Flüchtlingswelle aus Syrien: Griechen machen Grenze zur Türkei dicht
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Die Zahl der Grenzsoldaten wird vervierfacht, schwimmende Barrieren und weitere Patrouillenboote kommen zum Einsatz: Griechenland verstärkt seine Grenze zur Türkei massiv. Die Regierung in Athen fürchtet einen Strom an Flüchtlingen aus Syrien.

Athen/Ankara - Aus Angst vor einer Flüchtlingswelle aus Syrien lässt Griechenland die EU-Außengrenze zur Türkei noch schärfer bewachen. 1800 Grenzpolizisten würden zusätzlich an die Grenze geschickt, sagte Justizminister Nikos Dendias am Montag nach einem Treffen mit dem griechischen Regierungschef Antonis Samaras. Bislang werden lediglich 600 griechische Grenzschützer eingesetzt. Auf dem Grenzfluss Evros würden weitere Patrouillenboote und schwimmende Barrieren eingesetzt. » | fab/dpa/dapd/Reuters | Monday, July 30, 2012

Schuldenkrise in der EU: Juncker warnt vor Zerfall der Euro-Zone

SÜDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG: "Keine Zeit mehr zu verlieren": Der Vorsitzende der Euro-Gruppe sieht einen entscheidenden Punkt der Schuldenkrise gekommen. Jean-Claude Juncker unterstützt Pläne von EZB-Chef Draghi zum Ankauf von Staatsanleihen - und gibt Deutschland eine Mitschuld an der Krise. Berlin behandle die Euro-Zone "wie eine Filiale". Auch "Geschwätz über den Austritt Griechenlands" sei nicht hilfreich.

Luxemburgs Premier Jean-Claude Juncker warnt vor dem Zerfall der Währungsunion. "Wir sind an einem entscheidenden Punkt angekommen", sagte Juncker der Süddeutschen Zeitung. "Die Welt redet darüber, ob es die Euro-Zone in einigen Monaten noch gibt." Um den Euro zu retten, sei "keine Zeit mehr zu verlieren", fügte der Vorsitzende der Euro-Gruppe, des mächtigen Gremiums der 17 Euro-Finanzminister, hinzu. "Wir müssen jetzt mit allen verfügbaren Mitteln überaus deutlich machen, dass wir fest entschlossen sind, die Finanzstabilität der Währungsgemeinschaft zu gewährleisten." » | Von Cerstin Gammelin und Stefan Kornelius | Sonntag, 29. Juli 2012

Stepping Stones of Islamic Spain
Michael Portillo digs into Spain's relationship with Islam, uncovering a continuing tension between Muslims and Christians, as well as controversial readings of the country's past.
Listen to the BBC radio programme here | BBC | Sunday, July 29, 2012

Tortured Freedom: Libya’s New Rulers Resort to Old Tactics

Ebola im Westen Ugandas ausgebrochen
NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: In Uganda ist die Virus-Erkrankung Ebola erneut ausgebrochen. Im Westen des Landes seien im Juli bereits 14 Menschen an der Infektionskrankheit gestorben, teilten die ugandischen Gesundheitsbehörden am Samstag mit. » | sda/dapd | Samstag, 28. Juli 2012

Foreign Office Investigates Reports of Britons among Islamist Kidnappers of Journalists in Syria
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Foreign Office is investigating reports that British citizens are among Islamist fighters who kidnapped a British photographer and his Dutch colleague in northern Syria.

John Cantlie and Dutchman Jeroen Oerlemans were held by the group for a week after they accidentally came across their camp while crossing the border from south east Turkey to report on the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.

During their time in captivity they were threatened with death unless they converted to Islam, and both were shot and slightly wounded when they attempted to flee barefoot. They were freed on Thursday night after a group of Free Syrian Army soldiers turned up the camp and angrily demanded that they be released.

Mr Cantlie has not yet spoken of his ordeal, but Mr Oerlemans told Dutch media that some of the gang, which is reported to have been between 30 and 100 strong, had "Birmingham accents".

A source close to the incident told The Sunday Telegraph that there possibly at least six men with British-sounding voices, including one with a heavy south London accent. Read on and comment » | Colin Freeman, Antakya | Saturday, July 28, 2012

Free Syrian Army Targets World's Oldest Christian Community in Syria
The "Free Syrian Army" have decided to send suicide bombers and booby-trapped cars into Christian villages to kill and terrorize the Christians of Syria. Their tactic is similar to their al Qaeda brethren in Iraq who bombed Christian towns and churches to drive Christians out of Iraq. They think that by ethnic cleansing they can get rid of communities whose existence in Syria and the Levant predates Islam.

Egypt Unnerved by Rising Religious Fervor
LOS ANGELES TIMES: Scattered violent incidents of 'moral vigilantism' break out in Egypt, which is trying to come to terms with Islam's place in public and private life.

CAIRO — An engineering student is killed for walking with his fiancee by men reportedly linked to a group called the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. Women are harassed for not wearing veils, owners of liquor stores say they're being threatened, and fundamentalists are calling for sex segregation on buses and in workplaces.

Egypt's recent election of an Islamist president has rekindled a long-suppressed display of public piousness that has aroused both "moral vigilantism" and personal acts of faith, such as demands that police officers and flight attendants be allowed to grow beards. Scattered incidents of violence and intimidation do not appear to have been organized, but they represent a disturbing trend in Egypt's transition to democracy.

Emerging from decades of secular rule, the country is unsteadily calibrating how deeply Islam should infuse public and private life. President Mohamed Morsi, a religious conservative, has called for tolerance, but many Islamic fundamentalists see a historic moment to impose sharia, or Islamic law, on a country left off balance by political unrest and economic turmoil. » | Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times | Sunday, July 29, 2012

Ohne Anklage in Haft: Saudi-arabischer Blogger kommt nach 16 Monaten frei
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Der saudi-arabische Blogger Nasir al-Madschid ist frei. Nach mehr als einjähriger Haft wurde er auf freien Fuß gesetzt. Eine offizielle Begründung, weshalb er inhaftiert worden ist, steht bis heute aus.

Riad - Weit mehr als ein Jahr saß der Blogger Nasir al-Madschid in Saudi-Arabien ohne Anklage in Haft. Mit Texten zu Religion und Freiheit soll sich der Schiit beim sunnitischen Königshaus unbeliebt gemacht haben. Am Samstag teilte Madschids Familie mit, nach rund 16 Monaten im Gefängnis sei der 35-Jährige am Donnerstag aus der Haft entlassen worden. » | mak/dpa | Samstag, 28. Juli 2012

London Olympics 2012: Opening Ceremony with TV Commentary

Enjoy the Opening Ceremony of London 2012

Watch it here | Friday, July 27, 2012; Posted Saturday, July 28, 2012

Syrian Army Supply Crisis Has Regime On Brink of Collapse, Say defectors

THE GUARDIAN: General who swapped sides says regime can last 'two months at most' as troop morale sinks and petrol trucks are ambushed

Bashar al-Assad's military machine is on the brink of logistical meltdown and collapse, because it lacks petrol and food, and is having problems resupplying its soldiers, according to a Syrian general who has defected to the opposition.

Much has been made of the Syrian military's supposed superiority over the opposition, but General Mohammad Al-Zobi told the Guardian: "The benzine is nearly finished. They are running out of rockets. There is scarcely any bread or water for the soldiers."

Zobi defected two months ago alongside his air force colleague General Saed Shawamra. They slipped out from Tiftanaz airbase in the middle of the night. From the city of Idlib they crept across the border to Turkey. On Wednesday they crossed back into Syria, their mission now to finish off the revolution against Assad.

The men, from Dera'a province, are among around 100 senior military commanders who have joined Syria's rebels, appalled – they say – by Assad's brutal war against his own population. According to Zobi, the embattled Syrian regime can last "one or two months at most". "After that Assad will leave Syria. He'll go to Russia or maybe Iran," Zobi predicted, sitting in a village in rustic northern Syria, close to the Turkish border. » | Luke Harding in Aleppo province | Friday, July 27, 2012

London 2012 Olympics: Saudi Arabia Threaten[s] to Withdraw from Olympics over Judo Headscarf Ban

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Saudi Arabia have [has] threatened to withdraw from the London 2012 Olympic Games unless female judo athlete Wujdan Shahrkhani is allowed to wear her headscarf in competition.

The International Olympic Committee has organised an urgent meeting with Saudi Arabia national Olympic committee officials, the international judo federation, and London Olympic organisers to try and avert the Saudi withdrawal.

"Yes we have heard that the Saudis are not happy and we will have an urgent meeting, certainly in the next two days," an IOC spokesperson told Telegraph Sport.

The issue is particularly sensitive as the IOC president Jacques Rogge had spent many months attempting to ensure Saudi Arabian women were participating in the London Games, despite initial reticence by the Saudi royal family.

Saudi Arabia had been the only country which appeared not to be sending any female athletes to the Games. » | Jacquelin Magnay, Olympics Editor | Friday, July 27, 2012

How Mr Cameron's Obsession with Gay Marriage Is Killing the Tory Party

MAIL ONLINE: When he became Tory leader seven years ago, the youthful and telegenic David Cameron pledged to transform the blue-rinse image of his party and boost its membership by attracting thousands of young, ethnic and gay members.

In doing so, he would destroy forever the Tories’ reputation as the ‘nasty party’ as these new ‘inclusive’ members joined the 300,000 activists whose average age was 64[.]

‘I was elected Leader of the Conservative Party on a mandate to change and modernise the party,’ he said. ‘I want to increase membership. I want to see a broader base. I want to see a significant increase in the number of members from all communities.’

He hugged hoodies, embraced huskies in the Arctic circle and placed a daft wind turbine on the roof of his Notting Hill home in an attempt to woo new Tories.

But the bitter and ineluctable truth is that, far from increasing numbers, Mr Cameron has presided over the sharpest decline in membership in the Conservative party’s history.

Today, I can reveal that the number of Tory party members has fallen below 130,000, a drop of around 60 per cent since he took over in 2005.

The party’s U-turns over a referendum on Europe, its failure to reform the loathed Human Rights Act and the Tories’ infuriating tendency to give ever more ground to the wretched Lib Dems have contributed to the decline. Read on and comment » | Andrew Pierce | Thursday, July 26, 2012

Ecuador Seeks to Stop 'Evil' of Julian Assange US Extradition

THE GUARDIAN: Ecuadorean diplomats seek UK assurances that WikiLeaks founder will not be extradited to US after proceedings in Sweden

The Ecuadorean government is seeking to avert the "evil" of the extradition of Julian Assange to the US, according to a senior legal adviser to the country's embassy in London, where the WikiLeaks founder has sought sanctuary with a view to claiming asylum.

Diplomats for the small Latin American country said they had been seeking assurances from the UK that Assange would not be extradited to the US after the completion of legal proceedings in Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning over allegations of sexual assault.

Lawyers for Assange, who has been living in the Ecuadorean embassy for five weeks, believe there are secret plans to extradite him to the US to face trial, possibly for conspiracy to commit espionage. If found guilty, the 40-year-old could face life imprisonment.

Two officials at the Ecuadorean embassy said it had been seeking assurances from both the UK and Sweden that Assange would not be eventually sent to the US, but had received no answer. They saidEcuador would now formally ask the US if there were any legal proceedings against Assange or "an investigation which has identified him as a target and which may result in a later extradition request".

The senior legal adviser said: "In legal terms … the evil that Ecuador wishes to prevent is the extradition [of Assange] to the US. Now if there are ways and means of that being tied down, I think that would be a just solution." » | Paul Lewis | Thursday, July 26, 2012

Obama Calls for Gun Control Deal in Wake of Colorado Cinema Shootings
THE GUARDIAN: US president takes election risk, saying parties should co-operate and assault weapons 'do not belong on our streets'


Barack Obama has broken the silence he has maintained on gun control since the Colorado shootings, making a plea for Democrats, Republicans and community leaders to "arrive at a consensus" on how to reduce gun violence across the United States.

At the end of a trip lasting several days that began in Aurora, Colorado, where he met with families and victims of the massacre in a cinema, the US president told an audience that such tragedies were replayed on a smaller scale in cities throughout the country on a daily basis.

"Every day and a half the number of young people we lose to violence is about the same as the number of people we lost in that movie theater," Obama said in remarks at the National Urban League Conference in New Orleans.

"I'm going to continue to work with members of both parties and with religious groups and with civic organisations to arrive at a consensus around violence reduction."

Discussing or even touching on the issue of gun control in the US during an election year is risky, and Obama has been careful to avoid making sweeping proposals that could offend gun owners and rally his Republican opponents.

The president made a point of emphasising his support for the US constitution's second amendment, which outlines the right to bear arms. » | Reuters in New Orleans | Thursday, July 26, 2012

Scotland to Legalise Same-sex Marriages in Church and Civil Ceremonies
THE GUARDIAN: Draft legislation will allow gay and lesbian couples to marry with the same rights as heterosexual couples
The Scottish government is to introduce new powers to legalise same-sex marriages in churches and in civil ceremonies, despite vigorous and bitter opposition from church leaders.

A draft bill that will enable gay and lesbian couples to marry with the same legal rights as heterosexual couples will be published later this year and is expected to be enacted next year, after Scottish ministers resisted intense pressure from the Catholic church to drop the proposals.

The legislation will include significant new protections and "conscience clauses" for churches and individual clergy who object to gay marriage on religious grounds, said Nicola Sturgeon, the deputy first minister.

But she added that opposition to the bill – which included 64% of the 62,000 responses from within Scotland to the Scottish government's consultation – had not persuaded her to drop or dilute the measures.

"We believe that in a country that aspires to be an equal and tolerant society, as we do in Scotland, then this is the right thing to do," Sturgeon said. » | Severin Carrell, Scotland correspondent | Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Circumcision Row Hits Austria as Doctors Advise Against It Even on Religious Grounds
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A row over circumcision has spread to Austria from Germany after a state governor advised doctors against performing the procedure, even when it is on religious grounds.

Markus Wallner, centre-right state premier of Vorarlberg, said the instructions followed a controversial June ruling by a court in the German city of Cologne that equated circumcision of young boys with grievous bodily harm.

That verdict provoked uproar from religious and political leaders in Israel as well as Muslim countries, with Chancellor Angela Merkel reportedly saying it risked making Germany a "laughing stock".

Wallner's move meanwhile was slammed as an "attack on religious freedom" by Fuat Sanac, head of the Islamic Community of Austria (IGGiOe), according to comments due to be published in Wednesday's Der Standard daily. Read on and comment » | Tuesday, July 24, 2012

It has also hit Switzerland

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Hospitals in Austria and Switzerland suspend circumcision: Hospitals in Austria and Switzerland have banned circumcisions on infant boys citing a German court ruling that it could amount to bodily harm. » | Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Egyptian TV Channel Caters to Fully Veiled Women

NEW ZEALAND HERALD: The only visible female face in the Cairo-based studio of a new Islamic TV channel for women is that of a puppet. The human stars are all veiled from head to toe, with only their eyes showing.

Maria TV is run primarily by women. They operate cameras, present shows and interview female guests ranging from doctors to students of Islamic theology. But they cannot show their faces during the broadcasts, and no men are allowed on air during the female programming, not even for phone-ins.

Shrouded in long flowing black robes and scarves known as niqabs, with black gloves to match the women are distinguishable only by their voices and the slits for their eyes.

The channel, which was launched on Saturday to coincide with the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, is the brainchild of Ahmed Abdallah as part of a broader effort to expand his religious pan-Arab satellite station Ummah TV.

The shows range from beauty programs where presenters simply discuss make-up tricks without actually showing any to shows about medicine and marriage.

The puppet is used in a satirical show that pokes fun at major news stories.

"Even if you have the whole house lit with candles, do not be upset when your husband comes home from a long day at work and does not notice," said Abeer Shahin, the presenter of a show called "First Year of Marriage."

Abdallah, known by his nickname Abu Islam, said his goal is to show women that they do not have to reveal their beauty to the world in order to be seen. "I am broadcasting a new era for women who wear niqab, for a new kind of woman," said Abdallah, who wore a traditional white Egyptian robe for men known as a galabeya.

That effort mirrors the cultural changes under way in Egypt since conservative Muslims rose to power after Hosni Mubarak's secular regime was ousted during last year's revolution. » | AP | Wednesday, July 25, 2012

From Stable to Negative: Moody's Cuts Outlook for Germany's Top Rating
SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: The debt crisis is threatening Germany's top credit rating. Moody's changed its outlook for Germany, the Netherlands and Luxembourg to negative from stable late on Monday. The German Finance Ministry said the country would remain an anchor of stability in the 17-nation euro zone.

Moody's Investors Service on Monday cut its outlook for Germany's creditworthiness to "negative" from "stable," but confirmed the country's triple-A rating.

Moody's also cut its outlook for the Netherlands and Luxembourg, which also have triple-A ratings, to negative from stable. Finland kept its stable outlook.

The ratings agency said the move was due to growing uncertainty caused by the debt crisis.

It said there was an increased chance that Greece could leave the euro zone, which "would set off a chain of financial sector shocks ... that policymakers could only contain at a very high cost."

It also warned that Germany and other countries rated AAA might have to increase support for ailing countries such as Spain and Italy. The burden of that support would fall most heavily on the euro zone's top-rated states, it said. » | cro -- with wire reports | Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Superreiche verlassen Frankreich

DIE PRESSE: Vermögende Franzosen sollen für die Krise bezahlen, findet Frankreichs Präsident Hollande. Manche von ihnen flüchten lieber ins Ausland.

Paris. „Ich habe drei amerikanische Spitzenkader für unser Unternehmen in Frankreich rekrutiert. Sie sind weiterhin für uns tätig, aber sie haben ihren Wohnsitz in andere Länder verlegt“, erklärt ein namentlich nicht genannter Leiter eines Großunternehmens in der Tageszeitung „Le Figaro“. Das dürfte kein Einzelfall sein. Die Steuerpolitik der neuen Linksregierung um Präsident François Hollande wird solchen Medienberichten zufolge zum roten Tuch für Spitzenverdiener, die befürchten müssen, vom französischen Fiskus im Namen einer sozialen Steuergerechtigkeit geschröpft zu werden.

Es scheint, als dienten die „Superreichen“ den linken Machthabern als neues Feindbild der Nation. Zum sozialen Ausgleich sollen sie nun vermehrt zur Kasse gebeten werden. So will Hollande etwa den Spitzensteuersatz auf Einkommen von über einer Million Euro jährlich auf 75 Prozent anheben. Im Budget sind außerdem Zusatzeinnahmen von 2,7 Milliarden Euro bis Jahresende vorgesehen, die vor allem auf Kosten von Wohlhabenden gehen. Darunter sind eine Sonderabgabe zur Vermögensteuer, eine verschärfte Erbschafts- und Schenkungssteuer, aber auch zusätzliche Abgaben auf Dividenden und Boni. » | Rudolf Balmer (Die Presse) | Montag, 23. Juli 2012

Related »

God Backs Gay Marriage, Says Dr Jeffrey John

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Even God is in favour of same-sex marriage and the Church’s opposition should simply be ignored, Britain’s most senior openly homosexual cleric has insisted.

The Dean of St Albans, Dr Jeffrey John, accused the Church of England of hypocrisy on the issue of homosexuality and said it “frankly, doesn’t deserve to be listened to”.

Dr John, who is in a celibate civil partnership, was twice in line to become a bishop but his appointment was blocked because of opposition from conservatives within the Church.

It emerged earlier this year that he has examined the possibility of suing the Church for discrimination because of his treatment. He recently described it as the “last refuge of prejudice”.

In a highly critical positing on the website of the Out4Marriage campaign, which backs the change, Dr John accuses his own Church of failing to have a Christian attitude to gay marriage.

“I am sad because the Church that I love and serve is opposing it, when it should be rejoicing at it,” he said. » | John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor | Monday, July 23, 2012

Norway Remembers Victims of Massacre One Year On
In Norway, memorial services have been taking place to commemorate the victims of last year's massacre. Eight people were killed by a bomb blast at government headquarters there, and a further 69 were shot dead at a youth camp on Utoeya Island. From Oslo Barnaby Philips reports.

The Café: The New Ottomans
Turkey straddles two worlds, Europe and Asia, but its relationship with the West has always been troubled. Once dubbed the sick man of Europe, this founding member of NATO has sought membership of the European Union, but always been denied.

Today, roles have been reversed. Turkey is booming, with economic growth at 8.5 per cent while its nearest European neighbours are going broke.

This economic success has earned the country international respect. Turkey is now acting as a trusted broker with its turbulent neighbours in the Caucasus, Iran, Iraq, Israel, and Syria.

Is Turkey a weathervane reflecting the global shift of power? And can the new Ottomans strike a balance between the country's modern, secular aspirations and its deep-rooted Islamic identity?

The Cafe travels to Istanbul, a secular city in an increasingly religious country that is trying to break free from its past.

Joining our conversation in The Cafe in Istanbul are guests:

Nursuna Memecan, a senior member of parliament representing Turkey's ruling party, the AKP; Mehmet Karli, a lecturer at Galatasaray University and a human rights activist; Andrew Finkel, a journalist & author of 'Turkey what everyone needs to know'; Gokce Piskin, a rising star in the CHP, the main opposition party in Turkey, and chairwoman of its youth wing; Merve Kavakci Islam, a professor at Georgetown University and a former member of the Turkish parliament who was prevented from taking up her seat due to her wearing of the headscarf; and Abdulhamit Bilici, the head of Cihan News Agency, a columnist at Zaman; and author of 'Why Turkey'

Schweiz: Beschneidung-Stopp weckt Debatte
Der Entscheid des Kinderspitals Zürich, die Knaben-Beschneidung zu unterbrechen, hat viel Emotionen und Kritik ausgelöst. Das Kinderspital Zürich reagiert mit dem Stopp auf einen Gerichtsentscheid in Köln, das die Beschneidung von Knaben als Straftat beurteilt. Das Spital möchte die Ärzte vor ähnlichen Urteilen schützen und darum abklären, wie die Situation in der Schweiz ist.

Zum Teil in Schweizerdeutsch.

Syria Says It Will Use Chemical Weapons Against 'External Aggression'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Syria has announced it will only use its chemical weapons if it faces "external aggression", but will never use them against its civilians.

Jihad Makdissi, Syria's foreign ministry spokesman, said: "Syria will never use (chemical weapons) against Syrians no matter what."

He said that the weapons were guarded by the Syrian army, adding that the security situation in Damascus was improving.

Makdissi said in a news conference on Monday broadcast on state television that the weapons are under the protection of the Syrian army and would never be used "inside Syria". » | Barney Henderson | Monday, July 23, 2012

Arab League Offers Bashar al-Assad 'Safe Exit' from Syria

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Arab League has offered President Bashar al-Assad a "safe exit" from Syria as rebels claimed the opposition was "at the gates of victory".

Nabil Elaraby, the Arab League's secretary general, called on Mr Assad to resign immediately, and offered his family safe passage out of Syria.

However, he gave no further details on his proposal at an Arab League foreign ministers' meeting in Doha, Qatar, on Monday morning.

The League also promised $100 million (£64 million) for Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries.

Tunisian President President Moncef Marzouki also offered Assad asylum in February if it would end the conflict.

Assad has shown little inclination to step down. On Sunday, his forces attacked remaining rebel pockets of resistance in the capital Damascus. » | Barney Henderson | Monday, July 23, 2012

Syria: Assad Regime Retakes Control of Damascus Suburbs
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: The Assad regime claimed to have retaken control of Damascus on Sunday night after its most elite fighting force ruthlessly overwhelmed rebel strongholds in the city's Sunni suburbs.

Backed by heavy artillery and helicopter gunships, the 4th Armoured Division, commanded by President Bashar al-Assad's feared younger brother Maher, swept through three rebel-held districts and laid siege to a fourth.

It was confirmed by the Israeli military last night that Mr Assad remains in the capital, following rumours in the aftermath of last week's attacks that he had fled for the coastal city of Latakia.

Sunday's counter-offensive effectively ended rebel hopes of capturing the Syrian capital and bringing a swift end to an uprising that has ground on for 16 months, which the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated yesterday has now killed over 19,000 people.

For more than a week, the rebel Free Syrian Army, the FSA, had fought a tenacious campaign to "liberate" Damascus, launching the wave of daring assaults at the heart of Mr Assad's most-heavily fortified citadel.

Hopes that a quick victory was in their reach were boosted by the most audacious strike of all – a bomb that struck a meeting of the regime's 14-man national security council, killing four of the president's chief lieutenants, including his powerful brother-in-law. » | Adrian Blomfield, Middle East Correspondent and Ruth Sherlock in Beirut | Sunday, July 22, 2012

Russian Opera Singer Withdraws from Bayreuth Festival over Swastika Tattoo
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: A Russian opera singer has been forced to pull out of a celebrated music festival in German because he has a swastika and other Nazi symbols tattooed on his chest.

[Y]evgeny Nikitin, 38, who was once in a heavy metal band and got the body art done as a youth, withdrew from the Bayreuth festival, which celebrates Richard Wagner's work, after discussions with its organisers.

He was due to sing the lead role in The Flying Dutchman, the opening production, on Wednesday. The festival is particularly sensitive to Nazi associations because Wagner was an anti-Semite and his English daughter-in-law, Winifred Wagner, became friends with Adolf Hitler, who supported its performances under the Third Reich.

Mr Nikitin got the tattoos as a young man. He has a large swastika on the right side of his chest and on the left a "life rune", a symbol used by the SS Lebensborn project, which supported "racially pure" Aryan women.

In a statement released by the festival, the bass baritone said: "I was not aware of the extent of the irritation and offence these signs and symbols would cause, particularly in Bayreuth given the context of the festival's history. I had them done in my youth. It was a big mistake and I wish I'd never done it.

"It was not clear to me that the symbols that I have tattooed on my chest could have any connotations or even by used by Nazis and neo-Nazis," the singer added in an email to the Sunday German newspaper Bild am Sonntag. » | Tom Parfitt, Moscow | Sunday, Juy 22, 2012

Hollande : "Ce n'est pas l'histoire du peuple juif, c'est notre histoire"

leJDD.fr: Dimanche matin, François Hollande a prononcé un discours pour le 70e anniversaire de la rafle du Vel d'Hiv'. "Ce crime fut commis en France par la France", a déclaré le président de la République. "Ma présence témoigne de la volonté de la France de veiller sur le souvenir des enfants disparus, de ces morts sans sépulture, dont le seul tombeau est notre mémoire", a-t-il ajouté, saluant le "mérite" de Jacques Chirac, qui a reconnu "cette vérité" et appelant les écoles à "transmettre le passé".

"C'est en étant lucides sur notre propre Histoire, que la France portera le mieux ses valeurs, ici et partout dans le monde." Dimanche matin, en lieu et place du Vélodrome d'hiver, dans le 15e arrondissement de Paris, François Hollande est revenu sur la rafle à l'origine de la déportation de plus de 13.000 juifs. "Le crime le plus épouvantable qui soit", a lancé le Président à la tribune, reconnaissant - comme Jacques Chirac avant lui - le rôle de la France. "La vérité (...) est que la police française (...) s'est chargée d'arrêter des milliers d'enfants et de familles. La gendarmerie les a escortés jusqu'aux camps d'internements. Pas un seul soldats allemands ne fut mobilisé pour cette opération", a rappelé François Hollande, qui a salué "le mérite" de son prédécesseur, qui a reconnu "cette vérité". "La reconnaissance de cette faute a été énoncée pour la première fois, avec lucidité et courage, par le président Jacques Chirac, le 16 juillet 1995", a aussi écrit le chef de l'Etat en introduction d'un livret publié par l'Elysée à l'occasion de la commémoration et distribué juste avant la cérémonie. "La vérité ne divise jamais, elle rassemble", a t-il également ajouté. » | A-Ch. D. (avec AFP) - leJDD.fr | dimanche 22 juillet 2012

Début du ramadan dans le monde musulman

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Près de 100’000 fidèles musulmans se sont rendus dans la vieille ville de Jérusalem pour participer à la prière du premier vendredi du ramadan. Les restrictions d'accès à Jérusalem-Est ont été allégées pour l'occasion.

Près de 100’000 fidèles musulmans se sont rendus vendredi dans la vieille ville de Jérusalem pour participer à la prière du premier vendredi du ramadan, a annoncé le porte-parole de la police israélienne. «Tout se déroule dans le calme», a-t-il ajouté.

La police et l’armée israéliennes ont levé les restrictions habituelles à l’accès de Palestiniens de Cisjordanie à Jérusalem-Est à cette occasion, mais imposé une limité d’âge pour les hommes de 40 ans minimum. Le porte-parole a précisé que des milliers de policiers étaient déployés depuis le matin dans la vieille ville, aux alentours de l’esplanade des Mosquées, et dans la partie orientale de Jérusalem, pour prévenir tout incident au début du mois de jeûne sacré musulman. » | ats/Newsnet | vendredi 20 juillet 2012

Assads Truppen erobern sich Damaskus zurück

TAGES ANZEIGER: Gefesselte Kämpfer, zerschossene Gebäude: In Damaskus schlägt die Armee mit aller Härte gegen die Rebellen. Das Viertel Midan befindet sich wieder in Regierungshand. Flüchtlinge verlassen das Land.

Die syrische Armee schlägt nach dem Beginn der Rebellen-Offensive in der Hauptstadt Damaskus mit aller Härte zurück. Nach heftigen Gefechten gewannen die Regierungstruppen die Kontrolle über das Viertel Midan wieder, wie ein AFP-Reporter berichtete. Ein AFP-Reporter sah in Midan zerschossene Gebäude, geplünderte Läden und Munitionsreste auf der Strasse. Das Staatsfernsehen zeigte Bilder gefesselter Kämpfer und beschlagnahmter Waffen. Die der Opposition nahestehende Syrische Beobachtungsstelle für Menschenrechte in London erklärte, die Armee sei mit Panzern in das Viertel vorgedrungen. Das im Osten gelegene Viertel Kabun sei mit 15 Panzern angegriffen worden. » | kpn/AFP | Freitag, 20. Juli 2012

Israël: l'homme qui s'était immolé par le feu est mort

LE FIGARO: Acculé par les dettes et ne recevant pas d'aides de l'État, Moshe Silman s'était mis le feu au cours d'une manifestation contre la vie chère.

Il s'était mis le feu samedi soir après avoir accusé l'État d'Israël de l'avoir volé. Brûlé au second et troisième degré sur 94% de son corps, Moshe Silman, 57 ans, a succombé ce vendredi à ses blessures.

L'image de cet homme en feu au cours d'une manifestation contre la vie chère avait choqué l'opinion publique. «L'État d'Israël m'a volé et m'a laissé sans rien», avait-il écrit dans une lettre qu'il avait lue avant de s'immoler. «J'accuse Israël, (le premier ministre) Benyamin Nétanyahou et (le ministre des Finances) Youval Steinitz pour l'humiliation constante que les citoyens d'Israël doivent endurer quotidiennement. Ils prennent aux pauvres pour donner aux riches.» » | Par lefigaro.fr | vendredi 20 juillet 2012

Middleton Family Website Breaches Olympic Rules
THE DAILY BEAST: It's tough trying to run a business when every update on your website is scrutinized by the global media looking for a story.

Now, lawyers for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (Locog) are to look at the party-planning website of the Middleton family to investigate whether it breaches the strict advertising rules of the London 2012 Olympic Games, the Telegraph is reporting today.

It is not clear how Locog were alerted to the website of Party Pieces owned by the Duchess of Cambridge's family.

If the company is in breach of the Olympic Act 2006, it could result in court action and a possible £20,000 fine, but, "The standard practice is to issue a warning letter, but in blatant breaches or where the company refuses to co-operate we take it seriously," an Olympic source told Telegraph Sport this morning. » | Tom Sykes | Thursday, July 19, 2012

Kate Middleton's Olympic Themed Cartier Necklace Costs £49,000!
And we thought she was thrifty

ENTERTAINMENT WISE: When our very own queen of recycling Kate Middleton stepped out in a £515 Olympian blue Stella McCartney dress to attend the National Portrait Gallery yesterday, we thought that was pushing the boat out.

But we are stunned to reveal that the ‘statement’ gold ring Olympic themed necklace that the Duchess of Cambridge wore to accessorise the 60s inspired shift dress costs a staggering £49,000 and is in fact by Cartier.

The white, yellow and rose gold exquisite piece, which is from the jeweller’s Trinity range – features five diamond-studded circles that are held together by a cluster of delicate chains. Now that’s some complicated bling.

And St James Palace have [sic] claimed the super expensive necklace is owned by Kate personally. This just gets more confusing. "It's a personal piece which she's had for some time," says a St James's Palace spokesman. "It's not an official Olympic item but it's appropriate to wear it." » | Lucia Binding | Friday, July 20, 2012

The Real Unification Church

Greenland: Richard Angwin on the Breakaway Glacier
An iceberg twice the size of Manhattan breaks free from Greenland's Petermann Glacier, scientists say. Al Jazeera's Richard Angwin explains further.

Syrian Border Developments
Syrian opposition fighters have taken control of a number of border crossings with Iraq and Turkey.In Masnaa in Lebanon, is Zeina Khodr reports on border developments there.

Syrian opposition fighters have taken control of a number of border crossings with Iraq and Turkey. Jane Arraf reports from Irbil in northern Iraq about the Syria border situation.

Syrian opposition fighters have taken control of a number of border crossings with Iraq and Turkey. Al Jazeera's Isil Sariyuce speaks from Turkey's Reyhanli. She says the Free Syrian Army is in control of border posts there.

Israel Blames Iran for Bulgaria Bus Bombing
Iran's foreign minister has rejected claims by Israel that his country is behind a suicide attack in Bulgaria. That is according to state run media. Wednesday's bombing killed seven people on a tourist bus, including five Israelis. Al Jazeera's Melissa Chan reports from Jerusalem.

Attack on Russian Mufti an 'Attack on Moderate Islam'
In what is being called an attack on moderate Islam, two Russian Muslim leaders were attacked in separate incidents. The attacks resulted in the injury of the Mufti of Tatarstan, Ildus Fayzov and the death of his deputy, Mufti Valiulla Yakupov. Al Jazeera's Jennifer Glass reports

Iran Releases Two Christian Converts; Pastor Youcef Still Imprisoned

ACLJ: The ACLJ is encouraged to report that Iran has released two Christian prisoners from captivity. As you know, Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani is only one of many Christians persecuted in Iran. Like Pastor Youcef, these prisoners were detained solely for their Christian faith.

On July 16, 2012, the regime released Noorollah Ghabizadeh, a 48-year-old Christian convert from Islam. The re[v]gime had arrested Ghabizadeh along with 10 other converts at a Christmas party in December 2010. Ghabizadeh spent 19 months behind bars for simply standing firm in his faith for Christ. Reportedly, the regime subjected him to severe mental torture in an effort to cause him to leave his faith in Christianity. Sources report that Ghabizadeh was taken to trial in September 2011, with his hands and feet in chains. » | Anna Sekulow | Thursday, July 19, 2012

Indigenous and Muslim 'A Growing Trend'
SBS.COM.AU: Dr Peta Stephenson is an honorary fellow at the Asia Institute. She has interviewed dozens of Indigenous Muslims as research for her book 'Islam Dreaming', and says numbers of those converting are on the rise.

Dr Peta Stephenson is an honorary fellow at the Asia Institute. She has interviewed dozens of Indigenous Muslims as research for her book ‘Islam Dreaming’, and says numbers of those converting are on the rise.

If we look at the 2006 census and the two before that, we do see that the numbers are rising. In 1996 and 2001 there were just over 600 Indigenous Muslims in Australia in each of those censuses.

In the subsequent one, in 2006, the number had risen 60 per cent to more than 1,000. So, not huge numbers if we look at the population of Australia, but it’s still a significant climb.

I conducted interviews with Indigenous Muslims for my book ‘Islam Dreaming’. Some of those were descended from Muslim fathers or forefathers, but wouldn’t classify themselves as practicing Muslims. (+ video +audio) » | Source: Rhiannon Elston, SBS | Friday, July 20, 2012

N.Korea Says U.S. Hostility Forcing It to "Reexamine" Nuclear Programme
REUTERS INDIA: North Korea said on Friday it was being forced to "reexamine" its nuclear programme because of fresh signs the United States remains hostile towards the country, indicating it will step up defiant efforts to boost its nuclear arsenal.

The new leadership of North Korea, headed by the third generation of the Kim family, reinforced its control on the reclusive state this week by further promoting its young leader Jong-un and purging a top general who was seen as opposing his reforms.

The North has denied in recent months that it was preparing to conduct a third nuclear test, after a failed rocket launch widely seen as a long-range missile test in disguise, which effectively scrapped a deal on moratorium on such tests reached with Washington in February.

"The consistent hostile policy towards the DPRK pursued by the U.S. is giving rise to the evil cycle of confrontation and tensions on the Korean Peninsula, making the prospect of denuclearizing the peninsula all the more gloomy," the North's unnamed Foreign Ministry spokesman said. » | Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Daniel Magnowski | SEOUL | Friday, July 20, 2012

REUTERS INDIA: EXCLUSIVE - Kim to reform North Korean economy after purge: source – Impoverished North Korea is gearing up to experiment with agricultural and economic reforms after young leader Kim Jong-un and his powerful uncle purged the country's top general for opposing change, a source with ties to both Pyongyang and Beijing said. » | Benjamin Kang Lim | BEIJING | Friday, July 20, 2012

Syrie : les combats s'intensifient, la population fuit
lePARISIEN.fr : Alors que les combats se sont intensifiés en Syrie entre les rebelles et l'armée régulière, des milliers de Syriens ont fui le pays. Selon les informations du Haut-Commissariat aux réfugiés de l'ONU, «ils sont entre 8.500 à 30.000 qui ont passé la frontière avec le Liban au cours des dernières 48 heures. «Les Syriens fuient aussi vers la Turquie, la Jordanie, l'Irak, mais il y a un véritable exode vers le Liban», a précisé la porte-parole du HCR.

La télévision syrienne a par ailleurs démenti les déclarations attribuées à l'ambassadeur de Russie à Paris selon lesquelles le président Bachar al-Assad accepterait de quitter le pouvoir «d'une manière civilisée». » | LeParisien.fr | vendredi 20 juillet 2012

14 Dead, 50 Wounded in Shooting at Colorado Theater, Police Chief Says

CNN: A heavily armed gunman killed at least 14 people and wounded 50 more during an early Friday morning screening of the new Batman movie at an Aurora, Colorado, theater, police Chief Dan Oates told reporters.

Police arrested a man believed to be the shooter in a rear parking lot of the theater, Frank Fania, a police spokesman, told CNN. The suspect was not immediately identified, though Fania said he was believed to be in his early 20s.

"He did not resist. He did not put up a fight," Fania said. Police seized a rifle and a handgun from the suspect, and another gun was found in the theater, he said. » | Chelsea J. Carter, CNN | Friday, July 20, 2012

CNN: Witnesses recall chaos after gunman bursts into theatre: The first witness accounts to surface from a deadly shooting in Aurora, Colorado, painted a surreal picture of what happened inside Theater 9 of Century Aurora movie theater. » | Mariano Castillo, CNN | Friday, July 20, 2012

John McCain Defends Hillary Clinton Aide Accused of Links to Muslim Brotherhood

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: John McCain yesterday rushed to the defence of one of Hillary Clinton's top aides, lashing out at fellow Republicans who accused the Muslim staffer of having links to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Breaking ranks with his party, the veteran Republican took to the Senate floor to condemn the "sinister accusations" made by Michelle Bachmann and others against Huma Adebin, Mrs Clinton's Deputy Chief of Staff.

He called the allegations "an unwarranted and unfounded attack on an honorable woman, a dedicated American, and a loyal public servant".

Mrs Bachmann, the former Republican presidential hopeful, and four other House members had written to the State Department claiming that America's foreign policy was being influenced by the supporters of the Islamist group.

In a letter that drew comparisons to the McCarthyite anti-Communist witch hunts of the 1950s, the group demanded an investigation into possible Muslim Brotherhood infiltration of the State Department and called for anyone found with links to the group to be made to "publicly condemn and disclaim" its goals.

They also singled out Ms Adebin, a Muslim born in Michigan, claiming that her father, mother and brother had been "connected" to the Brotherhood. As evidence they cited a document produced by the Centre for Security Policy, a controversial ultra-conservative think tank.

Ms Adebin has been at Mrs Clinton's side for more than a decade, and regularly travels with the Secretary of State on diplomatic missions around the world. Mrs Clinton has described the Arabic and Urdu speaker as a "second daughter".

Last year Ms Adebin's husband, the Democratic congressman Anthony Weiner, was forced to resign after admitting sending naked pictures of himself to other women. » | Thursday, July 19, 2012

THE NATIONAL INTEREST: Michele Bachmann's Plot To Defame Huma Abedin » | Jacob Heilbrunn | Thursday, July 19, 2012

FRONTPAGEMAG.COM: Huma Abedin’s Mother and an Islamist Agenda » | Nonie Darwish | Friday, July 20, 2012

Syria Crisis: 'This Could Be a Turning Point'
Ian Black and Martin Chulov discuss the implications of the killing of three key figures in Bashar al-Assad's inner circle. The attack has opened a new phase in the conflict and proves the Free Syrian Army is capable of striking at the heart of the regime in Damascus
Watch the video here | Ian Black, Martin Chulov, Phil Maynard and Mustafa Khalili | Thursday, July 19, 2012

Dutch Royal Family 'Overtake Britain's as Most Expensive in Europe'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Dutch royal family has overtaken the British monarchy to become most expensive in Western Europe at a cost of £31 million a year to the country's taxpayers, an international study has found.

In his sixth report on the costs of European heads of state, Herman Matthijs, professor of administrative science and public finances at Ghent University, notes the Royal Family had cut spending .

Queen Elizabeth II's cost to the taxpayer has fallen as result of austerity measures which have been deeper and faster than reductions to the Dutch monarchy's annual bill at a time when belt-tightening is affecting all of Europe's royal families.

Prof Matthijs's research found that the cost of British monarchy, praised as one of the most open about its finances, had been reduced by 16 per cent, falling from £35.5 million to £29.7m over the last year.

The £30.7 million Dutch bill for Queen Beatrix and her children, including £14m in personal allowances, is four times the cost of keeping the Spanish royal family, a country that is at heart of the eurozone's debt crisis.

Moreover, the burden to taxpayers of the Dutch royal family, Europe's most expensive, is proportionately heavier because the population of the Netherlands is almost a third of the size of Spain's and a mere quarter of Britain's. » | Bruno Waterfield | Thursday, July 19, 2012