Vladimir Putin and His Wife Lyudmila Announce Split

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, and his wife Lyudmila have ended years of speculation about their 30-year relationship, admitting that they had decided to end their marriage.

In a stilted – but clearly staged – interview on Russian state television after a night together at the ballet, the couple said they had agreed to a “civilised break-up” because they barely saw each other. It appeared that a formal divorce had not yet taken place.

The announcement will likely only fuel speculation about Mr Putin’s private life. The 60-year-old Russian president has been dogged by rumours for years that he had an affair with Alina Kabayeva, a 30-year-old politician and former Olympic rhythmic gymnast, although no hard evidence has ever been presented to confirm that.

The Russian leader and his wife, 55, spoke after attending a performance of La Esmeralda – a ballet inspired by the story of the Hunchback of Notre Dame – at the State Kremlin palace, their first public engagement together since his returned to the presidency in May last year.

Mrs Putina appears only very rarely in public. She was said to be living far away from the Kremlin, in a £1m state-owned retreat on the border with Estonia. Some reports even suggested she joined a convent. » | Tom Parfitt, Moscow | Thursday, June 06, 2013

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Vladimir Putin breaks Kremlin taboo by revealing break-up with wife: President Vladimir Putin's carefully stage-managed announcement that he and his wife of 30 years were divorcing came as a true shock in Russia. ¶ That his marriage to Lyudmila, a quiet ex-stewardess with an inherent dislike of publicity, may have long been dead has for years been the subject of gossip among the elites and ordinary Russians. ¶ But the Kremlin's move to officially announce Putin's divorce smashed a long-standing taboo on the private lives of the country's leaders. » | AFP | Friday, June 07, 2013

Don't Be Too Hard On Turkey's Islamists – They Are Just the Sort the West Should Want
TELEGRAPH BLOGS – COLIN FREEMAN: Watching the turmoil in Istanbul in the past few days, it’s easy to see why there is talk of Turkey hosting its own version of the Arab Spring. The scenario, at first glance, seems very familiar. First of all, thousands of protesters, mainly but not exclusively young and metropolitan, accuse their government of being authoritarian. The police respond with tear gas and truncheons. Then the country’s prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, denounces the crowds as “bums and extremists”, and insists that this is not a “Turkish Spring”, thank you. Such blunt responses to people power elsewhere in the Middle East recently have often heralded a leader’s imminent demise.

Yet we in the West should perhaps be careful what we wish for in Turkey. For one, Mr Erdogan is democratically elected, with popularity ratings that many of his European counterparts would envy. And for another, whatever its shortcomings – and judging by the size of the crowds on Turkey’s streets in recent days, there are plenty – his Justice and Development Party is the nearest thing we have to an Islamist government that the West can work with. Read on and comment » | Colin Freeman | Thursday, June 06, 2013

My comment:

Another whitewash of Islamic Turkey! Colin Freeman clearly doesn't have a proper understanding of what Islam is all about. You can't compare Protestantism with Islamism, for goodness' sake. How naïve!

It seems to me that this blog post was written to soften us up for the accession of Turkey into the EU. No, Sir! We don't want Turkey in the EU. I don't care what an economic stick of dynamite it is. Europe has already got enough Muslims residing in it. It doesn't need any more.

I think I speak for the many when I say that I am tired of Muslims, Islam, the Jihad, the Prophet Muhammad, and all that goes with that political ideology wrapped up as a faith. For Christ's sake (and I am not blaspheming or swearing when I write that; I'm being literal), leave us alone! Islam has been allowed into the West by ignorant fools, by people who should have known better. Our forefathers did; alas people today do not.

This is not to say that all Muslims are bad; they are not. I have worked for many years with many delightful ones. But my experience of working with them, and my knowledge of Islam tell me that Islam and Western liberal democracy are immiscible: they cannot co-exist. That should be clear and obvious to most people by now.

Let Muslims do their thing in their own countries; and let us do our own thing in ours. – © Mark

This comment also appears here

Douglas Murray - The Woolwich Attack
Douglas Murray, Anjem Choudary and Julie Siddiqi discuss the implications of Michael Adebolaj one of the perpetrators of the attack taking part in one of Choudary's protests previously on Channel Four News.

Douglas Murray - Fear of Radicalism is Not Irrational

The Vatican and Islam
THE JERUSALEM POST: As the world focused on a pope’s election and the enthusiasm that immediately followed, another significant religious event escaped detection.

As the world focused on a pope’s election and the enthusiasm that immediately followed, another significant religious event escaped detection.

Two weeks after Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio became Pope Francis I, a prominent Italian commentator who converted from Islam to Catholicism in 2008 announced he would leave the Church.

Magdi Allam – an emigrant from Egypt who fights Islamism in Europe and who was baptized by Pope Benedict XVI – wrote in his March 25 column for Milan’s Il Giornale that he was leaving “because this Church is too weak with Islam.”

Allam is right.

Since Pope John Paul II’s tenure, the Catholic Church has refused to hold Muslim theologians and clergy accountable for the hatred and violence many of them preach. Instead, the Vatican promotes dialogue and mutual understanding at all costs – even at the cost of moral credibility.

John Paul II condemned what he called a “culture of death,” referring to the West’s tolerance for abortion and birth control. Yet when faced with a more virulent culture of death – a Palestinian Authority that promotes genocide by teaching children to become suicide bombers – the late pope fell silent. Given Pope Francis’ history and recent actions, Israelis and Palestinians can expect more tired, limp rhetoric about peace that hides Catholicism’s sentimental complacency. » | Joseph D’Hippolito | Thursday, June 06, 2013

Now Half of Sham Marriages Involve Foreign Students: Members of Bogus Colleges Who Face Being Kicked Out Marry Britons and EU Citizens to Prolong Their Stay
MAIL ONLINE: Figures come from a snapshot Home Office survey over three months / It is revealed 50% of ceremonies involved people who had first entered as students

In a major new immigration scam, half of all bogus weddings now involve foreign students.

The revelation shows the full scale of the past abuse of the student visa system.

The non-EU nationals faced removal from Britain after their bogus colleges were shut down in a crackdown by the Government.

But, instead of returning home, they are arranging fake weddings with British nationals or EU citizens to prolong their stay, often paying thousands of pounds in fees to 'fixers'.

Under a Brussels edict, marrying an EU citizen can grant the same rights to stay as marrying a Briton.

Officials say the trend shows that the migrants' true reason for travelling to the UK in the first place was to settle, not to study. Last year, they identified a suspected 2,000 sham marriages. » | James Slack | Thursday, June 06, 2013

Choudary ‘To Lose Benefits’

Blitz on preachers of hate
THE SUN: HATE clerics like Anjem Choudary may soon lose benefits.

Any claimant whose behaviour is ruled to be deeply offensive or harmful to society would be stripped of their handouts under a new law planned by ministers.

Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith’s move is aimed at extremists like Choudary — and hate preacher Abu Qatada, who is fighting deportation.

IDS met Home Secretary Theresa May yesterday to plot a joint approach.

Choudary scoops up nearly £26,000 in state giveaways a year — leading to accusations British taxpayers are being forced to fund terrorism. » | Tom Newton Dunn | Thursday, June 06, 2013

THE SUN: Serial offender – The case against Anjem Choudary » | Stephen Moyes, Dan Sales and Neil Syson | Thursday, June 06, 2013

Can David Cameron Explain Why He Has Put Us On Al-Qaeda’s Side?
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Just like Tony Blair over Iraq, the Prime Minister has lost touch with reality when it comes to Syria

The longer a prime minister remains in 10 Downing Street, the more likely he or she is to go mad. Something of the sort happened to Gordon Brown and also, from 2003 onwards if not before, to Tony Blair. No prime minister has left office in full possession of his or her mental faculties since Jim Callaghan in early 1979. » | Peter Oborne | Wednesday, June 05, 2013

My comment:

Why has Cameron put us on Al-Qaeda's side?

Do you want the short answer or the long answer?

If it's the short answer you want, it's this: He's a duffer when it comes to Islam. He needs to read a book such as Islam for Dummies. And if it's available, Islam for Duffers too.

If it's the long answer you want, I don't have the time right now; and in any case, it would probably be taken down by the moderators. In short, Cameron knows diddly sh** about Islam. – © Mark

This comment can also be found here.

La communauté turque de France soutient les manifestants
LE FIGARO: Plusieurs centaines de personnes se sont réunies mardi soir à Paris pour appeler à la fin des violences policières et à la démission du premier ministre Erdogan.

Loin de la place Taksim, au coeur d'Istanbul, où les manifestants hostiles au premier ministre Recep Tayyip Erdogan sont toujours mobilisés, la communauté turque de France (environ 550.000 personnes) suit de très près le mouvement de contestation. Après quelques petits rassemblements la semaine dernière, ils étaient plus d'un millier à manifester mardi soir au Châtelet, à Paris, pour apporter leur soutien à la contestation. «Un rassemblement hétérogène, de gens qui ne manifestent pas normalement ensemble», selon Merve Ozdemirkiran, 30 ans, enseignante à Sciences Po Paris, présente mardi.

«Tayyip t'es foutu, la Turquie est dans la rue», «La Turquie est laïque et elle le restera», «Erdogan démission», ont scandé les manifestants, parmi lesquels de nombreux jeunes. Initialement dirigée contre un projet d'aménagement urbain menaçant le parc Gezi à Istanbul, la mobilisation turque s'est muée vendredi dernier en un mouvement de contestation politique après l'intervention musclée des forces de l'ordre. Les manifestants dénoncent l'autoritarisme du premier ministre. Le mouvement a gagné plusieurs villes, les heurts ont déjà fait deux morts. » | Par Anne-Laure Frémont | mercredi 05 juin 2013

La «femme en rouge» devient le symbole de la révolte en Turquie

LE FIGARO: Une photo montrant une jeune femme aspergée de gaz lacrymogène est devenue l'un des symboles de la révolte menée contre le gouvernement du premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

«La femme en rouge» est devenue malgré elle l'égérie du mouvement de contestation qui secoue depuis plusieurs jours la Turquie. Vêtue d'une robe rouge et d'un sac de toile blanc, la jeune fille apparaît sur des clichés capturés le 28 mai dans le centre d'Istanbul. On y voit notamment un policier, protégé par un masque à gaz, qui lui envoie du gaz lacrymogène à bout portant. Sur les différents clichés, la jeune femme semble impassible. Ses cheveux volent mais elle se contente de fermer les yeux.

La scène se déroule dans le parc de Gezi, dont l'améngaement en centre commercial est à l'origine de la contestation. Osamn Orsal, un photographe de Reuters, a réalisé plusieurs photos de l'incident lorsque la police est intervenue contre des opposants manifestant pacifiquement contre l'abattage d'arbres. » | Par Emmanuelle Germain | mercredi 05 juin 2013

Related »

Türkei: Erdogan lässt Twitter-Aktivisten verhaften

DIE WELT: Der türkische Regierungschef Erdogan geht hart gegen Nutzer sozialer Netzwerke vor: 14 User des Kurznachrichtendienstes wurden in der Nacht verhaftet. Sie sollen "Desinformation" betrieben haben.

Es gibt Sprüche des türkischen Ministerpräsidenten Recep Tayyip Erdogan, die sind so beliebt bei den Demonstranten, dass sie bereits als Graffiti an Hauswänden prangen, nur diesmal gegen ihn gerichtet.

Etwa: "Geh, und nimm deine Mutter gleich mit." Das hatte Erdogan mal zu einem Bauern gesagt, der sich bei ihm zu beklagen wagte. Oder sein neuester Spruch: "Es gibt eine neue große Gefahr. Sie heißt Twitter."

Das hatte er am Montag gesagt, und es war einer der Augenöffner dieser Tage gewesen. Es zeigte den kulturellen Abgrund zwischen dem konservativen, patriarchalischen Erdogan und der Jugend seines Landes, die zu den Internet-freudigsten der Welt zählt. Konkrete Drohung gegen Twitter-User » | Von Boris Kálnoky | Mittwoch, 05. Juni 2013

Massenproteste: Iraner erheben sich gegen das religiöse Regime

DIE WELT: Bei der Beerdigung eines regimekritischen Ajatollahs sollen Tausende Menschen in Sprechchören die Freilassung der Oppositionsführer gefordert haben – und den Tod des religiösen Führers Chamenei.

In der zweitgrößten iranischen Stadt Isfahan ist aus einer Beerdigung ein Protest gegen die religiöse Führung des Landes geworden. Tausende forderten offenbar in einem Trauerzug am Dienstag in Sprechchören die Freilassung der Oppositionsführer Mir Hussein Mussawi und Mehdi Karrubi und den Tod des religiösen Führers Ajatollah Ali Chamenei, wie BBC berichtete. "Karrubi und Mussawi müssen freigelassen werden!", hört man Menschen in einemAmateurvideo, das auf der Videoplattform YouTube veröffentlich wurde, rufen. Und das nur zehn Tage vor der Präsidentenwahl.

Anlass der Unterstützungsbekundungen für die Oppositionskandidaten von 2009 war die Beerdigung des regimekritischen Ajatollahs Dschalaluddin Taheri. Der 87-jährige Geistliche, der im Jahr 2002 aus Protest gegen die religiöse Führung als Freitagsprediger für Isfahan zurücktrat, war am Sonntag verstorben.

Er galt als Unterstützer des Reformkandidaten Mussawi, nach dessen Niederlage vor vier Jahren im Iran viele Menschen gegen das Wahlergebnis protestierten. Die Regierung hatte die Proteste brutal niedergeschlagen. Mussawi und Karrubi stehen seit Februar 2011 unter Hausarrest. » | Von Sonja Gillert | Mittwoch, 05. Juni 2013

Related »

BANNED: British Shopkeeper Forced to Stop Selling 'OBEY OUR LAWS OR GET OUT' T-shirt
EXPRESS: A SHOPKEEPER was threatened with arrest by police after he displayed a T shirt in his shop window with the statement: "Respect out beliefs or get out of our country."

T shirt printer Matthew Taylor created the shirt in the wake of Drummer Lee Rigby's tragic death.

But following a complaint from a member of the public, police came to his store in Newport, South Wales, and threatened to arrest him unless he removed the T shirt from sight.

Matthew said: "I had a visit from two community support officers because it has been reported by someone who felt it was offensive.

"It's not meant to be offensive, and that's not the reason I produced it. It's what I believe. » | Charlotte Meredith | Wednesday, June 05, 2013

TELEGRAPH BLOGS – SEAN THOMAS: The Muslim hate preacher and the T-shirt salesman: a bizarre study in double standards: Compare and contrast. A few days ago, one of Britain’s best-loved hate preachers, Anjem Choudary, a man so widely admired that we pay him £25,0000 a year in benefits so he can live in this country, was filmed saying murdered Woolwich soldier Lee Rigby will "burn in hellfire" as a non-Muslim. » | Sean Thomas | Wednesday, June 05, 2013

Police Investigating Whether London Mosque Fire 'Racially-motivated'
Counter-terror police are investigating whether a fire that destroyed an Islamic community centre was started deliberately in a racially-motivated attack.

Read the article here | Josie Ensor | Wednesday, June 05, 2013
BBC: Al-Rahma Islamic Centre destroyed in 'racist attack': An Islamic centre in north London has been destroyed by a fire in an apparent racially motivated attack. (+ BBC video) » | Wednesday, June 05, 2013

THE INDEPENDENT: Muswell Hill mosque fire: Counter-terror police investigate 'EDL' graffiti found on wreckage after arson attack amid fears of Woolwich reprisals: Right-wing group denies involvement as police investigate potential link to Woolwich attack » | Rob Williams | Wednesday, June 05, 2013


THE SUN: Fire at mosque in Muswell Hill - feared to be EDL attack: A MOSQUE in north London has been destroyed after a blaze which began in the early hours of this morning – feared to be a revenge attack by the English Defence League. » | Karen Morrison | Wednesday, June 05, 2013

Russia: Smoking Ban Met With Skepticism

THE MOSCOW TIMES: The new anti-smoking law that came into force last week and is seen by the government as a measure to fight population decline has been met more with skepticism than strict implementation.

The measures that took effect on June 1 are the first phase in a large-scale program designed to change the public's attitude to smoking by imposing strict restrictions in public places and significantly increasing prices on tobacco products.

Many of the restrictions introduced last Saturday pertain to smoking in places where it has already been prohibited, such as on public transportation and in schools, museums and hospitals.

But now, added to that list are universities, sports facilities, stairwells of apartment buildings, municipal and office buildings, playgrounds, beaches, filling stations and any area within 15 meters of a metro entrance, as well as bus stops, train stations and airports.

The law, developed by the Health Ministry and signed in February by President Vladimir Putin, was designed to put a dent in the death rate caused by smoking and help boost a dwindling population. » | Yekaterina Kravtsova | Tuesday, June 05, 2013

Inside Story: Is Turkey in Turmoil?
As anger over plans to develop city park fuel nationwide protests, we ask if these tensions will tarnish Turkey' image.

Turkish Cops Squelch Protesters as Violent Clashes Continue
Turkey is currently being rocked by its biggest wave of anti-government protests in years. At least two people have been killed and thousands injured from clashes with police since the protests began on Friday. Videos and images have emerged on social media showing police in riot gear firing tear gas, using pepper spray and physically beating demonstrators.

Muhammad, Cross-Dressing, and the London Muslim Patrol
A group called the Muslim Patrol has been harassing people on the streets of London. But would they harass their prophet as well? Since Muhammad wore women's clothing, he wouldn't last long in one of London's Muslim-controlled areas.

Tens of Thousands in Iran Protest against Khamenei, Chant 'Death to Dictator'
A funeral of a senior dissident cleric turns into biggest anti-government protest in years.

Read the Haaretz article here | Haaretz and Reuters | Wednesday, June 05, 2013

Elbe-Hochwasser: Evakuierungen in Dresden: Video
05.06.2013 - Die Elbe steigt weiter und noch ist nicht abzusehen, wann der Scheitel des Hochwassers Dresden erreichen wird. Die Behörden haben mit Evakuierungen begonnen.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Großes Bangen an der Elbe: Die Pegelstände der Elbe steigen bedrohlich - immer mehr Einwohner in Sachsen müssen sich vor dem Hochwasser in Sicherheit bringen. Auch die Menschen in Sachsen-Anhalt, Niedersachsen und Brandenburg blicken besorgt auf den Fluss und seine Nebenläufe. » | wit/dpa/AFP | Mittwoch, 05. Juni 2013

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Europe Under Water: Record Floods Hit Eastern Germany – As flooding continues across Central Europe, the eastern German city of Dresden is bracing for near record high water levels. Some residents have already evacuated their homes. ¶ Though some areas reported improved conditions, flooding continued across Europe on Wednesday, with the eastern German city of Dresden bracing for near record water levels. ¶ Officials in the baroque city said that they expect the Elbe River to continue to swell, though it is unlikely exceed levels seen in the disastrous flood of 2002, which caused widespread damage in eastern Germany and neighboring countries. Authorities are preparing for evacuations all along the Elbe, and some residents have already been forced leave their homes in Dresden, where electricity was shut off as a precautionary measure in some places. » | kla -- with wires | Wednesday, Hune 05, 2013

EU Gone Bad: Islam, Tribalism & Economic Crisis

CBN NEWS: PARIS and BERLIN -- On May 21, French historian Dominique Venner shocked France when he walked into Notre Dame Cathedral, put a letter on the altar and shot himself in the head. It was a protest against Islamization and France's new gay marriage law, and he said he hoped his suicide would wake up the nation.

But it looks like Europe has no choice. It's being forced to awaken because parts of Europe are literally on fire.

In Sweden, a few weeks ago predominantly Muslim immigrants set fires for several nights. In Britain, a soldier was butchered on a London street by a Muslim. In France, a recent convert to Islam tried to do the same thing to a French soldier at a Paris metro stop, but only wounded him.

Breeding Grounds for Radicalism

Amidst failing economies Europe is continuing to fracture into ethnic tribes that hate one another. Some European leaders have admitted that multiculturalism has failed. It has created immigrant ghettos inside European cities that are breeding grounds for radicalism and hostility to mainstream society.

In Paris, CBN News asked Guy Milliere, author of the new book l'islam Radical est une Arme de Destruction Massive, or Radical Islam is a Weapon of Mass Destruction, why the European establishment continues to allow and encourage Islam to spread while suppressing Christianity. "The connection between radical Muslims and the Left in Europe is that both are totalitarian," he replied. "(The Left) sees something in common between themselves and radical Muslims."

Most European leaders still seem to fear political correctness more than Islamic terrorism.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said, "There is nothing in Islam that justified the beheading of British soldier Lee Rigby by a Muslim," ignoring the many verses in the Quran that command Muslims to behead unbelievers.

Cameron instead called the murder "a betrayal of Islam." It took the Somali terrorist group al-Shabab to correct Cameron in a series of tweets, saying that the gruesome killing wasn't a "betrayal" of Islam, but a "portrayal" of Islam. Read on and comment » | Dale Hurd, CBN News Sr. Reporter| Tuesday, June 04, 2013

'Woman in Red' Sprayed with Teargas Becomes Symbol of Turkey Protests

THE GUARDIAN: Images of a smartly dressed woman being sprayed with teargas by a riot policeman during protests in Istanbul's Taksim Square have been shared on social media around the world

Istanbul's police chief had said his forces would only use teargas as a last resort. But the images seem to show the officer targeting an unarmed woman. » | Lewis Williamson | Wednesday, June 05, 2013

France's Fabius 'Confirms Sarin Use' by Syria Regime
BBC: There is no doubt Syria's government has used sarin during the country's crisis, says France's foreign minister.

Laurent Fabius said lab tests in Paris confirmed numerous uses of the nerve agent, adding that those who resort to chemical weapons must be punished.

But he did not specify where or when the agent had been deployed; the White House has said more proof was needed.

Earlier, the UN said there were "reasonable grounds" to believe chemical weapons had been used.

In a new report, the UN commission of inquiry on Syria also urged foreign powers not to increase the availability of arms in Syria.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon described the atrocities listed in the report - which details evidence of fresh suspected massacres, sieges and violations of children's rights - as "sickening and staggering", said his spokesman.

Children have been taken hostage, forced to watch torture and even participate in beheadings, says the report.

Others have been killed while fighting in the two-year uprising against President Bashar Assad's regime that the UN says has left at least 80,000 people dead. » | Tuesday, June 04, 2013

Gay Marriage Bill: Peers Back Government Plans
BBC: Peers have voted by more than two to one to back government plans for same-sex marriages in England and Wales.


The House of Lords spent two days debating the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill, with many members voicing their concerns.

But it rejected an amendment aimed at wrecking the bill by 242 votes, moving it a step closer to becoming law.

The BBC's Norman Smith said plans were on course for the first same-sex weddings to take place next summer.

The bill would allow couples, who can currently form civil partnerships, to marry.

If it passes into law, religious organisations would have to "opt in" if they wished to offer gay weddings, except the Church of England and Church in Wales, which would be banned in law from doing so. » | Tuesday, June 04, 2013


Related »

Peers Vote Convincingly FOR Same-sex Marriage Bill
THE INDEPENDENT: Plans to legalise gay marriage cleared their crucial hurdle in the House of Lords tonight when peers rejected a move to “kill the Bill” which will implement the move.

The first gay weddings are expected in July of next year after the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill survived an attempt to wreck it following a heated two-day debate in the Lords. A wrecking amendment was defeated by 390 votes to 148 and the measure was then given a second reading.

Opponents of the move will table amendments during the Bill's committee stage in the Lords, in the hope of winning further safeguards for churches and public servants such as teachers and registrars who oppose same-sex marriage. But tonight's big majority will reduce the prospects of them succeeding and jubilant supporters hope the Bill will now survive largely intact.

Lord Alli of Norbury, a gay Labour peer, welcomed “a stunning victory for equality”. He said: “There can be no doubt that the public, the House of Commons and now the House of Lords are in favour of marriage equality. Those opposed to this Bill should listen to the overwhelming voice of the majority, not just in both Houses of Parliament, but across the country.”

Ben Summerskill, chief executive of the gay equality pressure group Stonewall, said: “We're absolutely delighted. We always expected a tough challenge in the House of Lords.” He said the rarely-used “fatal motion” tabled by opponents showed the lengths to which a minority of peers were still prepared to go to deny full equality to lesbian, gay and bisexual people. He added: “In the last 24 hours alone, opponents of equality in the Lords have compared loving, committed relationships to incest and polygamy. Britain's 3.7m gay people don't deserve to be second class citizens in their own country.” » | Andrew Grice | Tuesday, June 04, 2013

Lauren Booth and Islam

It is claimed that Lauren Booth, Tony Blair’s sister-in-law, is married to a bigamist »

ZEE NEWS: Tony Blair's sister-in-law weds Muslim 'bigamist['] » | Sunday, May 12, 2013

Face to Face: Lauren Booth vs. Anjem Choudary (2011)

The Truth About Muhammad: The Quran Is A Fraud !

Why I Left Islam - Naeem

Islam’s ‘Rule of Numbers’ Explains London Beheading
THE ALGEMEINER: Last week in London, two Muslim men shouting jihad’s ancient war-cry, “Allahu Akbar” beheaded a British soldier with a cleaver—in a busy intersection and in broad daylight. They boasted in front of passersby and asked to be videotaped.

As surreal as this event may seem, Islamic beheadings are not uncommon in the West, including the U.S. In 2011, a Pakistani-American who helped develop “Bridges TV”—a station “designed to counter negative stereotypes of Muslims”—beheaded his wife. In Germany in 2012, another Muslim man beheaded his wife in front of their six children—again while hollering“Allahu Akbar.” Beheading non-Muslim “infidels” in the Islamic world is especially commonplace: in Yemen a “sorceress” was beheaded by the “Supporters of Sharia”; in Indonesia, three Christian girls on their way to school were beheaded; in Syria last Christmas, U.S.-supported rebels beheaded a Christian man and fed his body to the dogs; in Africa—Somalia, Tanzania, Mali—Christians are regularly decapitated. (For a comprehensive picture of Christian suffering under Islam, see my new book, Crucified Again: Exposing Islam’s New War on Christians.)

Most recently, a disturbing video [WARNING: This video is EXTREMELY GRAPHIC and SHOCKING! It is certainly NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN.] surfaced from “liberated” Libya of a machete-wielding masked man hacking at the head of a captive—again, to cries of “Allahu Akbar!”

But the greater lesson of the London beheading concerns its audacity—done in broad daylight with the attackers boasting in front of cameras, as often happens in the Islamic world. It reflects what I call “Islam’s Rule of Numbers,” a rule that expresses itself with remarkable consistency: The more Muslims grow in numbers, the more Islamic phenomena intrinsic to the Muslim world—in this case, brazen violence against “infidels”—appear.

In the U.S., where Muslims are less than 1% of the population, London-style attacks are uncommon. Islamic assertiveness is limited to political activism dedicated to portraying Islam as a “religion of peace,” and sporadic, but clandestine, acts of terror. In Europe, where Muslims make for much larger minorities, open violence is common. But because they are still a vulnerable minority, Islamic violence is always placed in the context of “grievances,” a word that pacifies Westerners.

With an approximate 10% Muslim population, London’s butcherers acted brazenly, yes, but they still invoked grievances. Standing with bloodied hands, the murderer declared: “We swear by almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you until you leave us alone…. The only reason we have done this is because Muslims are dying by British soldiers every day.”

Days later in Stockholm, which also has a large Muslim minority, masked rioters destroyed 100 cars and property. The grievance for this particular outbreak was that police earlier shot a(nother) machete-wielding “immigrant” in self-defense. » | Raymond Ibrahim * | Monday, June 03, 2013

* Raymond Ibrahim is author of the new book “Crucified Again: Exposing Islam’s New War on Christians“. He is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center and an associate fellow at the Middle East Forum.

The Coronation 60th Anniversary Service of HM Queen Elizabeth II
Sixty years after being crowned, Her Majesty the Queen returns to Westminster Abbey for a service of celebration. There she is joined by her children and grandchildren, along with other members of the Royal Family. The choir performs music sung at the coronation in 1953; and the prayers and readings echo rituals that go back a thousand years. Sophie Raworth talks to people who witnessed the coronation first hand: the photographer who had a bird's eye view from his vantage point high up in the roof; the eleven-year-old choirboys who, between rehearsals, tried out the coronation chair for size; and the Queen's cousin, who remembers the new monarch looking very young and alone amidst all the pomp and ceremony.

Queen Arrives at Westminster Abbey for Service Celebrating Her 60 Years on the Throne
The Queen, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, was welcomed to Westminster Abbey today for a special religious service to mark the 60th anniversary of her coronation.

Read the short article here | Tuesday, June 04, 2013

Central Europe On High Alert Over Record Floods
Four people have died and at least eight are missing as torrential rains in central Europe caused landslides and took rivers to dangerously high levels. Emergency operations are under way in Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic to deal with record levels of flooding in some places. Thousands of homes across the region have been evacuated.

White Flight: Diversity Extremes Push Londoners' Exodus
Growing ethnic tension is leading to the white population shrinking in some parts of the UK, including the British capital. RT's Sara Firth has more on the exodus - and what else might be behind it.

Nazi-Naming Dad Fights for Right to See His Son
Heath Campbell, head of pro-Nazi group "Hitler's Order," gave three of his kids Nazi-inspired names

View more videos at: http://nbcphiladelphia.com.

Read the article here | Vince Lattanzio| Tuesday, June 04, 2013
MAIL ONLINE: White supremacist turns up at court in full Nazi regalia to fight for custody of his children – including one who he named Adolf » | Daily Mail Reporter | Tuesday, June 04, 2013

Anjem Choudary in Vile Woolwich Rant

Vile thoughts, and warped, twisted thinking: Anjem Choudary still free to peddle his hatred of the Kufaar »

Protests in Turkey: 'Taksim Square Belongs to Us'

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: The protests in Turkey have brought together people from all walks of life, including engineers, teachers, construction workers, leftists and even some former supporters of Prime Minister Erdogan. They are demanding changes in a country that is more divided than ever before.

An engineer, who stumbles through the clouds of pepper spray. A doctor to be, who brings medicine and lemon juice, which is supposed to help limit the effects of tear gas. A teacher, who is filming everything with her camcorder. A foreign exchange student, who is there to experience the revolutionary atmosphere. A left-wing activist, who has been camping for days on Taksim Square in the heart of Istanbul, defending it against the police.

All kinds of people are demonstrating against the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Monday night marked just the latest gathering in Turkey's biggest city, part of the wave of protests that has spread across the country after a handful of people in Istanbul came out to prevent the destruction of a small park in the city. It has become a revolt. Hundreds, if not thousands, in Taksim Square have refused to go home and continue to brave the tear gas wafting through the streets. Though the situation has calmed down since the weekend, protesters remain behind their makeshift barricades, made of police barriers and whatever else they could find.

"We are staying until Tayyip goes and we have our freedom," says 24-year-old Balkan. He has taken a break from making films and now sees himself primarily as part of the resistance movement. Looking out at the people on the square, he says "they are all my friends." » | Oliver Trenkamp in Istanbul | Tuesday, June 04, 2013

Workers Strike in Support of Turkey Protests
Two-day strike under way to protest over government's harsh response to demonstrations that have swept the nation.

Read the Al Jazeera article here | Source: Al Jazeera and agencies | Tuesday, June 04, 2013

'Looks Like War': Barricades & Tear Gas Fill Turkish Streets as Clashes Continue
A wave of violence in Turkey has seen riot police clash with protesters for a fourth day running. Security forces used tear gas and water cannons, as protesters responded with stones and built barricades. Activists also tried to break through police lines and attack the Prime Minister's office. RT's Irina Galushko reports from Istanbul.

Turkey: Erdogan Brands Protesters 'Extremists' and 'Looters'
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused protestors of being "extremists", further antagonizing anti-government demonstrators after four days of mass popular protests.

Read the article here | Ruth Sherlock in Istanbul | Monday, June 03, 2013

David Cameron: We Will 'Drain the Swamp' Which Allows Muslim Extremists to Flourish
David Cameron has pledged to “drain the swamp” in which radical Muslims are allowed to hide and develop their extreme views in the wake of the Woolwich terror attack.

here | Christopher Hope, Senior Political Correspondent | Monday, June 03, 2013
My comment:

More BS from Cameron. This, Mr. Cameron, is not a “betrayal” of Islam. It IS Islam! When will this prime minister come to terms with reality? The so-called “extremists” are carrying out the message of Islam to the letter. It is NO perversion.

Talking to people like Cameron is like talking to a brick wall ! – © Mark

Katastrophe zieht in den Osten Deutschlands weiter
Mehrere tausend Helfer kämpfen gegen das Hochwasser. Zehntausende müssen ihre Häuser verlassen. In Deutschland herrscht vielerorts Ausnahmezustand. Und noch ist das Schlimmste nicht überstanden. In Ostdeutschland ist die Angst besonders gross.

Den Artikel hier lesen | Montag, 03. Juni 2013

Proteste in der Türkei reissen nicht ab
Der Widerstand gegen die autoritäre Politik des türkischen Ministerpräsidenten Recep Tayyip Erdogan hält an. In mehreren Grossstädten gab es erneut Ausschreitungen. Die USA äusserten sich besorgt wegen der Polizeigewalt.

Den Artikel hier lesen | Montag, 03. Juni 2013
SCHWEIZER RADIO UND FERNSEHEN: Alle Augen richten sich auf Istanbul: Die Proteste gegen Premier Erdogan in der Türkei weiten sich aus. Die massiven Polizeieinsätze gegen Demonstranten lösen internationale Proteste aus. Grossen Rückhalt erhalten die Protestierenden über Social-Media-Kanäle. Aber auch Unterstützer von Erdogan melden sich zu Wort. » | Montag, 03. Juni 2013

Turquie : les vraies raisons de la colère

LE POINT: Des manifestations sans précédent remettent en cause l'autoritarisme du Premier ministre islamo-conservateur Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Le projet de suppression d'un petit parc d'Istanbul ne laissait en rien présager de la pire crise que traverse la Turquie au XXIe siècle. À l'origine, le sit-in de militants écologistes et urbanistes contre la construction en lieu et place du parc Gezi et de ses 600 arbres d'une réplique d'une caserne militaire de l'empire ottoman censée accueillir un centre commercial. Or, l'intervention musclée vendredi des policiers turcs pour les en déloger a mis le feu aux poudres.

"L'attaque furtive, à coups de bombes lacrymogènes et de matraque, a choqué toute la Turquie", affirme au Point.fr Alican Tayla, chercheur à l'Institut de relations internationales et stratégiques (Iris). Très vite, le mouvement prend de l'ampleur et atteint la place Taksim, au centre d'Istanbul, avant de gagner les principaux quartiers de la ville, puis du pays. Le ministère de l'Intérieur annonce 1 700 interpellations dans plus de 67 villes. "La force a été utilisée de manière disproportionnée", regrette Geneviève Garrigos, présidente d'Amnesty International France, interrogée par Le Point.fr. "La police a directement visé la tête des manifestants pacifiques avec des cartouches de grenades lacrymogènes. Certains ont essayé de se défendre." » | Le Point.fr | lundi 03 juin 2013

Revolt in Turkey: Erdogan's Grip on Power Is Rapidly Weakening

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: For a decade, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has had a tight grip on power. But it suddenly looks to be weakening. Thousands have taken to the streets across the country and the threats to Erdogan's rule are many. His reaction has revealed him to be hopelessly disconnected.

The rooftops of Istanbul can be seen in the background and next to them is a gigantic image of Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey's powerful prime minister is watching over the city -- and is also monitoring the work of the political party he controls. At least that seems to be the message of the image, which can be found in a conference room at the headquarters of Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP).

These days, though, Istanbul is producing images that carry a distinctly different meaning -- images of violent protests against the vagaries of Erdogan's rule. And it is beginning to look as though the prime minister, the most powerful leader Turkey has seen since the days of modern Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, might be losing control.

As recently as mid-May, Erdogan boasted during an appearance at the Brookings Institute in Washington D.C. of the $29 billion airport his government was planning to build in Istanbul. "Turkey no longer talks about the world," he said. "The world talks about Turkey."

Just two weeks later, he appears to have been right -- just not quite in the way he had anticipated. The world is looking at Turkey and speaking of the violence with which Turkish police are assaulting demonstrators at dozens of marches across the country. Increasingly, Erdogan is looking like an autocratic ruler whose people are no longer willing to tolerate him. » | Özlem Gezer, Maximilian Popp and Oliver Trenkamp | Monday, June 03, 2013

Nach #occupygezi: Erdogans Macht erodiert

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Erwacht in der Türkei eine neue Bürgergesellschaft? Zehntausende protestieren gegen Erdogan und trotzen der Polizeigewalt. Die Revolte zeigt: Der Premier ist nicht mehr unangefochten. Gefahr droht ihm aus mehreren Richtungen.

Berlin - Im Hintergrund sind die Dächer Istanbuls zu sehen, daneben das Konterfei Recep Tayyip Erdogans, überlebensgroß. Der mächtige Premier wacht über die Stadt, das ist die Botschaft des Bildes. Und er wacht über die Arbeit seiner Parteifunktionäre: Das Bild hängt in einem Konferenzraum in der Zentrale der AKP Istanbuls.

Doch jetzt gehen Bilder aus der Türkei um die Welt, die eine andere Botschaft senden. Jetzt sieht es so aus, als könnte dem mächtigsten Mann, den das Land seit Staatsgründer Atatürk gesehen hat, die Kontrolle entgleiten.

Noch Mitte Mai war Erdogan am Brooking Institute in Washington aufgetreten, hatte geprahlt, seine Regierung plane für 29 Milliarden US-Dollar einen dritten Flughafen in Istanbul, den mutmaßlich größten der Welt. "Die Türkei spricht heute nicht über die Welt", sagte er. "Die Welt spricht über die Türkei."

Zwei Wochen später bestätigt sich diese Einschätzung, doch anders, als Erdogan es gerne hätte. Die Welt spricht über die Türkei und ihren Premier als jemanden, der seine Bürger von Polizisten niederknüppeln lässt, als Machthaber, dessen autoritären Regierungsstil viele Türken nicht mehr hinnehmen wollen. » | Von Özlem Gezer, Maximilian Popp und Oliver Trenkamp | Montag, 03. Juni 2013


SPIEGEL ONLINE: Proteste in der Türkei: US-Außenminister fürchtet "exzessive Gewalt" gegen Demonstranten – US-Außenminister John Kerry zeigt sich besorgt über das Vorgehen der türkischen Polizei gegen die Demonstranten - und fordert eine Untersuchung der Vorfälle. Derweil setzen die Sicherheitskräfte erneut Tränengas gegen die Protestierenden ein. » | vks/Reuters/AFP | Montag, 03. Juni 2013

French Mayor Helene Mandroux Receives Threat With Feces After Marrying First Gay Couple In France

THE HUFFINGTON POST: The mayor of Montpellier cemented her place in history when she married the first gay couple in France on May 29. But now Helene Mandroux is making headlines for a different reason: The French mayor has received countless threats, including one with feces, over her part in the marriage.

According to Montpellier daily newspaper Midi Libre, since performing the wedding, Mandroux has received many letters that contain insults and threats expressing opposition to gay marriage in France. One of the packages mailed to the French official also contained feces, municipal officers discovered. » | Sara Gates | The Huffington Post | Monday, June 03, 2013

France’s First Gay Marriage Ceremony »

Gay Marriage Weakens Society, Says Archbishop of Canterbury

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Allowing gay couples to marry would “diminish” Christian marriage and damage the fabric of society, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has warned.

In his first major intervention in the debate, the Most Rev Justin Welby said he could not support David Cameron’s same-sex marriage Bill in its current form.

He warned that the reform “weakened” the concept of the “normal” family as the basis for a strong community and replaced traditional marriage with something “less good”.

Archbishop Welby has been reluctant to join the public condemnation of the reforms, despite widespread opposition from Anglicans, Roman Catholics, Muslims and other faith organisations.

The Church of England has previously adopted a more conciliatory position towards the reforms, acknowledging that parliament was likely to pass the Bill and seeking to secure legal protections from ministers to stop churches being forced to conduct gay marriages. » | Tim Ross, and John Bingham | Monday, June 03, 2013

Let Turkey into the EU Now!
TELEGRAPH – BLOGS – JAMES DELINGPOLE: Poor Turks! Of all the peoples I've encountered in my travels around the world, the Turks really have got to be among the kindest, most generous and welcoming. (My other top candidate in that category would be the Sudanese.) So it really saddens me to read of the civil unrest which has been plaguing Turkey this last week. Someone suggested to me that this is the sort of behaviour which shows exactly why Turkey should never be admitted to the EU. Eh? This rioting isn't the result of natural savages casting off the threads of civilisation; it's the result of civilised, educated, cosmopolitan Turks rising up against the authoritarianism of Recep Tayyip Erdogan's regime. » | James Delingpole | Monday, June 03, 2013

My comment:

Delingpole obviously has a death wish for Western civilisation. Rarely have I read such bunkum in a mainstream newspaper as this. His reasoning is unsound, to say the least. And anyone who agrees with Bojo has got to be suspect. I trust Bojo's opinions on almost nothing. In any case, Bojo has Turkish blood coursing through his veins; so he is prejudiced.

I want Western civilisation to survive. I actually like liberal democracy. Islam is anathema to democracy and freedom. It therefore makes absolutely no sense whatsoever to allow Turkey into the EU. Only someone naïve would think otherwise. Haven't we had enough Islamisation of the West, Europe as it is? – @ Mark

This comment also appears here

Floods Rage Through Central Europe – In Pictures
Rising waters from the Danube, Ilz and Inn rivers have inundated parts of Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Czech Republic after days of heavy rainfall. Emergency operations are under way to deal with record levels of flooding in some areas, as landslides have killed at least nine people, with many more still missing
To the picture gallery » | Monday, June 03, 2013

Central Europe On Alert for Flooding
BBC: Homes have been evacuated across southern Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland as rivers reach dangerously high levels.

The Czech capital Prague is on high alert as authorities fear a repeat of the catastrophic floods of August 2002.

The River Vltava has inundated towns and villages upstream of the capital, and one person is known to have died.

Stephen Evans reports. Watch BBC video » | Monday June 03, 2013

Hochwasser in Salzburg: Aufräumarbeiten sind im Gange
Das Schlimmste scheint in Salzburg überstanden zu sein: Die Pegelstände an Salzburgs Flüssen sinken stark. Im Pinzgau wird weiter nach zwei Vermissten gesucht.

Den Salzburger Nachrichten Artikel hier lesen | Von Sn, Apa | Montag, 03. Juni 2013

'Taxation Is Legalized Form of Robbery'
It's been said that in life two things are guaranteed - death and taxes. RT speaks with Dutch libertarian leader Toine Manders who has some issues with one of those.

Americans Should Research Islam
MONROE NEWS STAR: If a reading of the Quran, the hadith and world history doesn’t convince you that Islam is a religion of violence, hatred and intolerance, consider the frequent individual acts of violence by Muslims around the world, and the great numbers of Muslims demonstrating violently in mass for things as insignificant as an offense to their prophet. » | John Spires | Thursday, May 30, 2013

Proteste in der Türkei: Revolte gegen den Sultan von Ankara
02.06.2013 - Die Demonstrationen für den Erhalt eines Parks in Istanbul bescheren Premier Erdogan die schwerste Krise seiner Amtszeit. Hunderttausende Türken protestieren gegen seine despotische Politik.