Horrific Video Shows Syrian Catholic Priest Being 'Beheaded by Jihadist Fighters in Front of Cheering Crowd'

MAIL ONLINE: Father Francois Murad's death was confirmed by Vatican news agency / Footage of 49-year-old's gruesome death was filmed on a camera phone / The Syrian priest was killed last 23 June in Gassanieh, northern Syria

A Syrian Catholic priest has been beheaded by jihadist fighters in Syria, it has been claimed.

The death of Franciscan Father Francois Murad has been confirmed by the official Vatican news agency.

The gruesome killing has raised further concerns about the West arming rebels in the fight against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Grainy footage purported to show the 49-year-old’s death has been posted on the internet.

Father Francois, was killed on 23 June in Gassanieh, in northern Syria. He had been staying in the convent of the Custody of the Holy Land.

Catholic.org linked to the video and reported: 'Syrian terrorists have beheaded a Catholic priest who they accused of collaborating with the Assad regime. Those accusations have not yet been verified.'

Fides News Agency said: 'According to local sources, the monastery where Fr. Murad was staying was attacked by militants linked to the jihadi group Jabhat al-Nusra.'

Jabhat al-Nusra, also known as the Front for the Protection of the Syrian People, is an Al Qaeda associated group, described as 'the most aggressive and successful arm of the rebel force.' Read on and comment » | Daily Mail Reporter | Monday, July 01, 2013

GRAPHIC VIDEO: Syria - Al-Qaeda's Nusra Front Beheads Christian Priest & Man in Idlib countryside »

NSA-Whistleblower: Putin bietet Snowden Bleiberecht an - unter einer Bedingung

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Whistleblower Edward Snowden hat in Russland Asyl beantragt - und Kreml-Chef Putin erklärt: Snowden könne bleiben, er dürfe aber keine US-Geheimnisse mehr verraten. Der Amerikaner soll allerdings auch Asylanträge in 14 weiteren Staaten eingereicht haben.

Washington/Moskau - Edward Snowden beschäftigt seit Wochen die Weltpresse. Mit seinen Enthüllungen über die Überwachung des amerikanischen Geheimdienstes NSA und des britischen Geheimdienstes hat ein politisches Beben ausgelöst. Doch auch die Frage, was mit Snowden selbst passiert, wird heftig diskutiert.

Tagelang saß er offenbar im Transitbereich des Moskauer Flughafens fest. Nun steht fest: Er darf in Russland bleiben. Präsident Wladimir Putin bot dem flüchtigen IT-Spezialisten ein Bleiberecht an, sofern dieser den USA nicht weiter schade. "Wenn er hierbleiben möchte, gibt es eine Bedingung: Er sollte mit seiner Arbeit aufhören, die dagegen gerichtet ist, unseren amerikanischen Partnern Schaden zuzufügen - so merkwürdig sich das aus meinem Mund auch anhören mag", sagte Putin.

Die Konsularabteilung des russischen Außenministeriums auf dem Moskauer Flughafen Scheremetjewo teilte mit, dass Snowden tatsächlich Asyl in Russland beantragt habe. Der 30-Jährige, der von der USA wegen Spionage per Haftbefehl gesucht wird, stellte seinen Antrag demnach am Sonntagabend. » | kgp/fab/AP/Reuters/dpa | Montag, 01. Juli 2013

Saudi Arabia[n] Court Jails Seven Facebook Cyber Activists
BBC: A court in Saudi Arabia has sentenced seven cyber activists to between five to 10 years in prison for inciting protests, mainly by using Facebook.

The men were arrested in September last year, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW), and their trial began in April.

They were charged with posting online messages to encourage protests, although they were not accused of directly taking part in demonstrations.

It is seen as the country's latest move against online political dissent. » | Sunday, June 30, 2013

Russia Passes Anti-gay-law
THE GUARDIAN: Vladimir Putin signs bill that means people disseminating 'propaganda' about homosexual relationships to minors risk fines

Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, has signed into law a measure that stigmatises gay people and bans giving children any information about homosexuality.

The lower house of Russia's parliament unanimously passed the Kremlin-backed bill on 11 June and the upper house approved it last week.

The Kremlin announced on Sunday that Putin had signed the legislation into law. » | Associated Press | Sunday, June 30, 2013

Egypt Morsi: Mass Political Protests Grip Cities
BBC: Huge protests calling for the resignation of Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi and early presidential elections are taking place in the capital, Cairo, and other cities.

Tens of thousands of opponents have massed in Tahrir Square and outside the main presidential palace.

Protesters accuse Mr Morsi of failing to tackle economic and security problems since taking power a year ago.

A presidential spokesman urged them to respect the democratic process.

Morsi supporters massed in the Cairo suburb of Nasr City with banners denouncing the opposition.

The president's critics say the country's first Islamist president has put the agenda of the Muslim Brotherhood party ahead of the country's wider interests.

In Cairo, they have been chanting: "Irhal! Irhal!" ("Leave! Leave!"), reports the BBC's Aleem Maqbool.

Demonstrations are being reported across the country (+ video) » | Sunday, June 30, 2013

EU Confronts U.S. over Reports It Spies on European Allies
REUTERS.COM: The European Union has demanded that the United States explain a report in a German magazine that Washington is spying on the group, using unusually strong language to confront its closest trading partner over its alleged surveillance activities.

A spokeswoman for the European Commission said on Sunday the EU contacted U.S. authorities in Washington and Brussels about a report in Der Spiegel magazine that the U.S. secret service had tapped EU offices in Washington, Brussels and at the United Nations.

"We have immediately been in contact with the U.S. authorities in Washington D.C. and in Brussels and have confronted them with the press reports," the spokeswoman said.

"They have told us they are checking on the accuracy of the information released yesterday and will come back to us," she said in a statement.

France also asked for an explanation.

"These acts, if confirmed, would be completely unacceptable," Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said. » | Ben Deighton and Annika Breidthardt | Brussels/Berlin | Sunday, June 30, 2013

France's Triumphant 'Joan of Arc' Vows to Bring Back Franc and Destroy Euro

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Marine Le Pen is spoiling for a fight. The leader of France's Front National vows to smash the existing order of Europe and force the break-up of monetary union, if she wins the next election.

It is no longer an implausible prospect. "We cannot be seduced," she said, brimming with confidence after her party secured 46pc of the vote in a by-election earthquake a week ago. Her candidate trounced the ruling Socialists in their own bastion of Villeneuve-sur-Lot.

"The euro ceases to exist the moment that France leaves, and that is our incredible strength. What are they going to do, send in tanks?" she told the Daily Telegraph at the Front National's headquarters, an unmarked building tucked away in the Paris suburb of Nanterre. Her office is small and workaday, almost austere.

"Europe is just a great bluff. One side there is the immense power of sovereign peoples, and on the other side are a few technocrats," she said.

For the first time, the Front National is running level with the two governing parties of post-War France, Socialists and Gaullistes. All are near 21pc in national polls, though the Front alone has the wind in its sails.

Yet it is the detail in the Villeneuve vote that has shocked the political class. The Front scored highest in the most Socialist cantons, a sign that it may be breaking out of its Right-wing enclaves to become the mass movement of the white working class. » | Ambrose Evans-Pritchard | Sunday, June 30, 2013

Der gelbe Stern - Die Judenverfolgung im Dritten Reich

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A Caliphate Is Coming: Glenn Beck | GBTV
Glenn explains why it's not a conspiracy theory with the latest news on the Muslim Brotherhood.

Egypt Braces for Massive Protests after Bitter Year of Morsi
It's been exactly one year since Egypt's President Mohhamed Morsi took office and the country's now bracing for its biggest anti-government protests in months. The unrest has been building up over the past week, and has brought deadly chaos to Egypt's biggest cities. RT's Bel Trew reports.

Exclusive: Terror Group Wants Somalia Rid Of Christians
Somalia's Islamist terror group al Shabab wants to rid the Muslim country of all Christians and is specifically targeting Christian converts from Islam.

Belgistan? Sharia Showdown Looms In Brussels
The graffiti on a building in Belgium says it all: "Welcome to 'Belgistan." In fact, some are now calling it the Muslim capital of Europe.

Snowdens Asylantrag: Ecuador schiebt Verantwortung auf Russland ab

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Was passiert mit Edward Snowden? Ecuadors Präsident sagt jetzt: Die Entscheidung über das Schicksal des NSA-Whistleblowers liegt in russischer Hand. Erst wenn er sich auf ecuadorianischem Boden befinde, werde über den Asylantrag entschieden.

Moskau/Quito - Ecuadors Präsident Rafael Correa hat die Verantwortung über das weitere Schicksal des flüchtigen früheren US-Geheimdienstmitarbeiters Edward Snowden Russland zugewiesen. Um Snowdens Asylantrag bearbeiten zu können, müsse er sich auf ecuadorianischem Boden befinden, sagte Correa am Samstagabend dem Privatsender Oromar. "Derzeit aber liegt die Lösung, sein weiteres Reiseziel, in den Händen der russischen Behörden."

Nach Meinung von Experten könnte ecuadorianischer Boden auch die Botschaft des südamerikanischen Landes in Moskau sein.

Der Präsident bekräftigte, sein Land könne nichts für die derzeitige Situation. Snowden stehe in Kontakt mit WikiLeaks-Gründer Julian Assange, der ihm zu dem Asylantrag geraten habe. » | fab/AFP/dpa | Sonntag, 30. Juni 2013

Paula Deen's Sons: Accusations "Character Assassination"
Paula Deen's sons, Jamie and Bobby Deen, discuss the controversy surrounding their mother.

Interview with Larry King at SophieCo
A television guru and legendary interviewer, he spent 25 years with CNN, retired and then came back with more shows, now available on RT. A very special guest on SophieCo - Larry King. We find out what brought him back and how he is different from the time of the world-renowned 'Larry King Live'.

Terror Sponsor? Qatar Pours Megabucks into Gaza, Israel Fears Hamas On Rise
Life may be tough for Palestinians in Gaza but they are starting to get a helping hand. Qatar is pouring millions of dollars into rebuilding the territory while encouraging the ruling Hamas group to emerge from international isolation. RT's Paula Slier reports.

Afrique du Sud : les avocats musulmans demandent l’arrestation d’Obama
SAPHIR NEWS: Alors que Barack Obama commence une visite en Afrique du Sud, vendredi 27 juin, l’Association des avocats musulmans (MLA) de Johannesburg a décidé quelques jours plus tôt, mardi 25 juin, de réclamer un mandat d’arrêt contre le président américain.

Dans un communiqué publié sur son site, l’association accuse Barack Obama de « crimes de guerre, crimes contre l'humanité et génocide » et demande son arrestation sur le sol sud-africain en vertu du traité fondateur de la Cour pénale internationale (CPI) que le pays a ratifié.

« Le programme de drones de l'administration Obama a entraîné des pertes massives de vies innocentes au Pakistan, au Yémen et en Afghanistan », dénonce la MLA. « La politique de frappe de drones s'est poursuivie sans relâche avec un mépris total de la souveraineté territoriale », ajoute l’association. Pour appuyer ses accusations contre le président américain, prix Nobel de la paix en 2009, la MLA a rassemblé un document de 600 pages. » | Rédigé par La Rédaction | vendredi 28 juin 2013

Bugging Brussels: New Snowden Leak Claims NSA Spies on EU Diplomats
Even more scathing reports of US surveillance are emerging from Germany - courtesy of Edward Snowden. Der Spiegel magazine is reporting that they've seen a top secret US document - outlining how the country's intelligence bugged EU offices and spied on the bloc's internal computer networks. RT's Peter Oliver is in Berlin with more on this latest leak. RT is also joined by Lode Vanoost - former deputy speaker of the Belgian parliament.

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