Viva..Mr President..[ 1637 ]

Obama backs mosque near 9/11 site

 

President Barack Obama hosts an iftar dinner, the meal that breaks the Ramadan fast for Muslims

The London Evening Standard 14.08.10

President Barack Obama has come out in favour of allowing a mosque to be built near the site of the former World Trade Centre in New York, which was destroyed nine years ago by terrorists in hijacked aircraft.

Mr Obama said Muslims have the same right to follow their religion as anyone else. He said that includes the right to build a place of worship on private property in lower Manhattan.

The president made his remarks at an Iftar dinner at the White House celebrating the beginning of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

In doing so he waded into a national controversy that has sparked passionate and at times angry debate.

The site is near where almost 3,000 people died on September 11 2001 after Muslim hijackers flew two planes into the centre's twin towers, which crumbled as New Yorkers fled in terror.

"As a citizen, and as president, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country," Mr Obama said.

"That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community centre on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances," he said.

"This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakable."

See also post [ 1635 ]

China, Switzerland talks..[ 1636 ]

China, Switzerland agree to start FTA talks English.news.cn   2010-08-13 21:42:44     Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) meets with Doris Leuthard, president of the Swiss Confederation and head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 13, 2010. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang) BEIJING, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- China and Switzerland on Friday agreed to start free trade agreement (FTA) talks, as the two states celebrate their 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties. Chinese President Hu Jintao and his Swiss counterpart, Doris Leuthard, witnessed the signing of the memorandum of understanding on finishing the FTA feasibility study that was started in 2009. The two states will begin FTA talks as soon as possible, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said in a statement. As one of the first Western countries to forge diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, Switzerland has become China's major trade partner in Europe. "Facing new opportunities, China-Switzerland relations are at a new starting point," Hu told Leuthard during their 30-minute meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. President Hu hailed the development of bilateral relations and pledged to further expand political trust and trade and economic cooperation. Leuthard conveyed her nation's condolences to China over the series of natural disasters the country has suffered recently. Leuthard also said Switzerland will stick to the one-China policy. In China for a working visit, Leuthard also said the two states should boost cooperation in finance, education, culture, environmental protection, tourism and on international affairs. Editor: Lin Zhi

The Ground Zero mosque ..[ 1635 ]

Will President Obama address Ground Zero mosque during White House Ramadan celebration tonight?

By David Schoetz
Daily News Staff Writer

Friday, August 13th 2010, 6:23 PM

Siegel for News

Hundreds rallied across the street from the World Trade Center site to protest plans to build a mosque just blocks from Ground Zero.

Dharapak/AP

Barack Obama to speak about religious freedom tonight at Ramadan dinner.

A Big Apple controversy may soon be thrust into a Beltway spotlight.

President Barack Obama will host an Iftar dinner Friday night marking the Islamic holy month of Ramadan – and he is expected to celebrate religious freedom during his remarks.

Many in New York City will be listening with a particularly keen ear – given the bitter fight over the Park51 mosque and Islamic center proposed near the former site of the World Trade Center.

The president has not yet addressed the Lower Manhattan mosque controversy directly, with the White House thus far calling the matter a local issue.

Locally, the controversy remains hot to the touch.

Earlier this month, Mayor Michael Bloomberg choked up during an emotional plea in favor of the center and then later called critics closed-minded.

This week, Governor David Paterson - while supporting the project - floated the idea of a compromise site on state land away from Ground Zero that he would help provide.

Sponsors of the mosque said Thursday in a Twitter post they are open to discussing that possibility with the governor.

With News Wire Services

A 7.2 R. Earthquake south of the Mariana Islands,..[ 1634 ]

No tsunami warning after Pacific quake

By the CNN Wire Staff-13-8-2010

(CNN) -- A 7.2-magnitude earthquake has struck south of the Mariana Islands, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The Mariana Islands -- an archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean -- are made up of two U.S. territories, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The islands sit about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a tsunami warning after the quake, which struck at 7:19 a.m. Saturday (5:19 p.m. ET Friday).

"We wouldn't expect any kind of significant tsunami for this event," said the center's director, Charles McCreery, noting that the quake's magnitude was relatively low to provoke one.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, emergency management officials said.

The quake struck about 375 kilometers (233 miles) west-southwest of Hagatna, Guam, and 445 kilometers (276 miles) west-southwest of Rota, Northern Mariana Islands.

It ran 4.7 kilometers (2.9 miles) deep

Australia, Melbourne.,.double murder 'chaos'.[ 1633 ]

Witness recounts double murder 'chaos'

Police say the gunman was equipped with a semi-automatic handgun and fired up to five shots. (AAP: David Crosling)

MELBOURNE.,( ABC ) 14-8-10.,,Posted 1 hour 16 minutes ago

Police have described yesterday's double shooting at a Melbourne gaming venue as callous and outrageous, while one onlooker described the scene as chaos.

A man remains in custody after two men aged in their 60s or 70s were shot dead at the Players on Lygon bar in Lygon Street, Carlton, around 5.00pm (AEST).

Bystanders say a gunman shot one man on the footpath outside the venue before entering the building and shooting another.

Police say the gunman was equipped with a semi-automatic handgun and fired up to five shots.

One witness, who was in the venue at the time of the shooting, says the alleged gunman chased a third man into a nearby park but he escaped.

"It was chaos. The young lady who works in there was freaking out," he said.

"She was yelling at the gunman and telling him 'please don't, please don't'.

"Other people were running left, right and centre, trying to hide behind the machines and walls and stuff."

Police hope security camera footage will help with the investigation.

Detective Sergeant Wayne Woltsche says the incident does not appear be linked to the murder of 65-year-old crime patriarch Macchour Chaouk.

Chaouk was shot at his heavily secured Brooklyn home in Melbourne's west at 11:00am yesterday.

"We have a person in custody as a suspect for this shooting and that's the only assurance I can give," he said.

"I can certainly say that at this stage we haven't established any connection to that shooting."