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

Life in Hitler's Germany

Gestapo - Hitler, Nazism, SS Court Immunity - The Nuremberg Laws - Propaganda - German Police Force

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.

Related »

Sacrificing Our Daughters: On the Psychology of Islamic Rape-Gangs

WikiLeaks Spokesman: I Know Where Snowden Is
NSA leaker Edward Snowden was offered support from WikiLeaks in seeking asylum. A spokesman updates Wolf Blitzer.

'Snowden Proves If You Live Principled Life You Can Change World'
RT's financial guru Max Kesier explains why he thinks Hong Kong felt safe to ignore America's extradition request for Snowden.

Pakistani Girl Falsely Accused of Blasphemy 'in Canada'
BBC: A Pakistani Christian girl who was falsely accused of blasphemy has fled to Canada with her family, a Christian organisation says.

Rimsha Masih, aged 14, was detained in a maximum security prison for several weeks in August 2012, accused of burning pages from the Koran.

The case attracted widespread international concern.

Although charges against Rimsha were dropped, she and her family were forced into hiding after death threats.

Rimsha, who is believed to have learning difficulties, was arrested in a Christian area of the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, after a furious crowd demanded she be punished.

A local Muslim cleric has since been accused of framing her. » | Saturday, June 29, 2013

US and Ecuador Discuss Snowden's Bid for Asylum
BBC: The US vice-president has talked to Ecuador's leader by phone about fugitive ex-CIA analyst Edward Snowden's bid for asylum.

Joe Biden held talks with President Rafael Correa on Friday, the two countries confirmed.

According to Mr Correa, Mr Biden asked him to reject the request but Washington gave no details.

In a new development, a German magazine says a document leaked by Mr Snowden shows the US bugged EU offices.

Spiegel magazine says a September 2010 "top secret" document of the US National Security Agency outlines how the agency bugged offices and spied on EU internal computer networks in Washington and at the UN. The document explicitly referred to the EU as a "target", the magazine reports.

Mr Snowden is believed to be staying at a Moscow airport, having arrived nearly a week ago from Hong Kong, where he had been staying since he revealed details of top secret US surveillance programmes.

The US has charged him with theft of government property, unauthorised communication of national defence information and wilful communication of classified communications intelligence.

Each charge carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence. » | Saturday, June 29, 2013

Zahlreiche Ausländer verlassen Ägypten nach Krawallen
Nach einem neuen Ausbruch tödlicher Gewalt herrscht in Ägypten gespannte Ruhe. Am Sonntag droht eine weitere Welle der Gewalt, der so viele Menschen wie möglich entfliehen möchten.

Anti-Homosexuellen-Gesetz in Russland: Schwulenhasser greifen Demonstranten an

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Das umstrittene Verbot von "Homosexuellen-Propaganda" schürt in Russland weiter die Gewalt. Bei einer Demonstration in St. Petersburg kam es zu Auseinandersetzungen zwischen Gegnern und Befürwortern des Gesetzes. Steine flogen, eine Sondereinheit der Polizei nahm mehrere Personen fest.

St. Petersburg - Bei Protesten gegen das international kritisierte Verbot von "Homosexuellen-Propaganda" in Russland hat die Polizei zahlreiche Demonstranten und auch Störer festgenommen. Etwa hundert Aktivisten, die für die Rechte von Schwulen und Lesben demonstrierten, wurden in St. Petersburg von etwa der gleichen Zahl von Gegnern angegriffen. Sie bewarfen die Demonstranten mit Steinen, Eiern und Rauchbomben. Als es zu Handgreiflichkeiten kam, trennte eine Sondereinheit der Polizei die Lager und eskortierte die Aktivisten zu einem Bus. » | cst/dpa/Reuters | Samstag, 29. Juni 2013

Marriage Equality Still Missing Here
HAARETZ: Israel must join the wave of recognition in the Western world and enable civil marriage to all, including same-sex partners.

In the 90’s it was widely believed in this country that as far as gay rights were concerned, Israel was one of the most progressive states in the world.

This opinion was based on the High Court of Justice ruling of 1994, in the case of Jonathan Danilowitz against El Al, which ordered employers to grant equal benefits to partners of the same sex. Also contributing to this opinion was the IDF’s decision in 1993 to rescind the restrictions on gays and lesbians’ service in classified positions.

This opinion is no longer relevant. In the past 20 years the democratic world has undergone a change regarding this issue and Israel was left behind.

More and more states have recognized same-sex relationships − whether as a registered union with rights identical to those acquired by marriage, or by enabling gay spouses to marry.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision on Wednesday, forcing the federal government to recognize same-sex marriages in states where it is legal, is a significant step in this development. The court also upheld a lower court ruling finding the ban on such marriages in California unconstitutional.

Thus the United States joined France, New Zealand, Uruguay, Brazil and soon Britain, which have made the change this year. The Western world has had its say − it accepts same-sex marriages and recognizes them. » | Haaretz Editorial | Friday, June 28, 2013

Welcoming Gay Marriage, as Americans and Jews
HAARETZ: American Jews went through a stunning change in attitudes to become the strongest supporters of same-sex marriage and legal equality for gays and lesbians of any U.S. religious or ethnic group - in just two decades.

In reading the statements issued this week by Jewish groups in response tothe Supreme Court’s decisions on gay marriage, we were reminded that Jews are more supportive of same-sex marriage and legal equality for gays and lesbians than any other... [$] » | Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie | Friday, June 28, 2013

Santé: Pèlerinage de la Mecque: préoccupation à cause du Coronavirus

lePARISIEN.fr: Les experts virologistes surveillent avec inquiétude l'énigmatique et dangereux coronavirus MERS dans la perspective du prochain pèlerinage de la Mecque, alors que l'Arabie Saoudite est le pays le plus touché par la maladie.

On sait peu de chose de ce coronavirus du syndrome respiratoire du Moyen Orient, baptisé MERS par l'Organisation Mondiale de la Santé, qui a fait l'objet cette semaine d'une réunion d'experts de haut niveau à Genève dans le cadre d'une Conférence sur la prévention et le contrôle des infections.

Il provoque des problèmes respiratoires, la pneumonie et une insuffisance rénale rapide. Il peut être transmis de l'homme à l'homme mais ne semble pas très contagieux, contrairement à son cousin le SRAS (syndrome respiratoire aigu sévère) qui avait fait plus de 800 morts il y a une dizaine d'années. » | AFP | samedi 29 juin 2013

California: 'We Do' to Gay Marriage
Same-sex couples rush to marry in California as a court ends five-year ban. Paul Chapman reports.

Anti-Obama Protests in Pretoria

Read The Blaze article here | Mike Opelka | Saturday, June 29, 2013
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Proteste gegen US-Politik: Unruhen in Soweto vor Obama-Besuch: In Soweto ist es im Vorfeld eines Besuchs von US-Präsident Obama zu Ausschreitungen gekommen. Vor der Universität in dem Johannesburger Stadtteil stießen Demonstranten mit der Polizei zusammen. Mehrere hundert Menschen protestierten gegen die Politik Obamas. » | cst/AFP/Reuters | Samstag, 29. Juni 2013

'Snowden Case Shows US Is Bully Boy of World'

EDL Leader Robinson Arrested Amid Tribute Bid

Police detain English Defence League leaders who were banned from marching to where Drummer Lee Rigby was killed.

SKY NEWS: Two English Defence League leaders have been arrested in London as they attempted to march to Woolwich, where Drummer Lee Rigby was killed in May.

Tommy Robinson shouted, "You are enforcing Sharia law", at officers who held him on suspicion of obstructing police as he tried to enter the London borough of Tower Hamlets.

The EDL had previously announced plans to walk through part of the capital before gathering outside Woolwich Barracks, near where Drummer Rigby was hacked to death in broad daylight.

But the Metropolitan Police put conditions on the march which demanded that it ended at Old Palace Yard, opposite the House of Lords.

As well as planning to lay flowers in memory of Drummer Rigby, Mr Robinson and EDL co-leader Kevin Carroll, who was also arrested, were walking to raise money for a young girl fighting cancer.

Sky Correspondent Tom Parmenter said: "They'd walked six miles when they were arrested outside Aldgate East underground station.

"Police had been tracking the walk across London and had regularly spoken to them about their route.

"The EDL leaders had been warned not to go past a large mosque in east London or enter the borough of Tower Hamlets.

"As they approached the boundary of the borough they were warned again by officers who told them they may be arrested."

Mr Robinson and Mr Carroll repeatedly asked if they would actually be arrested before another man approached the pair and assaulted Mr Carroll.

Parmenter said: "As police officers tried to deal with the situation the EDL leaders continued to walk forward and then a senior policewoman placed the pair under arrest." (+ video) » | SkyNews | Saturday, June 29, 2013

The British Government's Jihad against Free Thought
MELANIE PHILLIPS: By banning from the country as extremists the American anti-jihadis Robert Spencer and Pamela Geller, the Home Secretary Teresa May has not only made herself look ridiculous but has sent the enemies of the United Kingdom the message that they have it on the run.

I do not support the approach taken by either Geller or Spencer to the problem of Islamic extremism. Both have endorsed groups such as the EDL and others which at best do not deal with the thuggish elements in their ranks and at worst are truly racist or xenophobic.

The result has been a serious blow to the credibility of these two writers, with particular damage being done to Spencer whose scholarship in itself is scrupulous. It has also split the defence against Islamic extremism, and handed a potent propaganda weapon to those who seek falsely to portray as bigoted extremists all who are engaged in the defence of the west against the Islamic jihad.

Nevertheless, the decision to ban this duo from Britain is unjustified, oppressive and comes perilously close to lining up the British government alongside those who wish to silence defenders of the west against the jihad, making a total mockery of Britain’s understanding of just who presents a danger to the state.

Neither Geller nor Spencer remotely presents such a danger. They intended to come to Britain to join an EDL rally in Woolwich, in the wake of the barbaric murder there of Drummer Lee Rigby by two Islamists last month. » | Melanie Phillips | Thursday, June 27, 2013

Sharia Comes to Great Britain

HT: Robert @ Jihad Watch »

Woolwich Message: UK Faces Grim Legacy of 'Peacekeeping'
The growing threat of terrorism is appearing at the top of the agenda of the UK government, as the intelligence agencies and armed forces come out as winners in the spending review. It comes just over a month since the brutal machete murder of a British soldier in London, which the killers said was revenge for the UK's military campaigns, but there are mounting doubts over whether the war on terror is actually making Brits safe. The UK intelligence agencies will be getting 100 million pounds annually from 2015. The Treasury Head George Osborne said it's because they are 'on the frontline' and need a boost to their resources. George Galloway joins RT to talk about it.

Horrific Video of Beheading Raises Questions of Arms Supply to Syrian Rebels
Another act of brutal violence reportedly by Syrian rebels has appeared on the web. Unverified video shows the beheading of 3 supposed government supporters. The title of the graphic footage suggests an orthodox Christian bishop was among the victims, although other reports claim he'd been shot dead in an assault on a monastery

Ecuador Cools on Edward Snowden Asylum as Assange Frustration Grows

THE GUARDIAN: President Correa revokes Snowden's temporary travel document amid concerns WikiLeaks founder is 'running the show'

The plan to spirit the surveillance whistleblower Edward Snowden to sanctuary in Latin America appeared to be unravelling on Friday, amid tension between Ecuador's government and Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks.

President Rafael Correa halted an effort to help Snowden leave Russia amid concern Assange was usurping the role of the Ecuadoran government, according to leaked diplomatic correspondence published on Friday.

Amid signs Quito was cooling with Snowden and irritated with Assange, Correa declared invalid a temporary travel document which could have helped extract Snowden from his reported location in Moscow.

Correa declared that the safe conduct pass issued by Ecuador's London consul – in collaboration with Assange – was unauthorised, after other Ecuadorean diplomats privately said the WikiLeaks founder could be perceived as "running the show".

According to the correspondence, which was obtained by the Spanish-language broadcaster Univision and shared with the Wall Street Journal, divisions over Assange have roiled Ecuador's government. » | Rory Carroll in Quito and Amanda Holpuch in New York | Friday, June 28, 2013

Canicule extrême dans l'ouest des États-Unis
LA PRESSE (CA): Un anticyclone puissant générera des conditions de canicule extrême dans l'ouest des États-Unis au cours des prochains jours.

Les météorologues préviennent que le mercure pourrait atteindre 54 degrés Celsius à Death Valley, dans le Nevada, soit quelques degrés de moins que le record de 57 Celsius atteint à ce même endroit il y a 100 ans.

Le National Weather Service prévoit 48 degrés à Phoenix et 47 à Las Vegas dimanche, un niveau atteint à seulement deux reprises dans le passé.

Le mercure devrait s'envoler aussi loin vers le nord qu'à Reno, au Nevada, à travers l'Utah et dans certaines régions du Wyoming et de l'Idaho, où le secteur de Boise doit s'attendre à des températures d'au moins 38 degrés pendant toute la fin de semaine. » | Associated Press | Pheonix | Arizona | vendredi 28 juin 2013

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: American West bakes in 'brutal' heatwave as temperatures approach world record: America's Western states are suffering a blistering heatwave as thermometers creep towards the highest temperatures ever recorded on earth. » | Hannah Strange, agencies | Saturday, June 29, 2013

Snowden Scrap: Ecuador Thumbs Nose at Washington

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: In the latest tit for tat in the controversy over Edward Snowden's asylum application, Ecuador has terminated a trade agreement with Washington. President Rafael Correa will score points for standing up to the US, but some worry sanctions could follow.

Tensions continue to simmer between Washington and Quito over the Edward Snowden affair. After the United States threatened to eliminate special trade benefits with Ecuador, the South American country unilaterally moved on Thursday to terminate a trade benefits deal with the country. A short time later, the US said it would also review trade advantages given to Ecuador.

For Washington, the latest developments are a further setback in the diplomatic nightmare surrounding whistleblower Snowden, who has been on the run since leaking documents about collossal American and British Internet spying programs to Britain'sGuardian newspaper. Washington's threatening gestures come at an opportune time for politicians in Quito.

In Ecuador, few believe that a trade deal in place with the US since 1991 will be extended. Numerous conflicts already existed between the two countries even before the Snowden affair. » | Johannes Schneider in Quito, Ecuador | Friday, June 28, 2013

Germany Faced with "Loudspeaker Jihad"
GATESTONE INSTITUTE: "First there was no mention of a muezzin when the mosque was inaugurated; then on Fridays only; then three times a day, now five times a day." — Interview in Die Zeit

A Turkish mosque in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia has begun sounding public calls to prayer from an outdoor loudspeaker system mounted on the roof of the edifice.

The mosque is one of a growing number of Islamic institutions in Germany (and other parts of Western Europe) publicly calling the Muslim faithful to prayer -- five times a day, seven days a week -- with cries of Allahu Akbar ("Allah is Greater").

Observers believe a precedent has now been established, and that many of the other 3,000 mosques in Germany will soon begin jumping on the muezzin loudspeaker bandwagon.

The sonorous prayer calls (known as adhan in Arabic) can be heard from great distances when amplified through electric loudspeakers; some German towns and cities are actually beginning to evoke the sounds and images of the Islamic Middle East. » | Soeren Kern | Friday, June 28, 2013


Listen to al adhan here

Senegal Rejects Obama's Push for Gay Rights

VOICE OF AMERICA: DAKAR — During President Obama’s visit to Dakar, he and Senegalese President Macky Sall were asked about Senegal's treatment of homosexuals. The U.S. Supreme Court handed down two rulings this week that expanded the rights of gays in the United States to get married. President Obama said his message for Africa is that everyone should be treated equally by the law, while President Sall said Senegal is "not ready" to de-criminalize homosexuality.

Front-page headlines in Senegal's Friday morning papers said it all.

One read, "Macky Resists Light Pressure from Obama and clashes with the USA," and another: "Obama Makes the Case For Gays, Macky Says No!"

In Dakar, many Senegalese said they agree with their president.

"Homosexuality is not part of our culture and we are not ready to accept it." Mareme Diop said. "Maybe the West accepts it, but we think it is wrong."

Many invoked religion. "As Muslims, we cannot accept homosexuality." Moussa Gueye said, "this is a secular country, but it is also 95 percent Muslim." » | Anne Look | Friday, June 28, 2013

Breaking: Edward Snowden's Father Says Son May Return If Conditions Met

Related »

Snowden's Father Says Former Contractor May Return If Conditions Met
REUTERS.COM: The father of former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden said in an interview that while he has not had recent contact with him, he is reasonably confident his son would return to the United States if certain conditions were met.

Those conditions could include not detaining Snowden before trial, not subjecting him to a gag order and letting him choose the location of his trial, NBC News said on Friday.

The NBC report added that Lonnie Snowden plans to make those points in a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to be sent through his lawyer later on Friday. Representatives for the Justice Department could not be reached immediately for comment on the letter.

Lonnie Snowden, in part of the NBC interview that aired on the "Today Show," also said he is concerned that his son, a former contractor for the National Security Agency, was being manipulated by others, including people from the anti-government secrecy group WikiLeaks. » | Susan Heavey | Washington | Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Vicki Allen | Friday, June 28, 2013

Chasing Snowden: Don't Shoot The Messenger
Edward Snowden's story is worthy of a spy novel. He was charged with espionage for blowing the lid off US security operations. He was in Hong Kong at the time, and then reportedly wanted to flee to another country via Russia - but had his passport revoked by the US. Snowden was expected to show on a flight to Cuba after he booked a ticket, but journalists were left staring at an empty seat, instead of the whistleblower - on that Havana-bound plane. RT's Paul Scott, Thabang Motsei and Ivor Crotty, who've all been monitoring the developments as they happened, share their opinions on this story.

The Truthseeker: Obama's Arrest, Bush's Trial
"We'll get Bush in the US" the world's top war crimes prosecutor tells The Truthseeker after Dubya's deputies warn him against travel, lawyers file for Obama's arrest tomorrow when he hits South Africa, huge secret wars in America's name being masked from the folks funding them.

Seek truth from facts with Yousha Tayob of the Muslim Lawyers Association, leading war crimes prosecutor Francis Boyle, Senior Staff Attorney Katherine Gallagher of New York's Center for Constitutional Rights which stopped Bush's first trip after his waterboarding admission, Marjorie Cohn, author of Cowboy Republic: Six Ways the Bush Gang Has Defied the Law, and former NSA intelligence officer Scott Rickard.

Drugs Inferno: Iran Burns Tons of Narcotics
Iran has burned at least 100 tons of drugs as part of its efforts to fight drug smuggling. June 26 is the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. To mark this day Iran, which lies on a major trafficking route between Afghanistan and Europe, has burned tons of drugs. Iranian authorities and foreign guests watched at the burning ceremony in Tehran.