A Catalunha pode designar-se como ‘nação‘, segundo decisão do supremo tribunal espanhol

The Constitutional Court in Madrid has upheld most of a charter granting sweeping new powers of self-rule to the wealthy Catalonia region defying conservatives who feared it would lead to the break-up of Spain as a unified state.

But it stopped short of approving some of the most controversial points, including the recognition of Catalan as the "preferred language", a move which has led politicians in the region to call mass protests.

The decision, delivered on Monday evening, opened a "crisis of state" because it "ignores the will of the Catalan citizens," said Ernest Benach, president of the regional Parliament.

Catalan parliamentary parties, trades union and social organisations have called for mobilisation across the region with street demonstrations planned for July 10. [...]

Ver notícia no Telegraph

Diversidade étnica na escola tem efeito negativo sobre a aprendizagem

Fifteen-year-old pupils from schools with high ethnic diversity perform worse than comparable pupils from schools with homogenous student populations. This applies not just to the immigrant children, but also to the pupils from the country in question. For the latter group, the negative effect is strongest in school systems with a hierarchy of school types, such as the Dutch and German systems. What’s more, the number and origin of the immigrant pupils also plays an important role. Having a higher proportion of pupils from Islamic countries at a given school negatively influences the performance of all pupils at that school. But in contrast, a higher share of pupils from South and East Asia has a positive effect. This is just one of Jaap Dronkers’s conclusions from his empirical research using international PISA data, which he discusses in his inaugural lecture. [...]

Ver notícia na Universidade de Maastricht

Senado espanhol aprova proibição da burka nos espaços públicos

El Pleno del Senado ha dado hoy luz verde a la prohibición del «burka» en los espacios públicos con 131 votos a favor, 129 en contra y ninguna abstención.
La moción presentada por el PP sale adelante gracias al apoyo a última hora de CiU, que ayer decidió sumarse a la iniciativa. En la tarde de ayer, CiU firmó una enmienda de sustitución promovida por el PSOE que recibió el apoyo de todos los grupos de la Cámara a excepción del PP.
En ella se instaba al Ejecutivo a utilizar el ordenamiento jurídico para "dar una respuesta adecuada" a la cuestión del velo integral y promover la educación, la sensibilización y la relación con las comunidades musulmanas en este ámbito. [...]

Ver notícia no ABC

Uma equipa dinamarquesa à qual falta colorido

Le Danemark concourt avec une équipe nordique banale et bien organisée, sans plus. L'Allemagne, en revanche, montre une nouvelle génération fantastique de joueurs, pleine de talent. Et les deux équipes reflètent la situation politique de leurs pays respectifs. Car même si certains d'entre nous peuvent éprouver une certaine sympathie pour la lutte des Danois contre l'expertocratie, il est indéniable que le Danemark a connu une vague de xénophobie déplaisante au cours des années 2000. Une grande partie de la société danoise a en effet la conviction provinciale et mesquine que les Arabes et les musulmans sont tout simplement incapables de s'intégrer. Une attitude aussi défensive que fataliste. [...]

Ver notícia no Courrier International

Vitória esmagadora dos independentistas flamengos na Bélgica

Un "tremblement de terre". Un résultat "historique". Même si elle était attendue, la victoire des nationalistes flamands de la N-VA [Nouvelle Alliance flamande] a provoqué des réactions à la mesure de son importance. D'autant qu'elle s'avère plus nette encore dans les chiffres que dans les sondages : près d'un électeur flamand sur trois a voté pour la N-VA. Du côté francophone, le PS [Parti socialiste] remporte une victoire d'une mesure similaire, s'imposant comme valeur refuge face aux craintes liées à la réforme de l'Etat et, surtout, à la crise socio-économique. Voici les grandes tendances – limpides – de ce scrutin. Et les perspectives qui, elles, sont loin de l'être. [...]

Ver notícia no Courrrier International

Líder de uma comunidade muçulmana britânica inventa estória de rapto pelo BNP

The 36 year-old falsely claimed he was abducted at knifepoint by racist thugs from the far-right wing political party after being subjected to hate mail and an arson attack, Chelmsford Crown Court was told.

He had told police he had feared for his life when he was kidnapped in broad daylight from his home in Loughton, Essex on August 24 last year and bundled into a car, it was claimed.

Ramjanally then claimed he was driven to nearby Epping Forest where he was threatened and warned to stop holding prayer sessions he had organised.

But he was caught out lying after detectives viewed CTTV footage from secret cameras installed to protect him after his previous claims that he was being targeted by racist opponents, prosecutors said.

The court heard that at the time of his alleged abduction he was actually “wandering around Homebase". [...]

Ver notícia no Telegraph

Prisioneiros convertem-se ao Islão para obter benefícios

Inmates are converting to Islam in order to gain perks and the protection of powerful Muslim gangs, the Chief Inspector of Prisons warns today.

Dame Anne Owers says that some convicted criminals are taking up the religion in jail to receive benefits only available to practising Muslims.

The number of Muslim prisoners has risen dramatically since the mid-1990s — from 2,513 in 1994, or 5 per cent of the population, to 9,795 in 2008, or 11 per cent. Staff at top-security prisons and youth jails have raised concerns about the intimidation of non-Muslims and possible forced conversions. [...]

Ver notícia no Times

A deriva radical da Turquia

So the Prime Minister of Turkey calls Israel "a festering boil in the Middle East that spreads hate and enmity," while his foreign minister compares Monday's Israeli naval raid on a flotilla of ships headed for the Gaza Strip, in which nine passengers were killed, to the attacks of September 11, 2001. For good measure, the Turks have also wagged their finger at the Obama Administration for not immediately denouncing Israel's actions.

Yet the more facts that come to light about the flotilla, its passengers and their sponsors, the more it seems clear that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Ergodan's government, far more so than Israel's, must be held to account for Monday's violent episode. Maybe that's something the U.N. Human Rights Council, which on Wednesday condemned Israel for an "outrageous attack" and voted 32-3 to set up a "fact-finding mission" (with the U.S. in opposition), might get around to investigating, though we wouldn't hold our breath. [...]

Ver notícia no Wall Street Journal