Friday, May 23, 2014
Crown Prince of Thailand Takes Refuge in Five-star Hampshire Hotel
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| Thailand's Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn |
The Crown Prince of Thailand has escaped the political turmoil in his own country and is staying in a five-star hotel in the Hampshire countryside.
Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn and his 30-strong royal entourage have taken over a wing of grade-II listed Tylney Hall in the village of Rotherwick, the Evening Standard reported.
Prince Vajiralongkorn, the heir apparent and only son of King Bhumibol Adulyade.
Tylney Hall, where room start at £250 a night, rising to £530 for the Duke and Duchess Suites with four-poster beds and whirlpool baths, declined to comment on their royal guest.
“We never discuss our guests and will not be making any comment about this,” said a spokesman. » | Keith Perry | Friday, May 23, 2014
Iranian Women Who Posted Photos Without Hijabs Face Conservative Backlash
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| Picture of women posing without their hijabs posted on the Facebook page |
Iranian women who posted pictures online of themselves with their hair uncovered are facing a growing backlash from conservative sections of the Islamic Republic.
Dozens of women posted photos of themselves on a Facebook page flouting the Islamic dress code in parks, at the seaside and in the streets.
The My Stealthy Freedom group was set up by London-based Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad with the aim of sparking debate on whether women should have the right to choose what to wear.
Within the first two days of its creation, 30,000 women posted photos of themselves.
“This is Iran… The feeling of the wind blowing through every strand of hair, is a girl’s biggest dream,” the caption on the page read.
Ms Alinejad was inundated with international messages of support, but the reaction at home has been less positive. » | Josie Ensor | Friday, May 23, 2014
UKIP Candidate: Gays Will Stop Marrying Because They Are ‘Promiscuous Prisoners’
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| Kohn Kearney: 'Marriage for gays will gradually fall in numbers' |
John Kearney is standing for Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council in the ward of Winklebury.
The Basingstoke Gazette reports on 29 March, the same day in which same-sex couples could begin marrying in England and Wales, he wrote on his blog: “Marriage for gays will gradually fall in numbers since it is against the promiscuous nature of that community.
“The Church of England will fall very soon and be conducting gay weddings and we will have the neo-Catholics in our church ‘giving us their compassionate views’, but the Church will stay strong despite their onslaught.
“We must pray for the gay community that they will see that they are indeed prisoners who need freedom.”
Mr Kearney, a Catholic, has also made outspoken remarks about Islam.
In August last year he wrote: “Today we have the rise of Islam and a contempt for human life among a large number of people of that faith. They seek world domination and are more evangelical in their cause than Christians have been in the past 40 years. » | Scott Roberts | Thursday, May 22, 2014
Nigel Farage: 'The Ukip Fox Is in the Westminster Hen-house'
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| Nigel Farage |
A jubilant Nigel Farage has declared “the Ukip fox is in the Westminster hen-house”, after two of the largest parties in Westminster began losing control of councils as a result of gains for the Ukip leader’s “people's army”.
The surge in support for Ukip led Shadow Foreign Secretary Douglas Alexander to comment the country appeared to have entered a period of "four-party politics" as Farage’s party shrugged off a campaign blighted by controversies to win seats in Conservative and Labour strongholds.
In a sign the party could do well in elections to the European Parliament too, Ukip won more new seats than any other party in local elections in England, according to partial results from around a quarter of councils.
Reacting to the first confirmed results, a "very pleased" Farage insisted Ukip are set to be "serious players" at the general election. » | Heather Saul | Friday, May 23, 2014
Prince Charles Attacked by Russian-funded TV Channel over Putin Remarks
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| Prince Charles has been criticised by Russian-backed TV station for comparing Vladimir Putin to Adolf Hitler |
A Kremlin-funded news channel has hit back at Prince Charles likening Vladimir Putin to Adolf Hitler by highlighting the royal family's historical links to the Nazis.
The unashamedly pro-Russian broadcaster Russia Today said Charles should look to his own family history before criticising Putin over Russia's actions in Ukraine.
"If anyone knows real Nazis it's the royal family," said RT senior political correspondent Anissa Naouai on its In the Now programme. She then introduced a slick video graphic of a mocked-up photo album providing a pictorial guide to the House of Windsor's Nazi links. Read on and comment » | Matthew Weaver | Friday, May 23, 2014
Thursday, May 22, 2014
European Election Upset for Geert Wilders as Dutch Turn Cold on Anti-EU Party
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| Dutch right-wing 'Partij voor de Vrijheid' (PVV) leader Geert Wilders poses for the media after voting for the European Parliament |
Geert Wilders came fourth in European elections in the Netherlands on Thursday night, confounding predictions that he would lead a populist and far-Right backlash against the European Union across the continent.
Dutch exit polls put the far-Right and anti-Islam leader on 12.2 per cent of the vote, putting him behind all the pro-EU mainstream political parties.
'Definitive' exit polls put him behind the ruling centrist VVD on 12.3 per cent and almost three per cent behind the pro-EU D66 liberals and Christian Democrats, each on over 15 per cent.
Previous opinion polls had put Mr Wilders in the lead but there was widespread controversy over his alliance with the France’s Front National and the exit polls suggested that his share of the vote fell, compared with 2009, by 4.8 percentage points.
The result is a major blow to Mr Wilders who will lose a seat in the European Parliament with his MEPs now reduced to three out a total of 26 Dutch representatives. » | Bruno Waterfield, Scheveningen | Thursday, May 22, 2014
Thailand Coup: Tourists Confined to Hotels and City Streets Deserted after Curfew Announced
A nationwide curfew was imposed across Thailand on Thursday emptying city streets of their population, closing down bars, businesses and restaurants and forcing tens of thousands at tourist resorts across the country to remain in their hotels.
The dramatic move followed the Thai military's declaration of martial law, defying international pressure by taking over a civilian government which was entrenched in political deadlock.
The head of the military, General Prayuth Chan-ocha, appeared on television, flanked by other armed services chiefs and proclaimed the army would act to resolve those political divisions that have paralysed the state for almost a decade.
Within hours of his appearance TV and radio stations were blocked with the reported threat of an internet and social media blackout to come.
Tourists arriving in the country from Britain and elsewhere were greeted by fleets of vehicles commandeered to ferry visitors after the 10pm start of the curfew between airports and hotels. Read on and comment » | Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent | Thursday, May 22, 2014
Mandelson Tells Putin's Cronies: Russia Will Suffer for Crimean Invasion
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| Lord Mandelson has said that the invasion of Crimea was an illegal annexation that will be cutting the country off from foreign investment |
Lord Mandelson has told members of President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle that the invasion of Crimea was an illegal annexation that would become a “self-inflicted economic wound” for Russia by cutting the country off from foreign investment.
The former Labour business secretary was speaking at the St Petersburg Economic Forum, a gathering designed to mirror the Davos convention and dubbed a “vanity summit” for Putin as he attempts to mask Russia economic malaise.
He was appearing alongside Kremlin loyalists including Sergei Glazyev, Putin’s chief adviser on Ukraine and Vladimir Yakunin, the president of Russian Railways and a potential successor to his friend, the president . Both men are subject to Western travel bans and asset freezes.
Alexei Uljukaev, the economic development minister, Anton Siluanov, the finance minister, and Anatoly Chubais, the architect of the mass privatisations in the 1990s that created Russia’s oligarch class were also on the panel.
The invasion will become a “Pyrrhic victory” for Moscow and the country cannot turn its back on markets and finance from the rest of the world, Lord Mandelson said. » | Matthew Holehouse, Political Correspondent | Thursday, May 22, 2014
'Islamic Jew-hatred' Ads with Hitler & Palestinian Leader Adorn DC Buses
Prince Charles's Putin-Hitler Comparison Is Outrageous, Says Russia
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| Prince Charles and Camilla in Winnipeg on their official visit to Canada. |
Russia has accused Prince Charles of making outrageous and low remarks in comparing Vladimir Putin with Adolf Hitler, as the fallout from the comments threatens to descend into a diplomatic row.
The delayed but furious response to the prince's comments came before a meeting with the Foreign Office which was demanded by the Russian embassy in London.
In a statement on Thursday, the embassy said: "The outrageous remarks made by Prince Charles in Canada will be among the questions raised. The embassy asked the FCO for official clarifications on that yesterday."
Russia's foreign ministry spokesman, Alexander Lukashevich, underlined the Kremlin's anger.
"If these words were truly spoken, then without doubt, they do not reflect well on the future British monarch," he told a news conference.
"We view the use of the western press by members of the British royal family to spread the propaganda campaign against Russia on a pressing issue – that is, the situation in Ukraine – as unacceptable, outrageous and low," he said. » | Matthew Weaver | Thursday, May 22, 2014
Preacher Who Said ‘Islam Is Satanic’ Is Facing Police Probe Over ‘Hate Mongering’
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| Pastor James McDonnell of Whitewell Metropolitan Tabernacle in Belfast |
A fundamentalist preacher who said “Islam is a doctrine spawned in hell” has been accused of “hate mongering” as the police confirmed they are investigating a possible hate crime.
The PSNI launched an investigation after Pastor James McConnell branded Islam “satanic” at the Whitewell Metropolitan Tabernacle Church in North Belfast.
The church, which is attended by First Minister Peter Robinson, heard McConnell say he doesn’t trust Muslims.
Asked about the incident, a PSNI spokesman said: “Police are aware of an incident at premises at the Shore Road on Sunday, May 18. Enquiries are continuing and at this stage, police are investigating a hate crime motive.”
Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said “this type of hate mongering must be condemned in the strongest possible terms”.
He added: “Coming in the wake of recent spate of disgraceful racist attacks against families in parts of Belfast and elsewhere, such inflammatory comments only serve to fuel hatred.” » | By Mirror.co.uk | Thursday, May 21, 2014
Belfast Pastor Denounces Islam as the Devil’s Doctrine »
Pakistan's Geo News Becomes Latest Target in Blasphemy Accusation Trend
Young children, religious minorities and people with mental health problems have all been accused of the crime of blasphemy in Pakistan.
Now the country's most popular television station has shown that even one of Pakistan's most powerful institutions is not immune from a growing trend.
Ever since Geo News was accused of airing blasphemous material on one of its morning shows last week the channel has taken extraordinary security precautions, including removing its corporate branding from the side of its broadcast trucks.
"It's a very dangerous situation because it puts all our staff at risk," said Imran Aslam, president of the channel. "This is not just about the destruction of property or the shutting down of the channel, but lives." » | Jon Boone in Lahore | Thursday, May 22, 2014
Nicolas Sarkozy Calls for End of Europe's Visa-free Schengen Area
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| Nicolas Sarkozy |
Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has called for the end of Europe's visa-free Schengen area in order to protect the country's ailing social system.
Writing in an opinion piece in Le Point magazine on Thursday, Mr Sarkozy also called for powers to be handed back to national governments from Brussels. » | Andrew Marszal, and AFP | Thursday, May 22, 2014
EXCLUSIF. Sarkozy au "Point" : "Nous devons être européens et français" »
Diplomatic Row as Russia Demands 'Clarification' on Prince Charles 'Hitler' Comments
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| Prince Charles likened Russia's annexation of Crimea to the actions of Nazi Germany |
A senior Russian ambassador is to meet an official from the Foreign Office on Thursday after the Prince of Wales caused a diplomatic row by comparing Vladimir Putin to Adolf Hitler.
The Prince made his remark, in which he likened Russia’s annexation of Crimea to the actions of Nazi Germany, during a visit to a museum of immigration in Halifax, Canada.
He told a woman whose relations were murdered in the Holocaust: “And now Putin is doing just about the same as Hitler.”
Russian diplomats contacted the Foreign Office on Wednesday night seeking an urgent meeting to clarify whether Prince Charles’s provocative remarks amounted to an “official position”.
As a result, Russia’s deputy ambassador will meet a senior FCO official on Thursday, The Telegraph understands. » | Matthew Holehouse, Political Correspondent, Gordon Rayner, Roland Oliphant | Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Ägypten: Mubarak zu drei Jahren Haft verurteilt
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| Hosni Mubarak |
Kairo. Ein Strafgericht in Kairo hat am Mittwoch Hosni Mubarak zu drei Jahren Haft verurteilt. Der Richter befand den ägyptischen Ex-Machthaber, der im Februar 2011 durch sein Volk zum Rücktritt gezwungen worden war, schuldig, für den Ausbau seiner privaten Residenzen seit 2002 öffentliche Mittel in Höhe von 12,5 Millionen Euro veruntreut zu haben. Mubaraks mitangeklagte Söhne Alaa und Gamal erhielten vier Jahre. Die Verurteilten müssen den gesamten Schaden ersetzen und eine Geldstrafe von 2,2 Millionen Euro zahlen. » | Die Presse | Mittwoch, 21. Mai 2014
Prince Charles 'Should Abdicate' after Comparing Putin to Hitler, Says MP
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| Prince Charles (right) pictured with the Russian president Vladimir Putin in 2003 |
Prince Charles is facing a call for his abdication and a frosty response in Moscow after reportedly comparing Vladimir Putin to Adolf Hitler over Russia's annexation of Crimea.
Charles blundered into the international crisis over Russia's actions in Ukraine during a tour of Canada, when he spoke to a woman who fled the Nazis and lost family members during the Holocaust.
According to the Daily Mail, the prince compared the Russian president to the Nazi leader when talking to Marienne Ferguson, a museum volunteer who moved to Canada with her Jewish family when she was just 13. "Now Putin is doing just about the same as Hitler," Charles is reported to have said.
Charles's remarks have been criticised across the political spectrum in Britain: the Labour MP Mike Gapes called for his abdication, while the outspoken Ukip leader, Nigel Farage, said the prince was wrong to get involved. Read on and comment » | Matthew Weaver, Rowena Mason and agencies | Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Jean-Marie Le Pen: Ebola Epidemic Would Solve Immigration Problems
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| Founder and honorary president of the French far-right Front National, Jean-Marie Le Pen, speaks at a campaign meeting in Marseille |
The deadly Ebola virus could solve France's immigration problems "in three months", Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder and honorary president of France's far-Right Front National, has said in remarks which have shocked the country's political establishment.
Speaking on Tuesday night in Marseille shortly before a joint rally with Marine Le Pen, his daughter and current party leader, Mr Le Pen, 85, said: "There is a demographic explosion in the world and a risk of submersion. A replacement of (the national population) is under way."
However, he added: "Monsieur Ebola can solve the problem in three months." » | Henry Samuel | Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Ebola : la solution finale, selon Jean-Marie Le Pen »
Young Iranians Arrested for 'Vulgar' Pharrell Williams' Happy Dance
Nazi Salute 'Not Always Punishable' as Racial Discrimination, Swiss Court Rules
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| An anti-racism law in 1995 forbids the public display and dissemination of racist symbol, but only in cases when they are used to promoted racist ideologies |
A Nazi salute is not illegal racial discrimination provided it is intended as a personal statement, Switzerland's top court ruled on Wednesday.
The Federal Tribunal's ruling, entitled "Hitler salute in public not always punishable," said the gesture is a crime only if someone is using it to try to spread racist ideology to others, not simply declaring one's own conviction.
The ruling by the Lausanne-based court overturned a lower court's conviction last year of a man who was charged with racial discrimination after he took part in an August 2010 demonstration with 150 participants.
The demonstration was held a week after the Swiss National Day on the famous Ruetli Meadow above Lake Lucerne where, according to legend, the modern Swiss Confederation was born in 1291. » | AP | Wednesday, May 21, 2014
A Terrorist Storm Is Heading for the West, and the Brutal ISIS Is Behind It
My comment:
Isn't this multiculturalist thingy such a boon to UK society? Hasn't it enriched our society so much? Oh the joys of diversity! What the hell have idiotic Western politicians inflicted upon the poor, innocent British population? This is an intractable problem for us to deal with, and it will take decades to solve – if indeed it ever will be solved. – © Mark
This comment appears here too.
Belfast Pastor James McConnell Denounces Islam as the Devil's Doctrine at Whitewell Metropolitan Tabernacle Church Sermon
An outspoken evangelical pastor has defended describing the Islamic faith as "satanic" and a "doctrine spawned in hell".
Senior Pastor James McConnell made the remarks as he addressed his congregation at the Whitewell Tabernacle Metropolitan Church on Sunday evening.
They were described as "very offensive", "hurtful" and "irresponsible" by a representative from the Belfast Islamic Centre.
There has also been an outcry on social media, with some calling for a police investigation into his comments.
One posted: "If this was a Muslim Imam speaking about Christianity, he would be arrested for inciting hatred."
During his sermon, the clergyman said: "Islam is heathen, Islam is satanic, Islam is a doctrine spawned in hell." (+ video) » | Claire Williamson | Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Austrian Town Produces Guide for Arab Tourists: 'Don't Haggle, and Don't Eat on the Floor'
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| The Austrian ski resort of Zell am See |
Austria's alpine towns of Zell am See and Kaprun have been criticised for producing an eight-page guide for Middle Eastern tourists, featuring "cultural advice" on how to behave.
The booklet, in English and Arabic, features tips such as the idea that Austrian shopkeepers do not expect haggling over prices, and that eating on the floor in hotel rooms is a "no-no". Drivers are informed that wearing seatbelts is compulsory, and they will be given guidance on understanding road signs, to reduce their risks while driving.
Visitors are also advised not to wear burkas, and to "adopt the Austrian mentality".
The guide states: "Austrian women are free to choose their own dress style, and this is visible in their choice of modern, colourful clothes. Here the colour black symbolises mourning, and is rarely worn in daily life.
"In our culture, we are accustomed to look into the smiling face of the person opposite us in order to gain a first impression and establish mutual trust. It would be a great pleasure for us if you could join us in celebrating the uniquely joyful Austrian mentality and show us your colourful scarves and dresses and, in this way, show us your smile." » | Harriet Alexander | Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Salzburg under fire for leaflet to Arab visitors telling them to stop haggling over prices, eating on hotel floors and wearing burkas »
Monday, May 19, 2014
Apostasy Case: Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey Calls on British Muslim Leaders to Back the Right to Convert from Islam
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| Lord Carey said some ex-Muslims in the UK were forced to 'almost go underground' |
The peer said it was “accepted doctrine” that Muslim converts should face the death penalty. He also said there were examples of ex-Muslims in Britain who had been forced to “almost go underground”.
“Isn’t there something fundamentally wrong with Islam at its core that it cannot allow people to change their religion?” he told The Sunday Times.
“It is accepted doctrine in Islam [that] you don’t convert and if you do the penalty may be death.” He added: “I want to hear Muslim leaders say ‘we allow Muslims to become Christians if they wish to’.” » | Ian Johnston | Sunday, May 18, 2014
Apostasy: What you need to know »
Global outcry as Sudanese woman sentenced to death for renouncing Islam »
Abu Hamza Trial: London Cleric Found Guilty on Terror Charges by US Jury
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| Muslim cleric, Abu Hamza al-Masri, was on trial in New York on terror charges |
Abu Hamza, the radical hook-handed cleric, has been found guilty on terrorism charges by a New York court.Br />
A jury delivered their verdicts in 11 criminal counts, including assisting Yemeni militants who took a group of Western tourists hostage in 1998.
The jury also returned a guilty verdict on charges of sending followers to Oregon to establish a training camp and to Afghanistan to assist al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
He now faces a possible life sentence in the federal “supermax” high-security prison in Colorado that already houses several other convicted terrorists. A judge will sentence him at a later date.
The jury of eight women and four men delivered their verdicts on the second day of deliberation after a five-week trial in a federal courtroom just a few blocks from the scene of the World Trade Centre attacks on Sept 11, 2001. » | Philip Sherwell, New York | Monday, May 19, 2014
Sunday, May 18, 2014
New York relève à 21 ans l'âge pour acheter des cigarettes
«En dessous de 21 ans, pas de tabac», prévient un petit panneau à l'entrée du magasin Bouverie Iconic Magazine, qui vend tabac, journaux, bonbons, café et pâtisseries, dans le quartier de Nolita. Et pas question de tricher. La carte d'identité est passée au scanneur, et sans pièce d'identité, pas de cigarettes.
La mesure est sans précédent dans une grande ville américaine. Elle relève l'âge légal de 18 à 21 ans pour acheter cigarettes, tabac ou cigarettes électroniques. Signée le 19 novembre par l'ancien maire Michael Bloomberg, elle a pris effet six mois plus tard. » | Brigitte Dusseau | Agence France-Presse | New York | dimanche 18 mai 2014
Africa Leaders Declare 'War' on Nigeria Boko Haram
President Hollande of France, who hosted the summit, said regional powers had pledged to share intelligence and co-ordinate action against the group.
Last month it abducted 223 schoolgirls in north-eastern Nigeria, where it is based. Fresh attacks were reported in Nigeria and Cameroon overnight.
Thousands of people have been killed by Boko Haram in recent years.
The Paris summit brought together President Francois Hollande, Nigeria's Goodluck Jonathan, and their counterparts from Benin, Cameroon, Niger and Chad.
Afterwards, Mr Hollande said participants had agreed on a "global and regional action plan". (+ video) » | Saturday, May 17, 2014
Ads Linking Hitler to Islam to Run on DC-area Buses
WND: An organization run by an anti-Mulsim blogger has purchased billboards on the sides of twenty Washington DC Metro buses featuring Adolph [sic] Hitler and calling for an end to ‘all aid to Islamic countries.’
The ads are paid for by American Freedom Defense Initiative, an organization devoted to fighting “global jihad and Islamic supremacism,’ and headed by Long Island-based Atlas Shrugs blogger Pamela Geller, according to WJLA. » | Agence France-Presse | Sunday, May 18, 2014
Netherlands: Saudi Arabia May Curb Trade Ties Over Wilders' Anti-Islam Slogans
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| Freedom Party (PVV) leader Geert Wilders speaks during an interview with Reuters in The Hague April 17, 2014 |
Wilders, leader of the anti-immigration Dutch Freedom Party, is tied in first place with the Democrats in national opinion polls before European Parliament elections that will be held in the Netherlands on Thursday.
His virulent anti-Islam statements have angered many and Wilders has lived under round-the-clock armed guard since he received death threats in 2004.
"We have indications that Saudi Arabia is considering measures because of the insults to its flag and religion by Geert Wilders," Foreign Ministry spokesman Friso Wijnen said. » | Reuters | Amsterdam | Saturday, May 17, 2014
Saudis drohen Den Haag mit Sanktionen wegen Islamkritik »
Dick and Lynne Cheney Talk Ukraine, Benghazi and Hillary
'Hump Day' Under Fire from PC Police
Saudis drohen Den Haag mit Sanktionen wegen Islamkritik
Den Haag/Riad. Die diplomatischen Spannungen zwischen den Königreichen der Niederlande und Saudiarabien verschärfen sich: Nachdem der niederländische Populist und Islamkritiker Geert Wilders mit einer neuen Anti-Islam-Aktion Aufsehen erregt hat, will Saudiarabien Wirtschaftssanktionen gegen Den Haag. „Wir nehmen diese Drohungen aus Riad sehr ernst und beraten uns über eine Antwort“, sagte der niederländische Ministerpräsident Mark Rutte am Wochenende.
Sein Stellvertreter, der Sozialdemokrat Lodewijk Asscher, war weniger diplomatisch: Er verteidigte den Rechtspopulisten Wilders und sagte: „In den Niederlanden besteht Meinungsfreiheit. Es ist glasklar, dass Herr Wilders nicht den Standpunkt der Regierung vertritt. Die Drohungen aus Saudiarabien nenne ich daher schwachsinnig.“ » | Die Presse | Sonntag, 18. Mai 2014
Isa Haider Alaali Case: Bahraini Teen Fears Torture After Losing Asylum Claim
Isa Haider Alaali’s deportation comes as the Royal Family have been playing host at the Royal Windsor Horse Show to the King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and his son Prince Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who faces a High Court judicial review over whether he has immunity from prosecution for alleged torture.
Activists staged protests over the weekend at an equestrian event as Prince Andrew – long criticised for his cozy relationship with the Gulf state – entertained Bahraini royals at Windsor on Friday.
Home Office documents obtained by The Independent show the 19-year-old is due to be flown back to Bahrain on Thursday morning. Mr Alaali, who was sentenced to five years in prison in absentia by a Bahraini court in March on charges of illegal gathering and rioting, is unable to appeal the decision. » | Alex Delmar-Morgan | Sunday, May 18, 2014
Sunday Times Rich List: Wealthiest Britons Own a Third of the Nation’s Wealth
The 1,000 wealthiest Britons now own £518.975 billion - the equivalent of a third of Britain’s gross domestic product (GDP) - with their combined worth rising 15.4 per cent on last year's total of £449.654 billion, according to the Sunday Times Rich List.
The top 64 names have a combined fortune of £255 billion, which is equivalent to the combined wealth of the poorest 30 per cent.
Chris Leslie, Labour's Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said: “No wonder the super-rich have got much richer over the last year when David Cameron has given millionaires a huge tax cut.
“Yet at the same time working people have continued to face a cost-of-living crisis and are £1,600 a year worse off since 2010.” A minimum of £85 million is needed to even be considered for the list this year - compared to £80 million in 2008 at the height of the pre-crash boom and £75 million last year. » | William McClennan | Sunday, May 18, 2014
'Trojan Horse' Teacher Breaks into Girl's Phone
A teacher at one of the Birmingham state schools allegedly taken over by Muslim radicals in the so-called “Trojan Horse” plot has been reported to police after he broke into a female pupil’s mobile telephone to prove she was having a “forbidden” relationship with a boy.
The girl, who at 16 is over the age of consent, had her telephone confiscated by the teacher during a Sunday event at Park View School last month. Two members of staff told The Telegraph the device was then taken, without her permission, to a shop for its passcode to be broken, and its contents unlocked and examined by the school.
Images of the girl with the boy, a fellow Year 11 pupil at Park View, and text messages between them, obtained from the phone, were used by the school as evidence to suspend her, weeks before her GCSE exams. The boy was also suspended, but more briefly. » | Andrew Gilligan | Sunday, May 18, 2014
Panorama: From Jail to Jihad
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Immigrants Must Learn to Be British, Says Asian Tory
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| Sajid Javid says voters have legitimate fears over 'excessive' immigration |
Immigrants must learn English and “respect our way of life”, the new Culture Secretary says as he criticises migrants who have lived here for years but still cannot speak the language.
In an exclusive interview with The Telegraph, Sajid Javid says voters have legitimate fears over “excessive” immigration and are justified in wanting Britain to have more control over its borders.
Mr Javid, the first Asian Secretary of State, defends Nigel Farage, the leader of the UK Independence Party, against charges of racism but insists that only the Conservatives can deliver the reforms to European Union laws needed to cut immigration.
“People want Britain to have more control over its borders, and I think they are right,” Mr Javid, who is the son of Pakistani immigrants, says.
“People also say, when immigrants do come to Britain, that they should come to work, and make a contribution and that they should also respect our way of life, and I agree with all of that. It means things like trying to learn English.” The tough message on immigration, coming from Britain’s highest ranking Asian MP, who is also the Minister for Equalities, will provoke debate on controls to migration in a crucial week of elections. » | Tom Ross, Political Correspondent | Saturday, May 17, 2014
Educated Jews Harassed and Attacked in Malmö Sweden by Unproductive Muslim Immigrants
This is not only happening in Sweden, but all across Europe. Jews are fleeing France, Germany, England, UK, Norway, Nederlands, The Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Russia, Canada, Ireland, Dutch, Belgium, USA, Wales, Great Brittan, Australia, Austria, and other Western European countries.
Friday, May 16, 2014
French National Front: Far-right – Or Hard-left?
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| Marine Le Pen succeeded her father, but she has projected a softer image |
She inveighed against a "draconian policy of austerity" that favoured "globalised elites at the expense of the people".
The speaker was not a left-wing firebrand, but the leader of the far-right National Front, Marine Le Pen.
The Front first emerged in the 1980s as a mainly anti-immigration group. Ms Le Pen is careful not to neglect this core issue, but nowadays she frames her nationalist message in anti-globalisation terms.
Under both the right and the left, she contends, France has surrendered its sovereign powers to EU bureaucrats who are setting interest rates and tearing down borders for the sole benefit of big business.
"The grave diggers of Brussels," as Ms Le Pen put it, "are setting France on the path to under-development".
She found a receptive audience among the struggling workers who had come from all over France to hear her speak. (+ video) » | Henri Astier | BBC News | Paris | Friday, May 16, 2014
British-born Boko Haram 'Ringleader' Was 'Radicalised at UK University'
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| Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche was held in Sudan on an international arrest warrant |
A British-born "ringleader" of the Islamist group responsible for the kidnapping of hundreds of school girls in Nigeria was radicalised while studying at a UK unversity, according to friends.
Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche, 29, was arrested on Wednesday in connection with two recent bombings carried out by Boko Haram in the Nigerian capital Abuja that killed nearly 100 people.
He is suspected of co-masterminding the attacks - one in the suburb of Nyanya that killed 75 people on April 14 and a second attack just yards away which killed 19 earlier this month.
Interpol put out an international arrest warrant for Mr Ogwuche, who was discovered after a reward of £100,000 led to his discovery in Sudan.
Mr Ogwuche, who is the son of a retired Nigerian colonel, was said by fellow students at University of Glamorgan in Wales to call himself "The Lion of God" and threatened to cut the hands and feet of non-believers while living in Britain. » | Josie Ensor, and Colin Freeman | Friday, May 16, 2014
Volksabstimmung: Schweiz entscheidet über höchsten Mindestlohn der Welt
Bern/München - Vom Ende der Welt kommen derzeit Signale, über die manche Schweizer nur lächeln können: In Australien wächst die Kritik an der Höhe des dortigen Mindestlohns. Derzeit liegt er bei 16,37 australischen Dollar (rund 11,20 Euro). Die Regierung in Canberra hat der für die jährliche Festlegung zuständigen Kommission zuletzt Zurückhaltung empfohlen.
Die Schweiz dagegen würde in die Vollen gehen, sollte die Initiative der Gewerkschaften für eine gesetzliche Lohnuntergrenze am Sonntag eine Mehrheit finden: Stimmen die Eidgenossen dafür, gilt in der Schweiz künftig ein Mindestlohn in Höhe von 22 Franken (rund 18 Euro) pro Stunde. Es wäre der höchste der Welt. Die 8,50 Euro, die künftig in Deutschland gelten und lange Zeit politisch umstritten waren, würden sich dagegen geradezu mickrig ausnehmen.
"Ein starkes Land braucht faire Löhne", erklärt der Schweizerische Gewerkschaftsbund (SGB). Rund 330.000 Menschen würden in der Schweiz zu Stundenlöhnen von weniger als 22 Franken arbeiten, ohne davon "anständig leben" zu können. Ein Ja zur Mindestlohn-Initiative würde nicht nur für mehr Gerechtigkeit sorgen, sondern auch Kaufkraft und Arbeitsplätze schaffen. » | Von Björn Hengst | Freitag, 16. Mai 2014
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