Isis Strengthens Grip on Iraq's Western Borders

Iraq Shiite Turkmen families fleeing the violence in the Iraqi
city of Tal Afar

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Trans-national 'caliphate' now closer to reality

The jihadist-led alliance now running large parts of Iraq has consolidated its control to the country’s western borders, taking a town, its airport and the key trade and transport crossing to Jordan as its transnational “caliphate” becomes a reality.

The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham and its allies, mainly Sunni tribes and ex-Baathist remnants of the regime of Saddam Hussein, finally completed its takeover of Tal Afar in the north. The Iraqi army’s commander in the city, who had vowed to hold out speaking by telephone from the nearby airport to The Daily Telegraph earlier, was photographed fleeing under the protection of the Kurdish army.

The army had been based at the airport, now also in Isis hands.

Isis also took the Al-Waleed border crossing with Syria, though Iraqi security forces later claimed to have taken it back. A Sunni tribe meanwhile took the Turaibil crossing with Jordan nearby and was negotiating with Isis to hand it over to their control, according to reports confirmed by the Iraqi army.

The Iraqi central government now has little or no presence on its western borders, with just one border crossing with Syria, Rabia, in the hands of the Kurdish Regional Government, autonomous from but notionally loyal to Baghdad. » | Richard Spencer, Erbil | Monday, June 23, 2014

Is ISIS a Threat to the US Homeland?

Jun. 17, 2014 - 4:02 - Peter Johnson, Jr. weighs in

Glenn Greenwald on Impact of Edward Snowden's Revelations

Jun. 23, 2014 - 10:48 - Journalist says new disclosure is 'imminent'

John Kerry: 'Iraq's Future Depends On Choices Of Next Days'

BBC: "The very future of Iraq depends on choices that will be made in the next days and weeks," according to US Secretary of State John Kerry.

On Monday he discussed the crisis with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki, and also met key Shia and Sunni figures.

Mr Kerry later vowed "intense, sustained" support saying: "If Iraq's leaders take the steps needed to bring the country together it will be effective." (+ BBC video) » | Monday, June 23, 2014

Britain’s Military 'Not Good Enough' to Deal with Jihadi Threat, Warns Ex-defence Chief

Lord Richards asked in his maiden speech in the House of Lords:
'Are our armed forces in a fit state to play their role in dealing with
these and other risks to our way of life?'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Lord Richards of Hertsmonceux also calls for defence spending to increase as the economy starts to grow again and says that if plans to replace regular troops with part-time reserves must work soon or junked altogether.

Britain’s military is "not good enough” to deal with the global threat of Jihadis, according to a former head of the military.

Lord Richards of Hertsmonceux also called for defence spending to increase as the economy starts to grow again and said that if plans to replace regular troops with part-time reserves must work soon or junked altogether.

The comments from Lord Richards – who as General Sir David Richards was chief of the defence staff from October 2010 to July last year – will sound alarm bells in Whitehall.

In his maiden speech in the House of Lords on Monday evening the peer questioned whether Britain’s armed forces would be in a “fit state” to deal with threats from terrorists.

He said: “Are our armed forces in a fit state to play their role in dealing with these and other risks to our way of life? » | Christopher Hope, Senior Political Correspondent | Monday, June 23, 2014

Third Jihadist in Isis Video Is from Aberdeen

Raqib is identified in the video as Brother Abu Bara' al Hindi

BBC: A third British man in a recruitment video for the Islamic militant group, Isis, is from Aberdeen, the BBC has learned.

The man has been named locally as Raqib.

The 13-minute video, There Is No Life Without Jihad, emerged on Friday, posted by accounts linked to Isis.

Two of the six fighters shown in the film urging Muslims to join a holy war, have been identified as Nasser Muthana and Reyaad Khan from Cardiff.

The footage emerged after militants led by Isis made rapid advances through Iraq in recent weeks.

The video shows them urging other British Muslims to join their war. » | Monday, June 23, 2014

Polish MPs Ridicule Cameron's 'Stupid Propaganda' Aimed at Eurosceptics

THE GUARDIAN: Secretly taped expletive-laden conversation reveals EU fallout from prime minister's plans to curb migrants' benefits access

The Polish foreign minister believes David Cameron has "fucked up" his handling of the EU by resorting to "stupid propaganda" to appease Eurosceptics, according to an expletive-laden transcript of secretly taped conversations.

Radoslaw Sikorski, who is close to many senior Tories and as an Oxford University student was a member of the Bullingdon Club at the same time as Boris Johnson, made the comments in a conversation with the former Polish finance minister Jacek Rostowski.

The conversation between the two men, printed in Monday's edition of Wprost news magazine, reveals the extent of the fallout between Poland and the UK over Cameron's proposals to change EU migrants' access to benefits.

Downing Street responded to the leaked Polish tapes by saying that the prime minister would continue to stand up for British interests and deal with the "abuse" of free movement because support for the EU in Britain is "wafer thin". » | Philip Oltermann in Berlin, Ian Traynor in Brussels and Nicholas Watt | Monday, June 23, 2014

Sudanese Woman Meriam Ibrahim Walks Free from Prison

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Meriam Ibrahim, the woman sentenced to death in Sudan for apostasy, has been freed, her lawyer says

Meriam Ibrahim, the Sudanese woman sentenced to death for apostasy, has finally walked out of prison - after six months behind bars.

"Meriam was released just about an hour ago," said Mohanad [sic] Mustafa, one of her lawyers.

"She's now out of prison," he told AFP, but said authorities will not issue the reasons for her release until Tuesday.

She has been transferred, he said, "to an unknown house to stay at for her protection and security."

"Her family had been threatened before and we are worried that someone might try to harm her," he told Reuters. » | Harriet Alexander | Monday, June 23, 2014

Inside Story: The Return of Muqtada al-Sadr?

As Iraq slips into greater uncertainty, Shia cleric and leader al Sadr puts on a show of strength.

'A Dark Day for Media Freedom'

Al Jazeera calls on Egypt to release its journalists immediately

AL JAZEERA: Governments, social media users and journalists come together to condemn verdict against Greste, Fahmy and Mohamed.

Egypt has been widely condemned after finding three Al Jazeera English journalists guilty on charges of aiding the Muslim Brotherhood and reporting false news.

Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed were found guilty by a Cairo court on Monday and jailed for seven years. Mohamed was jailed for three additional years for possessing ammunition.

The Netherlands and the UK said they would summon the Egyptian ambassador over the sentencing. The Dutch foreign ministry said that the "minimum requirements for a fair trial were not met".

"I am appalled by the guilty verdicts handed down today against Egyptian and international journalists in Egypt," the UK foreign secretary, William Hague, said in a statement.

"I am particularly concerned by unacceptable procedural shortcomings during the trial process, including that key prosecution evidence was not made available to the defence team."

The Canadian ambassador David Drake, who attended the session for Fahmy, an Egyptian-Canadian, said there were many questions over the verdict.

"We are very disappointed," he said. "We are digesting this ... We don't understand this particular verdict.'' » | Monday, June 23, 2014

Australian FM 'shocked' at Al-Jazeera Journalists' Verdict

BBC: Australia's foreign minister, Julie Bishop, has said Australia is shocked that an Egyptian court has convicted three Al-Jazeera journalists and sentenced them to seven years in jail.

They were found guilty of spreading false news and collaborating with the Muslim Brotherhood of the deposed Egyptian president, Mohammed Morsi.

The journalists include Peter Greste, an Australian and former BBC correspondent.

Ms Bishop told reporters she was shocked and ''deeply disappointed'' at the court's decision. (+ BBC video) » | Monday, June 23, 2014

Shock of Al-Jazeera Journalist Peter Greste's Parents at Sentence

BBC: Three al-Jazeera journalists have been sentenced to seven years in jail in Egypt, after being found guilty of spreading false news and supporting the banned Muslim Brotherhood.

Mohamed Fahmy, a Canadian-Egyptian who heads the network's Cairo bureau, and Australian correspondent (and former BBC reporter) Peter Greste were jailed for seven years. Egyptian producer Baher Mohamed received a 10-year sentence.

Peter Greste's parents, Lois and Juris, consented to being filmed while receiving the news. (+ BBC video) » | Monday, June 23, 2014

Égypte : l'Australie "consternée" par la condamnation d'un journaliste australien

LE POINT: 11 autres accusés jugés par contumace - dont trois journalistes étrangers, deux Britanniques et une Néerlandaise - ont été condamnés à 10 ans de prison.

La chef de la diplomatie australienne, Julia Bishop, s'est déclarée "consternée" par la condamnation lundi en Égypte à sept ans de prison d'un journaliste australien de la chaîne qatarie Al Jazeera, accusé avec deux confrères de soutenir les Frères musulmans. » | Source AFP | lundi 23 juin 2014

À Londres, un nouveau lycée français en raison de l'afflux d'expatriés

LE POINT: Le lycée Charles-de-Gaulle, avec ses 4 500 places, n'arrive plus à satisfaire les demandes. Le nouvel établissement ouvrira à la rentrée 2015.

L'afflux des expatriés français à Londres, malgré le grand lycée Charles-de-Gaulle, un collège et quatorze écoles bilingues, est tel qu'il oblige à revoir la carte de l'Éducation nationale dans la capitale britannique. La première pierre d'un nouveau lycée a été posée la semaine dernière à Wembley. Ouverture prévue : septembre 2015. Objectif : 1 300 élèves en vitesse de croisière. Financement : 62 millions d'euros, assurés pour les quatre cinquièmes par un emprunt bancaire garanti par l'État français (cf. Les Échos du 19/06/14), et pour le solde - 12 millions d'euros - par des apports d'entreprises françaises installées à Londres qui auront accès, en contrepartie, à un tiers des places pour les enfants de leurs employés. » | Par Jean Nouailhac | lundi 23 juin 2014

Commission Crusade: Cameron Outmaneuvered in Battle over Juncker

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: British Prime Minister David Cameron is determined not to let Jean-Claude Juncker become president of the European Commission. But he is increasingly isolated. He might face his Waterloo as early as next week.

Reading the newspaper hasn't been particularly pleasurable for Jean-Claude Juncker in recent days. First, British historian Timothy Garton Ash compared him to King Louis the XVI, who was executed by the guillotine. Then, the Swiss paper Weltwoche lumped him together with Hitler and Mussolini and the British tabloid Sun described him as "the most dangerous man in Europe."

Juncker had suspected that the British press in particular would go on the attack against him, but he recently had to summon the police after paparazzi climbed over a fence into his property. Furthermore, his 90-year-old father burst into tears when a tabloid accused him of Nazi association. (The older Juncker was forceably recruited into the Wehrmacht following the occupation of Luxembourg.)

The situation is a delicate one: British Prime Minister David Cameron continues to categorically reject Juncker as the next president of the European Commission. Yet a majority in the European Parliament supports the former Luxembourg prime minister. The European Council, made up of EU heads of state and government, has the power of nomination, but the body is divided. » | SPIEGEL Staff | Thursday, June 19, 2014

Kultur im umkämpften Irak: Der Verfall des Morgenlandes

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Bagdad galt einst als intellektuelles Zentrum der arabischen Welt. Heute beklagen gebildete Iraker den Verfall ihrer Kultur zu Gunsten der Religion. Und nun stehen auch noch die ISIS-Krieger vor der Stadt.

Die Familie von Ali Mohammed hat sich versammelt, um zu feiern: Am Morgen hat die Jüngste der Sippe an der Irakija-Universität von Bagdad ihre Doktorarbeit in Alter Geschichte verteidigt. Von nun an darf auch sie, genau wie ihre drei Schwestern, den akademischen Titel führen. Die Großfamilie gönnt sich ein Kebab-Gelage in einem von Bagdads feinsten Restaurants. Alles wäre wunderbar, gäbe es nicht die Sorge um die jüngere Generation, die in Sonntagstracht zwischen den Tischen des "al-Latakia" herumtobt.

"Der Irak war einst berühmt für seine Universitäten, ein Leuchtturm der Wissenschaft in der Arabischen Welt", sagt Dr. Basaar Ali Mohammed, Anwältin und mit 44 Jahren die älteste der Schwestern. "Heute ist kein Geld mehr da für Universitäten. Stattdessen werden Religionsschulen gefördert." » | Aus Bagdad berichtet Ulrike Putz | Montag, 23. Juni 2014

Egypt Finds Al Jazeera Journalists Guilty

Peter Greste and Mohamed Fahmy sentenced to seven years in prison, Baher Mohamed sentenced to 10

THE GUARDIAN: Al-Jazeera journalists jailed for seven years in Egypt: Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed of Al-Jazeera English sentenced on terrorism-related charges » | Patrick Kingsley in Cairo | Monday, June 23, 2014

Global Image of US under the Obama Administration

Jun. 20, 2014 - 3:13 - Has American standing declined?

Iraq Crisis: British Student Identified as Recruiting Isis Jihadists

Abu Dujana al Hindi (left), Nasser Muthana from Cardiff (centre)
and Abu Bara al Hindi (right)

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Cardiff medical student Nasser Muthana, 20, is identified as a Briton at the centre of a campaign to recruit would-be jihadists to Iraq and Syria
An aspiring Cardiff medical student was last night identified as the Briton at the centre of a campaign by an Islamic terror group to recruit would-be jihadists to Iraq and Syria.

Nasser Muthana, 20, appeared in a propaganda video by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham [Isis] urging others to join him.

His father, Ahmed Muthana, told The Daily Telegraph last night that Nasser’s 17-year-old brother, Aseel, was fighting alongside him. He claimed his sons were “brainwashed” in Britain.

Mr Muthana said watching footage of his son had made him cry. "I wish I could hold him, hold his hand, ask him to come back," he said.

"As a father I give a message, not only to Nasser, to all the people that go from Britain to Syria to fight please stop. Come back home." » | Tom Whitehead, Claire Duffin, Philip Sherwell and Richard Spencer | Friday, June 20, 2014

Spain Moves to Protect Juan Carlos from Paternity Suits

Juan Carlos lost his immunity from prosecution when he passed
the throne on to his son, Felipe

BBC: Spain's politicians admitted Friday that they are rushing to pass new legislation to shield former King Juan Carlos from two paternity suits.

Juan Carlos, 76, lost his immunity from prosecution after handing power to his son, Felipe, following a 39-year reign.

A senior politician said amendments would be added to a package of judicial reforms so that only Spain's Supreme Court can hear cases against him.

Two separate paternity suits were filed against Juan Carlos in 2012.

Alberto Sola Jimenez from Spain's Catalonia region and Ingrid Jeanne Satiau, a Belgian national, both claim to be the former king's children.

His legal immunity meant that the suits were not processed at the time but the cases could now be brought again in ordinary courts. » | Friday, June 20, 2014

Britons Fighting for Isis in Recruitment Video

The recruitment video broadcast by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Three jihadists apparently from Britain urge others to martyr themselves as they head for Iraq

British jihadists are encouraged [sic] more young Muslims to head to Syria and Iraq to martyr themselves in a chilling new recruitment video for the terror group Isis.

The men urge their fellow countrymen to “answer the call” and to “fight for Allah”, while one claims “you are going to die anyway”.

Posted online on Thursday, they also claim they are about to cross the border from Syria in to [sic] Iraq to fight there – the clearest indication yet that Britons are involved in the renewed Iraqi civil conflict.

One even claims they are ready to take the fight to Jordan or Lebanon.

The professionally shot 13-minute video, entitled “There is no life without Jihad”, has been broadcast by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham and coincides with a fresh propaganda campaign by the violent fanatics. » | Tom Whitehead, Security Editor | Friday, June 20, 2014

Islamic Army of Iraq Founder: Isis and Sunni Islamists Will March on Baghdad

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Exclusive: Founder of Islamic Army of Iraq who was once described by the US as a top terrorist target, explains how the fight against 'American or Iranian occupation’ has united Isis and other Sunni Islamists in the Battle for Baghdad


A top commander of the Sunni insurgency in Iraq has told The Telegraph how his men are fighting alongside the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham to take back Baghdad, even if it means pushing the country to civil war.

Sheikh Ahmed al-Dabash, 47, a founder of the Islamic Army of Iraq, who fought the allied invasion in 2003, has told how thousands of his men are participating in the Isis-led insurgency that swept across northern Iraq, and which now threatens the gates of the capital.

The Islamic Army, however, does not share the same extremist ideology of Isis, Mr Dabash said in an exclusive interview with The Telegraph, and raised the prospect of his faction one day turning its guns on their jihadist comrades.

“If Maliki [the Iraqi prime minister] does not step down, then there is no doubt that we are moving on Baghdad,” said Mr Dabash. “We will go all the way.” » | Ruth Sherlock, and Carol Malouf in Erbil | Friday, June 20, 2014

One in Seven BBC Presenters and Actors to Be Black, Asian or Ethnic Minority under New Lord Hall Pledge

Lord Hall, the BBC's director-general, wants to extend the £145.50
annual fee in response to the growing popularity of the iPlayer 

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: BBC pledge to improve diversity will see one in seven of its presenters and actors being black, Asian or from an ethnic minority

One in every seven BBC presenters and actors is to be black, Asian or minority ethnic within the next three years, it has been announced, as Lord Hall pledges to improve diversity.

Lord Hall, the director-general, has promised 15 per cent of on-air BBC staff will be black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) by 2017, along with one in ten managers.

Speaking at the BBC’s Elstree Studios, he announced a new action group to help advise on the changes, including comedian Lenny Henry, athlete Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, and broadcaster Baroness Floella Benjamin.

Lord Hall said: “The BBC gets much right on diversity, but the simple fact is that we need to do more. I am not content for the BBC to be merely good or above average.

“I want a new talent-led approach that will help set the pace in the media industry. I believe in this and want our record to be beyond reproach. » | Hannah Furness, Arts correspondent | Friday, June 20, 2014

King Felipe VI Calls for 'New Spain' as He Is Sworn In

BBC: King Felipe VI has called for "a new Spain that we will build together" after being proclaimed head of state in a ceremony in parliament.

Earlier, King Felipe received the royal sash from his father, Juan Carlos, at the Zarzuela Palace near Madrid.

He acceded to the throne at the stroke of midnight after King Juan Carlos formally abdicated on Wednesday.

The proceedings have been kept low key, as many Spaniards are suffering economic hardship.

The swearing-in ceremony took the form of a proclamation rather than a coronation. It is the first royal transition in Spain since democracy was restored in the 1970s.

The new king, 46, swore an oath promising to uphold the constitution.

The speaker of the lower house of parliament, Jesus Posada, then proclaimed him king, declaring: "Long live Spain! Long live the king!"

In a speech to parliament, Felipe said he had "great hope" for the future of Spain and called for unity. » | Thursday, June 19, 2014

McCain: Obama Is Failing 'While Iraq Burns'

Jun. 19, 2014 - 5:47 - Republican lawmaker urges US action

Dick and Liz Cheney on the Need for American Leadership

Jun. 18, 2014 - 11:14 - How President Obama's policies are impacting the crisis in Iraq

Spain's Felipe VI, Righteous Son, Inherits a Shaken Monarchy

König Felipe VI. will seinem Land dienen

KRONEN ZEITUNG: Generations-wechsel in der spanischen Monarchie: König Felipe VI. ist als neues Staatsoberhaupt des Landes vereidigt worden. Der 46- jährige Monarch schwor am Donnerstag, die in der Verfassung festgelegten Aufgaben zu erfüllen. Er glaube an diese "große Nation", er liebe sie, "sie liegt mir am Herzen", sagte Felipe anschließend bei seiner Antrittsrede im Parlament in Madrid.

Felipe trat als jüngster König Europas die Nachfolge seines Vaters Juan Carlos an, der am Vortag nach fast vier Jahrzehnten auf dem Thron abgedankt hatte. "Ich werde immer das Allgemeininteresse im Auge haben", betonte Felipe in seiner Rede. Er werde loyal zur Verfassung stehen und bereit sein, zuzuhören, zu verstehen und Ratschläge zu geben, sagte der Monarch am Donnerstag. Als "Bürgerkönig" möchte er außerdem das angekratzte Image der spanischen Monarchie wieder aufbessern. » | AG/red | Donnerstag, 19. Juni 2014

König einer zerrissenen Nation

TAGES ANZEIGER – ANALYSE: Der Wechsel auf Spaniens Thron erfolgt in einer konfusen Zeit. Das Prestige der Monarchie ist zwar angeschlagen, doch es ist deutlich besser als jenes der politischen Parteien. Felipe VI. erhält viel Kredit, aber wohl nur für kurz.

Pomp wäre fürchterlich falsch. Sogar das Lächeln will fein kalibriert sein. Jede Geste kommt unter die Lupe, jedes Wort auf die Goldwaage. Wenn der Bourbone Felipe VI. heute, 19. Juni 2014, mit 46 Jahren in ­einer nachtblauen Generalsuniform mit Schärpe und roter Bauchbinde Spaniens Thron besteigt, ist es genau das: ein mühseliges Besteigen. Begleitet von bürgerlichen Zweifeln an der Monarchie. Observiert von einem Volk, das in der schweren Wirtschaftskrise das Vertrauen in alle zentralen staatlichen Institutionen verloren hat. Das Zeremoniell für den Thronwechsel wurde aufs Minimum reduziert. Staatsgäste sind keine eingeladen. Nicht einmal der Königs­vater wird dabei sein, wenn der Sohn im Madrider Congreso vor versammelten Abgeordneten und Senatoren den Eid auf die Verfassung ablegen wird. Das Protokoll sollte nicht überladen wirken. In Zeiten schmerzvoller Sparanstrengungen wäre Prunk schändlich. Vielleicht wäre er gar fatal. Doch das muss man Felipe nicht sagen. » | Oliver Meiler, Barcelona | Donnerstag, 19. Juni 2014

Saudi University Student Stabbed 16 Times in Fatal Attack

THE GUARDIAN: Essex police say Nahid Almanea was victim of 'brutal and savage attack' by killer they fear may still be in Colchester

A Saudi Arabian student was stabbed 16 times in a "brutal and savage attack" as she walked to university, detectives have said, as police continue to investigate whether the woman was targeted because she was wearing traditional Islamic clothing.

Nahid Almanea, 31, was walking alone to Essex University when she was knifed to death by a killer who police fear may still be on the loose in Colchester. » | Josh Halliday | Thursday, June 19, 2014

Iraq Crisis: Britain and US Must Not Meddle in Iraq, Warns Saudi Arabia

Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Saudi Arabia will oppose any US and British or regional intervention in Iraq against the jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, the country's ambassador to London tells the Telegraph

In an article for the Telegraph, Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf al-Saud said the crisis in Saudi Arabia's northern neighbour should be sorted out between Iraqis alone as it was a product of the sectarian divisions in Iraq.

As Washington considers an Iraqi request to undertake air strikes against ISIS, which has seized a swathe of the north including Mosul, the second city, Prince Mohammed signalled that Saudi Arabia was implacably opposed to any new military intervention.

His comments can also be read as a firm statement against Iranian involvement in the Iraqi fightback. Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran's special forces, has been reported active in Iraq assisting Shia Muslim militias.

"We oppose all foreign intervention and interference. There must be no meddling in Iraq’s internal affairs, not by us or by the US, the UK or by any other government. This is Iraq’s problem and they must sort it out themselves," Prince Mohammed wrote.

"Any government that meddles in Iraq’s affairs runs the risk of escalating the situation, creating greater mistrust between the people of Iraq – both Sunni and Shia." » | Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent | Thursday, June 19, 2014

Nigel Farage Joins Forces with Far-right Swedish and French MEPs

THE GUARDIAN: Ukip leader's group in European parliament includes party founded by white supremacists and ex-FN member

Nigel Farage has joined forces in the European parliament with a Swedish party that was founded by white supremacists, including a former member of the Waffen SS. In an apparent change of tack, after he pledged to avoid parties on the far right, the Ukip leader also invited a French MEP who was elected for Marine Le Pen's Front National last month to join his pan-European group in the parliament.

Ukip insisted last night that Farage had not broken his word because the two Sweden Democrat MEPs, Kristina Winberg and Peter Lundgren, were obliged to write a letter to the Ukip leader distancing themselves from their party's past.

Joëlle Bergeron, who left the FN two days after the European elections last month, also wrote to Emmanuel Bordez, the secretary general of Farage's Europe of Freedom and Democracy group, distancing herself from Le Pen's party.

But the Liberal Democrats last night attacked Farage's decision to allow such controversial figures into his group, which now has MEPs from seven EU member states – the minimum to form a group. A senior Lib Dem source said: "Regardless of your views on Europe, it is hard to see how British MEPs hanging around the European parliament with the dregs of the far right is going to be of any benefit to British jobs and growth." » | Nicholas Watt, chief political correspondent | Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Roma Boy Attacked in Paris: The Picture That Will Shock France

Darius was found in a supermarket trolley

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: François Hollande calls brutal gang assault on 16-year-old Roma boy 'unspeakable and unjustifiable attack on all the principles on which our republic was founded' Warning: graphic image readers may find distressing

It is the photo that will shock France.

Beaten to a pulp, dumped in a supermarket trolley and left for dead on the side of the road.

That was the fate of 16-year-old Darius, a Roma boy snatched from his family by a vigilante mob who accused him of burglary.

The teenager was in a medically induced coma on Wednesday in a Paris hospital, where doctors said it was not certain he would pull through after suffering multiple skull fractures.

But already this gruesome attack has sparked wide condemnation.

President François Hollande denounced it as an “unspeakable and unjustifiable attack on all the principles on which our republic was founded”. » | Rory Mulholland, Paris | Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Iraq Crisis: Cameron Says Islamist Threat Is 'UK Problem'

David Cameron announced extra humanitarian aid for Iraq
during Prime Minister's Questions

BBC: Ignoring the threat from Islamist extremism in the Middle East and parts of Africa will "come back to hit the UK", David Cameron has warned.

The prime minister told MPs that it would be wrong to think the crisis in Iraq was "nothing to do" with the UK.

Encouraging governments to be more inclusive and helping to "close down ungoverned spaces" would stop the conditions for terrorism flourishing.

Mr Cameron also announced extra humanitarian aid for Iraq.

The prime minister, who was chairing a meeting of the National Security Council on Wednesday, has ruled out military intervention in support of the government of Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, in response to attacks by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) fighters.

'Patient'

The fighting between ISIS and Iraqi security forces, who are supported by Shia militias, has focused around the city of Baquba, 60km (35 miles) from Baghdad, the Iraqi capital, while Iraq's largest oil refinery is also under attack.

At Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Cameron said it was up to the Iraqi security forces to "push back" ISIS fighters and also urged the government to do more to reconcile Shia, Sunni and Kurdish groups.

"I disagree with those people who think this is nothing to do with us and if they want to have some sort of extreme Islamist regime in the middle of Iraq it won't affect us. It will," he told the Commons.

"The people in that regime, as well as trying to take territory, are also planning to attack us here at home in the United Kingdom." » | Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Espagne : la dernière révérence de Juan Carlos

le roi d'Espagne Juan Carlos abdique au profit de son fils, Felipe VI.

LE POINT: Le roi d'Espagne signe la loi permettant son abdication. Madrid en fleurs attend Felipe VI, qui deviendra officiellement à minuit son nouveau monarque.

C'est la dernière loi qu'il signera. Après 39 ans de règne, le roi d'Espagne Juan Carlos autorise sa propre abdication. Il laisse la place à son fils Felipe, qui prêtera serment jeudi dans une capitale fleurie pour l'occasion, héritant du lourd mandat de redorer l'image d'une monarchie discréditée. Affaibli par les ennuis de santé et usé par les scandales, Juan Carlos, âgé de 76 ans, laisse place à son fils, qui deviendra à 46 ans, dès la publication de la loi au Journal officiel, à minuit, Felipe VI, nouveau roi d'Espagne. Devant quelque 160 invités, l'ambiance sera à la solennité dans l'imposante salle des Colonnes du palais royal de Madrid pour la dernière cérémonie officielle de Juan Carlos, prévue à 18 heures. Durant cet acte "très court, lors duquel aucune parole ne sera prononcée", selon la Maison royale, Juan Carlos, qui marche avec difficulté, appuyé sur une béquille, signera la loi d'abdication devant son épouse Sofia, son fils Felipe et sa belle-fille Letizia, qui devient, à 41 ans, la première reine d'Espagne à ne pas avoir de sang royal. » | Source AFP | mercredi 18 juin 2014

Couronnement: Felipe VI devient roi d’Espagne ce mercredi à minuit

Felipe de Bourbon, nouveau chef d'Etat et des Armées, recevra
jeudi matin 19 juin, des mains de son père la ceinture de soie
rouge de capitaine général des Armées. (18 juin 2014)

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Felipe de Bourbon va prêter serment jeudi devant les députés et sénateurs, lors d'une journée alliant sobriété et proximité avec les citoyens. C'est déjà à minuit, dans la nuit de mercredi à jeudi, qu'il doit devenir roi.

Car son père, Juan Carlos, aura déjà signé la loi autorisant son abdication, votée successivement par les deux chambres du Parlement. Elle sera dans la foulée publiée au Journal officiel.

Quelques heures plus tôt, l'actuel roi aura promulgué cette loi, dans le décor solennel de la Salle des Colonnes du Palais royal de Madrid, lors d'une cérémonie en présence de 160 invités. » | afp/Newsnet | mercredi 18 juin 2014

Isis rückt Richtung Bagdad vor

Cameron Calls On European Leaders to Publicly Back His Battle against Juncker

Jean-Claude Juncker at the Luxembourg Chamber of Deputies

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Prime Minister urges his fellow leaders to express their 'interesting' views on European Commission presidential candidate Jean-Claude Juncker in public

David Cameron has hit out at European leaders who have failed to support him publicly in his efforts to block Jean-Claude Juncker becoming president of the European Commission.

In an apparent rebuke to Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, Mr Cameron suggested that European leaders have expressed scepticism in private about Mr Juncker’s appointment but have failed to nail their colours to the mast in public.

Mrs Merkel is thought to be pressing for Mr Juncker's appointment to be confirmed at a meeting of the European Council at the end of next week.

Downing Street believes that Mr Juncker, an arch-federalist, will make it more difficult for Mr Cameron to renegotiate Britain’s relationship with Brussels before holding an in-out referendum in 2017. The Prime Minister has previously warned that he could increase the chances of Britain leaving the EU.

This morning the Prime Minister made an eleventh hour call to the Matteo Renzi, the Italian Prime Minister who’s support is key to Mr Cameron’s effort to gather a blocking minority in the Commission’s voting system.

However there are fears that the Italian Prime Minister will decide to support Mr Juncker in return for concessions from European heavyweights of France and Germany.

Britain’s allies - including Sweden, the Netherlands and Hungary - are too small to meet the veto threshold. » | Georgia Graham, Political Correspondent | Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Kenya al-Shabaab Attack 'Was Led by White Man Speaking Fluent British English'

60 people were killed in Sunday night's attack on the
small coastal town of Mpeketoni

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: White man speaking 'fluent British English' led al-Shabaab attack in Kenya that left 60 dead, witnesses claim

A white man speaking "fluent British English" led suspected al-Shabaab commandos who ransacked towns in northern Kenya leaving 60 people dead, witnesses have said.

Several people in Mpeketoni, which was attacked by as many as 40 Islamist gunmen on Sunday, told The Telegraph that the gang's leader was pale-skinned and spoke English and Arabic.

One of the witnesses is a primary schoolteacher who speaks good English, unlike many people in the remote corner of Kenya near the Lamu archipelago that earlier this week became the country's latest terror target.

The accounts strengthened suggestions that the attackers were part of a well-trained team sent by al-Shabaab under the co-ordination of an experienced foreign jihadi now working with the Somali Islamists.

"I saw a white man who was speaking in fluent British English commanding the rest of the attackers," said Mary Gachoki, who lives in Mpeketoni. » | Mike Pflanz, Lamu | Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Inside Story: Who Is Behind Sri Lanka's Religious Violence?

Tensions are running high in the Democratic Socialist Republic after the worst acts of religious violence in decades.

Radikale Buddhisten in Sri Lanka greifen Muslime an »

A Country Implodes: ISIS Pushes Iraq to the Brink

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: The terror group ISIS has occupied vast portions of Syria and Iraq in the hopes of establishing a caliphate. The jihadists' success lays bare Iraq's disintegration and could ignite yet another civil war between Shiites and Sunnis in the country.

Masoud Ali, a tall, friendly man with a beard and green eyes, was a taxi driver in Mosul until a few days ago. He likes the desert, and he loves his wife and his yellow Nissan. He never paid much attention to politics until now. "Inshallah," he says. Whatever happens is God's will. But then fighters with the "Islamic State in Iraq and Syria," or ISIS, overran the city of two million.

An evening curfew has been in force in Mosul since last Monday, says Ali. He and his family heard gunshots near their apartment on Tuesday, and when Ali looked outside, he saw a dead body lying on the street. Then the rumors began. "They've occupied all government buildings and the airport," said a friend. "The power station and the water works, too," a neighbor added. There were television reports of banks being robbed, the release of thousands of prisoners and the confiscation of oil wells. A day later, Masoud Ali loaded his family into his car and stepped on the gas. As they drove away, they could see police uniforms and abandoned military vehicles in the ditch. Government troops, most of them Sunnis, had surrendered to the Sunni ISIS fighters.

Ali, like most residents of Mosul, is also a Sunni. He had heard the mayor calling for the citizens of Mosul to defend themselves against ISIS. "But why should I have defended myself?" he asks. "For the Shiite government? For Prime Minister Maliki, who oppresses the Sunnis?" He shakes his head. "The conflict has escalated because people in Iraq don't like the government anymore." » | Dieter Bednarz, Ullrich Fichtner, Katrin Kuntz, Christoph Reuter and Mathieu von Rohr | Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Karl Rove Discusses the Iraq Blame Game

Jun. 17, 2014 - 7:26 - Bush warned about dangers of pulling out of Iraq too soon

Britain a 'Petty' and 'Declining' Empire, Argues Chinese Paper

Chinese pundits have marvelled at how their "super salesman"
prime minister Li Keqiang has scored an audience with the
Queen, despite not being China's head of state

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: State-controlled tabloid says Britain "hypes" human rights issues because it is unable to accept Chinese superiority and suggests readers take pity on “old declining empire”

Britain is an “eccentric” and “petty” empire in decline that criticises China in order to mask its own deficiencies, a Chinese newspaper claimed on Wednesday as Li Keqiang, the country’s prime minister, began day two of his UK tour.

One day after the Chinese premier was welcomed to Britain by David Cameron and the Queen, the Global Times, a prominent state-run tabloid, slammed the country hosting Mr Li as a fading power that refused to accept its dwindling global influence.

“Britain’s national strength cannot be placed in the same rank as China now, a truth difficult to accept for some Britons who want to stress their nobility,” argued the tabloid, which is affiliated to the People’s Daily, the official mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party.

The British media “habitually” hyped charges of human rights abuses against China in order to hide this new reality, the editorial added. » | Tom Phillips, Shanghai | Wednesday, June 18, 2014

What Will Be Blair's Legacy In Iraq?

UK to Re-open Iran Embassy Says Hague

BBC: Foreign Secretary William Hague has said plans to re-open the British Embassy in Tehran are an "important step forward" in relations with Iran.

Mr Hague said the "circumstances were right" following an improvement in bilateral relations in recent months.

Full diplomatic relations with Iran were suspended after attacks on the British embassy in Iran in 2011.

The election of a new Iranian president and a deal on Iran's nuclear programme has led to renewed contacts this year.

The move comes as Iraqi forces are engaged in heavy clashes with Sunni Islamist militants across the country and amid reports that Iran is providing military assistance to its historic rival. » | Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Iraq Warns of ‘A Thousand Bin Ladens’ in SOS Plea to World for Help Stopping Isis Advance

THE INDEPENDENT: The Iraqi ambassador to the US has issued a desperate plea for international assistance dealing with the rise of Sunni militants across his country, warning that a failure to do so will lead to the emergence of “a thousand [Osama] bin Ladens”.

Comparing the threat to Iraq from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis) with that to Afghanistan from al-Qa’ida, Lukman Faily has told a number of US media outlets that he wants to issue “an SOS, not just for us, but for the whole globe”.

The ambassador’s comments come as President Barack Obama considers the intervention options available to the US, from drone strikes to providing Special Forces training.

And while Mr Faily agreed that Iraq does not need to see the US put “boots on the ground”, the immediacy of the threat means there is not time for “long discussions” as to which measures will be taken. » | Adam Withnall | Tuesday, June 17, 2014

North Korea: Kim Jong-un's Number Two Kim Yong-nam Wishes Queen Happy Birthday

THE INDEPENDENT: An isolated North Korea has appeared keen to develop ties outside of its notoriously tight network, after sending its best wishes to the Queen on her official birthday.

The birthday wishes were sent by Kim Yong-nam, the president of the Presidium of the Supreme Assembly of North Korea and the country’s second most powerful person, the official KCNA news agency reports.

"The message wished the queen good health and happ[iness] and the British people well-being and prosperity," the report said.

The KCNA also said the British embassy in Pyongyang marked the occasion with a reception attended by officials including the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Vice-Minister of Foreign Trade. » | Heather Saul | Tuesday, June 17, 2014