Strauss-Kahn divides French political return, Parisien, says - Bloomberg

Dominique Strauss-Kahn should return to the French political scene, according to 49 percent of those interviewed by the French daily Le Parisien. It should not return to politics, the survey shows, said a total of 45 percent.

Harris Interactive conducted the survey for Le Parisien, examination of 1000 adults online between July 1 at 8 p.m. local time through July 2. That was after the former head of the Monetary Fund International, was charged with sexual assault and attempted rape of a woman of House Hotel in New York on 14 may, was released on its commitment. The case against him was dismissed and his next hearing is scheduled for July 18. Strauss-Kahn has pleaded not guilty.

To contact the reporter on this story: Alan Katz in Paris at the akatz5@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Mike Harrison at the mharrison5@bloomberg.net

New York Gay marriage Vote Alters political battle lines - Wall Street Journal

Decision of New York to allow same-sex marriages paves the way for the battles in one half-dozen other States and could propel the rights of homosexuals as a matter of policy corner in the 2012 elections.

The new battle lines were already fixed as States such as Minnesota willing to take on the issue of same-sex marriage in a future close and that the law in New York a fresh pressure on President Barack Obama to express a clear position on the subject.

Agency France-Press/Getty Images riders take part in the New York City's gay pride parade Sunday.

Gay rights advocates, who celebrated Sunday in parades across the country, said the relocation of New York - a bill authorizing same-sex marriage which was defended by the Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo and passed by a Republican State Senate Friday, marked a turning point in the debate political and legal nearly 20 years on the definition of marriage. "It's a huge victory brings a giant impetus for the movement to end the marriage to the United States discrimination," said Evan Wolfson, Chairman of the group to Marry free national gay rights.

After the gay pride parade Sunday in New York, Mr. Cuomo said: "I think that you will see this message now resonate across the country." If New York can do, it's OK for every other place to do so. »

Opponents said they would go on the attack against the Republicans who support same-sex marriage. Brian Brown, President of the national organization for marriage, said New York move was a "disaster for the Republican party", and that his group planned to spend $ 2 million over the next 18 months to defeat legislators who supported it.

But these GOP lawmakers also received promises of support from Wall Street, including hedge fund manager Cliff Asness of AQR Capital Management. The political action Committee of the Gill Action Foundation, launched by Tim Gill, has promised to help.

A group of financial executives including Paul Singer, Chief based in New York, Elliott Associates, organized efforts to support gay marriage for more than a year.

In September, Mr. Singer and Ken Mehlman, a partner and a global head of public affairs at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and former Chairman of the Republican National Committee, were among the organizers of a staff to push the marriage homosexual law. Daniel Loeb, head of New York hedge-fund firm third Point LLC, joined forces with MM.. Singer and Mehlman, telling colleagues and others that he considers a civil rights issue, someone close to him said. Hedge fund investors to thank Mr. Loeb for the safeguard measure, said the person. MM.. Singer and Loeb themselves declined to comment through spokesman.

Relocation of New York may have repercussions in other States. Minnesota prohibits same-sex marriage, and voters there will consider a constitutional amendment next year which would add a heterosexual definition of marriage to the constitution. Supporters of the Bill and the leading gay rights are are committed to at least 4.7 million dollars for their campaigns.

In North Carolina, home of the 2012 Democratic National Convention, the State is weighing whether voters should take a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. Maryland and Rhode Island legislators are considering bills pro-gay marriage of their own.

The leaders of Gay-rights in Oregon and California, where Proposition 8 in 2008 bans same-sex marriages, are also weighing whether to bring initiatives of pro-gay marriage for the ballot next year.

"It is crucial that we continue to fight all also difficult, even stronger, in Maryland and elsewhere, said Robert Broadus, head to protect marriage Maryland, who was in New York the week last for an attempt to defeat the vote.".

President Obama, who supports civil unions, said his position on same-sex marriage is "evolution". A staff of Manhattan with gay and lesbian Thursday donors, Mr. Obama supports the process that is New York. In so doing, it upset some democratic supporters, who said marriage leaving movements of States the burden that they think should be a federal question.

"The progressive democratic community seeks to Andrew Cuomo and seeing Bobby Kennedy and the President is not very politically astute in comparison, said Richard Socarides, who advised President Bill Clinton on the gay rights issues." The "people remember that when it is a candidate for the Presidency, he said,"I want to change the country."" Now it says homosexuals, "If you want to change, turn to your state legislature." ''

Mr. Obama "long believed that same-sex couples deserve the same rights and legal safeguards as straight couples," said the spokesman for the Obama Shin Inouye. "States should determine themselves how best to defend the rights of their citizens." The New York process worked just as it should. »

Moving to New York more than doubled, 35 million inhabitants, the number of Americans who live in States that same-sex marriage. Five other States, in addition to the District of Columbia, also allow same-sex marriages.

A may Gallup poll, echoing a March from Washington Post-ABC News survey, 53% of Americans believe same-sex marriage should be recognized as valid, with the same rights as heterosexual marriages. The survey has a sampling error of 4%, only 44% for homosexual marriage support last year.

Opponents point to a survey of Alliance Defense Fund may claiming a 2.53% margin of error revealed that 62% of Americans believe marriage should be defined "only as" a union between a man and a woman.

-Jenny Strasburg, Andrew Grossman and Steve Eder contributed to this article.

Write to Geoffrey a. Fowler at geoffrey.fowler@wsj.com

Chinese political dissident Hu Jia released from prison - Irish Times

The Irish Times - Monday, June 27, 2011 CLIFFORD COONAN in Beijing

Dissenting political Chinese, Hu Jia was published yesterday, after having served more than three years in prison for subversion, just days after the controversial artist Ai Weiwei was released on bail.

Unlike the release of IA, release of Mr. Hu had been scheduled for release some time, and his wife Zeng Jinyuan complained of harassment at the approach of the release of her husband.

"Safe, very pleased." Need to retrieve for a period of time, "she wrote in a message from Twitter."

She said that it would be deprived of his political rights for one year and that it would not be able to speak to the media.

What looks like the most likely scenario is that Mr. Hu will be kept under house arrest at his home - in his case the same scenario exactly as before he was imprisoned.

It is the fate that awaits AI for next year and is also what happened to the blind lawyer, barefoot Chen Guangcheng, a particularly brutal form of house arrest since his release from prison last year.

Any person coming out of the custody is immediately stifled by the authorities, and Felim Kine, researcher with New York - based Human Rights Watch Asia, said that he feared he would be under house arrest could be a new policy.

"I fear that this may be a trend." A ban on contact with the media was a condition of sentencing of Hu Jia, with deprivation of political rights to its release year, and his wife had warned that his release would not "normal", "he says.

Since February, Communist Party of China leads a dissenting repression, invited by the fear that the "Jasmine revolutions" in the authoritarian regimes of the Middle East and North Africa could be extended to China and undermine the party.

The Communist leadership is due to the change of the next year, and it is a very sensitive moment. This period also marks the 90th anniversary of the Communist Party.

The scenario of Hu Jia is similar to that of his dissenting colleague, Ai Weiwei, was published week last after three months of detention, more thin and very weak research and stating that his parole conditions prohibiting him from making statements.

His release at the time when Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is visiting Europe travel to Britain, the Hungary and the Germany.

A lightweight and light-maniérée figure who suffers from liver disorders, dissident of 37 years was arrested by the police in late December 2007, after more than 200 days under house arrest in his apartment in complex Beijing, which is called the city of Bobo freedom.

Mr. Hu was back in the apartment ironically yesterday named complex with his wife and child.

"For this one year, the focus should be to heal his cirrhosis, caring for parents and children to avoid being arrested again," wrote his wife.

Mr. Hu was convicted of "inciting subversion of the State" by writing articles on the freedom to speak to foreign journalists.

He was found guilty of having written articles on the human rights approach of the Olympic Games in 2008, which were posted overseas Chinese sites as Boxun.

This has prompted charges that he conspired with foreign elements to sabotage the Beijing Games.

He gave interviews to many foreign media and embassies, won the European Union in 2008 Sakharov Prize, and was also in the framework for the Nobel Prize for peace in a given time.

Until the arrest of Liu Xiaobo and conviction on charges of subversion and its sequel Nobel peace, Mr. Hu was probably the best-known defender of human rights in China, and it is pronounced on AIDS, the environment, autonomy Tibetan and freedom of expression.

Mr. Hu is also a vegetarian and Buddhist, who criticized this religion China controls Tibet and voiced sympathy for the Dalai Lama, exiled Tibetan spiritual leader reviled by Beijing.