Reporter and Cameraman Shot Dead in Virginia during Live Broadcast

Reporter Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward.

THE GUARDIAN: Suspect is at large after killing reporter Alison Parker, 24, cameraman Adam Ward, 27, and injuring third person on scene of live TV news segment

A gunman killed two members of a news crew and injured one more in Moneta, Virginia, in a shooting that was partially captured on video on Wednesday morning.

Police are investigating the shooting at the Bridgewater Plaza near Smith Mountain Lake that took place at about 6.45am ET. A news crew from WDBJ7 local news was on the scene to film a segment for the morning news when several shots rang out. Screams followed and the camera recording the feature fell, as producers cut to the shocked studio news team.

The station later announced that two of their team, Alison Parker, 24, and Adam Ward, 27, had been shot dead.

Police are searching for a suspect at the scene. » | Alan Yuhas in New York | Wednesday, August 25, 2015

Tea Party Speaker Says America, Christians "Losing The War" To Islam

THE CHATTANOOGAN: Dr. Bill Warner, a university professor with a PhD in physics and math and an applied physicist, said at a Chattanooga Tea Party-sponsored meeting Monday night that America and Christianity "are losing the war to Islam."

Dr. Warner, who is also billed as a national and international expert on the subject of Islam, spoke to a crowd of over 400 people at Stuart Heights Baptist Church.

It was billed as a discouse "on the recent Chattanooga terror attack.

Why did it happen and what can we do about it?" However, the speaker did not mention the July 16 slaying of five military personnel in his talk except to say the billing was apparently what prompted so many to attend.

His lecture explained the need for Americans to be educated about what is happening around them related to Islam and to talk about it.

He began by defining two words: Islam, which is an ideology and Muslim, which is people. He told the audience that he would not discuss Muslims except for how they follow the doctrine of Islam.

He said in Islam, there is no god but Allah, and Mohammed who is his prophet. There are two parts of the Koran, Mecca, the earliest portion and Medina that was written later, and they are very different he said, and contradictory in nature. The Medina version is 24 percent about jihad, he said and the Mecca portion has no mention of jihad or no anti-Jew text. In this religion, Mohammed is the perfect human being and provides a pattern of life. Whoever follows him will go to paradise and those that do not will go to hell.

Is the Koran about peace?, he asked. Yes was the answer. Is it opposed to peace? he asked next. Yes was the answer. Both praising or hating Jews and exercising tolerance or opposing it is addressed in the Koran, and it advocates for all of these things. He defined this as dualism—it always has two versions.

Dr. Warner said he is only concerned with “political Islam,” not the religion associated with it, because that is what has an effect on him directly. Examples of his statement that Islam is winning the conflict include the fact that he has been forbidden by Governor Bill Haslam to speak to law enforcement about Islam. He also described new textbooks being used in Tennessee that teach about Islam with nothing in the book to teach about Christianity. » | Gail Perry | Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Univision's Jorge Ramos: 'I've Never Been Kicked Out Of A Press Conference'

NPR: Jorge Ramos, one of the most influential journalists in the United States, says he had never been thrown out of a press conference before GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump did so last night.

"This is the first time," the news anchor told his network. "It's never happened anywhere in the world. I've never been forcibly removed from a press conference or an interview." » | Eyder Peralta | Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Flüchtlingskrise: Gewalt in Deutschland

Assad 'Confident' of Russian Support for Syria Regime

THE GUARDIAN: Syrian president describes Vladimir Putin’s regime as ‘sincere and transparent’ while US ‘abandons its friends’ in interview with Hezbollah TV network

The Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, has expressed “strong confidence” that Russia will continue supporting his embattled regime.

“We have strong confidence in the Russians, as they have proven throughout this crisis, for four years, that they are sincere and transparent in their relationship with us,” Assad said in an interview with Hezbollah’s al-Manar television network.

He also described as “legitimate” the presence in Syria of fighters from Hezbollah backing his forces. The powerful Lebanese Shia movement, along with Russia and Iran, has backed Assad since Syria’s revolt broke out in 2011.

The rare television interview came as the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, discussed the Syrian crisis with Jordan’s King Abdullah on the sidelines of the Maks-2015 aerospace show in Moscow.

Assad described Russia as “principled”, while “the United States abandons its allies, abandons its friends”. » | Agence France-Presse in Beirut | Wednesday, August 26, 2015

État islamique : Rabat et Madrid démantèlent un réseau de recruteurs

LE POINT: Quatorze personnes ont été interpellées au Maroc et en Espagne, soupçonnées de recuter et d'envoyer des combattants en Syrie et en Irak.

Quatorze personnes ont été interpellées au Maroc et en Espagne lors d'une "opération antiterroriste conjointe" des deux pays, visant à démanteler un réseau de recrutement pour le groupe État islamique (EI, Daesh en arabe), ont annoncé les ministères de l'Intérieur des deux pays. Des agents des services de renseignement - du Commissariat général d'information de la police espagnole et de la Direction générale de la surveillance du territoire marocaine - "ont démantelé une cellule terroriste composée de 14 personnes", a expliqué mardi le ministère espagnol de l'Intérieur. » | Source AFP | mardi 25 août 2015

UK Newspaper Claims US Blocking Crucial Data about Iraq Invasion

A British newspaper reports that the US is withholding documents that could help explain why Tony Blair decided to join the invasion of Iraq. Washington’s refusal to declassify the documents has become a major scandal in London. RT’s Gayane Chichakyan asked the US State Department about the obstruction of the Chilcot Inquiry documents and received a surprising answer.

‘I'd Rather Sacrifice My Life’: Yazidi Women Taking Revenge on ISIS

Yazidi women who have to put up with numerous atrocities from Islamic State are hitting back at their tormentors. They have set up an all-female battalion to take the fight to the militant jihadists and gain revenge for forcing their sisters into sexual slavery and beheading their brothers

‪Heavy Flooding, Landslide after Torrential Rains Pound North-eastern Turkey‬

Severe flooding swept the north-eastern city of Artvin in Turkey after torrential rains hit the region, killing at least 7 people, flooding streets and destroying numerous buildings. Two more people, including one child, are still missing, according to local authorities.

The Saudi Royal Family

Comrade Corbyn on HAMAS, the Middle East and the Super-rich

Labour leadership candidate Jeremy Corbyn spoke to Channel 4 News’ Krishnan Guru-Murthy about Hamas and Hezbollah, the wider situation in the Middle East, tax, the super-rich and immigration.

Merkel und Gabriel verurteilen rechte Gewalt in Heidenau

Bundeskanzlerin Merkel hat die Attacken auf Flüchtlinge in Heidenau verurteilt. Die "dumpfen Hassbotschaften" der Rechtsextremen seien "abstoßend". Bei der Lösung der Flüchtlingskrise appellierten sie und der französische Präsident Hollande an alle EU-Staaten.

Model of Moroccan Origin Hopes to Become First Muslim Miss Italy

Miss El Brinis is an admirer of Sofia Loren
and said she loved cooking Italian food

THE TELEGRAPH: Ahlam El Brinis, 20, defies critics who say she is insulting Islam by taking part in the pageant

A model of Moroccan origin who hopes to become the first Muslim Miss Italy has vowed to defy critics who accuse her of insulting Islam by taking part in the beauty pageant.

Ahlam El Brinis, 20, who was born in the northern Veneto region to Moroccan parents, has received threats and insults on social media for her decision to participate in the contest next month.

She has been criticised for posing in bikinis, lacy underwear and revealing clothes, with some Muslims accusing her of bringing Islam into disrepute.

But she has labelled her critics “ridiculous people with too much time on their hands” and said she has drawn strength from the support of her grandmother back in Morocco, who told her “religion is in the heart, not in the choice of clothes you wear”.

“There have been insults but there have been far more messages of encouragement, both from friends and people I have never met,” the model told La Repubblica newspaper. “Religion should have nothing to do with a beauty contest.” » | Nick Squires, Rome | Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Isis in Palmyra: Militants Release First Images Showing Destruction of Baalshamin Temple

THE INDEPENDENT: Unseco has described the attack on Syria's cultural history, reported by activists on Sunday, as a 'war crime', while the British Museum is 'deeply distressed'

The Isis militant group has released a series of images purporting to show the destruction of the ancient Baalshamin Temple in Palmyra.

Images posted online and shared by Isis-affiliated social media accounts showed fighters, whose faces were cropped out of the photographs, lining the 2,000-year-old monument with explosives.

Explosives can be seen wired together both inside and outside the structure of the building, which experts said was one of the best-preserved and most completely intact examples of Greco-Roman architecture at the ancient site. » | Adam Withnall | Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Die Öl-Party ist vorbei

TAGES ANZEIGER: Wie die Börse kennt auch der Ölpreis derzeit nur eine Richtung – abwärts. Das hat gravierende Folgen für die grossen Förderländer. Die interaktive Übersicht.

Die psychologisch wichtige Marke ist geknackt. Weniger als 40 Dollar kostete am Montagmorgen ein Fass der US-Sorte West Texas Intermediate. Die Nordsee-Sorte Brent lag deutlich unter 45 Dollar. Was im letzten Sommer seinen Anfang nahm – als der Ölpreis noch bei deutlich über 100 Dollar lag – , hat sich inzwischen zu einem Preissturz historischen Ausmasses entwickelt. Und die Analysten rechnen nicht mit einer schnellen Erholung. Im Gegenteil: Auch Preise um 30 Dollar pro Fass werden als realistisch angesehen.

Fareed Zakaria, Kommentator für Aussenpolitik der «Washington Post», vergleicht die aktuelle Situation mit den 80er-Jahren. Als der Ölpreis letztmals in einem vergleichbaren Ausmass fiel, sei die Sowjetunion kollabiert. » | Von Luca De Carli, Redaktor, Ausland | Von Marc Fehr, Multimedia Storyteller | Dienstag, 25. August 2015

North Wales Fire Service Employee Quits amid Investigation into Alleged Posts on Far-right Website

DAILY POST: The clerical worker was being probed over allegations they uploaded material onto a Norway-based site

A North Wales fire service employee has quit amid an investigation into alleged anti-Islamic posts made on a far-right website during work time.

The clerical worker, who was based in Colwyn Bay, was being probed over allegations they uploaded material onto a Norway-based website which is described by its critics as “one of the main forums for Islamaphobic debate”.

Articles understood to have been written by the fire service worker included one which suggested that “jihadists” were being recruited by councils in Northern Europe, and the website was allegedly used by them to publicise demonstrations by the far-right English Defence League (EDL).

A raft of other articles apparently written by the worker highlight mainstream UK media stories about offences committed by Muslims.

Other articles focused on crimes committed by immigrants. » | Jez Hemming | Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Saudi Arabia Executes 175 People in A YEAR - So Why Does Britain Still Call Them an ALLY?

Prince Charles greets King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud

EXPRESS: SAUDI ARABIA executes one person every TWO DAYS, according to a shocking new report - which casts new scrutiny on Britain's close ties to the Middle East kingdom.

In the last 12 months 175 people were beheaded or shot for crimes including drugs confessions claimed to have been extracted through torture, said the report released by human rights charity Amnesty International.

The 43-page report titled "Killing In the Name of Justice: The Death Penalty in Saudi Arabia" revealed that between January 1985 and June 2015, at least 2,208 people were executed in the oil-rich kingdom.

The oppressive state have killed 109 people since January, compared to 83 in all of 2014.

The Saudi kingdom follows an ultra-strict interpretation of Sharia law and applies the death penalty to a number of crimes including murder, rape and drug smuggling.

Although not as common, Saudi courts also allow for people to be executed for adultery, apostasy and witchcraft.

People can also be executed for crimes committed when they were below 18 years of age. » | Rebecca Perring | Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Boko Haram Sends Terrorists to Help ISIS Take Libya as Map Shows Horrifying Plan for World

One ISIS supporter posted this map on Twitter, boasting the
group will conquer Rome

EXPRESS: TERRORIST group Boko Haram has sent hundreds of fighters to Libya to help Islamic State (ISIS) conquer the wartorn country…and their next stop could be EUROPE.

The Nigerian-based fanatics have dispatched up to 200 heavily armed troops to bolster ISIS forces in north Africa in a terrifying sign of the growing alliance between the two feared groups.

ISIS is fighting to take control of Libya - which has been engulfed by a chaotic civil war since the fall of Colonel Gadaffi - because it believes that it is a launchpad to Europe.

Boosted by the deployment, gleeful ISIS fighters boasted online of how they will use their stronghold in the north African nation to invade Italy and other parts of southern Europe.

The terrorists have described Libya as the "gateway to Rome" and it is thought they are planning to stow away fighters on smugglers' boats full of migrants destined for Italy.

ISIS supporters posted a series of mocked up messages online showing the eternal city in flames and the black flag of their hate group flying above the Vatican.

One even posted a map showing the area the terror group was targeting, writing in French that its fighters will conquer Iran, Burma, Rome and even America. » | Nick Gutteridge | Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Islamic State Has Killed At Least 30 People for Sodomy, UN Told

THE GUARDIAN: US ambassador tells security council meeting it is ‘about time’ the issue of violence and discrimination towards LGBT people is highlighted

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for killing at least 30 people for sodomy, the head of an international gay rights organisation has told the first UN security council meeting in New York to focus on violence and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

“It’s about time, 70 years after the creation of the UN, that the fate of LGBT persons who fear for their lives around the world is taking centre stage,” said the US ambassador, Samantha Power, who organised the meeting with Chile’s UN envoy. “This represents a small but historic step.”

Diplomats said two of the 15 council members, Chad and Angola, had not attended the informal closed meeting. » | Associated Press in New York | Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Irshad Manji Head to Head with Mehdi Hassan