Kim Jong Un Warned He Could Face Prosecution for 'Crimes Against Humanity'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The United Nations has warned Kim Jong Un that he could end up in an international criminal court for his regime's human rights abuses

North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, has been warned that he could face prosecution for crimes against humanity after a United Nations inquiry accused him of some of the worst human rights abuses since World War II.

In some of the harshest criticism ever unleashed by the international community against the Pyongyang regime, a UN panel branded it "a shock to the conscience of humanity".

Michael Kirby, a retired Australian judge who has spent nearly a year taking testimony from victims of the regime, said its behaviour was akin to some of the atrocities carried by the Nazi regime and of Pol Pot's in Cambodia.

In a bid to put pressure on Kim Jong Un, he has now written to the North Korean leader to warn him that he could face prosecution for the activities of his henchmen, whom the inquiry accused of killing, imprisoning and torturing with impunity. » | Colin Freeman | Monday, February 17, 2014

Churches Block-book Cinemas for Son of God Opening

Diogo Morgado in the film poster for 'Son of God'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Pastors distribute tickets to the faithful in pulpit promotion campaign for new film based on hit miniseries The Bible

American church groups are block-booking cinema multiplexes to fill seats with the faithful for opening night screenings next week of Son of God, the forthcoming film about the life of Jesus Christ.

They are buying up all the tickets and distributing them to churchgoers as part of a "theatre takeover" to promote the film which is based on the hit television miniseries The Bible.

Cinema chains said the pre-release buzz and demand for tickets was on a par with major blockbuster releases as pastors spread the word about the celluloid portrayal of the life of Christ from the pulpit.

Crossroads Church in Cincinnati has bought every seat in all 13 screens for a simultaneous showing of the film on February 27, according to The Hollywood Reporter. » | Phil Sherwell, New York | Monday, February 17, 2014


SUMMARY: This major motion picture event -- an experience created to be shared among families and communities across the U.S. -- brings the story of Jesus’ life to audiences through compelling cinematic storytelling that is both powerful and inspirational. Told with the scope and scale of an action epic, the film features powerful performances, exotic locales, dazzling visual effects and a rich orchestral score from Oscar®-winner Hans Zimmer. Portuguese actor Diogo Morgado portrays the role of Jesus as the film spans from his humble birth through his teachings, crucifixion and ultimate resurrection. [Source: The Hollywood Reporter]

Streit um Freizügigkeit: EU setzt Verhandlungen mit der Schweiz aus

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Der Zwist zwischen EU und der Schweiz verschärft sich. Die Eidgenossen hatten am Sonntag ein Abkommen zur Öffnung ihres Arbeitsmarkts für Kroaten gestoppt. Brüssel reagierte umgehend und setzte Verhandlungen zu Austausch- und Forschungsprogrammen aus. Der Schweiz könnten damit EU-Gelder entgehen.

Bern - Der Volksentscheid zur Begrenzung der Zuwanderung in der Schweiz belastet das Verhältnis zur Europäischen Union (EU). Die Regierung in Bern hatte ein geplantes Abkommen zur Öffnung ihres Arbeitsmarkts für Kroaten gestoppt. Nun folgt die Reaktion aus Brüssel: Demnach sollen die Verhandlungen über eine Beteiligung der Schweiz an dem Studenten-Austauschprogramm Erasmus Plus und dem milliardenschweren Forschungsprogramm Horizont 2020 vorläufig ausgesetzt werden, sagte ein Kommissionssprecher. Damit könnten der Schweiz EU-Gelder für Forschung und Bildung entgehen. » | vks/dpa | Sonntag, 16. Februar 2014

Extreme Loneliness Worse for Health Than Obesity and Can Lead to an Early Grave, Scientists Say

THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY: Feeling extreme loneliness on a long-term basis can be worse than obesity in terms of increasing the potentially lethal health risks that lead to premature death, scientists said.

Chronic loneliness has been shown to increase the chances of an early grave by 14 per cent, which is as bad as being overweight and almost as bad as poverty in undermining a person’s long-term wellbeing, a study has found.

As more people live longer, they are spending a bigger part of their lives feeling lonely. This is having a significant impact on their physical as well as mental health, the researchers found.

Loneliness is also becoming more common as people live alone or become isolated from relatives and friends, especially in retirement. Research has shown that at any given time between 20 and 40 per cent of older adults feel lonely. » | Steve Connor, Chicago | Sunday, February 16, 2014

Italian 'Mummy's Boys' Told by Church That 'Mamma' One of the Biggest Risks to Marriage

Italian men are traditionally very close to their mothers

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: The Catholic church has warned that Italian men's adoration of their mothers is harming their marriages

The Italian male deference to their mothers may be seen from afar as an endearing trait – as joyously traditional a part of their heritage as pizza, pasta and Prosecco.

But the Catholic Church has issued a grave warning that "mammismo" – the classic attachment between Italian men and their mothers – is one of the biggest risks to marriage in the country today.

"Marriage has to be an act of free will and awareness," said Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, archbishop of Genoa and president of the country's bishops conference.

"When you rely totally on your parents for every step, a spouse does not know what to do or not to do because he's constantly seeking the consensus of a third person." Read on and comment » | Josephine McKenna, Rome | Sunday, February 16, 2014

Royal Idiocy! Prince William Wants 'All Royal Ivory Destroyed'

THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY: There are some 1,200 objects made with ivory in the royal collection. Their possible destruction is welcomed by wildlife campaigners, but not by some art enthusiasts

The Duke of Cambridge wants to strip all the ivory from Buckingham Palace and destroy it, The Independent on Sunday can reveal, in a move conservationists hailed as "extremely significant" in the fight against elephant poaching.

Some 1,200 items containing ivory are listed in the royal collection, including a throne from India that incorporates elephant-ivory plaques. The move would seek to encourage other heads of states to give up their ivory stocks and collections.

The revelation comes days after the Duke attended the world's largest ever conference on the illegal wildlife trade, which called for an end to the £12bn trade in animals and their parts, including ivory. At least 45 tons of ivory were seized in 2013, believed to be the biggest annual haul in a quarter of a century. » | Sarah Morrison | Sunday, February 16, 2014

My comment:

What a ridiculous suggestion! What good will destroying all those wonderful objets d'art do? That would be wanton destruction, rather like Salafists wanting to destroy the Sphinx and the Pyramids. I feel sure that the Queen would not warm to this suggestion!

If Prince William really wants to do something positive for elephants, then he can determine not to accept such gifts in future, and not purchase anything made with ivory from now on.

This suggestion is redolent of those women who took their fur coats and burned them. It did not bring back the animals who had to suffer to make them, not did it help to keep anyone warm.

This suggestion is more than silly, it's ridiculous. –© Mark

This comment appears here too.

The Andrew Marr Show

Andrew Marr is joined by key political personalities and cultural figures to discuss current affairs and the arts. Guests include actor George Clooney and author Robert M Edsel.
Watch The Andrew Marr Show on BBC iPlayer here | Sunday, February 16, 2014

Talk to Al Jazeera: Erdogan: Turkey's Rôle in the Middle East

The Turkish prime minister shares his views on the war in Syria, the coup in Egypt and relations with Israel and Iran.

Kerry Pays Tribute to Islam in Jakarta

John Kerry and Grand Imam Ali Mustafa Ya'qub at the grand
domed prayer hall at the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia
on Sunday

THE TIMES OF ISRAEL: Secretary of state, bidding to help repair US-Muslim ties during southeast Asia swing, visits region’s largest mosque

JAKARTA — US Secretary of State John Kerry visited Southeast Asia’s largest mosque during his visit to Indonesia Sunday, paying tribute to Islam in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation.

After removing his shoes outside the Istiqlal mosque in the heart of Jakarta, Kerry walked through the vast building accompanied by grand imam Kyai al-Hajj Ali Mustafa Yaqub.

Calling it an “extraordinary place”, the top US diplomat told Indonesian reporters: “I am very privileged to be here and I am grateful to the grand imam for allowing me to come.” » | AFP | Sunday, February 16, 2014

Data Protection: Angela Merkel Proposes Europe Network

BBC: German Chancellor Angela Merkel is proposing building up a European communications network to help improve data protection.

It would avoid emails and other data automatically passing through the United States.

In her weekly podcast, she said she would raise the issue on Wednesday with French President Francois Hollande.

Revelations of mass surveillance by the US National Security Agency (NSA) have prompted huge concern in Europe.

Disclosures by the US whistleblower Edward Snowden suggested even the mobile phones of US allies, such as Mrs Merkel, had been monitored by American spies.

Classified NSA documents revealed that large amounts of personal data are collected from the internet by US and British surveillance. » | Saturday, February 15, 2014

Rich Should Get More Votes, Says Billionaire Tom Perkins

Tom Perkins calls for the rich to be given more votes

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Outspoken magnate Tom Perkins who likened attacks on the very rich to anti-Semitism, courts further controversy as he calls for the right to vote to be linked to how much tax people pay

Tom Perkins, the Silicon Valley billionaire, has risked further controversy by saying the rich should be given more votes than the less well off.

An unrepentant Mr Perkins also said those who paid no taxes whatsoever should be disfranchised.

The venture capitalist, enlisted both Thomas Jefferson and Baroness Thatcher in his call for a radical change to the voting system.

Speaking at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, he appeared to revel in the notoriety his previous remarks as he spoke to a sell-out audience.

“Thomas Jefferson, at the beginning of this country thought to vote you had to be a landowner,” he said. » | David Millward, US Correspondent | Saturday, February 15, 2014

Salafists Want to Destroy the Sphinx and Pyramids (2012)

Deutschland: Ungebremster Zulauf für Salafisten

270 Muslime aus Deutschland sind laut Verfassungsschutz inzwischen in den Bürgerkrieg gereist, 110, also der Großteil, stammen aus Nordrhein-Westfalen. Eine Reisewelle mit tödlichen Folgen: Im Oktober 2013 starb Burak Karan, ein Deutsch-Türke aus Wuppertal. In dieser Woche machte Robert Baum aus Solingen Schlagzeilen.

Salafisten: Bedrohung für Deutschland? Ulrich Kraetzer zum Thema

Nicht jeder Salafist ist ein Terrorist, aber fast alle Terroristen sind Salafisten

Iran’s Future: Huw Edwards Interviews Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi (2014)

In a rare interview for BBC News, Huw Edwards interviews the exiled crown prince of Iran, Reza Pahlavi about Iran's future. It has been 35 years since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Austrian Red Cross in Hot Water after ‘Rejecting’ Blood Donations from Muslims

RT: Austria's Red Cross has come under fire from the local Islamic community after one of its doctors reportedly refused to accept blood donations from Muslims or donors of Turkish origin due to the risk of Hepatitis B.

Austria-based charity group for Austrian Muslims, the IRG foundation, which has been campaigning to donate blood, reported on its website a Red Cross doctor from Linz, Austria’s third-biggest city, refused over the phone to accept blood donations “from Muslim or Turkish donors” including those born in Austria. The Islamic Religious Community of Linz has been outraged by the decision, which sparked religious prejudice concerns. » | Friday, February 14, 2014

As Hate Crimes Rise, British Muslims Say They’re Becoming More Insular

THE NEW YORK TIMES: BIRMINGHAM, England — Alum Rock, a neighborhood of Birmingham, looks the way Pakistan might, if Pakistan were under gray northern skies and British rule.

The streets are lively but orderly, with shops that provide the largely South Asian population with most of its needs. The huge Pak Supermarket, with its 10-kilogram bags of spices and rices, is matched by the nearby Pak Pharmacy. Nearly every face is South Asian, and people wear a vibrant mixture of clothing, from Western styles to head scarves, knitted caps and full-face veils, or niqabs.

But the Muslims of Alum Rock, Washwood Heath and Sparkbrook, who make up most of the more than 21 percent of Birmingham’s population who declare Islam as their religion, are newly uneasy, they say. The backlash from the killing of a white soldier, Lee Rigby, in London in May by two fanatical young British Muslims, combined with anxieties about the flow of jihadis between Britain and Syria and the sometimes harshly anti-immigrant tone of leading British politicians have combined to create a new wariness among British Muslims.

“It is a less comfortable country than it used to be,” said Sadruddin Ali, 35, born and raised here.

Anti-Muslim hate crimes are up, the police and Muslim advocacy groups say. In response, many British Muslims say they are becoming more insular and more reluctant to leave their areas of Britain’s big cities, where they are among other Muslims and South Asians. » | Steven Erlanger | Thursday, February 13, 2014

Jamaicans Lead Caribbean Calls for Britain to Pay Slavery Reparations

Caribbean slave descendants, some of whose ancestors worked for David Cameron's distant family, are calling for an apology and billions of pounds in reparations

Read the Telegraph article here | Jon Swaine, Jamaica | Saturday, February 15, 2014

History Channel Documentary: The French Revolution

On July 14, 1789, a mob of angry Parisians stormed the Bastille and seized the King's military stores. A decade of idealism, war, murder, and carnage followed, bringing about the end of feudalism and the rise of equality and a new world order. The French Revolution is a definitive feature-length documentary that encapsulates this heady (and often headless) period in Western civilization. With dramatic reenactments, illustrations, and paintings from the era, plus revealing accounts from journals and expert commentary from historians, The French Revolution vividly unfurls in a maelstrom of violence, discontent, and fundamental change. King Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, Maximilien Robespierre, and Napoleon Bonaparte lead a cast of thousands in this essential program from THE HISTORY CHANNEL®. Narrated by Edward Herrmann (The Aviator, Gilmore Girls), The French Revolution explores the legacy that--now more than ever--stands as both a warning and a guidepost to a new millennium

Inside Story: Scotland: A Rocky Road to Independence

The British government warns Scots of the consequences of its plans to withdraw from the Union.