Defector Calls On Dennis Rodman to Make Kim Jong-un 'Hear the Cries of His People'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Open letter exhorts US basketball star Dennis Rodman to use his controversial visit to North Korea to highlight human rights concerns

The only person born in a North Korean labour camp to have escaped to the West has written an impassioned open letter to Dennis Rodman, the former US basketball star, asking him to use his influence with Kim Jong-un to make him "hear the cries of his people".

Shin Dong-hyuk's letter, published in the Washington Post, comes just days before Mr Rodman is scheduled to travel to North Korea to meet Mr Kim for a third time to prepare for a basketball match billed as "The Big Bang in Pyongyang."

Sponsored by Paddy Power, the Irish online gaming firm, the match is due to take place in January and will pit a group of former professional players from the US against a team of North Korean players that Mr Rodman has trained.

Addressing the letter to "Dear Mr Rodman," Mr Shin wrote that he was born in Camp 14 in the mountains of North Korea. » | Julian Ryall, Tokyo | Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Jesus Tops the List of Fame While David Cameron Trails Behind at 1,483rd

DAILY EXPRESS: JESUS is the most important person in history, just edging out Napoleon Bonaparte, researchers say.

Christ and the French leader top a list of the 2,000 most influential people to have lived, ranked according to their significance on the internet.

The Islamic prophet Mohammed is the third most important, say the researchers who used mathematical formulae to measure millions of opinions expressed online, including on encyclopedia Wikipedia.

William Shakespeare and Abraham Lincoln take fourth and fifth spots respectively, according to the team at New York’s Stony Brook University.

But there is bad news for David Cameron, who has been deemed half as important as Britney Spears.

The Prime Minister is ranked a lowly 1,483rd, far behind the pop singer at 689th. » | Eleanore Robinson | Monday, December 16, 2013

Christianity Beginning 'To Disappear' in Its Birthplace, Warns Prince of Wales

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Prince of Wales delivers impassioned personal plea for Christians in the Middle East, warning ‘organised persecution’ by Islamist fundamentalists could sever 2,000-year link

Christianity is beginning “to disappear” in its own birthplace after 2,000 years because of a wave of “organised persecution” across the Middle East, the Prince of Wales has warned.

In an impassioned intervention, he said that the world is in danger of losing something “irreplaceably precious” with communities tracing their history back to the time of Jesus now under threat from fundamentalist Islamist militants.

Speaking openly of his own Christian faith, he said he had become “deeply troubled” by the plight of those he described as his “brothers and sisters in Christ”.

And the Prince, a long-standing advocate of dialogue between religions, voiced personal dismay at seeing his work over the last 20 years to “build bridges and dispel ignorance” being deliberately destroyed by those attempting to exploit the Arab Spring for their own ends.

He devoted a Christmas reception for religious leaders at Clarence House to draw attention to the threat Christians have come under in recent months across Egypt, Syria, Iraq and other parts of the region. » | John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor | Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Merkel Compared NSA to Stasi in Heated Encounter with Obama

THE GUARDIAN: German chancellor furious after revelations US intelligence agency listened in on her personal mobile phone

In an angry exchange with Barack Obama, Angela Merkel has compared the snooping practices of the US with those of the Stasi, the ubiquitous and all-powerful secret police of the communist dictatorship in East Germany, where she grew up.

The German chancellor also told the US president that America's National Security Agency cannot be trusted because of the volume of material it had allowed to leak to the whistleblower Edward Snowden, according to the New York Times.

Livid after learning from Der Spiegel magazine that the Americans were listening in to her personal mobile phone, Merkel confronted Obama with the accusation: "This is like the Stasi."

The newspaper also reported that Merkel was particularly angry that, based on the disclosures, "the NSA clearly couldn't be trusted with private information, because they let Snowden clean them out."

Snowden is to testify on the NSA scandal to a European parliament inquiry next month, to the anger of Washington which is pressuring the EU to stop the testimony. » | Ian Traynor in Brussels and Paul Lewis in Washington | Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Going Underground: "Blair Committed War Crimes" – Tony Benn

Afshin Rattansi gets the inside track on politics with veteran Labour minister and socialist, Tony Benn. Denouncing illegal wars, Britain's most famous activist gives his take on the current leadership, austerity and what the future holds. Plus, we go underground on the threat of home-grown terrorism in the UK. And how much can you trust those you hand over confidential data to?

Anjem Choudary Warns Muslim Restaurateurs They Face Being Flogged If They Sell Booze At Brick Lane Rally

Anjem Choudary

LONDON EVENING STANDARD: Firebrand preacher Anjem Choudary today defended leading dozens of Muslim protesters on a march through east London demanding businesses stop selling alcohol, warning: “This is just the beginning.”

The group circulated leaflets in the Brick Lane area warning restaurants and off licence owners selling alcohol they face 40 lashes under Sharia law.

Around 60 men and women dressed in burqas handed the letters to Muslim-owned businesses.

Choudary, who formerly led the banned Al-Muhajiroun Islamist group said: “What we did is we posted a notice to the shop owners saying that under Sharia and under the Koran the sale of alcohol is prohibited and if one were to also drink alcohol, that would be 40 lashes.

“We were there to teach them that just because they are living among non-Muslims is no excuse because Sharia law will be implemented in Britain, and so they should be aware that just because it is not Sharia today, they can’t just do whatever they like.

“There will be no more pubs, no more gambling houses, no more national lottery.

“All women would have to be covered up appropriately and wear the niqab or veil and so there will be no prostitution. By 2050, Britain will be a majority Muslim country. “It will be the end of freedom of democracy and submission to God. We don’t believe in democracy, as soon as they have authority, Muslims should implement Sharia. This is what we’re trying to teach people.” » | David Churchill | Monday, December 16, 2013

NSA Mass Phone Surveillance Programme 'Unconstitutional'

Jay Carney

BBC: A US judge has ruled the National Security Agency's mass collection of telephone data unconstitutional.

The agency's collection of "metadata" including telephone numbers and times and dates of calls was brought to light by ex-NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

The White House dismissed the suggestion Mr Snowden receive amnesty if he stopped leaking documents.

In his ruling in a Washington DC federal court on Monday, Mr Leon called the NSA's surveillance programme "indiscriminate" and an "almost Orwellian technology that enables the government to store and analyze the phone metadata of every telephone user in the United States". 'Irreparable harm' » | Monday, December 16, 2013

'They Shoved People In Baking Ovens': Syrian Rebels Execute Over 80 Civilians

Over 80 civilians in a town northwest of the Syrian capital of Damascus have been executed by Islamist rebels, sources within the Syrian military told RT. Many others were kidnapped to be used as human shields.

Europe: Islamic Fundamentalism Is Widespread

GATESTONE INSTITUTE: A discussion paper published by the Germany-based Gustav Stresemann Foundation -- a think tank dedicated to the preservation and advancement of liberal democracy in Europe -- warns that national and international Islamic organizations are increasingly putting pressure on Western politicians gradually to criminalize any critique of Islam.

In a commentary on the study, the German newspaper Die Welt says the findings cast serious doubt on the unbridled optimism of European multiculturalists, who argue that Muslim citizens will eventually internalize the mindset of Western democracies.

The majority of Muslims in Europe believe Islamic Sharia law should take precedence over the secular constitutions and laws of their European host countries, according to a new study, which warns that Islamic fundamentalism is widespread and rising sharply in Western Europe.

The "Six Country Immigrant Integration Comparative Survey"—a five-year study of Moroccan and Turkish immigrants in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Holland and Sweden—was published on December 11 by the WZB Berlin Social Science Center, one of the largest social science research institutes in Europe.

According to the study (German and English), which was funded by the German government, two thirds (65%) of the Muslims interviewed say Islamic Sharia law is more important to them than the laws of the country in which they live.

Three quarters (75%) of the respondents hold the opinion that there is only one legitimate interpretation of the Koran, which should apply to all Muslims, and nearly 60% of Muslims believe their community should return to "Islamic roots."

The survey shows that 44% of the Moroccans and Turks interviewed agree with all three of the above statements, which makes them "consistent fundamentalists," and fundamentalist attitudes are just as widespread among younger Muslims as they are among older Muslims.

According to the study, Islamic fundamentalism is most pronounced in Austria, where 73% of Muslims interviewed say Sharia law is more important than the secular laws of the state; 79% say there is only one correct interpretation of the Koran that should apply to all, and 65% believe Muslims should return to their Islamic roots. In Austria, 55% of the Muslims surveyed say they agree with all three of the above statements. » | Soeren Kern | Monday, December 16, 2013

Catholic Leader Brands Immigration Policies 'Inhumane'

Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The most senior Catholic cleric in England and Wales criticised the Government for being "inhuman[e]" in their pursuit of immigration targets.

The head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales labelled the Government’s immigration policies which prevent families from living together in Britain “inhumane”.

Vincent Nicholas, the archbishop of Westminster, said rules which prevent foreign spouses of UK citizens moving here would blight the lives of thousands of British children.

He called on the Government to rethink the legislation which came into force in 2012 which prevents people from outside the European Union settling in the UK with their British husband or wife unless they can show an annual income of at least £18,600.

Writing in the Guardian, Nichols said: "Anyone truly concerned for the family as the building block of society, and realistic about the mobility of British people today, must see both the folly of this policy and how it is an affront to the status of British citizenship. » | Miranda Prynne, News Reporter | Monday, December 16, 2013

Saudi Activist Sentenced to Lashes and Prison: Rights Group

REUTERS.COM: A Saudi judge sentenced a political activist to 300 lashes and four years in prison for calling for a constitutional monarchy in Saudi Arabia, his rights group said on Sunday.

Omar al-Saeed is the fourth member of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA) to be jailed this year after the group issued statements attacking the ruling family over its human rights record and calling for democracy.

Saeed did not have legal representation at the secret hearing when he was sentenced, ACPRA said in a statement on its website.

"It's just another troubling instance of Saudi authorities' absolute refusal to countenance any activism or criticism of Saudi policies or human rights abuses," said Adam Coogle, Middle East researcher at Human Rights Watch.

A spokesman for the Justice Ministry said he could not comment on the report or confirm its accuracy.

U.S.-allied Saudi Arabia is ruled by the al-Saud family together with powerful clerics from the country's ultra-conservative Wahhabi school of Sunni Islam. » | Reporting by Angus McDowall; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall | Riyadh | Sunday, December 05, 2013

Germany Moves to Claim 'Under Threat' Father Christmas

Der Weihnachtsmann

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Germany museum director believes the Father Christmas spawned in Germany is under threat from the more modern Santa Claus associated with Coca-Cola

A German museum has applied for Father Christmas to be added to the UNESCO list of cultural heritage, arguing that he has German origins and is in danger of being sidelined by America's Santa Claus.

Germany lays claim to a number of Christmas traditions, including the tree, the nutcracker, glass baubles, the Advent calendar and the Christmas market.

But Felicitas Höptner, director of the German Christmas Museum in the Bavarian city of Rothenburg, thinks Father Christmas's German origins are "under threat".

She said Germans no longer understood the origins of Father Christmas or the differences between him and the ever-laughing Santa Claus who was spawned by a German immigrant to the United States in the 19th century.

Her museum has applied for Father Christmas and Saint Nicholas, the fourth century Greek bishop he is derived from, to be put on UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. » | David Crossland, Berlin | Sunday, December 15, 2013

Kuwait: Sale of Christmas Items Makes 'Mockery' of Islam - MP

ARABIAN BUSINESS: A Kuwait MP has called for a crackdown on Christmas celebrations in the state amid claims that shops were making a “mockery” of Islamic culture by selling items related to the occasion.

Less than two months after slamming the sale of Halloween items as “signs of Satanism”, MP Hamdan Al Azmi has warned Deputy Premier Sheikh Mohammad Al Khalid Al Sabah and Minister of Commerce and Industry Anas Al Saleh of the consequences of failing to take action against Christmas celebrations.

He said celebrating such events was “inappropriate” in an Islamic culture and authorities should not allow anyone to profit from such activities, Kuwait media reported.

While Christmas is a Christian celebration, in parts of the Gulf shops sell Christmas decorations and embrace the holiday. In the UAE, some malls have lavish Christmas decorations in a nod to the large expat and tourist populations. » | Beatrice Thomas | Sunday, December 15, 2013

Iraq's Battle to Save Its Christian Souls: 'Christians Are Finished Here'

Ten years after the fall of Saddam Hussein, Christians have dwindled from more than a million to as little as 200,000. Colin Freeman reports on attempts to stem the exodus from Iraq's churches

Read the Sunday Telegraph article here and comment. | Colin Greeman, Baghdad | Sunday, December 15, 2013
My comment:

The first disgrace is that the MSM have taken so long to bring this to the attention of the people in the West. The second disgrace is that the Christian West – yes, the Christian West – has done/is doing very little about the plight of the Christians in the ME.

We continue to give the 'Religion of Peace' a pass when in actual fact we shouldn't. We should be challenging the aggressive Muslims at every level and at every stage. – © Mark

This comment appears here too.

New Dark Age Alert! Shop Owners Told They Face 40 Lashes If They Continue Selling 'Evil' Alcohol

Anjem Choudary

DAILY EXPRESS: DOZENS of Muslim protesters walked with one of Britain's most controversial hate preachers to demand restaurants and shops in one of London's most popular areas stop selling alcohol.

Business owners in Brick Lane in Whitechapel, on the edge of the city, were told on Friday they face 40 lashes if they continue to sell their "evil" products.

Brick Lane is one of London's trendiest areas and a popular location for Christmas parties.

Anjem Choudary, who used to lead the Al-Muhajiroun group which has been banned under terrorism laws, told the crowd: "The shops are run by Muslims and they know they are selling alcohol and they know the sale and consumption of alcohol is completely prohibited.

"We cannot live among the non-Muslims and see this evil take place."

Around 60 men and women in burkhas distributed warning letters to Muslim-owned businesses.

They also held up banners with slogans including: "Save lives, don't drink or sell alcohol! Stand for Shariah!" » | Cyrus Engineer | Saturday, December 14, 2013

Al Jazeera Correspondent: Scotland the Brave?

A very personal look at the arguments surrounding the referendum for Scottish independence.

Severe Snow Storm Hits Mideast

A severe winter storm pounded the Middle East for a third day on Friday bringing with it heavy snow and floods. In the West Bank city of Ramallah residents struggled to walk outside as mounds of snow blanketed the streets. In some parts of Israel and the West Bank government offices and schools were closed to wait out the winter weather. In Jerusalem on Thursday schools cancelled classes and buses in and out of the city were not operating. Snow blanketed palm and cypress trees. It also battered most parts of central and southern Jordan, shutting down government offices, causing power disruptions, blocking roads and stranding motorists.

'Iceland Model: How to Deal with Bankers Should Be Standard for Whole World'

In Iceland four former bank chiefs have been jailed for fraud - the sentences go as far as five years behind bars. They're accused of concealing that a Qatari investor bought a stake in their firm, using cash lent from the bank itself - illegally. The deal took place just ahead of the collapse of the bank due to huge debts. RT talks to economic expert Charlie McGrath, founder of news website Wide Awake News about Iceland's economy.

America’s Friends Are Left Behind in Barack Obama’s New Plans

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The US president spoke of 'oneness' at Nelson Mandela's memorial service, but he has been reduced to little more than a global preacher with a shrinking flock

In his oration at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service on Tuesday, Barack Obama asked himself “how well have I applied his lessons in my own life?”, and invited all of us to ask the same question of ourselves.

In his own case, President Obama offered no answer. But it was the fairly clear implication of his words that he didn’t think he was shaping up too badly. Madiba, he said, had been “the last great liberator of the 20th century”. Guess who looks like being the first great liberator of the 21st.

Today’s leaders needed to be filled, he went on, with the spirit of Ubuntu – a Nguni Bantu word meaning “the oneness of humanity” (Cameroon translation: “We’re all in this together”). They needed to stand up for justice and peace. His performance reminded me slightly of Tom Lehrer’s Folk Song Army: “We all hate poverty, war and injustice – unlike the rest of you squares.”

Such rhetoric is consistent with the tone that Mr Obama has used from the beginning of his presidency, notably when he reached out to Islam in his speech in Cairo in June 2009. It is by now not too early – in some respects, it may even be too late – to ask whether Mr Obama’s foreign policy has yet produced any great outbreak of global Ubuntu.

There is no doubt that billions of people – including your hard-bitten columnist – wanted to hear some such hopeful message when Mr Obama first came to global prominence in 2008. Even today, it is not only Left-wing Danish prime ministers and Mr Cameron who want to share a selfie with him: a large portion of humanity feels the same. The BBC News website still leads off each day with an elderly picture of Obama and Bill Clinton arm in arm. But what, in five years or so, has actually happened? Read on and comment » | Charles Moore | Friday, December 13, 2013

Geert Wilders on Bringing Down EU

Geert Wilders

BBC: Geert Wilders, the controversial Netherlands politician, has told the BBC that he wants to bring down the European Union.

Mr Wilders' Anti-immigration Freedom Party is currently ahead in most the Dutch polls.

Speaking to our Europe Editor, Gavin Hewitt, he dubbed Islam an "inferior culture" and said that future Eastern European migrants should stay home. Watch BBC video » | Friday, December 13, 2013

'Empire of Horror' North Korea Faces Worldwide Condemnation for Execution

Jang Song-thaek

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Britain, South Korea and the UN all criticise North Korea after execution of Jang Song-thaek, Kim Jong-un's uncle, with Carl Bildt labelling regime an "empire of horror"

North Korea faced worldwide condemnation on Friday after confirming that it had executed Jang Song-thaek, the uncle of Kim Jong-un and the man regarded as the communist state's second in command.

Pyongyang issued an extraordinary announcement describing Jang as a "despicable human being" who was "worse than a dog" and saying he had been shot dead immediately after a military tribunal found him guilty of plotting to overthrow his 29-year-old nephew.

The Foreign Office condemned the regime's brutality and its effect on the stability of north Asia. "We are deeply concerned to learn of the execution of Jang," Hugo Swire, a Foreign Office minister said. "More broadly, we remain deeply concerned about the impact of this unpredictable regime on stability in the region.

"Our embassy in Pyongyang is monitoring the situation closely and we will continue to maintain close contact with our allies on this."

China, the North's sole major ally and economic lifeline, said the execution was an internal matter but emphasised the need for stability. "As a neighbour we hope to see national stability, economic development and people living in happiness in the DPRK," a foreign ministry spokesman said.

But a leading Chinese expert on Korea said Beijing was worried. "China will be concerned about any uncertainty brought by the personnel reshuffles," said Li Kaisheng, a fellow at Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences. "Stability in North Korea will be China's top priority now."

South Korea echoed Britain's comments, with its unification ministry saying: "The government has deep concerns about a recent series of developments in North Korea and is watching the situation closely."

Carl Bildt, the Swedish foreign minister, condemned the "Stalinist" execution. "I think that what we see now publicly is only the surface of an empire of horror," he said. » | Damien McElroy | Friday, December 13, 2013

What the Execution of Kim Jong-un’s Uncle Says about North Korea

Read the Telegraph article here | Natasha Clark | Friday, December 13, 2013

North Korea Says Leader's Powerful Uncle Executed

News agency says Jang Song-thaek, uncle of Kim Jong-un, was found guilty of seeking to overthrow the state.

Putin: Russia Not Aspiring to Be Superpower, Or Teach Others How to Live

Russia does not seek the role of a regional or global hegemony, but will defend its core values and interests, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. All attempts to impose on other nations have failed, he added.

Same-Sex Setback: Australia Cancels Gay Marriage Law, India Upholds Ban

Australia's high court has overturned the country's first law allowing same-sex marriage, less than a week after it came into force. And in another blow to gay rights campaigners earlier this week, India upheld legislation criminalizing homosexuality. RT's Gayane Chichakyan looks at the countries taking a conservative approach.

Norway Told to Go Easy on the Pastries

THE INDEPENDENT: Norwegians are being warned to watch their cinnamon intake during the festive season

Hold the pastries - Norway's Food Standards Authority has issued warnings to "heavy users" of cinnamon to watch their intake this Christmas as the festive season begins.

Cinnamon contains coumarin, a substance which can potentially cause liver damage if consumed in excessive amounts, according to the FSA.

This may mean cutting down on skillingsboller, a Danish cinnamon roll popular in Norway. » | Heather Saul | Thursday, December 12, 2013

Pope Francis Attacks Huge Salaries for the Rich While Poor Survive on 'Crumbs'

THE INDEPENDENT: Pontiff attacks excessive bonuses, greed-based economy

Pope Francis has made yet another controversial statement on corporate greed and income inequality in the first peace message of his pontificate.

The Holy Father criticised the "gap between those who have more" and those who "must content with the crumbs", as he called on world governments to do more to close the gap between the super rich and the poor.

Pope Francis, who was recently named TIME magazine's Person of the Year, attacked excessive salaries and exorbitant bonuses as a symptom of an economy based on greed.

"The grave financial and economic crises of the present time have pushed man to seek satisfaction, happiness and security in consumption and earnings out of all proportion to the principles of a sound economy," the Pope said in a message for the Roman Catholic Church's World Day of Peace[.]

"The succession of economic crises should lead to a timely rethinking of our models of economic development and to a change in lifestyles," he added[.]

Titled Fraternity, the Foundation and Pathway to Peace, the message attacked injustice, human trafficking and organised crime as obstacles to world peace.

The message will be delivered to world governments, NGOs and intergovernmental organisations. » | Maria Tadeo | Friday, December 13, 2013

Opinion: Untrustworthy American President

YNET NEWS: Op-ed: In his secret talks with Iran, Obama treated Israel like Chamberlain treated Czechoslovakia

The latest CNN poll released on November 23 showed that 53% of American voters said President Obama was not honest and trustworthy. Similarly, US allies like Israel and the Persian Gulf states are questioning Obama’s integrity after discovering that for the last three years he has been lying and deceiving them by keeping them in the dark about his secret efforts to realign the US with the Iranian-led axis of evil.

When he visited Israel for the first time in March as president, he reassured the Israelis that there was "no daylight between the US and Israel" and that he had "Israel’s back," but in reality his administration has held secret negotiations for the last three years in Oman with Iran without Israel’s knowledge.

The Iranian and American contacts have included a series of US-Iran prisoner releases beginning as early as September 2010. Prime Minister Netanyahu was first informed about these negotiations when he visited the White House on September 30, 2013. But it seems he was misled in that visit as to how close a deal was to fruition, and how bad the deal would be for Israel and beneficial to Iran.

Obama treated Israel like Chamberlain treated Czechoslovakia during his meeting with Hitler in 1938. He discussed an issue with Iran which strongly impacts Israel’s survival without informing, consulting with, or taking into consideration its concerns. » | Shoula Romano Horing | Thursday, December 12, 2013

'Only in the Chimney': Anti-Semitic Carol Causes Uproar in Romania

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Advocacy groups are incensed after a Romanian government-owned channel broadcast a Christmas song glorifying the Holocaust and calling for Jews to be burned. The channel is blaming a local group for the performance.

Outrage has erupted among advocacy groups in Romania after the state channel TVR broadcast an anti-Semitic Christmas song calling for Jews to be burned in a chimney. According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA), the song ran on a Dec. 5 broadcast by the rural-targeted TVR3 channel.

In the broadcast, a choir was shown singing a Christmas song that indirectly glorifies the Holocaust. The song, which rhymes and uses the word "jidovi," a pejorative word for a Jew, includes the lyrics, "only in the chimney as smoke, this is what the 'jidov' is good for."

On Wednesday, Romania's Foreign Minister Titus Corlatean harshly condemned the event and called on the public prosecutor's office and parliament to bring those responsible to justice. Israel's embassy said it was "concerned" about the broadcast. » | tmr -- with wires and reporting by Keno Verseck | Thursday, December 12, 2013

‘Muslims Should Know Better’ - Anjem Choudary on Anti-alcohol Protest

Anjem Choudary

LONDON 24: Islamist firebrand Anjem Choudary has told Muslims they “should know better” than to sell alcohol, ahead of a march he will attend in Brick Lane tomorrow against the “sinful” practice.

The infamous leader of the group al-Muhajiroun said he hopes the rally will help convince Muslims and non-Muslims to “cut out alcohol from society altogether”.

The march on Friday by The Sharia Project, a group based in Waltham Forest with members in Whitechapel, will protest the drinking and sale of alcohol by Muslims in east London, which it says is sinful under Islamic law.

Mr Choudary today confirmed his links to the group after its spokesman Abu Ramaysah described him as one of its “mentors”.

He said: “I teach a lot of them and they have studied Sharia with me.”

Mr Choudary also criticised mosques in east London for tolerating the sale of alcohol, accusing them of doing so for money.

He said: “A Muslim knows it’s completely prohibited to sell alcohol. » | Adam Barnett | Thursday, December 12, 2013

North Korea Executes Kim Jong-un's Uncle as a Traitor

Jang Song-thaek, Kim Jong-un's mentor

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Jang Song-thaek was a mentor to the young North Korean dictator until he was publicly purged last week.

The once-powerful uncle of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been executed for treason after being branded "despicable human scum", according to the state news agency.

Jang Song-thaek was a mentor to the young North Korean dictator and one of the regime's most influential figures until he was publicly purged last week.

Video showed the 67-year-old Mr Jang being dragged out of his seat by police at a government meeting and official North Korean photographs were quickly doctored to remove all traces of him.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) announced the execution of the man it described as "a traitor to the nation for all ages".

"Despicable human scum Jang, who was worse than a dog, perpetrated thrice-cursed acts of treachery in betrayal of such profound trust and warmest paternal love shown by the party and the leader for him," the agency said. » | Raf Sanchez, Washington | Thursday, December 12, 2013

China Considers Nationwide Ban on Smoking in Public

THE GUARDIAN: Rulers of country that is home to more than 300 million smokers mull ban that could be implemented within a year

China's leaders are considering a nationwide smoking ban in public, a leading health official said on Wednesday, as the country's tobacco-related health and economic costs continue to mount.

Yang Jie, deputy director of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention's Office of Tobacco Control, said China's cabinet was mulling over a regulation that would ban smoking in public places nationwide. "Optimistically," he said, it could be implemented within a year.

"If you look at the general development of legislation, I don't think there are a lot of problems," he said at a briefing about the health costs of tobacco use in China. "What is most troubling is how to enforce the law effectively."

China is home to more than 300 million smokers – a third of the global total – and produces nearly half of the world's cigarettes, according to official statistics.

Smoking-related diseases cause more than a million deaths in the country a year, and experts expect the number to nearly triple by 2030. Smoking is deeply ingrained in the country's business culture; cigarettes are doled out as a token of respect and given as gifts on formal occasions, especially outside of major cities, where there is no social stigma against smoking anywhere, at any time. » | Jonathan Kaiman in Beijing | Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Iraq Is Still Bleeding 10 Years after Saddam Hussein's Capture

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Friday's anniversary of the dictator's arrest sees the country struggling with a resurgent al-Qaeda and a death rate double that of a decade ago

Ten years after the capture of Saddam Hussein, Iraq is at risk of becoming a failed state again as al-Qaeda reclaims vast swathes of the country.

Friday’s anniversary of the Iraqi dictator’s arrest sees the country still struggling with his legacy, with al-Qaeda launching a fresh campaign of terrorist atrocities from new territory carved out in western and northern Iraq.

Backed by jihadists fighting the civil war in neighbouring Syria, the group is trying to create an “emirate” straddling the two countries, taking advantage of the collapse in security across the border.

Bridges linking four key border towns on the Iraqi side have been dynamited, making it difficult for security forces to operate in the area.

Road signs have even been put up proclaiming it to be the turf of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the name for the joint Syrian-Iraqi al-Qaeda franchise. » | Colin Freeman, Baghdad | Thursday, December 12, 2013

Al Jazeera Correspondent: Identity and Exile

Al Jazeera's Matthew Cassel examines why so many American Jews defend Israeli policies regardless of the issue or cost.

Australia: High Court Overturns ACT Gay Marriage Law

BBC: Australia's High Court has overturned legislation allowing gay marriage in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).

The ACT parliament passed a bill in October making the territory the first part of Australia to legalise same-sex weddings.

But the national government challenged the decision, saying it was inconsistent with federal laws.

Some 27 couples who married since the law came into effect last weekend will now have their unions declared invalid.

The court said the issue should be decided by parliament - which in September 2012 voted down gay marriage legislation. » | Thursday, December 12, 2013

Israel & Saudi Team Up Frustrated at US Policy

The unlikely pairing of Saudi Arabia and Israel are reportedly teaming up, in response to Washington's Middle East policies. Representatives from the countries' intelligence services apparently met for talks in Jerusalem. They're united in their disdain for America's reversal on intervention in Syria, followed by the agreement of a historic nuclear deal with Iran.

Putin: We Won't Let Anyone Achieve Military Dominance Over Russia

Russia will not allow any nation to dominate it in military terms, the Russian president said. Some nations are developing new kinds of weapons, which may tip the global strategic balance, but Russia knows how to counter them.

Related »

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

Inside Story: Shake-up in North Korea?

We examine the reasons for the reported dismissal of Kim Jong-un's influential uncle, and its impact on the region.