President Obama and Stoking Resentments » | Bernard Goldberg | Sunday, April 13, 2014
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
President Obama Stoking Resentment?
President Obama and Stoking Resentments » | Bernard Goldberg | Sunday, April 13, 2014
Barack Obama & The White House: Playing the Race Card to Deflect Criticism
How the Media Protects President Obama
Labels:
Barack Obama,
MSM
Ukraine Crisis: Obama Warns Putin That Moscow Faces Further Action
Barack Obama has told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in a tense phone call that Moscow would face further costs for its actions in Ukraine and should use its influence to get separatists in the country to stand down.
Armed pro-Russian separatists seized more buildings in eastern Ukraine earlier in the day, expanding their control after the government failed to follow through on a threatened military crackdown.
In a call on Monday night that the White House said Moscow requested, the US president told Putin that those forces were threatening to undermine and destabilise the government in Kiev.
"The president emphasised that all irregular forces in the country need to lay down their arms, and he urged president Putin to use his influence with these armed, pro-Russian groups to convince them to depart the buildings they have seized," the White House said in a statement. » | Reuters | Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Monday, April 14, 2014
BBC Whitewash? Trojan Horse: 25 Schools Probed Over Alleged Takeover Plot
BBC: An investigation into an alleged hard-line Islamist takeover plot of Birmingham schools has widened, with 25 schools now under the spotlight.
Birmingham City Council said it had received more than 200 reports in relation to its inquiry.
It has appointed former head teacher Ian Kershaw as its chief advisor.
Anonymous claims hard-line Muslims were trying to take over the running of some city schools were made in a letter sent to local authorities last year.
The 25 schools now being looked at include primaries, secondaries and academies.
The 200-plus reports to the council include emails and calls from staff, parents and governors. (+ BBC video) » | Monday, April 14, 2014
Birmingham City Council said it had received more than 200 reports in relation to its inquiry.
It has appointed former head teacher Ian Kershaw as its chief advisor.
Anonymous claims hard-line Muslims were trying to take over the running of some city schools were made in a letter sent to local authorities last year.
The 25 schools now being looked at include primaries, secondaries and academies.
The 200-plus reports to the council include emails and calls from staff, parents and governors. (+ BBC video) » | Monday, April 14, 2014
Margaret Thatcher: Death of a Revolutionary
A Channel 4 documentary by Martin Durkin with contributions by Kenneth Baker, Cecil Parkinson, Neil Kinnock, Kelvin MacKenzie, Norman Tebbit, Bernard Ingham, Charles Powell, Nigel Lawson and David Cameron.
Dead Swedes Provide Home Heating for the Living
Labels:
crematoria,
green solutions,
Sweden
Ukraine : l'UE élargit la liste des sanctions ciblées
L'Union européenne a décidé lundi d'allonger la liste des Russes et des Ukrainiens pro-russes visés par des sanctions ciblées, mettant directement en cause la Russie pour "l'escalade" de la situation dans l'est de l'Ukraine. Réunis à Luxembourg, les ministres des Affaires étrangères ont insisté sur "l'importance décisive" de la réunion prévue pour jeudi à Genève entre Ukrainiens, Russes, Américains et Européens.
"Il est crucial que la Russie et l'Ukraine s'engagent dans un dialogue utile" pour "lancer le processus de désescalade", a déclaré Catherine Ashton, qui dirige la diplomatie européenne. Si, à l'issue de la rencontre de Genève, une extrême tension devait persister dans l'est de l'Ukraine, les Européens pourraient décider de passer à la "phase 3" des sanctions, celles d'ordre économique, susceptibles de frapper plus durement la Russie. » | Source AFP | lundi 14 avril 2014
Labels:
l'UE,
les sanctions,
Russie
Israel: Lieberman enthüllt Geheimgespräche mit arabischen Staaten
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Avigdor Lieberman hetzt gerne gegen Araber. Umso überraschender sind die jüngsten Äußerungen des israelischen Außenministers. Seine Regierung führe Geheimverhandlungen mit Saudi-Arabien und Kuwait. Das Ziel ist die Aufnahme diplomatischer Beziehungen.
Jerusalem - Israels Außenminister Avigdor Lieberman hat erstmals bestätigt, dass seine Regierung Geheimgespräche mit verfeindeten arabischen Staaten führt, unter ihnen Saudi-Arabien und Kuwait. Ziel der Verhandlungen sei die Normalisierung der Beziehungen und die Aufnahme diplomatischer Kontakte, sagte Lieberman der Zeitung "Jediot Acharonot".
Grundlage der Gespräche seien die gemeinsame Furcht vor der wachsenden Stärke Irans und die Bedrohung durch islamistischen Extremismus, sagte der israelische Außenminister weiter. "Erstmals verstehen die Araber, dass nicht Israel oder die Juden oder der Zionismus die Bedrohung sind - sondern Iran, der weltweite Dschihad, die Hisbollah und al-Qaida", so Lieberman. » | syd/Reuters | Montag, 14. April 2014
Jerusalem - Israels Außenminister Avigdor Lieberman hat erstmals bestätigt, dass seine Regierung Geheimgespräche mit verfeindeten arabischen Staaten führt, unter ihnen Saudi-Arabien und Kuwait. Ziel der Verhandlungen sei die Normalisierung der Beziehungen und die Aufnahme diplomatischer Kontakte, sagte Lieberman der Zeitung "Jediot Acharonot".
Grundlage der Gespräche seien die gemeinsame Furcht vor der wachsenden Stärke Irans und die Bedrohung durch islamistischen Extremismus, sagte der israelische Außenminister weiter. "Erstmals verstehen die Araber, dass nicht Israel oder die Juden oder der Zionismus die Bedrohung sind - sondern Iran, der weltweite Dschihad, die Hisbollah und al-Qaida", so Lieberman. » | syd/Reuters | Montag, 14. April 2014
Türkei: Erdogan plant Sondergefängnis für Homosexuelle
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Die Regierung in Ankara spricht von "Schutz der Verurteilten": Inhaftierte Schwule, Lesben und Transsexuelle sollen in der Türkei künftig in einem speziellen Gefängnis untergebracht werden. Die Opposition ist empört.
Ankara - Die türkische Regierung von Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan sorgt mit einem neuen Vorhaben für Aufsehen: Justizminister Bekir Bozdag hat bekanntgegeben, dass Ankara den Bau eines Sondergefängnisses plane, in dem ausschließlich Homosexuelle untergebracht werden sollen.
Ziel der Trennung sei der "Schutz der Verurteilten", sagte der Minister auf Anfrage eines Oppositionsabgeordneten. Fortan müsse jeder Gefangene bei Haftantritt seine sexuelle Orientierung angeben. Insassen, die bei Haftantritt erklären, homosexuell zu sein, sollen künftig in einem eigenen Knast eingesperrt werden. » | syd/dpa | Montag, 14. April 2014
Ankara - Die türkische Regierung von Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan sorgt mit einem neuen Vorhaben für Aufsehen: Justizminister Bekir Bozdag hat bekanntgegeben, dass Ankara den Bau eines Sondergefängnisses plane, in dem ausschließlich Homosexuelle untergebracht werden sollen.
Ziel der Trennung sei der "Schutz der Verurteilten", sagte der Minister auf Anfrage eines Oppositionsabgeordneten. Fortan müsse jeder Gefangene bei Haftantritt seine sexuelle Orientierung angeben. Insassen, die bei Haftantritt erklären, homosexuell zu sein, sollen künftig in einem eigenen Knast eingesperrt werden. » | syd/dpa | Montag, 14. April 2014
Der Islamist mit der Metallkralle steht vor Gericht
Mit der Auswahl der Geschworenen hat am Montag der Prozess gegen den Hassprediger Abu Hamsa al-Masri in New York begonnen. Der 55 Jahre alte Islamist soll 1998 an einer Geiselnahme im Jemen beteiligt gewesen sein, bei der vier Menschen getötet wurden. Die Staatsanwaltschaft wirft dem gebürtigen Ägypter mit britischen Pass zudem vor, er habe die Taliban in Afghanistan unterstützt und mitten in den USA, im Bundesstaat Oregon, ein Terrorcamp errichten wollen.
Die Geschworenen wurden befragt, ob sie in irgendeiner Verbindung zu al-Masri, der unter dem Namen Mustafa Kamel Mustafa angeklagt wurde, stehen. Al-Masri hat angegeben, dass er sich selbst verteidigen möchte – im Falle eines Schuldspruchs droht ihm lebenslange Haft. » | Montag, 14. April 2014
Islamisten greifen Nigerias Hauptstadt an
Die islamistischen Fanatiker der nigerianischen Gruppe Boko Haram verschärfen ihren Krieg gegen Christen, Zivilisten, gemäßigte Muslime und staatliche Institutionen. Mit einem schweren Bombenanschlag auf den Busbahnhof Nyanya Motor Park in der nigerianischen Hauptstadt Abuja töteten die Extremisten zahlreiche Menschen. Die Zeitung "Premium Times Nigeria" berichtete von mindestens 200 Toten. Viele seien bis zur Unkenntlichkeit zerrissen worden, überall hätten Leichenteile gelegen. Journalisten, die kurz nach der Explosion vor Ort waren, zählten 60 Leichen. » | Von Dietrich Alexander | Montag, 14. April 2014
Labels:
Abuja,
Boko Haram,
Islamisten,
Nigeria
More Schools to Be Investigated over 'Extremist Muslim' Plot Fears
The number of schools to be investigated over fears children are being “radicalised” by extremist Muslims attempting to seize control of institutions has increased to 25.
Teams of inspectors are to be sent into schools and will be able to penalise those where religious conservatism is believed to be getting in the way of teaching.
The Department for Education (DfE) launched the investigation after an alleged Islamic takeover plot to force out governors and head teachers was reported in Birmingham.
An anonymous letter claiming responsibility for changes in leadership at four schools in the city says it was part of a campaign called Operation Trojan Horse. The letter set out a blueprint for seizing control of schools and claimed a radical group of Muslims were pursuing their own agenda in classrooms and forcing out head teachers and governors who refused to cooperate. Read on and comment » | Claire Carter, and agencies | Monday, April 14, 2014
My comment:
The politicians/authorities are up their necks in trouble, all caused by mass immigration. Serves them right! Trouble is that we, the people, have to suffer for their foul up. If ever we were in need of a change of narrative, we are today. Change it now! Islam is not a 'religion of peace' but a religion which brings with it only trouble and strife. Can't the fools look around them and observe? In each and every country where Islam is strong, there is trouble and strife. Yet these fools keep on with the narrative of Islam being a 'religion of peace'. – © Mark
This comment appears here too.
Op-Ed: Islam Is As British As the Gray Sky of London
In 1215, Britain enacted the “Magna Charta Libertatum”. It is the basis of the UK legal system which protects individual rights.
800 years later, for the first time, that glorious legal system is changing face. It is now an experiment unique in the world, the hybridation of the Magna Charta and Islam. This is not Londonstan or Islamisation, the multicultural ghettos or threats, but Islam injected into the most important sectors of the country’s government: law, education and finance.
Given the high rate of Islamic presence in England, sharia, or Islamic law, will now be used by notaries and lawyers. The initiative comes from the Law Society. Baroness Cox, a member of the House of Lords who has always been engaged in campaigns for the protection of women against discrimination, asserts emphatically that these latest developments “would turn suffragettes in their graves”.
Sharia in the UK has become so powerful that 85 Islamic courts in the country operate daily in familial disputes. The advent of this parallel system has been made possible thanks to the British Arbitration Act and the Alternative Dispute Resolution. These courts, it must be stressed, are based on the rejection of the principle of the inviolability of human rights. » | Giulio Meotti | Friday, April 11, 2014
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Moscow Accuses Kiev of Issuing 'Criminal Orders' and Warns of Civil War
The crisis in Ukraine escalated dramatically on Sunday night as Russia accused Kiev of issuing a "criminal order" against protesters and warned of a civil war in the country, which has been hit by a wave of unrest that America believes has been orchestrated from Moscow.
The Russian statement came after unknown armed men attacked a convoy of Ukrainian troops in Slaviansk, about 100 miles from the border, launching the first gun battle in Ukraine since the standoff began, in which at least one person was killed. Both the US and Nato accused Russia of staging another Crimea-style intervention, with Samantha Power, the US ambassador to the United Nations, saying events were following the same pattern as in Crimea, where unidentified military forces took over government installations before the peninsula was in effect annexed last month.
"[The unrest] is professional, it's co-ordinated, there is nothing grassroots-seeming about it," Power said. "The forces are doing, in each of the six or seven cities they've been active in, exactly the same thing. Certainly it bears the telltale signs of Moscow's involvement," she told ABC's This Week.
The Nato secretary general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, described the protests as "a concerted campaign of violence by pro-Russian separatists, aiming to destabilise Ukraine as a sovereign state". » | Paul Lewis in Washington and Alec Luhn in Slaviansk | Sunday, April 13, 2014
Israeli Teenagers Risk Being Sent to Prison by Refusing to Join the Army
Labels:
Israel,
Israeli Army
Turquie : le Premier ministre accuse Twitter d'évasion fiscale
Le Premier ministre turc a accusé Twitter d'évasion fiscale après que le réseau a été utilisé pour diffuser des enregistrements et des écoutes téléphoniques mettant en cause son proche entourage dans un scandale de corruption. "Twitter, YouTube et Facebook sont des sociétés internationales créées pour faire du profit", a déclaré Recep Tayyip Erdogan dans des propos retransmis à la télévision. "Twitter est parallèlement aussi un évadé fiscal." "Nous allons nous occuper de cela", a ajouté le Premier ministre. » | Source AFP | samedi 12 avril 2014
Ukraine : Obama crie au loup mais manque d'options et de vision
LE FIGARO: Les Russes se sont gaussés des sanctions économiques décidées à Washington et à Bruxelles contre des personnalités de l'équipe Poutine
Tandis que Poutine poursuit «son plan» de déstabilisation rampante de l'Ukraine, l'Amérique en est réduite à crier au loup et à appeler vainement à la «désescalade». Le contraste entre la résolution du dirigeant du Kremlin et le désarroi qui plane dans les capitales occidentales, comme tétanisées par l'enchaînement des événements, est flagrant. Après avoir annexé la Crimée, le patron du Kremlin est passé à la phase «provocations» dans l'est du pays, tandis que des dizaines de milliers de soldats russes sont massés aux frontières, prêts à entrer. … » | Par Laure Mandeville | dimanche 13 avril 2014
Tandis que Poutine poursuit «son plan» de déstabilisation rampante de l'Ukraine, l'Amérique en est réduite à crier au loup et à appeler vainement à la «désescalade». Le contraste entre la résolution du dirigeant du Kremlin et le désarroi qui plane dans les capitales occidentales, comme tétanisées par l'enchaînement des événements, est flagrant. Après avoir annexé la Crimée, le patron du Kremlin est passé à la phase «provocations» dans l'est du pays, tandis que des dizaines de milliers de soldats russes sont massés aux frontières, prêts à entrer. … » | Par Laure Mandeville | dimanche 13 avril 2014
Konflikt in der Ostukraine: „Russland führt Krieg gegen die Ukraine“
Nach blutigen Zusammenstößen in der Ostukraine hat Übergangspräsident Alexander Turtschinow die prorussischen Separatisten ultimativ zur Aufgabe aufgefordert. Nur wer bis Montagmorgen die Waffen niederlege und die besetzten Verwaltungsgebäude verlasse, werde strafrechtlich nicht belangt, sagte Turtschinow am Sonntag in Kiew. Zugleich drohte er mit einem „groß angelegten Anti-Terror-Einsatz“ unter Beteiligung der Streitkräfte, um die Unruhen im Osten des Landes zu beenden. Nach Angaben des Präsidialamtsleiters Sergej Paschinski gilt das Ultimatum bis 9 Uhr Ortszeit (8 Uhr MESZ).
Russland warnte die prowestliche Regierung in Kiew nachdrücklich vor einem Militäreinsatz gegen die Separatisten. Moskau sei „empört über den verbrecherischen Befehl“ von Turtschinow, der die Proteste von der Armee niederschlagen lassen wolle, teilte das Außenamt in Moskau am Sonntag mit. Russland trete dafür ein, die Krise von der Organisation für Sicherheit und Zusammenarbeit in Europa (OSZE) und dem Weltsicherheitsrat untersuchen zu lassen. „Gerade vom Westen hängt es jetzt ab, einen Bürgerkrieg in der Ukraine zu vermeiden.“ » | Quelle: AFP | Sonntag, 13. April 2014
Russische Propaganda: Der gute und der böse Hitler
Auf dem Gebiet der ehemaligen Sowjetunion hat man diesbezüglich weniger Berührungsängste. Hier gilt Hitler in erster Linie als imperialistischer Feldherr, dessen grösstes Vergehen der Angriff auf die UdSSR war, der Holocaust kommt im Bewusstsein erst an zweiter Stelle. Die Reduktion der Rolle Nazideutschlands auf diejenige einer unterlegenen Kriegspartei führt mitunter zu sonderbaren Situationen. So hat schon mancher deutsche Besucher anerkennende Worte über Wehrmacht und Hitler zurückweisen müssen, die als wohlwollende Schmeicheleien gedacht waren. » | Volker Pabst | Freitag, 11. April 2014
Labels:
Adolf Hitler,
Rußland
Erneut Giftgas in Syrien
Das staatliche Fernsehen meldete am Wochenende, Aufständische der radikalislamischen Nusra-Front hätten in der Ortschaft Kfar Seita auf diese Weise zwei Menschen getötet sowie mehr als 100 verletzt. » | ap | Sonntag, 13. April 2014
Labels:
Giftgasangriff,
Syrien
Ukraine-Krise: Politisches Powerplay des Kremls
Auf breiter Front ist Moskau am Wochenende der internationalen Kritik an seiner Ukraine-Politik entgegengetreten und hat jegliche Verantwortung für die angespannte Lage von sich gewiesen. Es sei nicht im Interesse Russlands, südöstliche Regionen der Ukraine abzuspalten und sich einzuverleiben, sagte Aussenminister Sergei Lawrow. Ob allfällige Referenden über den Beitritt zur Russischen Föderation von Moskau genauso anerkannt würden, wie dies auf der ukrainischen Halbinsel Krim der Fall war, ist jedoch unklar. » | Daniel Wechlin, Moskau | Sonntag, 13. April 2014
Labels:
Kreml,
Moskau,
Rußland,
Ukraine-Krise
Debate: Anjem Choudary vs. David Wood: Would Sharia Help the West?
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Adultery Is Good For Your Marriage – If You Don’t Get Caught, Says Infidelity Website Boss
Noel Biderman is the Canadian founder of Ashley Madison, a controversial but globally[-]popular adultery website that connects married men and women and discretely enables them to have affairs |
He receives regular death threats, websites are devoted to his demise, the Vatican has sent letters of complaint and the Queen of Spain has sued him.
The man in question is not a criminal, a terrorist or a dictator. Instead, he is the businessman behind the world’s biggest website for extramarital affairs.
Noel Biderman is the Canadian founder of Ashley Madison, a controversial but globally popular adultery website that connects married men and women and discretely enables them to have affairs.
Famed for its catchy motto – “Life is short. Have an affair” – the dating service is free for women but paying for men. Its array of features include virtual “winks”, instant messaging and “travelling” services for members seeking an affair during business trips.
Its mobile app uses GPS technology to track down the nearest available potential lover. » | Danielle Demetriou, Tokyo | Saturday, April 12, 2014
Church of England Faces 'Crisis’ As Gay Priest Weds
A priest has become the first in Britain to defy the Church of England’s ban on gay clergy marrying.
Canon Jeremy Pemberton, 58, a divorced hospital chaplain, wed his long-term partner Laurence Cunnington, 51, on Saturday afternoon.
Campaigners expressed delight that the couple had taken advantage of Britain’s newly-introduced gay marriage laws and urged bishops to “bless” their partnership. They predict he will be the first of many gay clergy to marry. » | Edward Malnick | Saturday, April 12, 2014
Geert Wilders in America (2009)
Labels:
CNN,
Geert Wilders,
USA
Here's What I Would Have Said at Brandeis
On Tuesday, after protests by students, faculty and outside groups, Brandeis University revoked its invitation to Ayaan Hirsi Ali to receive an honorary degree at its commencement ceremonies in May. The protesters accused Ms. Hirsi Ali, an advocate for the rights of women and girls, of being "Islamophobic." Here is an abridged version of the remarks she planned to deliver.
One year ago, the city and suburbs of Boston were still in mourning. Families who only weeks earlier had children and siblings to hug were left with only photographs and memories. Still others were hovering over bedsides, watching as young men, women, and children endured painful surgeries and permanent disfiguration. All because two brothers, radicalized by jihadist websites, decided to place homemade bombs in backpacks near the finish line of one of the most prominent events in American sports, the Boston Marathon.
All of you in the Class of 2014 will never forget that day and the days that followed. You will never forget when you heard the news, where you were, or what you were doing. And when you return here, 10, 15 or 25 years from now, you will be reminded of it. The bombs exploded just 10 miles from this campus. » | Ayaan Hirsi Ali | Thursday, April 10, 2014
Related »
Labels:
Ayaan Hirsi Ali,
Brandeis
Ayaan Hirsi Ali Publishes Remarks She Planned for Brandeis
Brandeis Withdraws Honorary Degree for Islam Critic Ayaan Hirsi Ali »
Labels:
Ayaan Hirsi Ali,
Brandeis,
CAIR
Friday, April 11, 2014
Hillary Clinton Dodges a Shoe Thrown by Audience Member
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Margaret Thatcher – The Iron Lady (Documentary 2012)
Margaret Thatcher's Anti-Gay Speech
David Cameron: 'Jesus Invented the Big Society – I'm Just Continuing God's Work'
THE INDEPENDENT: Prime Minister spoke to Christian leaders assembled in Downing Street – after listening to an unfortunately-timed rendition of ‘Ave Maria’
David Cameron has claimed divine inspiration was at work when it came to drafting a key concept for Conservative Party policy.
Speaking last night at his Easter reception in Downing Street, the Prime Minister reportedly said he was simply doing God’s work when he launched the “Big Society” initiative of volunteering and civic responsibility.
“Jesus invented the Big Society 2,000 years ago,” Mr Cameron said. “I just want to see more of it.”
On the day that saw Culture Secretary Maria Miller resign over a furore about her expenses – despite repeatedly being back by the Prime Minister – Mr Cameron was said to have no comment on a singer’s choice of hymn: “Ave Maria”.
He went further than any recent prime minister in speaking publicly about his faith, according to the Daily Mail, and took the opportunity to offer his support to Britain’s Christian community. » | Adam Withnall | Tuesday, April 10, 2014
David Cameron has claimed divine inspiration was at work when it came to drafting a key concept for Conservative Party policy.
Speaking last night at his Easter reception in Downing Street, the Prime Minister reportedly said he was simply doing God’s work when he launched the “Big Society” initiative of volunteering and civic responsibility.
“Jesus invented the Big Society 2,000 years ago,” Mr Cameron said. “I just want to see more of it.”
On the day that saw Culture Secretary Maria Miller resign over a furore about her expenses – despite repeatedly being back by the Prime Minister – Mr Cameron was said to have no comment on a singer’s choice of hymn: “Ave Maria”.
He went further than any recent prime minister in speaking publicly about his faith, according to the Daily Mail, and took the opportunity to offer his support to Britain’s Christian community. » | Adam Withnall | Tuesday, April 10, 2014
Scientists Trying to Create Human Heart with 3D Printer
Russia’s 'Preparations for War on Sweden' Lead to Security Service Concerns
Swedish security services have expressed serious concerns that Russia is heightening its spying efforts in Scandinavia and “preparing for war”, according to local media reports.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the chief counter-intelligence analyst for the Säkerhetspolisen (Säpo) agency said that the escalating crisis in eastern Europe was the greatest security threat identified in a recent briefing.
Wilhelm Unge said communications from Russian intelligence agencies had increased, more attempts were being made to recruit spies and that Moscow had purchased a significant number of maps.
The spy chief said the developments were in keeping with recent trends, most notably the military flight exercises undertaken by Russia last year against simulated Swedish targets.
“You don't carry out these kinds of things unless you can actually conceive carrying out an attack in the future,” Mr Unge said. Read on and comment » | Adam Withnall | Tuesday, April 08, 2014
Angela Merkel Denied Access to Her NSA File
THE GUARDIAN: Frustration with US government rises over failure to clear up questions about surveillance of German chancellor's phone
The US government is refusing to grant Angela Merkel access to her NSA file or answer formal questions from Germany about its surveillance activities, raising the stakes before a crucial visit by the German chancellor to Washington.
Merkel will meet Barack Obama in three weeks, on her first visit to the US capital since documents leaked by whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed that the NSA had been monitoring her phone.
The face-to-face meeting between the two world leaders had been intended as an effort to publicly heal wounds after the controversy, but Germany remains frustrated by the White House's refusal to come clean about its surveillance activities in the country.
In October, Obama personally assured Merkel that the US is no longer monitoring her calls, and promised it will not do so in the future. However, Washington has not answered a list of questions submitted by Berlin immediately after Snowden's first tranche of revelations appeared in the Guardian and Washington Post in June last year, months before the revelations over Merkel's phone.
The Obama's administration has also refused to enter into a mutual "no-spy" agreement with Germany, in part because Berlin is unwilling or unable to share the kinds of surveillance material the Americans say would be required for such a deal.
Merkel is intensely aware of the importance of the surveillance controversy for her domestic audience, and is planning to voice Germany's concerns privately with White House officials and leading senators. She will also be "forthright" in confronting the issue if she is asked by reporters during a press conference with Obama, according to a well-placed source with knowledge of the trip. Read on and comment » | Paul Lewis in Washington and Philip Oltermann in Berlin | Thursday, April 10, 2014
The US government is refusing to grant Angela Merkel access to her NSA file or answer formal questions from Germany about its surveillance activities, raising the stakes before a crucial visit by the German chancellor to Washington.
Merkel will meet Barack Obama in three weeks, on her first visit to the US capital since documents leaked by whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed that the NSA had been monitoring her phone.
The face-to-face meeting between the two world leaders had been intended as an effort to publicly heal wounds after the controversy, but Germany remains frustrated by the White House's refusal to come clean about its surveillance activities in the country.
In October, Obama personally assured Merkel that the US is no longer monitoring her calls, and promised it will not do so in the future. However, Washington has not answered a list of questions submitted by Berlin immediately after Snowden's first tranche of revelations appeared in the Guardian and Washington Post in June last year, months before the revelations over Merkel's phone.
The Obama's administration has also refused to enter into a mutual "no-spy" agreement with Germany, in part because Berlin is unwilling or unable to share the kinds of surveillance material the Americans say would be required for such a deal.
Merkel is intensely aware of the importance of the surveillance controversy for her domestic audience, and is planning to voice Germany's concerns privately with White House officials and leading senators. She will also be "forthright" in confronting the issue if she is asked by reporters during a press conference with Obama, according to a well-placed source with knowledge of the trip. Read on and comment » | Paul Lewis in Washington and Philip Oltermann in Berlin | Thursday, April 10, 2014
Labels:
Angela Merkel,
Barack Obama,
Germany,
NSA,
USA
Inside Story: Pakistani Justice: A Dysfunctional System?
Thousands Celebrate Kim Jong-un's Re-election as N. Korea Defense Chair
Labels:
Kim Jong-un,
North Korea
Car Bomb Explodes in Athens ahead of Merkel Visit
Labels:
Angela Merkel,
Athens,
Greece
Ron Paul: Anytime US Gives International Aid It Takes Money from Poor at Home and Gives It to Rich Abroad
Confirmed: Russia's 'Most Wanted' Terrorist Doku Umarov Killed
Wednesday, April 09, 2014
Brandeis Withdraws Honorary Degree for Islam Critic Ayaan Hirsi Ali
THE GUARDIAN: Liberal arts college in Massachusetts says 'we cannot overlook certain statements that are inconsistent with our core values'
A university has reversed a decision to grant an honorary degree to an advocate for Muslim women who has made comments critical of Islam.
Brandeis University said in a statement that Somali-born Ayaan Hirsi Ali would no longer receive the honorary degree, which it had planned to award her at the May 18 commencement.
Ali, a member of the Dutch parliament from 2003 to 2006, has been quoted as making comments critical of Islam. That includes a 2007 interview with Reason Magazine [sic] in which she said of the religion: "Once it's defeated, it can mutate into something peaceful. It's very difficult to even talk about peace now. They're not interested in peace. I think that we are at war with Islam. And there's no middle ground in wars."
Brandeis, outside Boston in Waltham, Massachusetts, said it was not aware of Ali's statements earlier.
"She is a compelling public figure and advocate for women's rights, and we respect and appreciate her work to protect and defend the rights of women and girls throughout the world," said the university's statement. "That said, we cannot overlook certain of her past statements that are inconsistent with Brandeis University's core values." Read on and comment » | Associated Press | Wednesday, April 09, 2014
REASON.COM: Did Ayaan Hirsi Ali's Reason Interview Sink Her at Brandeis? » | Nick Gillespie | Wednesday, April 09, 2014
A university has reversed a decision to grant an honorary degree to an advocate for Muslim women who has made comments critical of Islam.
Brandeis University said in a statement that Somali-born Ayaan Hirsi Ali would no longer receive the honorary degree, which it had planned to award her at the May 18 commencement.
Ali, a member of the Dutch parliament from 2003 to 2006, has been quoted as making comments critical of Islam. That includes a 2007 interview with Reason Magazine [sic] in which she said of the religion: "Once it's defeated, it can mutate into something peaceful. It's very difficult to even talk about peace now. They're not interested in peace. I think that we are at war with Islam. And there's no middle ground in wars."
Brandeis, outside Boston in Waltham, Massachusetts, said it was not aware of Ali's statements earlier.
"She is a compelling public figure and advocate for women's rights, and we respect and appreciate her work to protect and defend the rights of women and girls throughout the world," said the university's statement. "That said, we cannot overlook certain of her past statements that are inconsistent with Brandeis University's core values." Read on and comment » | Associated Press | Wednesday, April 09, 2014
REASON.COM: Did Ayaan Hirsi Ali's Reason Interview Sink Her at Brandeis? » | Nick Gillespie | Wednesday, April 09, 2014
Sajid Javid: The Millionaire Bus Conductor's Son with a Portrait of Margaret Thatcher on His Wall
Sajid Javid: 'This is the root of my conservative beliefs. My mother and father had nothing and, like many people in their adopted country, worked their way up.' |
Sajid Javid, the millionaire son of a bus driver, has become the first Asian man to be given a full time job in the Cabinet.
The promotion to Culture Secretary crowns a remarkable ascent to the top of the Government by Mr Javid, who only entered Parliament in 2010.
Mr Javid sacrificed a huge amount to become an MP. He became an MP after running Deutsche Bank’s trading operations in Asia, where he is reported by Bloomberg to have earned around £3 million a year.
Mr Javid was picked out as a high flier from early on, almost immediately joining the work and pensions committee.
He was made economic secretary to the Treasury in 2012, rising up the departmental ranks the following year to the more senior role of financial secretary. » | Christopher Hope, Senior Political Correspondent | Wednesday, April 09, 2014
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Sajid Javid and Nicky Morgan join Cabinet after Maria Miller quits: Prime Minister makes ex-banker educated at state school new Culture Secretary after Maria Miller quits over expenses » | Christopher Hope, Senior Political Correspondent | Wednesday, April 09, 2014
Inside Story: Is Russia Planning to Destabilise Ukraine?
Labels:
Donetsk,
Inside Story,
Russia,
Ukraine
Iraq Ready to Legalise Childhood Marriage
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Children under nine years old could be legally married and wives forced to comply with sexual demands under newly tabled legislation described by critics as a setback for women's rights
Children in Iraq could be legally married before the age of nine under sweeping legislation tabled on Tuesday that introduces new religious restrictions on women's rights.
As almost its last act before elections at the end of the month, the Iraqi parliament looks likely to pass new marital rules for its majority Shia community with a draft law criticised by human rights activists as "legalised inquality"[.]
The legislation has been approved by the governing coalition in an effort to attract support from Shia Muslims in the April 30 vote.
Current Iraqi law sets the legal age for marriage at 18 without parental approval and states girls as young as 15 can be married only with a guardian's approval. It does not allow for special provisions according to sect.
But the legislation, known as the Jaafari law, introduces rules almost identical to those of neighbouring Iran, a Shia-dominated Islamic theocracy. » | Damien McElroy | Tuesday, April 08, 2014
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: Iraq: Don’t Legalize Marriage for 9-Year-Olds: Draft Law Huge Step Back for Women, Girls » | Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Children in Iraq could be legally married before the age of nine under sweeping legislation tabled on Tuesday that introduces new religious restrictions on women's rights.
As almost its last act before elections at the end of the month, the Iraqi parliament looks likely to pass new marital rules for its majority Shia community with a draft law criticised by human rights activists as "legalised inquality"[.]
The legislation has been approved by the governing coalition in an effort to attract support from Shia Muslims in the April 30 vote.
Current Iraqi law sets the legal age for marriage at 18 without parental approval and states girls as young as 15 can be married only with a guardian's approval. It does not allow for special provisions according to sect.
But the legislation, known as the Jaafari law, introduces rules almost identical to those of neighbouring Iran, a Shia-dominated Islamic theocracy. » | Damien McElroy | Tuesday, April 08, 2014
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: Iraq: Don’t Legalize Marriage for 9-Year-Olds: Draft Law Huge Step Back for Women, Girls » | Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Tuesday, April 08, 2014
Venezuela Protests Are Sign That US Wants Our Oil, Says Nicolás Maduro
Labels:
Nicolas Maduro,
Venezuela
Monday, April 07, 2014
Muslim Parents Object to Easter Egg Hunt
Ukraine Crisis: Donetsk Officials ‘Proclaim Independence from Kiev’ and Set Date for Referendum on Joining Russia
THE INDEPENDENT: Russian media reports suggest industrial hub Donetsk could be set to follow in footsteps of Crimea
The eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk has reportedly declared itself independent from the central government in Kiev and set a date for a referendum on joining Russia, according to local media reports.
The local government building was taken over last night by pro-Russian activists, and today members of the regional legislature moved to declare the city and its surrounds the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Russian news agency Itar Tass reported.
The Ukrainian prime minister denounced the creation of a separatist state, describing it as part of a Russian plan to invade the east of the country. » | Adam Withnall | Monday, April 07, 2014
The eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk has reportedly declared itself independent from the central government in Kiev and set a date for a referendum on joining Russia, according to local media reports.
The local government building was taken over last night by pro-Russian activists, and today members of the regional legislature moved to declare the city and its surrounds the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Russian news agency Itar Tass reported.
The Ukrainian prime minister denounced the creation of a separatist state, describing it as part of a Russian plan to invade the east of the country. » | Adam Withnall | Monday, April 07, 2014
Trois femmes émiraties attaquées au marteau
A Londres, trois femmes émiraties ont été victimes d'une agression dans un hôtel de luxe. Un homme les a frappées à coups de marteau alors qu'elles dormaient.
Selon les enquêteurs, le suspect se serait introduit dans la chambre située au septième étage du Cumberland, un hôtel quatre étoiles situé près de Marble Arch, où les trois femmes, originaires des Emirats arabes unis, dormaient.
«L'homme aurait ensuite été dérangé par l'une des occupantes de la chambre. Il aurait alors frappé les femmes avec un marteau qui a été retrouvé sur les lieux», ont déclaré les enquêteurs. » | afp/Newsnet | lundi 07 avril 2014
Labels:
Londres,
Royaume-Uni
The Stream: Marriage in Kenya: A Man's World?
Labels:
Kenya,
polygamy,
The Stream
'Extremist’ Working as Psychiatrist for NHS
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Doctor treating vulnerable patients is a senior leader of radical Islamic party that seeks to ban same-sex relationships and oppress women
A British doctor responsible for the care of some of the country’s most vulnerable people can today be exposed as a senior leader of a radical Islamist party banned in several countries.
Dr Imran Waheed is a consultant psychiatrist at Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Trust, one of the largest of its kind in the country.
He specialises in the treatment of sexual dysfunction, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and obsessive compulsive disorders, and also provides advice to courts in criminal cases on potentially dangerous individuals.
But Dr Waheed is also the spokesman for Hizb ut-Tahrir, which campaigns for a caliphate ruled by Sharia.
Dr Waheed is the group’s chief media adviser and is listed by the organisation as one of its six leading members in Britain.
Under a caliphate, men and women would be segregated in public places and women and non-Muslims would be banned from holding positions of power. Alcohol would also be banned, along with same-sex relationships. Critics have said his professional role conflicts with his extreme views on women’s rights, alcohol, and same-sex relationships. » | Patrick Sawer and Ben Lazarus | Sunday, April 06, 2014
A British doctor responsible for the care of some of the country’s most vulnerable people can today be exposed as a senior leader of a radical Islamist party banned in several countries.
Dr Imran Waheed is a consultant psychiatrist at Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Trust, one of the largest of its kind in the country.
He specialises in the treatment of sexual dysfunction, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and obsessive compulsive disorders, and also provides advice to courts in criminal cases on potentially dangerous individuals.
But Dr Waheed is also the spokesman for Hizb ut-Tahrir, which campaigns for a caliphate ruled by Sharia.
Dr Waheed is the group’s chief media adviser and is listed by the organisation as one of its six leading members in Britain.
Under a caliphate, men and women would be segregated in public places and women and non-Muslims would be banned from holding positions of power. Alcohol would also be banned, along with same-sex relationships. Critics have said his professional role conflicts with his extreme views on women’s rights, alcohol, and same-sex relationships. » | Patrick Sawer and Ben Lazarus | Sunday, April 06, 2014
Labels:
caliphate,
Islamic extremism,
NHS
Sunday, April 06, 2014
How CIA Used Copies of Doctor Zhivago in Battle to Win Cold War
t had all the hallmarks of a classic Cold War spy caper, and it began in January 1958 when British intelligence’s Moscow station delivered two rolls of microfilm into the hands of the CIA’s Langley headquarters.
However the films showed not the blueprints for a new Soviet warplane or ballistic missile, but something potentially even more powerful in the ideological war between East and West: the complete Russian text of Boris Pasternak’s masterpiece, Doctor Zhivago.
In a nine-point memo, marked Secret but recently declassified, British intelligence said it was “in favour of exploiting the book”, warning that Soviet censors were already putting pressure on Pasternak to put out a “revised” version of the novel. » | Peter Foster, Washington | Sunday, April 06, 2014
Lara’s Theme »
Doctor Zhivago: Trailer (1965) »
Labels:
CIA,
Cold War,
Doctor Zhivago,
Russia,
Soviet Union
Négociations: Israël menace les Palestiniens de représailles
LA PRESSE: Les contacts se sont poursuivis dimanche en coulisses sous l'égide des États-Unis pour tenter de sauver le processus de paix, Israël menaçant de représailles unilatérales les Palestiniens qui ont décidé de demander leur adhésion à des traités internationaux.
«Nous répondrons (...) par des mesures unilatérales à toutes les mesures unilatérales qu'ils (les Palestiniens) prendront», a affirmé le premier ministre israélien, Benyamin Nétanyahou, lors du conseil des ministres.
Ces démarches palestiniennes, elles-mêmes lancées en réaction au refus d'Israël de libérer un dernier contingent de prisonniers comme prévu dans le cadre des pourparlers de paix, «ne feront qu'éloigner un accord de paix», a-t-il martelé.
«Les Palestiniens ont beaucoup à perdre d'une démarche unilatérale. Ils n'obtiendront un État que par des négociations directes (avec Israël) et pas par des déclarations vides, ni par des décisions unilatérales», a averti le premier ministre. «Nous sommes prêts à continuer les pourparlers, mais pas à n'importe quel prix». » | Daphne Rousseau | Agence France-Presse | Jerusalem | dimanche 06 avril 2014
«Nous répondrons (...) par des mesures unilatérales à toutes les mesures unilatérales qu'ils (les Palestiniens) prendront», a affirmé le premier ministre israélien, Benyamin Nétanyahou, lors du conseil des ministres.
Ces démarches palestiniennes, elles-mêmes lancées en réaction au refus d'Israël de libérer un dernier contingent de prisonniers comme prévu dans le cadre des pourparlers de paix, «ne feront qu'éloigner un accord de paix», a-t-il martelé.
«Les Palestiniens ont beaucoup à perdre d'une démarche unilatérale. Ils n'obtiendront un État que par des négociations directes (avec Israël) et pas par des déclarations vides, ni par des décisions unilatérales», a averti le premier ministre. «Nous sommes prêts à continuer les pourparlers, mais pas à n'importe quel prix». » | Daphne Rousseau | Agence France-Presse | Jerusalem | dimanche 06 avril 2014
Retired Art Teacher Committed Suicide because of Frustration with Modern Life
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: The 89-year-old, named only as Anne, complained that people were becoming 'robots' before travelling to Dignitas in Switzerland
A retired art teacher committed suicide at the Dignitas clinic because she was frustrated at the lack of interaction in modern life, because of our reliance on computers and the Internet.
The 89-year-old, who asked only to be identified as Anne before her death, was frustrated with the trappings of modern life, including fast food, consumerism and the amount of time people spend watching television.
Anne, a former electrician with the Royal Navy, was not terminally ill or seriously handicapped and travelled to Dignitas in Switzerland last month.
Before her death she told the Sunday Times [£]: “People are becoming more and more remote … We are becoming robots. It is this lack of humanity.”
She described the modern age as “cutting corners” and said she could not adapt to it, as she felt all the traditional ways of doing things had disappeared. » | Claire Carter | Sunday, April 06, 2014
A retired art teacher committed suicide at the Dignitas clinic because she was frustrated at the lack of interaction in modern life, because of our reliance on computers and the Internet.
The 89-year-old, who asked only to be identified as Anne before her death, was frustrated with the trappings of modern life, including fast food, consumerism and the amount of time people spend watching television.
Anne, a former electrician with the Royal Navy, was not terminally ill or seriously handicapped and travelled to Dignitas in Switzerland last month.
Before her death she told the Sunday Times [£]: “People are becoming more and more remote … We are becoming robots. It is this lack of humanity.”
She described the modern age as “cutting corners” and said she could not adapt to it, as she felt all the traditional ways of doing things had disappeared. » | Claire Carter | Sunday, April 06, 2014
Why It Is More Important Than Ever to Invest in Defence of Democracy
Sixty-five years ago this month, Nato was born into a dangerous world. As the Soviet shadow deepened across Europe, 12 nations from both sides of the Atlantic committed to individual liberty, democracy, human rights and the rule of law determined to stand together to safeguard their security.
Those nations were Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States. They took the most solemn pledge that any country can take: an attack on one would be viewed as an attack on all.
Today’s Nato brings together a unique combination of the world’s strongest democracies with an integrated military structure, a permanent political decision-making process and a network of more than 40 partners from around the world. It is where Europeans and North Americans consult, decide and act every day on security issues that concern us all. We have learned much from the last 20 years of challenging operations, from Afghanistan to Kosovo, from Libya to the Horn of Africa. We are now more efficient and effective than at any time in Nato’s history.
We still live in a dangerous world, and the threats are more complex and unpredictable than 65 years ago. Some are new: cyber and missile attacks. Others are age-old: attempts to redraw borders by force. What has not changed is Nato’s commitment to our fundamental values and purpose. Our motto remains: all for one, one for all. » | Anders Fogh Rasmussen | Sunday, April 06, 2014
Anders Fogh Rasmussen is the secretary general of Nato
La polémique sur les parallèles Poutine/Hitler s'enlise
LE FIGARO: Alors que la Russie légifère pour sanctionner la «réhabilitation du nazisme», l'Allemagne reste empêtrée dans la controverse après un parallèle hasardeux de son ministre des Finances.
Moscou entend mettre fin aux parallèles «Poutine/Hitler» qui se développent depuis l'annexion de la Crimée par la Russie. La Douma a examiné vendredi en première lecture un projet de loi visant à sanctionner «la négation de l'action des armées de la coalition anti-hitlérienne pour soutenir la paix mondiale et la sécurité ainsi que la diffusion d'informations mensongères relatives à la Seconde Guerre mondiale». La «réhabilitation du nazisme» sera punie, au maximum, d'une peine de prison de cinq ans. » | Par Pierre Avril, Nicolas Barotte | vendredi 04 avril 2014
Moscou entend mettre fin aux parallèles «Poutine/Hitler» qui se développent depuis l'annexion de la Crimée par la Russie. La Douma a examiné vendredi en première lecture un projet de loi visant à sanctionner «la négation de l'action des armées de la coalition anti-hitlérienne pour soutenir la paix mondiale et la sécurité ainsi que la diffusion d'informations mensongères relatives à la Seconde Guerre mondiale». La «réhabilitation du nazisme» sera punie, au maximum, d'une peine de prison de cinq ans. » | Par Pierre Avril, Nicolas Barotte | vendredi 04 avril 2014
Did Pot Legalization Do More Harm Than Good In Colorado?
Saudi-Arabien: Monarchie am Tropf
DER TAGESSPIEGEL: Der König ein kranker 90-Jähriger, das Volk jung, chancenlos und frustriert: Saudi-Arabien steht vor dem heikelsten Machtübergang seiner Geschichte
Beim Besuch von Barack Obama letzte Woche trug sein hochbetagter Gastgeber einen Sauerstoffschlauch in der Nase. Über 90 Jahre alt ist Saudi-Arabiens König Abdullah, rückenleidend, übergewichtig, schnell ermüdend und nur noch per Rollator beweglich. Der Monarch habe Krebs und nur noch wenige Monate zu leben, verbreiteten amerikanische Diplomaten, auch wenn er die zwei Stunden Diskussion mit dem eine Generation jüngeren US-Präsidenten offenbar mit Witz und Elan absolvierte.
Erst 24 Stunden zuvor hatte Abdullah wie aus heiterem Himmel seinen jüngsten Halbbruder, Muqrin bin Abdulaziz, zum zweiten Kronprinzen befördert. Weiter lesen und einen Beitrag hinzufügen » | Von Martin Gehlen | Sonntag, 06. April 2014
Beim Besuch von Barack Obama letzte Woche trug sein hochbetagter Gastgeber einen Sauerstoffschlauch in der Nase. Über 90 Jahre alt ist Saudi-Arabiens König Abdullah, rückenleidend, übergewichtig, schnell ermüdend und nur noch per Rollator beweglich. Der Monarch habe Krebs und nur noch wenige Monate zu leben, verbreiteten amerikanische Diplomaten, auch wenn er die zwei Stunden Diskussion mit dem eine Generation jüngeren US-Präsidenten offenbar mit Witz und Elan absolvierte.
Erst 24 Stunden zuvor hatte Abdullah wie aus heiterem Himmel seinen jüngsten Halbbruder, Muqrin bin Abdulaziz, zum zweiten Kronprinzen befördert. Weiter lesen und einen Beitrag hinzufügen » | Von Martin Gehlen | Sonntag, 06. April 2014
Saturday, April 05, 2014
Pakistani Couple Get Death Sentences for Blasphemy
BBC: A Pakistani Christian couple have been sentenced to death for blasphemy after allegedly sending a text message insulting the Prophet Muhammad.
The couple, named as Shafqat Emmanuel and Shagufta Kausar, were found guilty of sending the text message to the imam of their local mosque.
Allegations of blasphemy against Islam are taken very seriously in Pakistan.
Several recent cases have prompted international concern about the application of blasphemy laws.
The imam brought a complaint against the couple last July.
The couple's lawyer told the BBC he would appeal against the sentences and said the trial had not been conducted fairly.
Pakistan has a de facto moratorium on the death penalty so it is unlikely the couple will be executed.
They come from the town of Gojra in Punjab, previously the scene of communal violence. » | Saturday, April 05, 2014
The couple, named as Shafqat Emmanuel and Shagufta Kausar, were found guilty of sending the text message to the imam of their local mosque.
Allegations of blasphemy against Islam are taken very seriously in Pakistan.
Several recent cases have prompted international concern about the application of blasphemy laws.
The imam brought a complaint against the couple last July.
The couple's lawyer told the BBC he would appeal against the sentences and said the trial had not been conducted fairly.
Pakistan has a de facto moratorium on the death penalty so it is unlikely the couple will be executed.
They come from the town of Gojra in Punjab, previously the scene of communal violence. » | Saturday, April 05, 2014
Fracking On: Businesses & UK Government Dismiss Public Outcry
Der russische Vormarsch: Was tun? Deckmantel der Geschichte
Am 18. März feierte Wladimir Putin einen persönlichen Sieg über die jüngere Geschichte seines Landes: Im prachtvollen Georgs-Saal des Kremls proklamierte er den Anschluss der Krim. Mit seiner Rede hat Russlands Präsident nicht nur seine Landsleute erreicht, sondern auch die Debatte in Deutschland über die Annexion der Krim – die erste Annexion in Europa seit dem Zweiten Weltkrieg – verwirrt. Seither wird diskutiert, ob Putin mit seinen Ausführungen nicht doch recht habe und sein Vorgehen daher verständlich sei.
Um den Anschluss der Krim zu erklären, langte Russlands Präsident tief in die Vergangenheit und deutete die Geschichte für seine Zwecke. Diese Art von Geschichtspolitik ist so altbekannt wie simpel: Man verkürzt und verdreht die Vergangenheit so lange, bis der Gegner der Gegenwart diskreditiert ist. Putin hat eine Falle aufgestellt. Er tut so, als ginge es ihm ums Gestern, um historische Gefühle, um alte Ungerechtigkeiten. Russland und die Russen stellt er als Opfer des Westens, einer sich ausdehnenden Nato und finsterer Faschisten in Kiew dar. Russische Staatsjournalisten und Diplomaten wiederholen das wortgetreu. Man sollte ihnen genau zuhören, denn die russische Argumentation bedeutet in ihrem Kern nichts anderes als einen Angriff auf das friedliche Zusammenleben in Europa. Putin hat im Wesentlichen drei Thesen aufgestellt, die ungeheure Sprengkraft enthalten. Weiter lesen und einen Beitrag abgeben » | Von Michael Thumann | Freitag, 04. April 2014
Mormon Leader Reiterates Church's Opposition to Same-sex Marriage
A Mormon leader on Saturday reiterated the church's opposition to gay marriage.
Neil L Andersen, of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Quorum of the Twelve, said during the church's biannual general conference in Salt Lake City: "While many governments and well-meaning individuals have redefined marriage, the Lord has not.
"He designated the purpose of marriage to go far beyond the personal satisfaction and fulfilment of adults, to more importantly, advancing the ideal setting for children to be born, reared and nurtured."
After a June 2013 US supreme court ruling struck down parts of the federal Defence of Marriage Act, gay marriage has become legal in 17 states and the District of Columbia. Federal judges have also struck down bans in Michigan, Utah, Texas, Oklahoma and Virginia, and ordered Kentucky and Tennessee to recognise out-of-state gay marriages, though stays have been issued pending appeals.
On Friday, a judge in Ohio said he would order the state to recognise same-sex marriages from other states.
The Mormon church's message on homosexuality has softened in recent years, but this marks the second consecutive conference in which leaders have talked about their opposition to gay marriage. In 2012, Dallin H Oaks of the Quorum said human laws cannot "make moral what God has declared immoral". Read on and comment » | Associated Press in Salt Lake City | Saturday, April 05, 2014
Tu felix Helvetia: 3300 Euro Mindestlohn für die Verkäuferin
Beim Urlaub sind die Schweizer sparsam. Sechs Wochen? Nicht notwendig, befand das Volk im März 2012 und stimmte mit beachtlichen 67 Prozent gegen eine Initiative, die den Mindesturlaub um zwei Wochen ausweiten wollte. Beim Geld aber kennen die Eidgenossen keine Grenze nach oben - oder besser: nur eine sehr, sehr hohe Grenze. Während die deutsche Bundesregierung am Mittwoch - nach überaus heftigem Tauziehen - einen Mindestlohn von 8,50 Euro brutto pro Stunde beschlossen hat, dringt man in der Schweiz in völlig andere Sphären vor: Lidl, Aldi (der Schweizer Hofer) und jetzt auch die Bekleidungskette H & M haben eben einen Mindestlohn von 17,98 Euro pro Stunde umgesetzt. Hochgerechnet auf den Monat sind das 3269 Euro brutto für eine ungelernte Arbeitskraft. Nur zum Vergleich: Das Durchschnittseinkommen in Österreich liegt bei 2163 Euro brutto. » | Von Norbert Rief | Die Presse | Samstag, 05. April 2014
Labels:
Mindestlohn,
Schweiz
Metamorphosis: A Hungarian Extremist Explores His Jewish Roots
SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Csanád Szegedi was a prominent right-wing extremist in Hungary until he discovered his own Jewish roots in 2012. Since then, he has undergone a radical reinvention and is even learning Hebrew. His grandmother, though, continues to hide her Auschwitz tattoo.
Csanád Szegedi's second life began in the apartment of Rabbi Baruch Oberlander, located above the Synagogue in the Erzsébetváros quarter of Budapest. A mohel -- a circumcision specialist -- had arrived from Israel. And with a single cut, the anti-Semite Csanád was transformed into Dovid, a Jew.
Csanád Szegedi, 31, had been the deputy head of right-wing extremist party Jobbik, which he also represented in the European Parliament. He had made a career of claiming that the Jews sought to plunder Hungary and that they had entered into an alliance with the Roma to turn "pure" Hungarians into a minority in their own country. In public, he would often wear the black military pants and vest of the Hungarian Guard, the banned right-wing extremist group.
But then he learned that his family was Jewish, a revelation that turned his life on its head.
Now, he calls himself Dovid Szegedi, eats kosher, is learning Hebrew and goes to the Synagogue every Friday. "This is my true identity," says Szegedi, who is almost two meters (6" 6') tall. He wears an Italian designer suit, scruffy stubble and a black kippah.
The story of Csanád's transformation into Dovid is one of radical reinvention, and also one of a desperate search for a reliable identity, one which continues to elude Eastern Europe even 25 years after the end of communism. » | Jan Puhl | Thursday, April 03, 2014
Csanád Szegedi's second life began in the apartment of Rabbi Baruch Oberlander, located above the Synagogue in the Erzsébetváros quarter of Budapest. A mohel -- a circumcision specialist -- had arrived from Israel. And with a single cut, the anti-Semite Csanád was transformed into Dovid, a Jew.
Csanád Szegedi, 31, had been the deputy head of right-wing extremist party Jobbik, which he also represented in the European Parliament. He had made a career of claiming that the Jews sought to plunder Hungary and that they had entered into an alliance with the Roma to turn "pure" Hungarians into a minority in their own country. In public, he would often wear the black military pants and vest of the Hungarian Guard, the banned right-wing extremist group.
But then he learned that his family was Jewish, a revelation that turned his life on its head.
Now, he calls himself Dovid Szegedi, eats kosher, is learning Hebrew and goes to the Synagogue every Friday. "This is my true identity," says Szegedi, who is almost two meters (6" 6') tall. He wears an Italian designer suit, scruffy stubble and a black kippah.
The story of Csanád's transformation into Dovid is one of radical reinvention, and also one of a desperate search for a reliable identity, one which continues to elude Eastern Europe even 25 years after the end of communism. » | Jan Puhl | Thursday, April 03, 2014
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 »
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
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
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
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
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