Russian Ambassadors 'Joked about Annexing Scotland'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A leaked recording purporting to be of envoys joking about adding Scotland, Alaska and Venice to Russia's conquest of Crimea is the latest salvo in the war of dirty tricks over Ukraine

The war of dirty tricks over the Ukraine crisis escalated on Friday with the leak of a conversation purporting to be of two Russian ambassadors joking about adding Scotland, Alaska, and Venice to Russia’s conquest of Crimea.

The expletive ridden conversation posted on Youtube features two voices said to be Igor Chubarov, the ambassador to Eritrea, and Sergei Bakharev, the ambassador to Zimbabwe and Malawi.

The voice labelled as Mr Chubarov’s congratulates Mr Bakharev on persuading Zimbabwe to back Russia’s position on Crimea at the UN, and goes on to joke about telling a European diplomat about future conquests.

“We’ve got Crimea, but that’s not ----ing all, folks. In the future we’ll take you ----ing Catalonia, Venice, as well as Scotland and Alaska,” the voice says.

The pair go on to add Miami and London to their hit list, noting that "Miamiland' is ----ing 95 percent Russian citizens." » | Roland Oliphant, Moscow and Tony Paterson, Berlin | Friday, April 04, 2014

Russians Petition for Return of Alaska »

France's Le Pen: Ban Non-pork Meals in Schools

Marine Le Pen, leader of the Front National

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Leader of France's far-Right party says schools should not pander to Jewish and Muslim children by offering non-Pork alternatives for lunch

School canteens will no longer offer non-pork meal options in towns where France's anti-immigration far-right Front National (FN) party won local elections, its leader Marine Le Pen has said.

Mrs Le Pen reignited debate on a sensitive issue about the substitution meals targeting mainly Muslim and Jewish pupils for whom pork is taboo.

"We will accept no religious requirements in the school lunch menus," Mrs Le Pen told RTL radio. "There is no reason for religion to enter into the public sphere."

She defended the decision saying it was necessary to "save secularism". » | Saturday, April 05, 2014

THE INDEPENDENT: French National Front to stop Muslim and Jewish pupils having pork-free school dinners: 'We will not accept any religious demands in school menus,' the party's leader Marine Le Pen told a radio station » | Kashmira Gander | Saturday, April 05, 2014

LE POINT: Marine Le Pen veut imposer le porc dans les cantines : Marine Le Pen promet que ses nouveaux élus locaux "rétabliront les menus avec porc dans les cantines" s'il en a été supprimé. » | Source AFP | vendredi 04 avril 2014

Did Adolf Hitler Marry a Woman of Jewish Descent? DNA Tests ‘Show Eva Braun Associated with Ashkenazi Jews’

THE INDEPENDENT: The Dead Famous DNA film tested hair samples which are said to have come from a hairbrush used by Hitler's secret lover and discovered at his mountain retreat

Eva Braun, Adolf Hitler’s long-term lover who married the Nazi leader hours before their joint suicide in his Berlin bunker, may have had Jewish ancestry, ground-breaking DNA testing has found.

DNA analysis of hair samples from a hairbrush claimed to belong to Braun suggests that the fascist dictator responsible for the murder of millions of Jews may have unwittingly married a woman of semitic descent, in one of his final acts as the Third Reich crumbled.

The revelation appears in a Channel 4 documentary, Dead Famous DNA, broadcast next week, in which leading scientists attempt to extract DNA from relics and analyse their genome to solve mysteries associated with them. » | Adam Sherwin | Sayurday, April 05, 2014

Germany Preparing to Mobilise Once Mighty Luftwaffe in Response to Russia’s Crimea Crisis

DAILY EXPRESS: GERMANY is preparing to mobilise its once mighty Luftwaffe to patrol Europe's Russian border, it has been disclosed, as an international expert today warned placing Nato bases in former Soviet Union countries would further enrage Vladimir Putin.

German media reported at the weekend that Berlin's defence ministry was ready to make available up to six aircraft for a strengthened air patrolling mission in parts of eastern Europe, and the number of Nato aircraft would be at least doubled as a response to the crisis in Crimea.

Berlin has been reluctant to involve the German military in foreign conflicts, and after the Second World War West Germany's constitution went so far as to prohibit any military action, except in case of an external attack against Germany or its allies.

Earlier this month US President Barack Obama said Nato needed to boost its presence in those eastern European partner states that feel vulnerable to Russia.

But German magazine Der Spiegel quoted German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the weekend as saying it was important for Nato to keep a cool head and not get dragged into a military escalation.

"At the same time, our partners know that we stand for solidarity in the alliance with no ifs and buts and not just when the weather suits," Der Spiegel quoted. » | Owen Bennett | Political Reporter | Tuesday, April 01, 2014

Phone Nigel Farage Live: Put Your Questions to the UKIP Leader

Fresh from his debate with Nick Clegg, Ukip leader Nigel Farage is taking part in a live phone-in for Telegraph readers today. Watch the programme from 1pm (1300 BST)

Government to Move Ahead with Standardised Cigarette Packets

Read the BBC article here | Thursday, April 03, 2014

British Woman Jailed in Tehran for Insulting Islam and Iranian Government on Facebook Fears Execution

THE INDEPENDENT: Roya Saberi Negad Nobakht's husband said that she had only been charged after a confession was extracted from her 'under duress'

A British woman has been locked up in Iran for five months after posting derogatory comments about the country's government on Facebook and fears she will be executed, her husband has said.

Concerns are growing for the welfare of Roya Saberi Negad Nobakht, 47, from Stockport, who has been charged with "insulting Islamic sanctities", a crime which can be punishable by death. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said it was "urgently" looking into her case. However, Britain currently has no embassy in Iran, making any negotiations more difficult.

Mrs Nobakht was in Iran visiting family in October last year when she was arrested by police as she arrived by plane in the south western city of Shiraz, according to an account given by her husband, Daryoush Taghipoor, to a family friend in Britain.

She was then taken back to Tehran and charged with "gathering and participation with intent to commit crime against national security" and "insulting Islamic sanctities", according to a copy of her charge sheet seen by The Independent.

Mr Taghipoor, who is currently in Iran, claimed that his wife's arrest was over comments she had made on a Facebook group about the government being "too Islamic", and that she had only been charged after a confession was extracted from her "under duress". Facebook declined to comment. » | Chris Green | Senior Reporter | Wednesday, April 02, 2014

Saudiarabien: Abdullah bringt 69-jährigen „Jungspund“ in Stellung

König Abdullah

DIE PRESSE: Das wahabitische Wüstenkönigreich steht vor dem heikelsten Machtwechsel seines 80-jährigen Bestehens. Der 90-jährige kranke König Abdullah will bei der Thronfolge nichts dem Zufall überlassen.

Kairo/Riad. Beim Besuch von Barack Obama vergangene Woche trug sein hochbetagter Gastgeber einen Sauerstoffschlauch in der Nase. Über 90 Jahre ist Saudiarabiens König Abdullah alt, rückenleidend, übergewichtig, schnell ermüdend und nur noch per Rollator mobil. Der Monarch habe Krebs und nur noch wenige Monate zu leben, verbreiteten US-Diplomaten, auch wenn er die zwei Stunden Diskussion mit dem 52-jährigen US-Präsidenten offenbar mit Witz und Elan absolviert hat.

Nur 24 Stunden zuvor hat Abdullah wie aus heiterem Himmel seinen jüngsten Halbbruder, Muqrin bin Abdulaziz, zum zweiten Kronprinzen befördert. Die Entscheidung sei „unwiderruflich und kann von niemandem annulliert werden“, hieß es in dem Dekret. » | Von Martin Gehlen | Die Presse | Mittwoch, 02. April 2014

Russians Petition for Return of Alaska

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Not content with annexing Crimea, Russia appears to have its eyes on Alaska

More than 35,000 people have signed a petition on the White House website calling for Alaska to be returned to Russia after 117 years of American rule.

Written in stilted English, the petition says that “groups Siberian Russians” crossed the Bering Strait more than 10,000 years ago.

Alaska was Russian territory until 1867 when it was sold to the United States for $7.2 million (£4.3 million).

Reminders of its days as an outpost of the Tsarist empire persist in the form of the distinctive domed Russian Orthodox churches dotted around some of the [the] towns.

The western tip of Alaska at the end of the Seward Peninsula – named after William Seward, the US secretary of state who handled the negotiations – is only 51 miles from Russia. » | David Millward, US Correspondent | Wednesday, April 02, 2014

Live: Nick Clegg v Nigel Farage TV Debate on the UK and the EU

Inside Story: Turkey Elections: Test of Erdogan’s Rule?

Ruling AK Party sweeps to success in local elections seen as a barometer of public opinion.

Saudi Arabia Declares Atheists Terrorists under New Laws Targeting Citizens Who 'Call for Secular Thought in Any Form'

MAIL ONLINE: Saudi Arabia has officially identified atheists as terrorists in sweeping new laws that threaten up to 20 years in prison for almost any criticism of the government or Islam.

The regulations place secular citizens who commit thought crimes in the same category as violent terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda's Yemen branch and Saudi Hezbollah.

Under the new decree by King Abdullah, Saudi Arabia will jail for up to 20 years anyone who fights in conflicts abroad - an apparent move to deter Saudis from joining rebels in Syria.

But the law also applies to any Saudi citizen or a foreigner residing in the kingdom that 'calls for atheist thought in any form or calls into question the fundamentals of the Islamic religion on which this country is based.'

The laws have been denounced by human rights groups for making no distinction between religious expression and violent extremism.

'Saudi authorities have never tolerated criticism of their policies, but these recent laws and regulations turn almost any critical expression or independent association into crimes of terrorism,' said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. » | Simon Tomlinson | Tuesday, April 01, 2014

Ku Klux Klan on New Recruitment Drive with Leaflet Drop in Towns across America

The leaflets depict the outline of a hooded figure in white robes
with Klan insignia pointing at the reader in the style of traditional
military recruiting posters, complete with phone numbers and websites

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Residents wake up to find fliers declaring “The KKK wants you” as hatred of Obama and immigration fuels rise in white supremacy

The Ku Klux Klan is on a recruitment drive across America with a new leafleting campaign, as membership numbers grow due to opposition to Barack Obama and increased immigration.

Residents of towns in Texas, Louisiana, Illinois and Pennsylvania emerged from their houses over the weekend to find fliers attached to their doors, car windscreens or on the front lawn declaring “The KKK wants you.”

The leaflets depict the outline of a hooded figure in white robes with Klan insignia pointing at the reader in the style of traditional military recruiting posters, complete with phone numbers and websites.

The Klan and its latest campaign are legal under the US’s strong constitutional right to free speech. The white supremacy group, which aims to oust Mr Obama and stem immigration, is also against interracial marriage and homosexuality. In their contemporary guise, Klan leaders promote non-violent defence of whites “in the race war against us”, according to one website. » | Joanna Walters, New York | Monday, March 31, 2014

Right Triumph: Hollande's Socialist Party Suffers Drubbing at Local Vote in France

Francois Hollande is expected to launch a major cabinet reshuffle, as preliminary results show his Socialist party suffering a bitter defeat in local elections. The far right meanwhile has made a breakthrough, claiming its biggest victory in history

Selon Google, la Turquie a pénétré son système d'adresses

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Google affirme que la Turquie a pénétré son système d'adresses internet afin de pouvoir rediriger les utilisateurs vers d'autres sites.

Ankara a pénétré le système d'adresses de Google, affirme le géant de l'internet.

Google a reçu «plusieurs informations crédibles et a confirmé par (ses) proches recherches que le service DNS (Domain Name System) a été intercepté par la plupart des fournisseurs turcs d'accès à internet», a écrit ce week-end sur le blog de sécurité de Google l'un de ses ingénieurs, Steven Carstensen. » | afp/Newsnet | lundi 31 mars 2014

Graham: Putin Must 'Pay a Heavy Price' for Annexing Crimea

Mar. 31, 2014 - 7:20 - Senator Lindsey Graham on the US response to Russia's actions in Ukraine

A Friend Asked Me What I Thought Putin Would Do Next. This Was My Response

It is difficult to say, but it would appear to me that he has the rest of the Ukraine in his sights. Then, probably Moldova. And then, who knows? To my mind, the man is so obviously an empire-builder. He loathes Russia's loss of clout in the world; and resents America's pre-eminent position as a superpower. He seems determined to do something about it.

In Obama, he sees weakness, which he certainly doesn't respect. He knows that Obama has no appetite for a fight. He also knows that Americans are war-weary. Further, he knows that America is in tremendous debt; so another war is the last thing America needs. Europe, he will probably perceive as weak, too; in complete disarray, and in the middle of lean economic times. Europe's main weakness is that there is no elected central command. Germany, Europe's potentially strongest nation, has hang-ups because of WWII and Hitler's ignominious legacy: das Vaterland has no appetite for a fight. It, along with the rest of Europe, is dependent on Russia for gas supplies.

The UK is not so dependent on Russia's gas supplies, but it is in the process of winding down its military in the name of austerity, falsely believing that world wars and major conflicts are a thing of the past. Consequently, the path is wide open for whatever Putin chooses to do next, knowing, of course, that apart from a few symbolic sanctions, little or nothing will be done about his military manoeuvres.

The Baltic states – Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania – will probably be left alone, for the time being at least, because there are treaties obliging the rest of NATO to come to their aid if attacked. He will therefore concentrate on those countries which are not bound by treaty.

I read yesterday that Putin phoned Obama in order to seek a 'diplomatic solution'. This, if I am not greatly mistaken, is a cynical ploy. He is playing Obama for the fool he truly is. He is flattering him on the one side, knowing that he is exceedingly vain, and laughing about him behind his back on the other. Putin has no desire for a diplomatic solution, since were he to have that desire, he wouldn't have annexed Crimea in the first place.

This is a power game – a big power game at that. Putin is out to secure Obama's legacy as a complete idiot, and ineffectual world leader. He is playing to his vanity. Pay attention to what will happen next. Putin is in this for the long-haul. Victory for him will come at the end. This is just the beginning of a war of nerves, I believe. Remember this: Putin was schooled in the KGB. He was not a community organiser! Putin is Machiavellian; Obama, like a pussy. America needs a change at the top. And soon!

© Mark Alexander

All Rights Reserved

Facial Hair Transplants On the Rise

BBC: Plastic surgeons in Canada are reporting a surprising increase in the number of patients seeking facial hair transplants.

Once transplanted, the hairs are permanent and grow just like facial hair.

Russell Trott reports. (+ BBC video) » | Saturday, March 30, 2014

Discrimination Fear: Sharia Law Guidelines Introduced to UK Muslim Wills

Sharia law maybe creeping into the British legal system. UK lawyers are now given guidelines on how to draw up wills compliant with Islam laws. The move could see women and non-Muslims left without their fair share of inheritance, RT's Polly Boiko looked into the implications of the new rules.

Concern as Brunei Brings In System of Islamic Law with Punishments That Include the Dismemberment of Limbs and Stoning to Death

The Sultan of Brunei says he wants to set up a
'firewall' against globalisation

THE INDEPENDENT: The country’s ruler says sharia was created as guidance from Allah

The Sultan of Brunei, one of the world’s wealthiest rulers and a close ally of Britain, will this week oversee his country’s transition to a system of Islamic law with punishments that include flogging, the dismemberment of limbs and stoning to death.

The 67-year-old absolute monarch declared last year that he wanted to introduce a full sharia system in his oil-rich nation and warned critics who took to social media sites to complain that they could be prosecuted using the new laws.

The decision to introduce sharia and reintroduce the death penalty has been condemned by NGOs and legal rights campaigners, who say the new rules will breach international laws. It has also triggered alarm among some of Brunei’s non-Muslim communities, who will also be subject to some of the rulings. » | Andrew Buncombe | Saturday, March 29, 2014