir reden vom Risiko eines bewaffneten Konflikts."

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Auf dem Gipfel in Brüssel suchen Staats- und Regierungschefs eine gemeinsame Haltung in einer der schlimmsten Krisen seit langem, dem Konflikt zwischen Russland und der Ukraine. EU-Parlamentspräsident Schulz warnt vor Krieg - und fordert drastische Sanktionen.

Washington - Der reguläre Gipfel der Staats- und Regierungschefs der EU an diesem Donnerstag und Freitag wandelte sich zum Krisengipfel. Schon wieder. Der zweite Krisengipfel in diesem Monat. In Brüssel sucht man nach einer gemeinsamen Haltung in der Krim-Krise. Wie scharf sollen weitere Sanktionen gegen Russland ausfallen?

Vor Beginn der eigentlichen Gespräche berieten sich die Gipfelteilnehmer mit EU-Parlamentspräsident Martin Schulz - und der konfrontierte sie mit drastischen Befürchtungen: "All diejenigen, die geglaubt haben, Krieg oder Kriegsgefahr wären kein Thema mehr, sehen sich eines Besseren belehrt", sagte der Sozialdemokrat. "Wir reden vom Risiko eines bewaffneten Konflikts." Das "sehr brutale Vorgehen" Russlands zur Annexion der ukrainischen Halbinsel Krim bedeute eine "neue Dimension".

Schulz äußerte nach einem Treffen mit den EU-Staats- und Regierungschefs Sorge, dass sich Russlands "Begehrlichkeiten" nicht auf die Krim beschränkten. "Und deswegen ist jeder weitere Schritt der russischen Regierung zu beantworten mit verschärften Sanktionen" bis hin zu einer "dramatischen wirtschaftlichen Konfrontation". Die EU müsse Moskau deutlich machen, dass sie ein Überschreiten der von Russland erreichten Grenze nicht akzeptiere, fügte Schulz hinzu. » | ler/dpa/AFP | Donnerstag, 20. März 2014

Répression: Le premier ministre turc veut «supprimer» Twitter

Après Facebook et YouTube, le premier ministre turc Erdogan
veut désormais supprimer Twitter.

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Recep Tayyip Erdogan a menacé d'interdire Twitter après la publication sur les réseaux sociaux d'enregistrements d'écoutes téléphoniques qui le mettent directement en cause dans un scandale de corruption.

«Nous allons supprimer Twitter. Je me moque de ce que pourra dire la communauté internationale», a lancé Recep Tayyip Erdogan devant des milliers de partisans lors d'un rassemblement électoral à huit jours du scrutin municipal du 30 mars. «Ils verront alors la force de la Turquie», a-t-il ajouté.

Au début du mois, le chef du gouvernement islamo-conservateur avait déjà menacé d'interdire YouTube et Facebook. «Nous sommes résolus à ne pas laisser le peuple turc être esclave de YouTube et Facebook», avait-il déclaré lors d'un entretien télévisé, «nous prendrons les mesures nécessaires, quelles qu'elles soient, y compris la fermeture». » | afp/Newsnet | jeudi 20 mars 2014

Dutch Politician Wilders Accused of Discrimination

Geert Wilders said he had been "only referring to Moroccan
criminals" at the rally

BBC: A group representing Moroccans living in the Netherlands says it will file a complaint of discrimination against the populist politician, Geert Wilders.

At a local election rally in The Hague on Wednesday night, Mr Wilders asked supporters of his Freedom Party if they wanted more or fewer Moroccans there.

When they chanted "fewer" in response, Mr Wilders said: "We'll organise that."

The Dutch Moroccan Alliance (SMN) said he had crossed a legal boundary by targeting a specific group of people.

Video footage of the rally is being circulated on social media with some critics drawing comparisons between Mr Wilders and Adolf Hitler's call for the "irrevocable removal" of Jews from German life.

They accuse the outspoken politician of alluding to a promise of action that, taken to its literal conclusion, could resemble ethnic cleansing. » | Anna Holligan | BBC News | The Hague | Thursday, March 20, 2014

Crimea Will Return to Ukrainian Jurisdiction, Says Minister

BBC: Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister Leonid Polyakov has said that Crimea has not been lost to Russia, and insisted it was just a matter of time before it came back under Ukrainian jurisdiction.

He also told the BBC's Chris Morris that they are still deciding whether to withdraw Ukrainian troops and their families from Crimea. (+ BBC video) » | Thursday, March 20, 2014

Anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church Leader Fred Phelps Dies

Phelps was an ordained Baptist minister, although his church
was not affiliated with any mainstream denomination

BBC: The former leader of a US church that was widely known for its inflammatory anti-gay protests has died, his family has said.

The Reverend Fred Phelps Sr, founder of the Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas, died on Wednesday evening at 84.

The church, made up mostly of his family, rose to international notoriety with its practice of picketing funerals of fallen US troops.

It claimed their deaths were punishment for America's tolerance of gays.

'Diabolical'

Their signs read "Thank God for dead soldiers" and "Thank God for 9/11" and the like, and bore messages offensive to gay and lesbian people. » | Thursday, March 20, 2014

West Creating 'Permissive Environment' for Vladimir Putin?

Mar. 20, 2014 - 6:22 - Reaction from Andrew Kuchins, director of the Russia and Eurasia program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies

Obama: US to Impose Additional Costs on Russia

Mar. 20, 2014 - 4:58 - President makes statement on Ukraine crisis

Tit for Tat: Russia Hits US Officials with Sanctions, as Obama Expands Penalties

FOX NEWS: The Russian government slapped sanctions on top U.S. officials on Thursday, moments after President Obama imposed penalties on 20 Russians inside and outside the government -- as diplomatic efforts over Ukraine unraveled into a long-distance tit for tat.

The newest sanctions would bar nine American officials from entering Russia. The list includes House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio; Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.; and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

Just as Vladimir Putin's government shrugged off U.S. sanctions earlier in the week, so did the Americans targeted by Moscow.

"The Speaker is proud to be included on a list of those willing to stand against Putin's aggression," Boehner spokesman Michael Steel said in a statement.

McCain tweeted that he's "proud to be sanctioned by Putin."

As each side imposes sanctions, left unclear is whether any of them will have an effect on the standoff over Russia's widely challenged annexation of Crimea. (+ FoxNews video) » | FoxNews with The Associated Press | Thursday, March 20, 2014

Gay Atheist Goes to Town on Islam "How Are You Going to Put a PR Spin on That!"

Pat Condell: A Society of Cowards

We're getting what we deserve.

Worlds Apart: 'US Thinks Rules Are for Inferior Nations, It's In Their DNA' – Ex-Australian PM

Kosovo's secession demonstrated that international law is only as applicable as the force used to back it. But with Crimea now free on the wings of that precedent, the West cries foul. Why does the Western world fail to recognize parallels between Kosovo and Crimea? Is it a case of double standards or the result of decades of adversarial EU and NATO policies towards Russia? Oksana is joined by former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser to canvass these issues.

THE GUARDIAN: Ukraine: there's no way out unless the west understands its past mistakes: Western leaders mostly paint the whole dispute as totally one-sided: it is all Russia’s fault. But the Crimea crisis is directly related to the misguided steps taken after the Soviet Union’s fall » | Malcolm Fraser | Monday, March 03, 2014

THE WASHINGTON POST: How the Ukraine crisis ends » | Henry A. Kissinger | Wednesday, March 05, 2014

Obama Imposes New Sanctions, Warns Russia Against Further Escalation

LOS ANGELES TIMES: WASHINGTON — President Obama on Thursday announced new economic sanctions against Russian government officials, influential individuals and a Russian bank, threatening to come back with tougher penalties if Moscow does not deescalate the crisis in Ukraine.

“Further escalation will only isolate it further from the international community,” Obama said in remarks on the South Lawn of the White House. The U.S. is concerned that "Russia has positioned its military" in a threatening way, he added.

The president said the new sanctions would target additional senior Russian government officials, other individuals with "substantial resources and influence," and a bank. He also signed an executive order that would allow him to slap broader sanctions on sectors of the Russian economy, a move that “is not our preferred outcome,” Obama said, acknowledging that such sanctions could be “disruptive” to the global economy. » | Kathleen Hennessey and Christi Parsons | Thursday, March 20, 2014

You'll Never Guess Who Loves Putin

Vladimir Putin is getting all sorts of love from America. Republican hawks have been impressed with the Russian autocrat's machismo, while social conservatives can't help but tip their hat to his anti-gay policies. The latter category welcomed the evangelist Franklin Graham to its ranks this month. Graham, the son of Rev. Billy Graham, praised Putin...* What do other right wingers including Pat Buchanan have to say about this (versus what they have to say about President Obama)? The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur breaks it down.

'Abby Can Criticise But Cenk Uygur Lost His Job': Martin & A Young Turk

Host and founder of the Young Turks, Cenk Uygur, discussing why he left his job at MSNBC, the corporate media's superficial coverage of news events and the recipe for success in alternative media.

The Young Turks »

Nirgends ist die EU so russisch wie in Lettland

Nach dem politischen Anschluss der Krim baut Russland seine militärische Kontrolle über die Halbinsel aus. Nicht nur in der Ukraine, auch in anderen Staaten der ehemaligen Sowjetunion mit grossen russischen Minderheiten verfolgt man die Vorgänge auf der Krim intensiv. Zum Beispiel in der zweitgrössten Stadt Lettlands, in Daugavpils.

G8 stellen Russland aufs Abstellgleis

Klare Worte Richtung Moskau: Merkel sieht Russland gegenwärtig nicht mehr im Kreis der Top-Wirtschaftsnationen. Die sieben westlichen Industriestaaten dürften bald über einen Ausschluss entscheiden.

Nur eine einzige Stimme gegen Krim-Annexion

TAGES ANZEIGER: Das Parlament in Moskau hat mit überwältigender Mehrheit den Weg für die Aufnahme der Krim in die Russische Föderation freigemacht. Die Ukraine hat die Halbinsel aber noch nicht aufgegeben.

Das Unterhaus des russischen Parlaments hat heute erwartungsgemäss den Vertrag über die Aufnahme der Krim in die Russische Föderation ratifiziert. Das Abkommen wurde mit 443 Ja- und einer einzigen Nein-Stimme angenommen. Um wen es sich beim Nein-Sager handelte, ist gegenwärtig noch unklar. » | Donnerstag, 20. März 2014

Jihad: British Fighters in Syria Urge Others to Join Them

THE INDEPENDENT: Rebel group Isis have released a video urging British citizens' participation

A British citizen fighting with an extremist rebel group in Syria has issued a call for others to join the country’s civil war.

In a video posted online, a masked man speaking in a London accent says that “the doors of jihad are still open,” and claims that he has helped three other Brits make the journey to Syria.

The man is believed to be a member of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis) – an extremist Islamist rebel group formerly affiliated with al-Qa’ida and similar in ideology. He has appeared in several other videos uploaded by a group called Rayat al-Tawheed, which claims to be the distributor of English-language materials for Isis.

The plea from the rebel fighter comes as UK authorities are becoming increasingly concerned at the number of British citizens travelling to Syria to join extremist groups in the three year old civil war. British and other non-Syrians travelling to Syria tend to gravitate towards al-Qa’ida-type groups that espouse global jihad. » | Richard Hall | Thursday, March 20, 2014

Angela Merkel: EU Prepared to Punish Russia with Sanctions over Ukraine

The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, tells German MPs that members of G7 will take economic sanctions against Russia during the EU summit which starts on Thursday. Leaders will discuss imposing travel restrictions on Moscow as well as the future of its relationship with Europe

Václav Klaus on Barack Obama, America

Václav Klaus, former Premier of the Czech Republic

"The danger to America is not Barack Obama, but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the Presidency. It will be far easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to a depraved electorate willing to have such a man for their president. The problem is much deeper and far more serious than Mr. Obama, who is a mere symptom of what ails America. Blaming the prince of the fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince. The republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is, after all, merely a fool. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their president." – Václav Klaus, the former Premier of the Czech Republic [Source: Snopes.com] 2012

Russia Warns West It May Change Stance on Iran, in Retaliation over Sanctions

FOX NEWS: Russia reportedly is prepared to change its stand on Iran nuclear talks in a high-stakes gamble to counter expanded sanctions by the United States and the European Union over Crimea.

After the Obama administration on Monday hit 11 Russian and Ukrainian officials with sanctions -- a move criticized by Republican lawmakers as too timid -- Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted Wednesday by the Interfax news agency as saying the country may have to alter its position on the negotiations over Iran's nuclear program.

The statement is the most serious threat of retaliation by Moscow since the disputed Crimea region voted to join Russia over the weekend, and Vladimir Putin's government moved to annex the peninsula.

NATO and U.S. leaders say they're prepared to do more. (+ FoxNews video) » | FoxNews with contributions from the Associated Press | Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Yves Saint Laurent: Fashion on Film

Yves St Laurent was the original superstar designer

BBC: Yves Saint Laurent became head of one of the world's great fashion houses aged 21. Until his death half a century later in 2008, he was one of fashion's dominant figures. This year sees the release of two feature films about his tumultuous professional and private life. The first opens this week in the UK.

Earlier masters of Parisian couture such as Christian Dior or Cristobal Balenciaga shaped fashion around the world. But until Yves Saint Laurent, no designer found such personal fame with the public.

In the 1960s and 1970s he was a regular in gossip columns, photographed endlessly with the likes of the Rolling Stones, Andy Warhol and the most gorgeous models of the day.

Born in colonial Algeria in 1936, Saint Laurent became an extraordinary prodigy.

Always obsessed with fashion, as a painfully shy teenager he moved to Paris to work for Dior. Three years later, Christian Dior died and Saint Laurent took over as artistic director at just 21. Many in the fashion world were astounded but it was clear a star had arrived. » | Vincent Dowd | Arts Correspondent | BBC World Service | Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Putin führt uns die Schwäche Europas vor Augen

DIE WELT: Die Machtpolitik Russlands trifft auf einen schwachen Westen, der unfähig ist, in Traditionen der Realpolitik zu denken. Auch die Geheimdienste haben Moskaus Griff nach der Krim nicht vorhergesehen.

Europa hat auf Russlands Krim-Coup so ungläubig reagiert, als hätte es eine simple Tatsache schlicht vergessen: die Tatsache, dass Verträge nur solange wirksam sind, wie beide Seiten das Recht anerkennen. Diese Übereinkunft hatte das Kräftespiel der Staaten schon immer bestimmt, zumindest aber mitgeprägt. Kants Idee vom ewigen Frieden ist ein Licht, das von weiter, weiter Ferne her leuchtet. Und so schön und zivilisierend rule of law, die Herrschaft des Gesetzes, auch ist – sie endet da, wo ein Mitspieler sich nicht mehr an sie gebunden fühlt. Europas Stärke ist zugleich seine Schwäche – die vergangenen Wochen haben das auf blamable Weise offenbart. » | Von Thomas Schmid | Mittwoch, 19. März 2014

Has President Obama Weakened US Standing in the World?

Mar. 19, 2014 - 3:53 - Rep. Louis Gohmert weighs in

Ticking Timebomb: Moscow Moves to Destabilize Eastern Ukraine

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: It's not only in Crimea where Russian President Vladimir Putin is playing with fire, but also in eastern Ukraine. The majority of the people in the economically powerful region speak Russian and reject the new government in Kiev.

The pensioner Oxana Kremenyuk limps as she passes by the House of Culture in a small village in eastern Ukraine. As a young woman, she used to dance here. Today the stucco is crumbling and the windows are broken. "The people in Kiev are driving our country into civil war," she says. "These good-for-nothings should be slaving away the way we do here." Kremenyuk receives a pension of about €90 ($125) a month. In order to ensure there is food on the table, she keeps 10 chickens and a pig.

Kremenyuk's village of Maidan, with its three dozen homes, is a peaceful place in a gentle, hilly landscape. The village is 378 kilometers (235 miles) -- but also worlds apart -- from the Maidan in the capital city of Kiev, the Independence Square that has become known around the world since the start of the revolution. Most of the village's homes have fallen into a state of disrepair and young families moved away long ago. The people living here don't think much of the revolution taking place in the western part of the country. Read on and comment » | Uwe Klussmann and Matthias Schepp | Translated from the German by Daryl Lindsey | Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Whose Side Is This Codger On? 'US Thinks It's Superior, Rules Only Apply to Inferior Nations' – Ex-Australian PM

The US has been accused of double standards for supporting Kosovo's secession while calling Crimea's illegal. We talked to former Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser, to clarify the contradiction in the US/EU positions on secession.

Pro-Russia Forces Enter Ukraine Naval Base

Crimean "self-defence" forces overtake Sevastopol base without using violence and raise Russian flags at the gates.

America Is in Danger

Mar. 18, 2014 - 8:23 - Talking Points 3/18

US Power Failure: A Price of Obama's Failed Leadership?

Mar. 18, 2014 - 3:11 - Karl Rove on Mitt Romney's op-ed on the consequences of alleged Obama's missteps in handling of Putin and the Ukraine and other world crises

U.S. Warns Russia: More Sanctions Coming due to Ukraine Crisis

Read the CNN article here

Inside Story: Reclaiming Crimea: Is It Legal?

President Vladimir Putin signs a treaty making the Ukrainian region part of the Russian Federation.

David Cameron Sends Shivers Down Putin’s Spine: “There Will Be Consequences”

Russian Officials Mock US Sanctions

Mar. 18, 2014 - 4:56 - President Obama making US look weak?

Putin Has Stuck Two Fingers Up to the West by Annexing Crimea, Says Sir Malcolm Rifkind

Sir Malcolm Rifkind

DAILY EXPRESS: VLADIMIR Putin has given the West “two fingers” by his annexing of Crimea and needs to be hit with punitive economic sanctions, former Foreign Secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind has argued.

The Conservative grandee, who is chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee, said Russia was now treating the West with contempt and warned the situation is “the most dangerous we have faced.”

Today Foreign Secretary William Hague announced in the Commons that the EU was was ready to pursue trade and economic sanctions against Russia.

Sanctions announced by the EU and US so far have just focused on the assets and travel movements of a handful of Russian and Ukrainian officials – but this goes much further.

Speaking exclusively to Express Online, Sir Malcolm – who served as Foreign Secretary from 1995 to 1997 – welcomed the move after earlier arguing that the international community had so far been “pathetic in its response.”

He said: “The measures that have been announced by both the US and the EU have been treated, understandably in my view, with contempt by Russia.

"What is needed is financial economic sanctions. » | Owen Bennett | Political Editor | Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Saudi Cleric ‘Issues Religious Edict Banning against All-you-can-eat Buffets’

THE INDEPENDENT: Sheikh Saleh al-Fawzan says open buffets involve paying lump sum for ‘unknown’ quality and quantity of goods – which goes against Sharia law

A senior cleric in Saudi Arabia has reportedly issued a religious edict, or fatwa, banning all-you-can-eat style buffets.

According to Sheik Saleh al-Fawzan, such restaurants breach Sharia law by requiring customers to pay a set price for a product that is unknown and unquantified in advance.

The cleric, who is a member of the country’s highest religious body, the Council of Senior Scholars, announced the fatwa while appearing on the Saudi Arabia-based Quranic TV station, according to Al Arabiya news.

“Whoever enters the buffet and eats for 10 or 50 riyals without deciding the quantity they will eat is violating Sharia (Islamic) law,” Fawzan said. » | Adam Withnall | Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Libyen: Alltag in einem zerfallenden Land

Krim gehört zu Russland: Die Unterzeichnung des Vertrages

Die Schwarzmeerhalbinsel Krim und die Hafenstadt Sewastopol sollen neu zur Russischen Föderation gehören. Russlands Präsident Putin hat den Vertrag zusammen mit der pro-russischen Krim-Führung unterzeichnet. Die noch ausstehende Zustimmung des Parlaments gilt als sicher.

US-Vizepräsident Biden zur Krim-Annexion

Putin Approves Annexation of Crimea

Mar. 18, 2014 - 3:24 - Greg Palkot reports from Kiev, Ukraine

Putin Condemns Western Hypocrisy as He Confirms Annexation of Crimea

THE GUARDIAN: Russian president makes speech laced with bluster and anger at west, saying Russia has been 'cheated again and again'

Vladimir Putin announced the annexation of Crimea on Tuesday in a searing speech to assembled political elites in Moscow shot through with angry rhetoric about western aggression and hypocrisy.

The Russian president summoned the federal assembly, which includes both houses of parliament and all key political leaders, for an extraordinary session in the Kremlin's St George Hall.

Putin delivered an hour-long speech laced with patriotic bluster and anger at the west, whose politicians he said "call something white today and black tomorrow".

He was frequently interrupted by applause and at the end of the speech signed documents together with the de facto leader of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov – who came to power after seizing the local parliament at gunpoint last month – to absorb the territory into Russia.

Putin recognised Crimea as an independent state late on Monday evening, making it easier to incorporate into the Russian Federation than if it were still Ukrainian territory. Kiev has said it will never give up its claim to Crimea, but is unable to respond to Russia militarily due to the huge disparity in their respective martial forces. » | Shaun Walker in Simferopol | Tuesday, March 16, 2014