Geht es wieder los?: Ungarischer Politiker will Juden erfassen lassen
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Die drittgrößte Partei Ungarns sorgt für Empörung. Menschen mit jüdischer Abstammung sollten registriert werden, forderte der rechtsextreme Politiker Márton Gyöngyösi vor dem Parlament. Begründung: Juden stellten ein nationales Sicherheitsrisiko dar.

Budapest - Der Vorschlag weckt dunkle Erinnerungen - und sorgt bei vielen für Entsetzen. In Ungarn hat die rechtsextreme Jobbik-Partei gefordert, der Staat müsse die im Land lebenden Juden registrieren. Eine entsprechende Erklärung gab der Jobbik-Abgeordnete Márton Gyöngyösi vor dem Parlament in Budapest ab - und löste damit einen Sturm der Entrüstung aus.

In der Erklärung heißt es, angesichts des Konflikts zwischen Israel und der Hamas im Gaza-Streifen sei es an der Zeit, "Menschen mit jüdischer Abstammung, die hier leben, insbesondere im ungarischen Parlament und in der ungarischen Regierung, zu zählen". Diese stellten ein nationales Sicherheitsrisiko für Ungarn dar. » | jok/Reuters/AFP | Dienstag, 27. November 2012

Malaysia Muslims Call for 'Immoral' Elton John to Be Banned
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A Malaysian Muslim political party is demanding that Elton John be barred from performing in the country later this week because he is homosexual.

Nasruding [sic] Hassan Tantawi, head of the youth wing of the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic party (PAS), said the concert "must be cancelled".

"Artists who are involved in gay and lesbian activities must not be allowed to perform in Malaysia as they will promote the wrong values," he said.

Homosexuality is illegal in Malaysia, where almost two-thirds of the 28 million population are Muslim, and is punishable by caning and up to 20 years in prison.

Mr Nasrudin said that the PAS "will demand that the authorities cancel this immoral performance to protect our society from social degradation." » | David Eimer, Bangkok | Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Kuwait Emir's Change to Election Rules Stirs Signs of Arab Spring

THE GUARDIAN: Protests and divisions in small, peaceful oil-rich country include calls to boycott ballot which may have repercussions in region

November evenings are balmy on Kuwait City's waterfront, and there is a festive atmosphere in Irada Square as crowds gather for another protest rally. Women swathed in black mix with others in jeans while men in dishdashas and red-checked ghutra headdresses sip tea on Persian rugs spread on the spiky grass.

Speakers are hammering home the call to boycott this Saturday's elections because the emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al Sabah, has decreed a change to voting rules that will weaken the opposition. Stewards display spent teargas canisters that were fired to break up an unlicensed protest last month.

Unlike elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa , Kuwaitis are not seeking to overthrow their regime. Irada (the Arabic name means "will") is tamer than Cairo's Tahrir Square. Violence is very rare.

Yet there is no mistaking the depth of divisions in this small but fabulously wealthy country – and the anxiety about how they will play out. Its ultraconservative Saudi and Emirati neighbours are watching nervously.

"The emir's decree was the straw that broke the camel's back," said Sultan al-Majrubi, a young activist who was injured when special forces broke up October's big demonstration. "The Sabah family need to change from the inside. They are not thinking about the future and their credit with the people is running out."

• Kuwait is still the most democratic state in the Gulf. Its "springtime" dates back to 2006, long before the overthrow of the autocrats who ruled Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. » | Ian Black in Kuwait City | Sunday, November 25, 2012

Carla Bruni: A Woman's Place Is in One of Her Homes
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: As a one-time bohemian, lover of rock stars and champagne socialist turned Right-wing presidential consort, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy has lived a life far removed from most women’s.

So her entry into the debate about women’s place in society is likely to raise some eyebrows, whether plucked or au naturel.

The 44-year-old, who was France’s first lady for four years until May, has declared: “We don’t need to be feminist in my generation.” Instead she suggests a woman’s place is in the home with her children.

In an interview for the January issue of Vogue magazine, to be published on Dec 1, she develops her views on the women’s liberation movement, adding: “There are pioneers who opened the breach.

“I’m not at all an active feminist. On the contrary, I’m a bourgeois. I love family life, I love doing the same thing every day.’ » | Peter Allen | Sunday, November 25, 2012

Tony Blair's Passionate Plea: We Must Stay at Heart of EU – Or Face Disaster
THE OBSERVER: Former prime minister joins fight with Eurosceptics and says Brussels must promote 'grand plan' about its purpose

Tony Blair will make an impassioned intervention in the debate over Britain's future in Europe, warning that any disengagement from theEuropean Union's "top table" would be a disaster for the UK's economy and its power on the world stage.

With more senior Tories backing moves that could see the UK leaving the EU mainstream, Blair will seek to rally the business community behind a campaign to halt the Eurosceptic bandwagon before it is too late.

At a speech in London on Wednesday, Blair will say that with major economies such as China, India, Brazil and Russia emerging as formidable competitors in the global economic power game, EU membership has never been more important. A source close to the former prime minister said: "Whereas the postwar argument for Europe was about peace versus war, he will make the point that the 21st-century case for Europe is about power versus irrelevance."

In Wednesday's speech, to the Business for New Europe coalition of business leaders pushing for reform in Europe, Blair will argue that the EU needs to promote a "grand plan" about its purpose, driving home the message that member states can best take on these huge economic powers as a united bloc. He will highlight statistics showing that 47% of UK exports go to EU member states while 50% of foreign direct investment is from EU countries. » | Toby Helm, political editor | Saturday, November 24, 2012

North Africa: Tunisians Fear Jihadist Wave
ALL AFRICA: Tunis — One year after extremist violence first emerged in Tunisia, many citizens are convinced that jihadi salafism poses a threat to the future of their country.

From the street to the highest levels of government, Tunisians say that the growing influence of jihadists puts the country's democratic transition in jeopardy.

"Stopping extremist moves, whatever the ideological foundations, means stopping the destructive violence to Tunisian lives and the tarnishing of Tunisia's image abroad," President Moncef Marzouki said Saturday (November 17th) at a Carthage conference.

A string of violent incidents has created an "unhealthy climate, which increased the fear of Tunisians", Marzouki said at the event organised by salafist Sheikh Bechir Ben Hassen.

"Tunisians see the phenomena as a threat to the way of life of the majority," he said, warning against those extremists who try to "impose their law by force in some mosques and neighbourhoods in the country".

Marzouki called on the media, preachers, salafist leaders, families, politicians and the government to work together to stem the spread of extremist ideology.

For his part, Sheikh Ben Hassen called for an end to behaviour that could "lead to a bloodbath and end the Tunisian revolution".

"We are all Tunisians," he said. » | Monia Ghanmi | Friday, November 23, 2012

ALL AFRICA: Tunisie: Les Tunisiens redoutent une vague djihadiste – Tunis — Un an après l'apparition des premières violences extrémistes en Tunisie, de nombreux citoyens sont convaincus que le salafisme djihadiste représente une menace pour l'avenir de leur pays. » | Monia Ghanmi | vendredi 23 novembre 2012

Pope Benedict XVI Appoints Six Non-European Cardinals

BBC: Pope Benedict XVI has appointed six priests from non-European countries to be cardinals, at a service in the Vatican's St Peter's Basilica.

The cardinals, the closest aides of the Pope, come from the Philippines, India, Lebanon, Nigeria, Colombia and the US.

Analysts say it is unusual for the Pope to select only non-Europeans.

The Pope told the congregation that the Catholic Church belongs to the whole human race, not just one group, and was a church for all peoples.

Those being presented at the consistory, or cardinal-making ceremony, were:

US Archbishop James Harvey, 63, prefect of the papal household / Lebanon's Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai, 72 / Indian Archbishop Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal, 53, head of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church / Nigerian Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan of Abuja, 68 / Colombian Archbishop Ruben Salazar Gomez of Bogota, 70 / Philippine Archbishop Luis Tagle of Manila, 55

All six new cardinals are younger than 80 and therefore will likely be eligible to vote for a new Pope when the current pontiff dies.

Three are from countries with large Muslim populations - India, Lebanon and Nigeria.

Cheers broke out among the supporters of each cardinal-designate as the Pope presented them with the gold rings at the consistory and the red hats and vestments, which symbolise their readiness to shed their blood to defend their Christian faith. (+ video) » | Saturday, November 24, 2012

«Les Bettencourt ne m'ont jamais donné un sou»

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: «Les Bettencourt ne m'ont jamais donné un sou», a déclaré jeudi Nicolas Sarkozy aux juges bordelais en charge de l'affaire Bettencourt, selon Sud Ouest qui a pu consulter le procès-verbal d'audition et en publiera samedi les déclarations les plus marquantes.

Nicolas Sarkozy s'est défendu, lors de son audition chez les juges jeudi, d'avoir touché un sou des Bettencourt.

«Ils ne m'ont jamais donné un sou et je ne leur en ai jamais demandé», a notamment dit Nicolas Sarkozy au cours de ces douze heures d'audition transcrites en «32 pages de documents» dont Sud Ouest assure sur son site internet avoir vu l'intégralité. Concernant le financement éventuel de sa campagne présidentielle de 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy déclare : «Je connais les Bettencourt depuis 28 ans et j'en ai 57. J'ai fait cinq campagnes municipales à Neuilly : ils ne m'ont jamais donné un sou et je ne leur en ai jamais demandé.» » | afp/Newsnet | vendredi 23 novembre 2012

1200 Entered Islam in Khober in 2011: Reports
ARAB NEWS: AL-KHOBER: As many as 1213 foreigners residing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including 150 women, embraced Islam in Khober last year, a new record of Muslims is embracing Islam in Saudi Arabia over the last years. » | SPA | Saturday, November 24, 2012

Protests and Clashes across Egypt as 'Pharaoh' Morsi Seizes New Powers
Protesters run from tear gas released by riot police during clashes at Tahrir Square in Cairo November 23, 2012

Sharia Police State? Saudi Husbands Can Track Wives’ Travels Electronically
RT.COM: Saudi Arabia introduced an electronic tracking system that alerts men by text message when their wife is leaving the country, even if they are traveling together. The system was swiftly condemned by activists and Twitter users.

Saudi women – banned in the country from driving, denied the right to travel without their husband’s consent and required to wear a veil from head to toe – are now to be monitored by a new electronic system that tracks cross-border movement, AFP reported.

Woman in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to leave the ultraconservative kingdom without the permission of their male ‘guardian,’ or husband, who must give his consent by signing a register known as the ‘yellow sheet’ at the border or airport. Now, husbands will receive a text message to remind them even if they’re traveling outside the country alongside their wife. » | Thursday, November 22, 2012

Egypt's Morsi Branded New 'Pharoah'

THE AUSTRALIAN: EGYPT'S Islamist President Mohamed Morsi assumed sweeping powers yesterday, drawing criticism he was seeking to be a "new pharoah" and raising questions about the gains of last year's uprising to oust Hosni Mubarak.

The move is a blow to the pro-democracy movement that toppled the long-time president, himself derided by many as a pharoah, and raises concerns that Islamists will be further ensconced in power.

"The president can issue any decision or measure to protect the revolution," according to a decree read out on television by presidential spokesman Yasser Ali.

"The constitutional declarations, decisions and laws issued by the president are final and not subject to appeal."

Nobel laureate and former UN atomic energy agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei lashed out at the declaration, which would effectively put the president above judicial oversight.

"Morsi today usurped all state powers and appointed himself Egypt's new pharaoh. A major blow to the revolution that could have dire consequences," ElBaradei wrote on his Twitter account. » | AFP | Friday, November 23, 2012

Nigeria Riot over 'Blasphemy' against Islam's Prophet
BBC: A rumour that a Christian man blasphemed against Islam has sparked a riot in the northern Nigeria town of Bichi, police have said.

Residents said four people were killed and shops were looted.

The riot came on the day the incoming head of the Anglican Church, the Rt Rev Justin Welby, launched an initiative to promote religious tolerance in Nigeria.

Religious clashes have claimed thousands of lives in Nigeria since military rule ended in 1999.

The militant Islamist group, Boko Haram, has also been waging an insurgency since 2009 to impose strict Sharia across Nigeria, which is roughly divided between a mainly Muslim north and a Christian and animist south. » | Thursday, November 22, 2012

Canadian Islamic Group Charges Jewish School Uses Racist Textbook
JTA: TORONTO (JTA) -- A Canadian Islamic organization is accusing a Toronto-area Jewish day school of using a textbook that vilifies Muslims.

In a Nov. 19 letter to Jewish groups, the Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR-CAN, charges that a textbook used at the Joe Dwek Ohr HaEmet Sephardic School employs "inflammatory and hateful terms in describing Muslims."

CAIR-CAN alleges that the book, "2000 Years of Jewish History," describes Muslims as "rabid fanatics" with "savage beginnings."

"The entire chapter devoted to Islam presents a pernicious and extreme portrayal of Muslims and the Islamic faith. The material further denigrates the Prophet Muhammad as a 'rabid Jew-hater,' and falsely portrays Islam as inherently anti-Semitic and devoted to hating Jews," the group said in its letter to the Friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Center For Holocaust Studies and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, or CIJA. » | Thursday, November 22, 2012

Waffenruhe: Iran feiert "Sieg" der Palästinenser
DIE PRESSE: Die vergangenen Tage hätten die "Schwäche und Zerbrechlichkeit der Zionisten" offenbart, sagt Irans Präsident Ahmadinejad. Die arabische Liga fordert ein Ende der Blockade des Gaza-Streifens.

Der iranische Präsident Mahmoud Ahmadinejad nennt die Waffenruhe zwischen Israel und der Hamas einen Sieg des palästinensischen Widerstands. "Ein kleiner Ort wie Gaza hat sich gegen die Zionisten (Israel) gestellt und gesiegt", sagte er nach Angaben der Nachrichtenagentur Fars am Donnerstag. "Dies ist eine weitere Offenbarung, wie schwach und zerbrechlich die Zionisten und ihre Verbündeten sind." » | APA/dpa | Donnerstag, 22. November 2012

Dead-End Road for Mr. No: David Cameron's Risky EU Showdown

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: All eyes are on British Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday as European Union leaders gather in Brussels for talks aimed at passing the bloc's next budget. His pre-summit blustering leaves him with little wiggle room, and he could emerge as the debate's biggest loser.

When the 27 European Union heads of state and government arrive in Brussels on Thursday evening for the budget summit, all eyes will be on David Cameron. The British prime minister is in a pugnacious mood, and has said he is prepared to veto the European Commission's budgetary proposal for the years 2014 to 2020 if he doesn't get his way.

Cameron is set to arrive ahead of most of his European counterparts for talks with European Union Council President Herman Van Rompuy and Commission President José Manuel Barroso in an attempt to outline a possible compromise. It promises to be a difficult task.

Every seven years, the EU must come together to fashion a spending plan, and each time it becomes a bitter battle over national interests. For the approaching seven-year period, the Commission has proposed raising EU spending to €1.091 trillion. And the EU's executive body has the support of the European Parliament as well as the 17 countries who are net recipients -- a group made up primarily of Southern and Eastern European countries who receive more from the EU budget than they pay in. » | Carsten Volkery in London | Thursday, November 22, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving!
Wishing all my American visitors, followers, and Twitter followers a VERY HAPPPY AND BLESSED THANKSGIVING

Abstract Painting, ORIGINAL Contemporary Art "Alembic" (Thanksgiving) by Elizabeth Chapman
Elizabeth Chapman lives in the beautiful Ozarks with her family, where she works as a professional artist and teaches out of her home studio. The majority of her work can be described as contemporary expressionism. This acrylic painting (16” x 20” x ¾”) is available for purchase. »

Osama bin Laden: Code for Body Was 'Fedex Package'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The first details of Osama bin Laden's secret burial at sea have been revealed in internal US military emails.

The emails were released by the Pentagon after a freedom of information request by the Associated Press, but were heavily redacted.

They disclosed that the funeral was so secret that none of the crew on USS Carl Vinson witnessed the burial at sea. They confirmed what the administration said at the time that Islamic rituals were observed.

In an indication of the intense secrecy surrounding the operation, senior naval officers referred to the slain terror leaders's [sic] body was referred to as a FedEx package. » | Thursday, November 22, 2012

Mali: des djihadistes arrêtés au Niger
L’EXPRESS.fr: Les djihadistes affluent pour soutenir les rebelles islamistes au Nord du Mali. Au Niger, un Franco-Congolais a été arrété alors qu'il tentait de passer la frontière malienne.

Les services de sécurité nigériens sont sur les dents. Outre l'arrestation, le 7 août, d'un Franco-Congolais qui voulait rejoindre les islamistes armés dans le nord du Mali, de nombreux candidats africains au djihad ont été interceptés à Niamey ces derniers mois. Avant tout pour une raison géographique: la capitale du Niger n'est distante que de 450 kilomètres de Gao, ville du Nord malien tenue par le Mouvement pour l'unicité et le djihad en Afrique de l'Ouest (Mujao), satellite des terroristes d'Aqmi. » | Par Boris Thiolay | mercredi 21 novembre 2012

Religion: "Ein düsterer Tag für die Kirche"
DIE PRESSE – AUSZUG: Die Synode der Church of of England verhinderte, dass es künftig auch weibliche Bischöfe gibt. Traditionelle Anglikaner sehen darin einen Verstoß gegen die Bibel. In anderen anglikanischen Kirchen sind sie längst üblich.

…

Elisabeth II., als Königin auch Oberhaupt der Staatskirche, kommentierte die jüngste Entwicklung wie üblich nicht – wobei sich viele Briten fragen, warum eine Frau zwar problemlos Chefin der Kirche sein kann, aber nicht Bischof. Den ganzen Artikel hier lesen » | Julia Kastein (Die Presse) | Mittwoch, 21. November 2012

Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Comes into Effect in Gaza

BBC: A ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement which governs Gaza has come into effect.

Under the deal, Israel has agreed to end all hostilities and targeted killings, while Hamas will stop attacks against Israel and along the border.

At least 157 people have died since the flare-up of violence began last week.

Both sides continued to fire on each other as the 21:00 (19:00 GMT) ceasefire deadline approached, but no incidents have been reported since.

Earlier, a bomb exploded on a bus in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, leaving three people needing surgery.

Wednesday also saw at least 13 people die in Gaza.

Israel has agreed to "stop all hostilities on the Gaza Strip, land, sea and air including incursions and targeting of individuals", the ceasefire deal says.

"All Palestinian factions shall stop all hostilities from the Gaza Strip against Israel, including rocket attacks, and attacks along the border," it stipulates. (+ video) » | Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Afghan Shia Muslims Flog Themselves for Ashura Festival
Hundreds of Shia Muslims in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, flog themselves to mark the festival of Ashura on Wednesday. The festival marks the martyrdom of Hussain, the Prophet Muhammad's grandson, in the battle of Karbala in Iraq in the year 680. Shia Muslims mourn for a month as part of the festival

Petraeus Testifies in Benghazi Attack Inquiry
The US Congress continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the attack on the US consulate in Libya two months ago. Former CIA director David Petraeus - fresh from a scandal about an extra-marital affair - has been testifying behind closed doors. Al jazeera's John Terrett has the latest from Washington DC.

Malaria Makes a Comeback in Southern Greece
Forty-years since the last recorded case of malaria in Greece, the disease everyone thought was a thing of the past is back. There have been 28 cases among the Greek population in the southern agricultural land of Laconia in the last year alone. Higher temperatures caused by global warming and the economic crisis have both contributed to the resurgence. Al Jazeera's Simon McGregor Wood reports from Laconia, Southern Greece.

India Hangs Mumbai Attacker
India has hanged the only Pakistani fighter to have survived the 2008 attacks in Mumbai that killed 166 people. Mohammad Ajmal Kasab was hanged hours after President Pranab Mukherjee rejected a mercy plea. It is the first time the death sentence has been carried out in India since 2004. Al Jazeera's Sohail Rahman reports from New Delhi.

Al Jazeera's Cairo Bureau Firebombed by Egyptian Protesters

Anschlag in Tel Aviv
Im Zentrum von Tel Aviv ist es zu einem Bombenanschlag auf einen Bus gekommen. Laut Angaben von Rettungskräften wurden dabei mindestens zehn Menschen verletzt. Drei von ihnen offenbar schwer. Israel spricht von einem terroristischen Akt. Einschätzungen von SF-Korrespondent Pascal Weber.

Women Bishops: The Church Has Lost Credibility in Society, Says Archbishop
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Archbishop of Canterbury has warned the Church of England it has a “lot of explaining to do” after the rejection of plans for women bishops.


In a measured but devastating address to the General Synod, Dr Rowan Williams said that there was no doubt the church has “lost credibility” in society because of the vote.

He acknowledged that to many it would appear that the Synod was being held “hostage” by certain minority groups opposed to change.

And he said that, irrespective of rules preventing the measure coming back for debate for several years, “parking” it would not be an option.

His comments came after almost three quarters of the General Synod voted in favour of allowing women to become bishops but the measure fell short of final approval by just six votes in one strand of the Synod, the House of Laity. » | John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor, and Richard Alleyne | Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Mali : le touriste enlevé est français
lePARISIEN.fr: L'Européen enlevé mardi soir au Mali est bien de nationalité française selon des sources concordantes. Un peu plus tôt dans la matinée, on avait appris qu'un Européen parlant français avait été enlevé dans la localité de Diema, dans l'ouest du pays.

Cet homme, Jules Berto Rodriguez Léal, enlevé par plusieurs hommes armés mardi soir vers 22 heures locales à Diéma, est «né le 18 juillet 1951 à Laurichal» au Portugal, mais est «de nationalité française», selon l'Agence mauritanienne d'information (AMI) et une source sécuritaire malienne. » | Ava Djamshidi | mercredi 21 novembre 2012

Britain's EU Wavering: What Cameron Doesn't Know Could Hurt You

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Does Britain have a future as a member of the European Union? Prime Minister David Cameron doesn't have an answer to that question -- and that is a problem. His threats to veto the EU budget and efforts at securing a special status for his country are both undignified and dangerous.

David Cameron's favorite toy while attending European Union summit meetings is his BlackBerry. He glances at it constantly, almost as though he thinks it can provide him with guidance. Unfortunately, it cannot.

EU heads of state and government are gathering in Brussels this Thursday for talks on the 27-nation club's next budget, set to cover the years from 2014 to 2020. And Cameron, the British prime minister, has threatened to torpedo negotiations if the €1 trillion spending plan submitted by the European Commission isn't drastically cut. » | A Commentary by Christoph Scheuermann | Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Salafists Take Responsibility for Gaza Rockets
THE JERUSALEM POST: Gaza groups opposed to Hamas admit firing rockets at Israel, while Salafists from Sinai are aiding Hamas's military wing.

Gaza-based Salafist-Jihadists with ties to al-Qaida have claimed responsibility for perpetrating several of the recent rocket attacks against Israel, according to statements published by several jihadist groups in the past days.

The Gaza-based jihadi group Jaish al-Ummah published two statements on jihadist forums on Monday claiming responsibility for a series of attacks against Israel. » | Joanna Paraszczuk | Tuesday, November 20, 2012

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Ariel Sharon's Son Gilad Calls on Israel to 'Flatten Gaza'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Gilad Sharon, the son of Ariel Sharon the former Israeli prime minister who was felled by a stoke in 2005, called on the country's armed forced to crush terrorism in Gaza by laying siege to the Palestinian territory.

Mr Sharon, an activist for the opposition Kadima party said that Israel's south would only be calm when Israel would be able to declare total victory over Hamas and other radical groups in the city.

Otherwise the alternative would be to reoccupy the territory that his father ordered a withdrawal from in 2005. To do so the army should unleash an all-out assault. "Flatten all of Gaza. The Americans didn't stop with Hiroshima – the Japanese weren't surrendering fast enough, so they hit Nagasaki, too," he wrote in the Jerusalem Post.

Mr Sharon, who is also a major in Israel's reserve forces, said the government should force the leadership of Gaza to capitulate by cutting off all supplies.

"There should be no electricity in Gaza, no gasoline or moving vehicles, nothing. Then they'd really call for a ceasefire," he wrote. » | Damien McElroy | Monday, November 19, 2012

Leaving the EU Would Be an Economic 'Disaster', Ken Clarke Has Said
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Britain must stop having a "nervous breakdown" over Europe as it would be a economic "disaster" to leave the EU, Ken Clarke has said.

The Cabinet minister said any suggestion the UK could leave the EU is "damaging our influence" in the world.

Speaking on the BBC's Today Programme, he said he does not "remotely believe" the Prime Minister is planning to take Britain out of the EU, despite eurosceptic pressure from backbench MPs.

"We are going through a very curious stage in the national debate," he said. "In the last 20 years the country gets near to having a nervous breakdown on the subject every now and again. David Cameron assures the public, he’s always assured me, that he believes, as I do, that Britain’s place in the modern world has got to be in the EU.

"It would be a disaster for our influence in global political events. It would be a disaster for the British economy, if we were to leave the EU. It damages our influence in these great critical events of the moment if we keep casting doubt on our continued membership." » | Rowena Mason, Political Correspondent | Monday, November 19, 2012

'Martyrs for the Conservative Revolution': Mass-Murderer Breivik Writes Neo-Nazi Zschäpe

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Norwegian mass-murderer Anders Behring Breivik has written a letter to Beate Zschäpe, the last surviving member of Germany's neo-Nazi terrorist cell the National Socialist Underground. In the text obtained by SPIEGEL, Breivik praises Zschäpe for her alleged crimes and says she should be "extremely proud."

Anders Behring Breivik, the right-wing extremist who is serving a maximum sentence for the murder of 77 people in premeditated attacks that devastated Norway in July 2011, is interested in establishing contact Germany's most famous neo-Nazi. SPIEGEL has learned that he sent a letter to Beate Zschäpe, the only surviving member of the German neo-Nazi terrorist group known as the National Socialist Underground (NSU).

Zschäpe, who stands accused of acting as an accessory to murder on 10 counts, currently awaits trial in police custody at a prison in Cologne. That is where Breivik addressed his letter to Zschäpe on May 7, offering his support for what he called their common cause. » | kla/SPIEGEL | Monday, November 19, 2012

From Wedding Dress to Suicide Vest

THE MAIL ON SUNDAY: Aminat Kurbanova, 29, of Dagestan, seen smiling on wedding day in 2003 / Brought up as an Orthodox Christian and met husband at drama college / But she converted to Islam in 2007 and blew herself up three months ago / Brother-in-law introduced her to Islam but later died; as did her husband

Brought up as an Orthodox Christian by her mother, Aminat Kurbanova looked a picture of happiness at her wedding nine years ago - marrying the man with whom she had fallen in love at drama school.

But she converted to Islam in 2007 and three months ago walked into the house of a Muslim cleric in Dagestan, Russia, wearing a 3lb bomb, and blew herself up - killing eight people including her.

Once a stage actress, the 29-year-old mother had transformed into a Muslim suicide bomber. The blast shocked Russia but her mother Vera Saprighina insists she was ‘a kind person, not a monster’.

Kurbanova was brought up in Makhachkala, Dagestan, and gained top marks at the city’s arts and drama college - where she met her future husband Marat Kurbanov, reported the Sunday Times [£].

The couple married in 2003 and she gave birth to a daughter, Malika, two years later. In 2006 the couple were introduced to Islam by Marat’s brother Rustam - and Kurbanov converted a year later.

‘She said she had finally found the right religion for her,’ her mother Vera Saprighina told the Sunday Times. ‘Before long, both left the theatre because dancing and acting are considered un-Islamic.’

But Rustam was killed in a police house raid on suspected militants in 2008. It shocked the couple. Marat left home, never to come back, and is thought to have joined militants to avenge the death. How Russian Islamic convert kissed her daughter goodbye and blew herself up at cleric's home » | Mark Duell | Sunday, November 18, 2012

Qatada Intends to Sue for £10million Says His Family: Hate Preacher Wants Compensation for Years Spent behind Bars

THE MAIL ON SUNDAY: Abu Qatada has told his family that he plans to sue the British government for £10million for ‘unlawful detention’.

The hate preacher has said he wants compensation for his ‘extended mistreatment’ after a judge released him from jail last week and blocked his deportation to Jordan to face terror charges.

Qatada was awarded a far smaller payout from the European Court of Human Rights three years ago after judges ruled he had been unfairly detained in Belmarsh high security jail without trial.

But the cleric’s family said that his hopes of a much larger compensation win have been boosted after the special immigration court ruled last Monday that there was a real risk that evidence obtained through torture might be used against him if he was sent home to Jordan to face trial.

The cleric, once described by a judge as Osama Bin Laden’s ambassador in Europe, has been bailed to his family home in London after spending much of the past seven years behind bars.

Qatada lives in North London with his wife and five children on state handouts said to total £1,000 a month. » | Tom Kelly | Sunday, November 18, 2012

Marco Rubio Leads Way for 2016 Republican Challengers

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: It may only be less than two weeks since they lost to Barack Obama, but potential Republican candidates are already jostling for position for the 2016 presidential election race.

Marco Rubio, the 41-year-old Florida Senator who is the Republicans’ most prominent Latino, led the way with a speech this weekend, calling for immigration reform and lower taxes as the party seeks to make itself more broadly acceptable.

"The way to turn our economy around is not by making rich people poorer, but make poor people richer," Senator Rubio said, taking a swipe at Mr Obama's plans to raise taxes on millionaires.

He was speaking at a birthday celebration for the Republican Governor of Iowa, a swing state whose 2016 caucus will officially get the race to find a Republican candidate under way.

Mr Rubio, a Cuban American with a flashing smile and a rags-to-riches back story, presents a stark contrast with the staid, establishment figure of 65-year-old Mitt Romney whose campaign conspicuously failed to win over Hispanic, black or young women voters.

"Our workers are not making as much as they made in the same jobs 25 years ago," Mr Rubio said. "My father was a bartender. My mother was a maid at a hotel. They were able to provide for us a standard of living." » | Peter Foster, Washington | Sunday, November 18, 2012

Coptic Pope Tawadros II Enthroned

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: The new pope of Egypt's Orthodox Coptic church has been enthroned in an elaborate ceremony lasting nearly four hours, attended by the nation's Muslim prime minister and a host of Cabinet ministers and politicians.

Pope Tawadros II, 60, was elected earlier this month but the official enthronement ceremony was held on Sunday at the Coptic cathedral in Cairo. He replaced Shenouda III, who died in March after leading the ancient church for 40 years.

The packed cathedral repeatedly erupted into applause as the ceremony progressed. The ceremony's climax came when the papal crown was placed on Tawadros' head before he sat on the throne of St. Mark, the Coptic church's founding saint. » | Source: AP | Sunday, November 18, 2012

Jordan: King Abdullah II Cancels UK Trip After Protests
THE INDEPENDENT: King Abdullah II has cancelled his trip to London scheduled for next week, after thousands of Jordanians took to the streets of Amman yesterday calling for his fall on the fourth day of unrest sparked by rising fuel prices.

There had been anxiety over the visit due to the violence in Gaza, as his wife, Queen Rania, is Palestinian. Smaller groups of protesters have made rare calls against the monarch before. But the crowd in the capital of about 2,500, chanting slogans reminiscent of last year's Arab Spring uprisings, was the largest yet to seek the overthrow of the regime. » | Jalal Halaby, AMMAN | AP | Friday, November 16, 2012

Barroso: Unabhängiges Katalonien muss aus EU austreten

DIE PRESSE: Die nordspanische Region Katalonien hat vorgezogene Neuwahlen als Schritt zur Unabhängigkeit ausgerufen.

EU-Kommissionspräsident Jose Manel Barroso hat den katalanischen Unabhängigkeitsbestrebungen am Samstag einen harten Rückschlag versetzt. Am Rande des 22. Iberoamerikanischen Gipfeltreffens im südspanischen Cadiz stellte Barroso klar, dass eine Region, die sich von einem EU-Mitgliedsstaat trennt, automatisch aufhören würde, Teil der Europäischen Union zu sein. Die Einwohner der betreffenden Region würden ebenfalls sofort den Status als EU-Bürger verlieren, so Barroso weiter. » | DoePresse.com | Samstag, 17. November 2012

Gaza - L'Iran appelle le monde islamique à des représailles contre Israël
LE POINT: Le Parlement iranien a envisagé l'envoi d'une délégation de parlementaires à Gaza, mais aucune date n'a été fixée.

Le ministre iranien de la Défense Ahmad Vahidi a appelé samedi le monde islamique à des "actions de représailles" contre Israël pour mettre un terme aux "crimes du régime sioniste" à Gaza, a rapporté l'agence officielle Irna. "Les attaques sauvages contre la population innocente de Gaza sont l'exemple même de crimes de guerre", a affirmé le général Vahidi. "Seule l'unité, une action révolutionnaire et des représailles du monde islamique peuvent mettre un terme aux crimes du régime sioniste", a-t-il ajouté. » | Source AFP | samedi 17 novembre 2012

One Fat Lady in Race Row over Muslim Ghetto Jibe

MAIL ONLINE: Chef was 'surprised any of the people who might object could read what I wrote as it is written in English' / She describes visit to the 'ghetto' after getting lost in traffic and found herself 'in an area where all the men were wearing Islamic clothing' / But she says there's an upside — she's thankful for the large number of Asian restaurants in the city as 'you can eat excellent curry' there / Her comments were criticised by the Muslim Council of Britain and the city's mayor, who claims her account 'may help sell books but it is cheap'

She is as renowned for her outspoken views as she is for her cooking.

So when celebrity chef Clarissa Dickson Wright decided to write about her day out in a multi-cultural part of Leicester, she didn't mince her words.

The former star of the BBC's Two Fat Ladies claimed a visit to the city, which has a large Muslim population, was 'the most frightening experience of her life'.

Describing parts of Leicester as a 'ghetto', she said seeing so many men in Islamic clothing and women in a burkas left her feeling 'in the middle of my own country, a complete outcast and pariah'.

Yesterday her comments provoked fury from Muslim groups and local leaders.
But Miss Dickson Wright remained defiant, saying: 'I'm surprised any of the people who might object could read what I wrote as it is written in English.' The Islamic area of Leicester frightened me, says TV chef » | Paul Bentley | Friday, November 17, 2012

Hamas feuert Rakete auf Tel Aviv

Deutschland und Frankreich wollen enger kooperieren

Homosexualité = zoophilie ? L’UOIF riposte
SAPHIR NEWS: L’Union des organisations islamiques de France (UOIF [Union des Organisations Islamiques de France]) désapprouve le mariage homosexuel et l’homoparentalité et a souhaité le faire savoir par une tribune, publiée sur Saphirnews,[,] dans laquelle elle décline tous ses arguments pour expliquer sa position.

Or, les médias mainstream n’ont retenu qu’un passage : celui où l’UOIF évoque la zoophilie. « Si le mariage entre deux personnes de même sexe devenait une norme, alors où s’arrêteront les revendications ? Les plus incongrues peuvent, un jour, être légitimées au nom du même principe d’égalité. Qui pourra délégitimer la zoophilie, la polyandrie, au nom du sacro-saint amour ? », s’était-elle interrogée.

Plusieurs médias en ont conclu alors que l’UOIF compare homosexualité et zoophilie, ce qui a suscité une réaction d’indignation de Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, la porte-parole du gouvernement. « Les propos de l'UOIF sont évidemment un dérapage, une violence langagière terrible pour les principaux intéressés mais pas seulement, pour la société tout entière », a-t-elle déclaré. » | Rédigé par La Rédaction | vendredi 16 novembre 2012

Economist 'Time-bomb' Cover Sparks French Ire
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: French officials angrily rejected a charge by The Economist on Friday that France was the "time-bomb at the heart of Europe", accusing the magazine of sensationalist journalism.

The Economist's front cover showed seven loaves of "baguette" bread held together by a French tricolour with a lit fuse protruding from the centre.

Its main article raised concerns that President Francois Hollande's economic reforms are not ambitious enough and so could jeopardise the future of the euro currency.

"Unless Mr Hollande shows that he is genuinely committed to changing the path his country has been on for the past 30 years, France will lose the faith of investors—and of Germany. As several euro-zone countries have found, sentiment in the markets can shift quickly," The Economist wrote.

"The crisis could hit as early as next year. Previous European currency upheavals have often started elsewhere only to finish by engulfing France—and this time, too, France rather than Italy or Spain could be where the euro’s fate is decided. Mr Hollande does not have long to defuse the time-bomb at the heart of Europe."

Industry Minister Arnaud Montebourg told Europe 1 radio: "Honestly, The Economist has never distinguished itself by its sense of even-handedness." » | Telegraph Staff, and agencies | Friday, November 16, 2012