Vladimir Putin Claims Russia Is Moral Compass of the World

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Russia asserts in his annual state of the nation address that it takes a morally superior world-view to the West and defended its Conservative[s] values

Russia has asserted that it takes a morally superior world-view to the West and is seeking to resist the tide of "non-traditional values"[.]

Mr Putin, the Russian president, used his state-of-the-nation address to defend his government's increasingly conservative values.

Speaking as a worldwide protest movement grows against the Kremlin's anti-gay stance, Mr Putin upbraided the West for treating "good and evil" equally.

In his 70-minute televised speech from an ornate Kremlin hall, Mr Putin pledged to defend traditional family values, which he said were the foundation of Russia's greatness and a bulwark against "so-called tolerance - genderless and infertile." Russia has one of the lowest birth rates of any developed nation. » | Damien McElroy | Thursday, December 12, 2013

Nicolas Sarkozy: My Return Is Destiny - I Don't Have a Choice

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Nicolas Sarkozy drops strongest hint yet he will make a presidential comeback in 2017, as new opinion poll shows him almost twice as popular as Francois Hollande

Nicolas Sarkozy has given his strongest indication so far that he plans to return to politics and battle Francois Hollande for the French presidency in 2017.

"The question is not to know if I want or don't want to return. I cannot not return. I don't have a choice. It's destiny. Destiny," he has told several friends and political allies, according to Thursday’s edition of Le Point weekly magazine.

The comments came as a new opinion poll in Le Figaro showed that the rightwing ex-president is far more popular than Mr Hollande, with 46 per cent of voters saying they would like to have Mr Sarkozy as head of state and just 27 per cent plumping for the Socialist. » | Rory Mulholland, Paris | Thursday, December 12, 2013

Kinnock's Son, Gay Rumours and a Flirty Blonde Prime Minister: Meet the Very Unusual Danish Leader Who Dragged David Cameron and Barack Obama into That Embarrassing 'Selfie' Row

Helle Thorning-Schmidt

MAIL ONLINE: Helle Thorning-Schmidt, 46, is an unconventional head of state / The Danish PM has been nicknamed 'Gucci Helle' for her wardrobe / Husband Stephen, Neil Kinnock's son, had to fight off 'gay' rumours

Her sexy wardrobe (and racy reputation) have earned her the nickname ‘Gucci Helle’ in her native Denmark.

It’s the kind of profile you would normally associate with, say, a footballer’s wife, or a model, not a prime minister.

But then Danish leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt, 46, who dragged Barack Obama and David Cameron into that embarrassing ‘selfie’, is not a typical head of state, not by British standards anyway.

How many premiers, for example, when heckled at a public meeting about their wardrobe would have replied bluntly: ‘We can’t all look like s***.’ » | Paul Bracchi | Wednesday, December 11, 2013

French Ban on Islamic Face Veil Challenged in Court

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A woman whose arrest for wearing a full veil prompted riots in France claims the ban on face coverings in public discriminates against Muslims

A woman whose arrest for wearing a full Islamic veil sparked riots in a Paris suburb on Wednesday challenged the legality of France's controversial ban on face coverings, claiming the law discriminated against Muslims.

At the start of a key trial which has thrown the spotlight on the country's attempts to protect its secular traditions, Cassandra Belin's lawyer told a Versailles court that the ban, which came into force in 2011, ran contrary to principles of religious freedom and was an offence to human dignity.

The 20-year-old Muslim convert refused to attend the hearing, her lawyer claiming she did not want to be perceived as a "symbol of rampant Islamisation". » | Hannah Strange | Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Pope Francis Named Time Magazine's Person of the Year

Pope Francis

BBC: Pope Francis has been named Person of the Year by Time magazine.

During his nine months in office, the Pope had pulled "the papacy out of the palace and into the streets", managing editor Nancy Gibbs said.

"Rarely has a new player on the world stage captured so much attention so quickly - young and old, faithful and cynical," she added.

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden was runner-up.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the then cardinal archbishop of Buenos Aires, was made Pope last March. He named himself Francis after a 12th Century Italian saint who turned his back on an aristocratic lifestyle to work with the poor.

Since then, he has eschewed some of the more regal trappings of high office, made headlines by washing the feet of prisoners, and is planning some major reforms to the Church.

"In his nine months in office, he has placed himself at the very centre of the central conversations of our time: about wealth and poverty, fairness and justice, transparency, modernity, globalisation, the role of women, the nature of marriage, the temptations of power," Ms Gibbs wrote. » | Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Uruguay Becomes First Country in the World to Legalise Marijuana Trade

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Backers of the law, some smoking joints, gathered near Congress holding green balloons and Jamaican flags in homage to Bob Marley

Uruguay has become the first country to legalise the growing, sale and smoking of marijuana, a pioneering social experiment that will be closely watched by other nations debating drug liberalization.

A government-sponsored bill approved by 16-13 votes in the Senate provides for regulation of the cultivation, distribution and consumption of marijuana and is aimed at wresting the business from criminals in the small South American nation.

Backers of the law, some smoking joints, gathered near Congress holding green balloons, Jamaican flags in homage to Bob Marley and a sign saying: "Cultivating freedom, Uruguay grows."

Cannabis consumers will be able to buy a maximum of 40 grams (1.4 ounces) each month from licensed pharmacies as long as they are Uruguayan residents over the age of 18 and registered on a government database that will monitor their monthly purchases.

When the law is implemented in 120 days, Uruguayans will be able to grow six marijuana plants in their homes a year, or as much as 480 grams (about 17 ounces), and form smoking clubs of 15 to 45 members that can grow up to 99 plants per year. Read on and comment » | Reuters | Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Indian LGBT Activists Outraged as Supreme Court Reinstates Gay Sex Ban

Protests in Delhi over ruling criminalising gay sex

THE GUARDIAN: Protesters gather in Delhi to denounce ruling overturning high court's decision in 2009 to decriminalise homosexual relations

First there was surprise, then shock, then anger. By nightfall thousands across India had taken to the streets in spontaneous protests against an unexpected supreme court decision on Wednesday reversing a judgment that had decriminalised gay sex in the country.

Activists had expected the court simply to rubber-stamp the original 2009 ruling. Now India will rejoin the more than 70 countries – mainly in Africa, the Middle East and south Asia – where homosexual relations are illegal.

The reinstatement of a 153-year-old law passed under British rule and based on 16th-century English legislation means "carnal intercourse" between consenting adults of the same sex is once more defined as "unnatural" and punishable by up to 10 years in jail. Waving multicoloured flags and wearing black bandanas, the crowd of protesters that gathered at the Jantar Mantar, a favourite point for demonstrations in the Indian capital, Delhi, was full of young men and women.

"I am gay, punish me," read one banner. "My love is not a crime," read another. The crowd cheered slogans of "My body, my rights" shouted by transgender protesters wearing bright traditional clothing. » | Jason Burke in Delhi | Wednesday, December 11, 2013

French Café Offers Discounts to Polite Customers

The menu outside the 'Petite Syrah' in Nice

THE GUARDIAN: Sign outside Côte d'Azur establishment lists price of coffee as €7 (£4.20) but 'Bonjour, un café, s'il vous plaît' costs only €1.40

A cafe on the French Riviera has gained international notoriety after reminding customers to mind their manners.

What started as a local joke generated an internet buzz this week after a diner tweeted the sign outside the Petite Syrah in Nice on the Côte d'Azur.

In an attempt to turn the tables on customers who complain that serving staff are rude, the manager warned he would hit impolite customers where it hurts, in the pocket. » | Kim Willsher in Paris | Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Mormon Church Addresses Past Racism

Brigham Young

THE GUARDIAN: Statement rejects previous teachings which banned black people from the lay clergy until 1978

The Mormon church has issued its most comprehensive explanation yet about its past exclusion of black people from the priesthood.

The statement disavowing previous teachings was posted on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' website.

It says an era of great racial divide influenced the early teachings of the church, founded in 1830. The article pins the ban on an announcement in 1852 from Brigham Young, the church's then president.

The church barred men of African descent from the lay clergy until 1978, when church leaders had a revelation. In the 35 years since that landmark moment, however, the church had never explained the reasons behind the ban or addressed the once widely held notion that black people were spiritually inferior, said Matthew Bowman, an author and assistant professor of religion at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia.

In the new article, posted on Friday, the church finally addresses what had become a sensitive topic for current leaders and members.

"The church disavows the theories advanced in the past that black skin is a sign of divine disfavour or curse, or that it reflects actions in a premortal life; that mixed-race marriages are a sin; or that blacks or people of any other race or ethnicity are inferior in any way to anyone else," the statement read. "Church leaders today unequivocally condemn all racism, past and present, in any form." » | Associated Press in Salt Lake City | Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Saudi Arabia: Al-Sudais Honors Dutch Revert

ARAB NEWS: Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, head of the Presidency for the Two Holy Mosques, on Tuesday honored Arnoud van Doorn, a prominent Dutch politician who embraced Islam, by conferring on him his cloak. Van Doorn was a leading member of the rightist Freedom Party of Geert Wilders who produced “Fitna” film abusing the Prophet (peace be upon him).

The heart-warming event took place at the opening of a conference on Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) at Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University in Riyadh. The conference’s participants, including academics and religious scholars, applauded Sudais’ gesture.

“This again reflects the greatness and truthfulness of Islam as a divine religion,” said Fuad Kawther, an engineer interested in dawa activities. He also pointed out that some of the staunch enemies of the Prophet used to stand near by his house during the night to listen to his recitation from the Holy Qur’an. » | P. K. Abdul Ghafour | Jeddah | Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Nelson Mandela Memorial Interpreter 'Was a Fake'

Man who provided sign language interpretation on stage for Nelson Mandela's memorial service, attended by scores of heads of state, was simply "making childish hand gestures" for hours

Read the Telegraph article here | Josie Ensor | Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Scientology Is a Religion, Rules Supreme Court

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A woman who wants to marry in a Church of Scientology chapel has won a battle in the UK's highest court

Scientology is a religion, the UK's highest court has ruled, after a woman won a battle to marry in a Church of Scientology chapel.

Scientologist Louisa Hodkin took her fight to the Supreme Court after a High Court judge ruled last year that services run by Scientologists were not "acts of worship".

But five Supreme Court justices ruled in her favour on Wednesday, announcing that the Scientology church was a "place of meeting for religious worship". » | Alice Philipson and agencies | Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Former US Marine: President Obama Should Be Tried for Treason

The Middle East is at its boiling point. Syria is devastated by raging war. Israel threatens to deal with Iran once and for all -- with Washington towering over regional affairs. What is at the cornerstone of American foreign politics? With Iran and the US going through a diplomatic thaw, what game will Tel Aviv play? Today we look at these issues through the eyes of a member of the few, but one not proud: a former US marine who burned his passport and became an anti-war activist.

The Mandela Coverage and the Banality of Goodness

FW de Klerk and Nelson Mandela

THE GUARDIAN: To discuss Mandela alongside Mother Teresa, Gandhi and Jesus is barking mad. I bet he's laughing his head off right now

Enough is enough. The publicity for the death and funeral of Nelson Mandela has become absurd. Mandela was an African political leader with qualities that were apt at a crucial juncture in his nation's affairs. That was all and that was enough. Yet his reputation has fallen among thieves and cynics. Hijacked by politicians and celebrities from Barack Obama to Naomi Campbell and Sepp Blatter, he has had to be deified so as to dust others with his glory. In the process he has become dehumanised. We hear much of the banality of evil. Sometimes we should note the banality of goodness.

Part of this is due to the media's crude mechanics. Millions of dollars have been lavished on preparing for Mandela's death. Staff have been deployed, hotels booked, huts rented in Transkei villages. Hospitals could have been built for what must have been spent. All media have gone mad. Last week I caught a BBC presenter, groaning with tedium, asking a guest to compare Mandela with Jesus. The corporation has reportedly received more than a thousand complaints about excessive coverage. Is it now preparing for a resurrection?

More serious is the obligation that the cult of the media-event should owe to history. There is no argument that in the 1980s Mandela was "a necessary icon" not just for South Africans but for the world in general. In what was wrongly presented as the last great act of imperial retreat, white men were caricatured as bad and black men good. The arrival of a gentlemanly black leader, even a former terrorist, well cast for beatification was a godsend. » | Simon Jenkins | Tuesday, December 10, 2013

We Can’t Dissent Against 'New Gay Orthodoxy’, Says Christian Charity

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Biblical scriptures are in danger of becoming too politically incorrect to be expressed in modern Britain thanks to the campaigning of gay rights activists, the Court of Appeal hears

Gay and lesbian rights activists are seeking to be the new “moral enforcers” and it is Christian religious conservatives who now need protection to be allowed to dissent against “the new orthodoxy”, it was claimed.

Core Issues Trust, a Christian charity, is challenging a ban on its London bus advertisement reading: “Not Gay! Ex-Gay, Post-Gay and Proud. Get over it!” It was a response to a bus poster campaign by gay rights group Stonewall carrying the message: “Some people are gay. Get over it!”

Paul Diamond, for the charity, told appeal judges that at the heart of the case was the “ironical” situation in modern British society where ancient Biblical scriptures, which played an important role in forming the nation’s morals, were now in danger of containing views which could no longer be expressed “in a land with a reputation for free speech”.

Mr Diamond said Christian scriptures only permitted sexual relationships between one man and one woman in marriage and people should be entitled to express that view. He said the case raised the question: “Is the belief that homosexuality is a sin worthy of respect in a democratic society?”

The charity accuses the Mayor of London Boris Johnson of unlawfully using his position as chairman of Transport for London (TfL) to obtain the ban in order to secure the gay vote and advance his 2012 re-election campaign. » | Tuesday, December 10, 2013

We Must Look After Our Allies East of Suez

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Britain should act to stop Russia replacing the US in the affections of the Arab world

It is now more than 40 years since Denis Healey, the Labour defence secretary at the time, ordered the withdrawal of British forces located east of the Suez Canal in a futile attempt to balance the government’s books.

If few could dispute the economic imperative that necessitated a dramatic reduction in Britain’s global presence, the decision came as a particularly cruel blow to the Gulf Arabs, most of whom cherished their long-standing ties with Britain which, in many cases, dated back to the early 19th century.

With London no longer able to protect them, the Americans quickly filled the void, and the arrival of the US 5th Fleet – which today has more warships than the entire Royal Navy – to take over the Bahrain naval base vacated by British forces in 1971 aptly symbolised our humiliating retreat from empire. Until recently, the Pax Americana has admirably served the Gulf region’s interests, whether protecting it from the threat posed by the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein or the more sinister designs of the ayatollahs menacing the Arab regimes from the opposite shores of the Gulf.

But, thanks to the Obama administration’s woeful disregard for the concerns of its erstwhile allies, the entire future of the Western alliance’s relationship with the Gulf region is now under threat. Read on and comment » | Con Coughlin | Tuesday, December 10, 2013

South Korea Warns That Purge in Pyongyang Points to a Reign of Terror

Park Geun-hye, President of South Korea

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: China and South Korea raise concerns over stability of North Korea regime after Kim Jong-un purges uncle

China and South Korea on Tuesday raised concerns over the stability of Kim Jong-un's North Korean regime following the extraordinary public purge of the leader's uncle and second-in-command.

Park Geun-hye, the South Korean president, said the public removal of Jang Song-thaek, Mr Kim's uncle and mentor, was part of a "reign of terror" in North Korea that could further inflame tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

China's foreign ministry emphasised its hope that North Korea "can maintain national stability", as state-run media called for Mr Kim to be invited on a diplomatic trip to Beijing as soon as possible.

"China should help bring about Kim Jong-un's visit to China as soon as possible, which will benefit the North's long term stability and bilateral friendly ties," the Global Times said in an editorial.

The 67-year-old Mr Jang, until recently considered the second most powerful figure in Pyongyang, was regarded as a friend by China, and supported Chinese-style economic reforms. » | Julian Ryall, in Tokyo and Hannah Strange | Tuesday, December 10, 2013

UK Population Could Hit 132 Million, Warn Official Figures

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: New Office for National Statistics data predicts Britain's population could surge even faster than previously thought

The population of Britain could more than double in the next century unless immigration is tightly controlled, according to official estimates showing it could grow 40 per cent faster than previously thought.

Only weeks after the Office for National Statistics predicted that the UK will have 10 million more people within the next 25 years, it published new estimates showing that the true figure could be four million higher.

The dramatic upward revision suggests the population of Britain could rise from its current record level of 63.7 million to just under 78 million by 2037.

On the same projection it could reach and as much as 132 million by this time next century. » | John Bingham, and David Barrett | Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Nelson Mandela Memorial Service: Obama Eulogises 'Giant of History'

Celebrating one of his personal heroes, Obama praised Mandela as the last great liberator of the 20th century, urging the world to carry on his legacy by fighting inequality, poverty and discrimination

Read the Telegraph article here | Aislinn Laing, and Neil Tweedie at the FNB stadium in Soweto | Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Iranian Foreign Minster Warns Geneva Nuclear Deal Is 'Dead' If US Passes New Sanctions

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: "The entire deal is dead," Javad Zarif says as White House tries to rein in senators

Iran's foreign minister has warned that the historic nuclear deal agreed in Geneva will be "dead" if the US Congress moves ahead with threats to pass new sanctions.

Javad Zarif told Time that any new sanctions would show a "lack of seriousness" by the US, breaching the terms of last month's interim deal and scuppering hopes for a comprehensive agreement on Iran's nuclear deal.

His intervention comes as the White House fights to stop the Senate from passing fresh sanctions designed to kick in if no final deal is reached or Iran breaches the terms of the Geneva accord.

John Kerry, the US secretary of state, will appear before Congress on Tuesday and argue that any sanctions would undermine the delicate diplomatic progress made in recent months.

Mr Zarif, his Iranian counter-part, echoed that argument when asked how Tehran would respond to new American sanctions.

"The entire deal is dead," he said. "We do not like to negotiate under duress." » | Raf Sanchez, Washington | Tuesday, December 10, 2013