Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Monday, July 20, 2015
Israeli Envoy 'Spoils the Party' at UN Following Iran Deal Vote
Israel's ambassador to the UN Ron Prosor took on the United Nations Security Council on Monday, just after it unanimously approved a draft resolution implementing the Iranian nuclear deal with the West.
"You have awarded a great prize to the most dangerous country in the world," Prosor began. "I hate to be the one to spoil the party, but someone has to say the emperor has no clothes."
"Today is a very sad day," he continued, "not only for the State of Israel, but for the entire world. Even at this moment, the international community refuses to see the tragedy."
Without checking first to see that Iran is already taking steps to comply with the agreement, passing the draft resolution is "like allowing a criminal to sit on the jury to decide his own fate," Prosor said.
"It's not only that you have not cured the symptoms, you have strengthened the source of the problem," he added. "You have given the source of the problem - Iran - money, stability at home, and the time to carry out its destructive ideology." » | Nitsan Keidar | Monday, July 20, 2015
Isil Bans Private Internet Access in Syria's Raqqa
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) has banned private Internet use inside the Syrian city of Raqqa, forcing fighters to use public Internet cafés which can be monitored.
The extremist group distributed a leaflet in the city last week warning Internet providers that they had four days to cut off private Wi-Fi connections.
The document was published online on Sunday by a group of media activists known as Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently (RBSS). Its authenticity was later confirmed by a source with contacts inside the city.
"The following is obligatory on all Internet providers: the removal of Wi-Fi connections distributed outside of Internet cafés and private connections, including for Islamic State soldiers," the leaflet read. » | Louisa Loveluck | Monday, July 20, 2015
Suruc Massacre: At Least 30 Killed in Turkey Border Blast
Around 100 others were wounded in the explosion, which may have been caused by a female suicide attacker from the Islamic State group, officials say.
Kobane has seen heavy fighting between IS militants and Kurdish fighters.
It was retaken by the Kurds from IS forces earlier this year.
Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said initial findings suggested the attack was the work of IS.
"Turkey has taken and will continue to take all necessary measures against Islamic State," Mr Davutoglu told a news conference in Ankara, according to Reuters.
"Measures on our border with Syria... will be increased," he added. (+BBC video) » | Monday, July 20, 2015
François Hollande Urged to Intervene in Bitter Row between Saudi Royalty and French Nudists
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| The house of King Fahd of Saudi in Golfe Juan, France |
Furious French bathers have urged Francois [sic] Hollande, the French president, to step in after a Saudi Arabian king blocked access to a public beach that runs alongside his luxury villa on the Riviera.
Plans for an elevator allowing Saudi royals easier access to the sand have already been approved by the French authorities, while a huge lump of concrete was recently installed on the beach.
Not even fishermen and swimmers are allowed in the area during the king's visit, with the coastguard instructed to move on anyone who dares to swim within three hundred yards of the villa.
Under French law the picturesque Mirandole beach, situated between Antibes and Cannes, is supposed to be open for all to enjoy.
But King Salman has announced plans to block its only entrance with wire fencing ahead of an impending visit.
Now residents have hit back at the royal arrangements with a petition claiming the beach's closure is an affront to France's "most precious democratic values." » | James Rothwell | Monday, July 20, 2015
Related »
It Is Muslims Who Must Reach Out to Britain
David Cameron tells teenage jihadists they are 'cannon fodder' »
David Cameron Launches Five-year Plan to Tackle Islamic Extremism in Britain
Young Muslims are drawn to fundamentalist Islam in the same way young Germans were attracted to fascism in the 20th century, David Cameron will suggest today, as he sets out a five-year strategy to combat Isis-inspired radicalisation.
In a speech in Birmingham, Mr Cameron will say Islamic extremist ideology is based on the same intolerant ideas of “discrimination, sectarianism and segregation” that led to the rise of Hitler and that still exist in the far right.
He will also reject suggestions that Western foreign policy has contributed to the rise of Isis and its popularity among Muslim populations in the West, arguing that such extremism existed long before the Iraq war.
The Prime Minister will also announce details of a new drive to promote integration led by the Government’s “tsar” for troubled families, Louise Casey. This will include addressing issues around integration, language and employment and learning from “past mistakes” where government funding was “simply handed” over to “self-appointed ‘community leaders’” who “sometimes used it in a divisive way”.
Downing Street said Mr Cameron was determined to make tackling Islamic extremism in Britain a central priority over the next five years with a comprehensive strategy that involved not just the police and the criminal justice system but also “softer interventions” to tackle the root causes of radicalisation. » | Oliver Wright | Monday, July 20, 2015
Texans Threaten to Cover Land with Pigs’ Blood to Block Muslim Cemetery
Angry residents of a small Texan town have threatened to put pigs’ heads on poles and pour the blood onto land which has been earmarked for a Muslim cemetery.
The latest manifestation of anti-Islamic sentiment in America surrounds a small plot of undeveloped land 35 miles north-east of Dallas.
It is a row which predates the killing of five people at a US Marines recruiting centre in Chattanooga, Tennessee by Kuwaiti-born Youssuf Abdulazeez last week.
Some residents of the Farmersville, which has a population of 3,000 said that their main concern was the way in which they believed Muslims inter their dead.
“When somebody dies they bury them at that time. They don’t know whether they were shot, diseased or anything else. All they do is wrap them in a sheet from the grave and bury them,” Troy Gosnell told the local CBS station. » | David Millward, US Correspondent | Monday, July 20, 2015
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Newcastle University Academic Says Britain Has Become a Less Free, Less Private State Since 7/7
Since July 7 it can be argued that the streets of England are safer but at what cost?
Surveillance has been ramped up, individual privacy and liberties curtailed, controversial legislation proposed and in some cases followed through.
The depth of the scrutiny has been revealed by Wikileaks and CIA whistleblower Edward Snowden.
But while there is not been another 7/7 on British shores, the threat overseas is ever present as shown by the recent shootings in Tunisia when 30 British tourists were among 38 victims of gunman Seifeddine Rezgui.
Most legislation proposals are preceded by ominous warnings. » | Mike Kelly | Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Royals Told: Open Archives on Family Ties to Nazi Regime
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| The Duke and Duchess of Windsor meet with Adolf Hitler in Munich in 1937. |
Buckingham Palace has been urged to disclose documents that would finally reveal the truth about the relationship between the royal family and the Nazi regime of the 1930s.
The Sun’s decision to publish footage of the Queen at six or seven years old performing a Nazi salute, held in the royal archives and hitherto unavailable for public viewing, has triggered concerns that the palace has for years sought to suppress the release of damaging material confirming the links between leading royals and the Third Reich.
Unlike the National Archives, the royal archives, which are known to contain large volumes of correspondence between members of the royal family and Nazi politicians and aristocrats, are not compelled to release material on a regular basis. Now, as that relationship becomes the subject of global debate, historians and MPs have called for the archives to be opened up so that the correspondence can be put into context.
“The royal family can’t suppress their own history for ever,” said Karina Urbach of the Institute of Historical Research at the University of London. “This is censorship. Censorship is not a democratic value. They have to face their past. I’m coming from a country, Germany, where we all have to face our past.” » | Jamie Doward and Tracy McVeigh | Saturday, July 18, 2015
THE GUARDIAN: Salute the Sun for daring to go behind royals’ closed doors: We shouldn’t be questioning the decision to print the pictures of those Nazi salutes – we should ask why it wasn’t done years ago » | Peter Preston | Saturday, July 18, 2015
Trail of Terror: Shooter’s Motive Stumps Obama, FBI, Media
Anti-racism Protesters and Nationalists Clash in Demonstrations
THE TELEGRAPH: Australia police use capsicum spray on protestors at race rally »
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Criticises 'Arrogance' of the United States Following Nuclear Deal
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| Khamenei said US policies in the region were "180 degrees" opposed to Iran's policies |
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, has launched an attack on the United States and its Middle East policies, saying Washington sought Iran's "surrender".
Four days after the signing of a nuclear deal in Geneva – an agreement ten years in the making – Khamenei delivered a fiery speech at a Tehran mosque, punctuated by chants of "Death to America" and "Death to Israel". He said he wanted politicians to examine the agreement to ensure national interests were preserved, as Iran would not allow the disruption of its revolutionary principles or defensive abilities.
An arch conservative with the last word on high matters of state, Khamenei repeatedly used the phrase "whether this text is approved or not", implying the accord has yet to win definitive backing from Iran's factionalised political establishment.
"Whether the deal is approved or disapproved, we will never stop supporting our friends in the region and the people of Palestine, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Bahrain and Lebanon," he said.
"Even after this deal our policy towards the arrogant US will not change." Read on and comment » | Reuters | Saturday, July 18, 2015
IS Suspects Held over 'Plot' to Attack Saudi Mosques
They are accused of plotting suicide attacks on security forces and mosques in various parts of the country.
Most of the suspects are Saudi citizens, but they also include people from six nationalities, including Yemen and Syria, the interior ministry said. » | Saturday, July 18, 2015
Friday, July 17, 2015
The Insanity of Tolerating Islam: For How Much Longer?
We, the people, were never asked whether we wanted all these Muslims in the West. We, the people, were never consulted about the decision to change the very nature of the West. We, the people, have been made victims of these barbarous ne’er-do-wells who put themselves forward as
We need a paradigm shift in our thinking. It is high time that we abandon our devotion to political correctness and it is high time that we abandon our commitment to multiculturalism. Please Messrs Politicians, these out-dated concepts are NOT WORKING. They should have no place in our modern, progressive Western world.
Muslims, if you don’t know it, are at war with the modern world. They want nothing less than to take us back to an unenlightened age, a New Dark Age. These throwbacks want us all to live as the so-called prophet Muhammad lived. They want us to be taken back fourteen hundred years to a very unenlightened age.
Our politicians refuse to accept this FACT. They refuse to accept that these people have no truck with the kind of life we envision for ourselves. They have no truck with working women, no truck with homosexuality, no truck with equality for men and women, no truck with gender equality, and so on and so forth.
Get real, Messrs Politicians! For Christ’s sake, come to an understanding of the reality which we face! These people will NEVER integrate into our Western way of life. They will NEVER become Westernized. These people are like a cancer which is metastasizing in our very societies.
These people have had their chance to live with our freedoms. They have shown that they cannot do this. Therefore, they need to be put ON NOTICE. They have to be told that if they cannot integrate and accept Western laws and customs, then they do not belong here.
Tell them to go away and come back, if at all, when they have come into the twenty-first century. For how much longer do we have to put up with this insanity? For how much longer do we have to put up with this dangerous nonsense? – © Mark Alexander
All rights reserved
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Eton, Harrow und Co. : Englische Top-Internate enttäuschen
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| Dauerbrenner Schulsystem: Nicht jeder hält die Elite-Schulen für eine lohnende Investition. |
Immer wieder heißt es, wie paradiesisch und in jeder Hinsicht förderlich englische Internate sind. Dazu einige Anmerkungen eines Betroffenen. Nach 21 Jahren in London und als Vater von vier Kindern bin ich auf dem besten Weg, eine siebenstellige Summe in das englische Privatschulsystem zu stecken. Meine Kinder (17 Jahre alte Zwillinge, ein 14 Jahre alter dritter Sohn und eine 12 Jahre alte Tochter) sind auf „Top-Internaten“ (Westminster, Sevenoaks), wobei die drei Ältesten bis zu ihrem dreizehnten Lebensjahr eine der besten „Prep-Schools“ für Jungs in England, nämlich „The Hall“ in London, besuchten. Eton, St. Paul’s und andere haben wir zumindest so gut kennengelernt, dass wir ihnen - nach bestandenem Aufnahmeverfahren - Absagen gesandt haben. Mein Fazit bislang: Es ist bei weitem nicht alles Gold, was glänzt. Mein Rat an Eltern in Deutschland, die erwägen, ihre Kinder auf ein englisches Internat zu schicken und es sich finanziell leisten können: Überlegen Sie es sich noch einmal, ob Sie Ihr Geld, Ihre Zeit und die Zeit Ihrer Kinder nicht für etwas anderes aufwenden wollen. » | Arnold Holle | Mittwoch, 15. Juli 2015
THE TELEGRAPH: German expat banker tells countrymen: don't send your kids to 'disappointing' British private schools: Arnold Holle, who moved to London from Dusseldorf [sic], says standard has left him with impression expensive boarding schools here are little better than German state schools » | Melanie Hall, Berlin and Victoria Ward | Thursday, July 16, 2015
13 Things ‘Islam Will Ban’ When They Take Power: Muslim Radical’s Tweet Goes Viral
Now, the founder of the radical terrorist group Islam4UK is getting attention for a provocative tweet that lists the 13 things that he says Muslims want to ban:
Islam will outlaw
ALCOHOL
PORK
GAMBLING
PORN
USURY
PROMISCUITY
FREEMIXING
GAYS
CINEMAS
IDOLATRY
INSURANCE
STOCKS/SHARES
INSULTING PROPHETS
— Anjem Choudary (@anjemchoudary) July 16, 2015
Netanyahu Rebuffs Philip Hammond over Iran Deal
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| British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond holds a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the latter's office in Jerusalem |
Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a sharp rebuff to Philip Hammond over the Iran nuclear deal on Thursday, publicly dismissing the Foreign Secretary's assertion that Israel would have been unhappy with any agreement.
In a tense face-to-face exchange that reflected the gulf between Israel and the six world powers who negotiated with Tehran, Mr Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, rejected the visiting British statesman's efforts to sell the pact signed this week in Vienna. At the same time, he tackled head-on criticisms Mr Hammond had voiced on the eve of his trip.
“Israelis know better than anyone else the cost of permanent conflict with Iran and it is wrong to suggest that Israel wants such an outcome. We [sic] seek a genuine and effective diplomatic solution," Mr Netanyahu told Mr Hammond in Jerusalem.
"The alternative to this deal is not war. The alternative is a better deal that would roll back Iran’s military nuclear program and tie the easing of restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program to changes in Iran’s behaviour. That’s the kind of deal that would be welcomed in Tel Aviv and here in Israel’s capital Jerusalem."
The Israeli leader's comments were aimed directly at Mr Hammond's remarks on Wednesday when he told the House of Commons that Israel opposed any accord with Tehran and would prefer permanent conflict. » | Robert Tait, Jerusalem | Thursday, July 16, 2015
Angela Merkel Tells Sobbing Asylum Seeker Why She Cannot Stay in Germany
Saudi Royals in Hot Water with Riviera Nudists over Access to Public Beach
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| The house of King Fahd of Saudi in Golfe Juan, France |
A row has erupted between the Saudi royal family and French bathers who have accused it of commandeering a public Riviera beach ahead of an impending visit as the strip runs right by the monarchs’ luxury villa.
Locals are threatening to sue the Saudi royals over a bid to block an underpass leading to the public Mirandole beach at Vallauris [F] - between Antibes and Cannes - with wire fencing.
They are also furious that workers have begun illegal construction work on a huge concrete slab in the sand as part of the royals’ plan to have the beach all to themselves during their stay.
Under French law, the beach is normally open to local bathers, with part of it reserved for nudists.
The villa is reportedly owned by Muhammad bin Fahd, the eldest surviving son of the late King Fahd, who bought the property around 20 years ago. » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Thursday, July 16, 2015
Une plage du sud de la France fermée le temps des vacances du roi saoudien » | jeudi 16 juillet 2015
France Foils Charlie Hebdo Anniversary Beheading Plot
France has thwarted a plot to kidnap and behead a senior military official and post the act on the internet, the interior minister announced on Wednesday night.
The three suspects had planned to time the murder for next January to coincide with the anniversary of the Charlie Hebdo killings in which Islamist gunmen killed 12 at the satirical weekly. They had intended to film their act with a GoPro camera and post it online.
The plot bears similarities with the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby, the British soldier of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers hacked to death in London by Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale in May 2013. » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Thursday, July 16, 2015
Angela Merkel Doesn't Believe in Gay Marriage – 'I Don't Want Discrimination... But I Make a Difference at Some Point'
Angela Merkel has insisted that marriage should only be between a man and woman.
The German Chancellor backed equal benefits for same-sex couples - such as tax breaks - and said that while discrimination should be "eliminated" she drew a "difference" between civil partnerships and marriage.
But the committed Christian, who has been married twice, gave her personal definition of marriage as ‘a man and a woman living together’, in a YouTube interview with Florian Mundt, a YouTube known under the alias LeFloid who has a significant online following.
“I’m someone who is very supportive of us eliminating all discrimination. We have come a long way; when I remember, 25 years ago, many people didn’t dare to say that they are gay or lesbian," she said, according to the Huffington Post.
“For me, personally, marriage is a man and a woman living together. That is my concept, but I support civil partnerships." » | David Trayner | Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Islamic State Fanatics Put Up Billboards Ordering Women to Wear the Burkha...or Else
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| The billboard appeared in the Libyan city of Sirte |
Enormous hoardings setting out the fanatics' oppressive dress code have been put up in a city in Libya held by the militants.
The posters set out seven rules for women, which include making sure that all body parts are covered and a ban on see-through and tight-fitting clothes.
Brand names are also forbidden, as are 'masculine garments' and designs that will attract male attention.
Finally, the Jihadists state that all "perfumed" clothes are heretical and should not be worn. » | Nick Gutteridge | Wednesday, July 15, 2015
'Just Lit the Fuse' Warning That Iran Nuclear Deal Could Spark Middle East Arms Race
The deal, which was struck in Vienna yesterday, will allow Iran to carry out research in return for allowing United Nations (UN) officials access to sites which are suspect of being used to create an atomic bomb.
Iran, who will now be able to enrich uranium levels, have always maintained its nuclear programme is for energy and not for weapons.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the decision makes the world more dangerous and the removal of sanctions was a mistake.
He said: "Iran will get a jackpot, a cash bonanza of hundreds of billions of dollars, which will enable it to continue to pursue its aggression and terror in the region and in the world.
"Iran is going to receive a sure path to nuclear weapons."
Senator Ben Sasse, from the opposition Republican party in America, also condemned the deal which the US played a driving force in. He said: "Sadly, the Administration just lit the fuse for a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.
"We all know Iran's neighbours will not sit idly as the world's largest state-sponsor of terror becomes a nuclear-threshold state." » | Peter Henn | Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
ISIS Make Chilling Call to Supporters to Attack Britain after Tunisia Massacre
ISIS's propaganda magazine Dabiq, which describes itself at "The Law of Allah, or the laws of men", celebrates the brutal Tunisia beach massacre as “Bloody Friday”.
The day where Seifeddine Rezgui opened fire to kill 38 tourists, 30 of which were British, also saw the beheading of a business owner in Lyon, France, and the suicide bombing of a mosque in Kuwait.
Printing images of dead bodies on the Sousse beach and the British Army bringing home victims in coffins, the extremists made clear they were planning more serious attacks on the west.
The magazine urges more Muslims to join their regime to “wage war” on their opponents "wherever they're found, especially those belonging to the member nations of the crusader coalition." » | Helen Barnett | Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Golden Dawn MP Furiously Tears Up Papers in Parliament over Bailout Deal
Papers are thrown across parliament and a minister resigns as Greece's PM attempts to win a vote on laws ahead of a new bailout.
Strassenschlachten vor dem griechischen Parlament, wo die Debatte läuft
Vor der umstrittenen Parlamentsabstimmung über die Sparauflagen sind die Emotionen in Griechenland hochgekocht. Am Abend kam es auf dem Syntagma-Platz vor dem Parlament in Athen zu Strassenschlachten zwischen einer Gruppe Autonomer und Bereitschaftspolizisten. Molotow-Cocktails und Ziegelsteine folgen auf der einen Seite, die andere antwortete mit Tränengas und Pfefferspray. » | sda | Mittwoch, 15. Juli 2015
Op-Ed: The End of an Era
For the past 226 years, the 14th of July has been commemorated as "Bastille Day", the day that the infamous Parisian prison fell into the hands of the people who, rebelling against King Louis XVI, stormed its gates during the French Revolution of 1789. The fall of the Bastille symbolizes the fall of the French monarchy and its despotism, and the establishment of the Republic, the nation of the people, based on liberty, equality and fraternity. This is France's national holiday. The French Revolution became a model for many other peoples who took their destiny into their own hands, and it is therefore ffitting to view the 14th of July, 1879, as the day that ushered in the democratic era, the rule of the brave people who defeated despotism, destroyed a dictatorship and founded the democratic framework in which a citizenry runs its own affairs, with liberty and freedom for all.
On the very same day, 226 years later, the 14th of July 2015, representatives of several democracies – one of them France – together with representatives of less democratic countries, Russia and China, signed an agreement in which the democratic world capitulated to the despotic dictatorship that is Iran. The world, in effect, authorized Iran's plans to achieve regional, and possibly greater than regional, hegemony, while ignoring the destructive role the land of the Ayatollahs plays in countries like Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. » | Dr. Mordechai Kedar | Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Op-Ed: Obama's Iran Deal Has the Makings of a Catastrophe
Barack Obama has repeatedly signaled during the past six and a half years that that his No. 1 priority in foreign affairs is not China, not Russia, not Mexico, but Iran. He wants to bring Iran in from the cold, to transform the Islamic Republic into just another normal member of the so-called international community, ending decades of its aggression and hostility.
In itself, this is a worthy goal; it's always good policy to reduce the number of enemies. (It brings to mind Nixon going to China.) The problem lies, of course, in the execution.
The conduct of the Iran nuclear negotiations has been wretched, with the Obama administration inconsistent, capitulating, exaggerating, and even deceitful. It forcefully demanded certain terms, then soon after conceded these same terms. Secretary of State John Kerry implausibly announced that we have "absolute knowledge" of what the Iranians have done until now in their nuclear program and therefore have no need for inspections to form a baseline. How can any adult, much less a high official, make such a statement?
The administration misled Americans about its own concessions: After the November 2013 Joint Plan of Action, it came out with a factsheet which Tehran said was inaccurate. Guess who was right? The Iranians. In brief, the U.S. government has shown itself deeply untrustworthy. » | Prof. Daniel Pipes | Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Christian Pastor Slammed after Calling Islam ‘Religion of Hatred’ and Likening Gay People to Paedophiles
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| Shocking sermon: Steve Crosthwaite |
A Christian church leader has been slammed after calling Islam a ‘religion of hatred’ and likening gay people to paedophiles in a ‘disgusting’ Sunday sermon.
Pastor Steve Crosthwaite, of Wythall's Hollywood Christian Life Centre in Birmingham, told his 60-strong congregation ‘homosexuality is wrong’ and criticised same sex relationships.
During his 30-minute sermon, branded ’highly offensive’ by a local minister, pastor Crosthwaite said: "Islam is not a peaceful religion. Islam is a religion of hatred, the Birmingham Mail reports.
"Islam teaches there are permissible sins. For a Muslim to tell you 'I love you, I'm a peaceful guy' and it be a lie, well, Allah forgives that sin.
"For a Muslim to go out and kill someone, to commit murder in the name of Allah, well, that's a permissible sin.
"Islam is not a peaceful religion, but we're not allowed to say that are we? In our multicultural society we're not allowed to say things like that."
Crosthwaite gave the sermon, called 'Judging Others', at a 58-year-old place of worship that boasts of "unashamedly following Jesus”. » | Mike Lockley | Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Atomabkommen: Teherans Stärke reizt Riad
Das Atomabkommen mit Iran könnte die bisherigen Allianzen in der arabischen Welt neu ordnen. Bereits seit dem vergangenen Sommer kooperieren die Vereinigten Staaten faktisch mit der schiitischen Führung in Teheran im Kampf gegen die sunnitische Terrorgruppe „Islamischer Staat“ (IS) im Irak. Die iranischen Verbündeten gingen am Boden gegen die Dschihadisten vor, die amerikanische Luftwaffe griff deren Stellungen aus der Luft an. Diese indirekte Zusammenarbeit dürfte sich künftig verstärken – sehr zum Missfallen der sunnitischen Führungsmacht Saudi-Arabien. Am Mittwoch zitierte die saudische Nachrichtenagentur SPA einen Regierungsmitarbeiter in Riad, der Iran davor warnte, dass Versuche, den Einfluss Teherans weiter auszudehnen, mit „Entschlossenheit“ bekämpft würden. » | Markus Bickel, Kairo | Mittwoch, 15. Juli 2015
Dante's Tomb in Italy to Get Extra Protection amid Fears It Will Become ISIS Target
The tomb in Ravenna, on the north east coast of Italy, is on a list of churches and sites where extra security will be implemented amid concerns of an ISIS attack, according to Italian newspaper reports.
All the sites have links to or contain art works featuring Muhammad or referring to victories over Muslim armies.
Dante Alighieri, known as Italy's greatest poet, describes a fictional encounter in his gory verse The Divine Comedy where devils have to cut Muhammad's chest open as he descends into hell. » | Alix Culbertson | Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Iran Nuclear Deal: However the Great and Good Represent It, America Has Now Taken the Shia Side in the Middle East's Sectarian War
However much Bibi Netanyahu of Israel and the Gulf sultans rage at the Vienna agreement, the Arabs at least will suspect the truth: that the Americans have taken the Shia Muslim side in the Middle East’s sectarian war.
That’s not how it was represented by the great and the good, of course. The headlines were simple. The Iranians agree to jam the breaks on their nuclear programme, pack up their centrifuges for a decade and cut back their uranium stockpile. All this in return for an end to the sanctions, financial goodies and bank transfers that Washington, the EU and the dear old United Nations had variously imposed on and witheld from the nation which that bearded old prelate Ruhollah Khomeini founded as an Islamic Republic 36 years ago. » | Robert Fisk | Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Israel and Saudi Arabia Present United Front over Iran Deal
The nuclear deal with Iran caused fury in Israel and consternation around the region at the likely increase in influence and resources of a newly enriched Iran.
Most telling was the loudest expression of support. "I am happy that the Islamic Republic of Iran has achieved a great victory by reaching an agreement," President Bashar al-Assad of Syria said in a message to his Iranian opposite number, Hassan Rouhani.
"In the name of the Syrian people, I congratulate you and the people of Iran on this historic achievement."
Israel and the Sunni Arab world have set aside old grievances to stand together against the West’s engagement with Iran.
The more strident denunciations came from Israel, which regards Iran as a direct threat. Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, said the country would not be bound by what he called a "stunning historic mistake".
"Israel is not bound by this deal with Iran," he said in a televised address hours after the conclusion of the accord. "Iran continues to seek our destruction and we will defend ourselves." » | Richard Spencer, Middle East Editor and Robert Tait, Jerusalem | Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Iran's Supreme Leader Posts Photo of Himself Trampling Israeli Flag: 'The Zionist Regime Is Doomed'
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| The caption on this photo, posted on supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's website[,] is 'The Zionist Regime is Condemned to Vanish' |
The caption on the photo, according to a translation by American Enterprise Institute scholar Michael Rubin, reads, “The Zionist Regime is Condemned to Vanish.”
“The Zionist regime is a regime with very shaky pillars,” the caption continues. “The Zionist regime is doomed. The Zionist regime is an imposed regime and was created with intimidation. Nothing created with intimidation can last long and this one will not last long either.” » | Patrick Goodenough | Monday, July 13, 2015
Irans Regime verwandelt sich nicht über Nacht in die Heilsarmee
Am Ende waren in Teheran sogar die Scharfmacher der Partei der „Selbstlosen“ begeistert. Außenminister Javad Zarif habe mit viel diplomatischem Geschick Irans Interessen verteidigt, ließen die ultrakonservativen Abgeordneten wissen; vor Kurzem noch hatten sie ihn als Verräter beschimpft. Die Iraner können mit dem Wiener Atomabkommen zufrieden sein. Sie sind nicht nur die Sanktionen los, die ihre Wirtschaft abgewürgt haben, sondern auch ihren internationalen Pariastatus. » | Christian Ultsch (Die Presse) | Dienstag, 14. Juli 2015
Tumulte flammen in Nordirland auf
Neue Sorgen um Frieden und Stabilität in Nordirland haben jetzt, zu Beginn der sommerlichen «Marschsaison», schwere Zusammenstösse zwischen Loyalisten und Polizei in Belfast ausgelöst. Dass ausserdem ein 16-jähriges katholisches Mädchen von einem Auto überfahren wurde, dessen Fahrer offenbar ein Mitglied des protestantischen Orangisten-Ordens war, hat auch in irisch-katholischen Stadtteilen Belfasts zu zornigen Reaktionen geführt. » | Von Peter Nonnenmacher, Korrespondent | Dienstag, 14. Juli 2015
Netanyahu Tells Obama: Iran Deal Threatens Israel's Security
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke Tuesday evening with US President Barack Obama, following the deal signed between world powers and Tehran over the latter's nuclear program.
Netanyahu used the opportunity to express Israel's concerns regarding the nuclear deal with Iran.
Warning the agreement threatened the State of Israel's security, Netanyahu stressed two central concerns.
First and foremost, he noted that it will still mean Iran can produce nuclear weapons at a future date - whether in 10-15 years' time when the deal's limitations expire, or by breaking its commitments before that time.
In addition, Netanyahu said, it will funnel hundreds of billions to the terror machine, and the Iranian war that threatens Israel and the entire world.
Earlier Tuesday, Prime Minister Netanyahu launched a fierce attack on the deal, calling it a "stunning, historic mistake" and stressing that Israel is not bound by it. » | Ari Soffer | Tuesday, July 14, 2015
'Historic Mistake' Israel Blasts Iran Nuclear Deal as 'Surrender by West to Axis of Evil'
Iran has always contended that its nuclear programme is peaceful, and after 17 days of gruelling talks with diplomats from the US, Russia, the UK, France, China and Germany in Vienna an agreement has at last been reached.
But Israel has condemned the deal as a "stunning historic mistake". The country's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said the world was now a "much more dangerous place" and claimed that by removing sanctions, Iran will receive billions of dollars to support what he calls a worldwide terrorism network.
Mr Netanyahu said: "Iran will get a jackpot, a cash bonanza of hundreds of billions of dollars, which will enable it to continue to pursue its aggression and terror in the region and in the world.
"Iran is going to receive a sure path to nuclear weapons." » | Patrick Maguire, Alix Culbertson and Tom Batchelor | Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Iran Nuclear Talks: 'Historic' Agreement Struck
US President Barack Obama said that with the deal, "every pathway to a nuclear weapon is cut off" for Iran.
His Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani, said it opened a "new chapter" in Iran's relations with the world.
Negotiations between Iran and six world powers - the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany - began in 2006.
The so-called P5+1 want Iran to scale back its sensitive nuclear activities to ensure that it cannot build a nuclear weapon.
Iran, which wants crippling international sanctions lifted, has always insisted that its nuclear work is peaceful.
There has been stiff resistance to a deal from conservatives both in Iran and the US. The US Congress has 60 days in which to consider the deal, though Mr Obama said he would veto any attempt to block it.
The Republican Speaker of the US House of Representatives, John Boehner, said the deal would only only "embolden" Tehran.
"Instead of stopping the spread of nuclear weapons in the Middle East, this deal is likely to fuel a nuclear arms race around the world," he added.
Israel's government has also warned against an agreement. » | Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Look Who Just Pledged $32 Billion To Promote Islam And Sharia Law In America
Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a senior member of the Saudi royal family, announced that he will be giving away his entire $32 billion fortune to charity–but his past statements and commitment to promote Islam in the United States have raised red flags for some.
Alwaleed Philanthropies’ statement regarding the prince’s intentions indicates his donation would “help build bridges to foster cultural understanding.”
“Philanthropy is a personal responsibility, which I embarked upon more than three decades ago and is an intrinsic part of my Islamic faith. With this pledge, I am honoring my life-long commitment to what matters most – helping to build a more peaceful, equitable and sustainable world for generations to come,” says Prince Alwaleed. » | Randy DeSoto | Friday, July 10, 2015
Der Handschlag, der Putins riskanten Plan besiegelt
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| Neue Freunde: Wladimir Putin mit dem saudischen Prinzen Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud |
Was der russische Staatspräsident Wladimir Putin dem saudischen Prinzen Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud im Gespräch auf dem Wirtschaftsforum in St. Petersburg Mitte Juni konkret gesagt und vielleicht gar versprochen hat, wird man vermutlich noch lange nicht erfahren. Aber es muss eindrucksvoll gewesen sein.
Bis dahin nämlich waren die Scheichs äußerst skeptisch und zurückhaltend gewesen, wenn es darum ging, Geld in ein Land zu stecken, mit dem man nie sonderlich befreundet war und das zudem Hauptkonkurrent auf dem Weltölmarkt ist. Putin, der kühle Mann im Kreml, hat jedenfalls auf seine Art das Eis gebrochen. Und Saudi-Arabien hat zugesagt, zehn Milliarden Dollar (9,07 Milliarden Euro) in russische Investitionsprojekte fließen zu lassen.
Damit hatte kaum jemand gerechnet. In einer Zeit, in der russlanderfahrene Unternehmer eher das Weite suchen oder ihre Projekte zumindest auf Eis legen, plötzlich Beistand aus dem arabischen Raum? Und das vor dem Hintergrund, dass Russland der westlichen Welt seit über einem Jahr erklärt, aufgrund der Sanktionen vermehrt die wirtschaftliche Eigenständigkeit und Kontakt mit China und anderen ostasiatischen Staaten zu suchen. » | Von Eduard Steiner , Moskau Korrespondent | Montag, 13. Juli 2015
Pentagon Plan to Allow Transgender People to Serve in US Military
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| Defense Secretary Ash Carter |
The US military is finalising a plan to allow transgender people to serve openly in the armed forces it emerged on Monday night, ending what is seen as one of the last discriminatory barriers to active service.
The move would also offer recognition to the 15,000 transgender people who are thought to be currently serving in the military, many of whom keep their status a secret.
Ash Carter, the US defence secretary yesterday announced the plan to study "readiness implications of welcoming transgender persons to serve openly".
“We have transgender soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines - real, patriotic Americans - who I know are being hurt by an outdated, confusing, inconsistent approach that's contrary to our value of service and individual merit," he said.
"Transgender men and women in uniform have been there with us, even as they often had to serve in silence alongside their fellow comrades in arms."
The armed services are expected to have six months to assess the impact of the change before it is introduced.
During that period, transgender individuals would still not be able to join the military, but any decisions to force out those already serving would be referred to the Pentagon, the Associated Press reported. » | Barney Henderson, New York | Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Greek Protesters Set Fire to Syriza Flag
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| Avji Voutsina, protester burning Syriza flag |
Greece's small left-wing anti-capitalist Antarsya party and affiliated trade unions staged a rally on Monday night outside parliament in Athens against Greece's new bailout.
The party has said "the hours are critical" for those who favour left-wing policies.
One protester burnt Syriza's party flag outside parliament, saying that the leftist-led coalition government had reneged on its pre-election pledge to put an end to austerity. (+ video) » | Robert Midgley, and agencies | Monday, July 13, 2015
Monday, July 13, 2015
Isis Launches Russian-language Propaganda Channel
The militant group Islamic State has stepped up its Russian-language propaganda efforts, another sign it is becoming more powerful in the post-Soviet countries.
The Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said recently that 2,000 Russian nationals are currently fighting in Syria or Iraq. In June, the country’s security council chief, Nikolai Patrushev, said that there was “no possibility” of stemming the tide of fighters.
Though Russian-speaking Islamic State (Isis) militants have put out their own messages for some time, in recent weeks a new Russian-language wing, Furat Media, has emerged, with Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr accounts broadcasting under a river-themed logo.
It was through Furat that the militant group declared the establishment of a province in the North Caucasus, inside the Russian Federation itself. The propaganda wing also issued a professionally produced video, Unity Of The Mujahideen Of The Caucasus, which included interviews with Russian-speaking militants in Iraq and Syria. Dozens more are easily available for download from their site.
Previous Russian-language output had been piecemeal, with most videos either without subtitles or arriving after the Arabic versions were broadcast. Much was produced from outside of Isis-controlled territory. » | Joanna Paraszczuk for RFE/RL, part of the Guardian New East network | Monday, July 13, 2015
Sunday, July 12, 2015
Ku Klux Klan Still Thriving against Backdrop of US Racial Tensions
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| Klansmen and Klanswomen from several US states set fire to a cross in St Louis, Missouri |
The Ku Klux Klan is flourishing and exploiting racial tension in America, according to a new behind the scenes documentary.
With race relations still on a knife edge in some parts of the country following the deaths of African Americans at police hands, the white supremacist group is unashamedly promoting more hatred. » | David Millward, US Correspondent | Sunday, July 12, 2015
By Day, at Heart of Counter-terror Policing. And by Night, Preacher of Extremism
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| Abdullah al Andalusi |
The Government watchdog which inspects police forces’ readiness for terrorism admitted that it employed one of Britain’s most notorious Islamic extremists.
For almost two years Abdullah al Andalusi, led a double life, the Telegraph can reveal.
By night, he taught that the terror group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) was “no different to Western armies,” said that “kaffirs,” non-Muslims, would be “punished in hell” and claimed that the British government wanted to destroy Islam.
By day, using a different name, he went to work for the same British government at the London offices of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), the official regulator of all 44 forces in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The disclosures will be intensely embarrassing [sic] to the Prime Minister, David Cameron, who has criticised parts of Britain’s Muslim communities for “quietly condoning” Islamist extremism.
HMIC’s staff, who number less than 150, are given privileged access to highly sensitive and classified police and intelligence information to carry out their inspections. » | Andrew Gilligan | Sunday, July 12, 2015
Greece Nears Euro Exit as Bailout Talks Break Up without Agreement
Greece’s final attempt to avoid being kicked out of the euro by securing a new three-year bailout worth up to €80bn ran into a wall of resistance from the eurozone’s fiscal hawks on Saturday.
Finland rejected any more funding for the country and Germany called for Greece to be turfed out of the currency bloc for at least five years.
The last-chance talks between the 19 eurozone finance ministers in Brussels ended at midnight, as they struggled to draft a policy paper for national leaders at yet another emergency summit on Sunday that was billed as the decisive meeting.
With Greece on the edge of financial and social implosion, eurozone finance ministers met to decide on the country’s fate and on what to do about its debt crisis, after experts from the troika of creditors said that new fiscal rigour proposals from Athens were good enough to form “the basis for negotiations”.
But the German finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, dismissed that view, supported by a number of northern and eastern European states. “These proposals cannot build the basis for a completely new, three-year [bailout] programme, as requested by Greece,” said a German finance ministry paper. It called for Greece to be expelled from the eurozone for a minimum of five years and demanded that the Greek government transfer €50bn of state assets to an outside agency for sell-off. » | Ian Traynor in Brussels | Saturday, July 11, 2015
24 Hours to Save the Euro: Germany Prepares for a 'Temporary' Greek Exit as Euro Project on the Brink of Collapse
The German government has begun preparations for Greece to be ejected from the eurozone, as the European Union faces 24 hours to rescue the single currency project from the brink of collapse.
Nine hours of acrimonious talks on Saturday night, saw finance ministers fail break the deadlock with Greece over a new bail-out package, accusing Athens of destroying their trust. It leaves the future of the eurozone in tatters only 15 years after its inception.
In a weekend billed as Europe’s last chance to save the monetary union, ministers will now reconvene on Saturday [?] morning ahead of an EU leaders' summit later in the evening, to thrash out an agreement or decide to eject Greece from the eurozone.
Should no deal be forthcoming, the German government has made preparations to negotiate a temporary five-year euro exit, providing Greece with humanitarian aid while it makes the transition.
An incendiary plan drafted by Berlin's finance ministry, with the backing of Angela Merkel, laid out two stark options for Greece: either the government submits to drastic measures such as placing €50bn of its assets in a trust fund to pay off its debts, and have Brussels take over its public administration, or agree to a "time-out" solution where it would be expelled from the eurozone. » | Mehreen Khan | Saturday, July 11, 2015
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Replace Queen with a Socialist, Say Scots
The £842million facility, formerly known as the South Glasgow University Hospital, was named after the 89-year-old monarch when she officially opened it with Prince Philip, 94, earlier this month.
Now campaigners are calling for the name to be reversed, claiming calling it the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital was “an affront to democracy”.
Instead, they suggest it could be named after Mary Barbour, a firebrand socialist active in the early 20th century and one of the city’s first woman councillors.
The criticism is in contrast to the cheering flag waving crowds that greeted the Queen and the Duke. About 300 guests also attended the official opening on July 3.
The online petition, launched by Glaswegian John Beattie, says: “We call on the Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board to change the name of the new South Glasgow hospital.
“Considering the fundamental principle of monarchy is superiority of the monarch and their family over everyone else in society, we feel the naming of a public building after such a person is unacceptable.”
The petition had last night attracted 10,364 signatures, with some calling for the hospital to be named after Mary Barbour who organised a rent strike in 1915.
Mr Beattie, a bioethics student at the University of West Scotland, said: “We are a modern dynamic city, why should we be naming this public building after monarchy when there are more worthy people? Read on and comment » | Camilla Tominey | Saturday, July 11, 2015
Earth Heading for 'Mini Ice Age' within 15 Years
The earth is 15 years from a "mini ice-age" that will cause bitterly cold winters during which rivers such as the Thames freeze over, scientists have predicted.
Solar researchers at the University of Northumbria have created a new model of the sun's activity which they claim produces "unprecedentedly accurate predictions".
They said fluid movements within the sun, which are thought to create 11-year cycles in the weather, will converge in such a way that temperatures will fall dramatically in the 2030s.
Solar activity will fall by 60 per cent as two waves of fluid "effectively cancel each other out", according to Prof Valentina Zharkova.
In a presentation to the National Astronomy Meeting in Llandudno, she said the result would be similar to freezing conditions of the late 17th century. Read on and comment » | Dan Hyde | Saturday, July 11, 2015
Islamic State 'Behind Blast' at Italian Consulate in Cairo
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| The consulate was closed at the time of the attack |
At least one person died and several people were injured when a car bomb went off at the building.
A tweet from a Twitter account linked to IS said Muslims should stay away from sites like the consulate, as they are "legitimate targets" for strikes.
Policemen and civilians were among the injured, the health ministry said.
The main entrance of the building was almost totally destroyed, windows were shattered and the building was flooded after water-pipes ruptured.
"Italy will not let itself be intimidated," the country's foreign minister Paolo Gentiloni said in a tweet, adding that there had been no Italian casualties.
Prime Minister Matteo Renzi spoke to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi after the attack and promised the two countries would stand together "in the fight against terrorism and fanaticism". (+ BBC video) » | Saturday, June 11, 2015
Friday, July 10, 2015
Prince Philip Swears at Photographer: 'Just Take the F------g Picture!'
Prince Philip's outburst came as he was joined by Prince Edward and Prince William at a reception with Battle of Britain veterans on Friday.
Clearly frustrated while waiting for a photograph to be taken, he was caught on camera ordering the photographer to "just take the f-----g picture!"
The reception marked the 75th anniversary of the start of the Battle of Britain. (+ video) » Telegraph video | Friday, July 10, 2015
Unbridled Capitalism Is the 'Dung of the Devil', Says Pope Francis
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| Pope Francis makes his speech in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, where he called for the poor to have the "sacred rights" of labor, lodging and land. |
Pope Francis has urged the downtrodden to change the world economic order, denouncing a “new colonialism” by agencies that impose austerity programs and calling for the poor to have the “sacred rights” of labor, lodging and land.
In one of the longest, most passionate and sweeping speeches of his pontificate, the Argentine-born pope used his visit to Bolivia to ask forgiveness for the sins committed by the Roman Catholic church in its treatment of native Americans during what he called the “so-called conquest of America”.
The pontiff also demanded an immediate end to what he called the “genocide” of Christians taking place in the Middle East and beyond, describing it as a third world war. » | Reuters | Thursday, July 9, 2015
Russland und Iran vereinbaren Atom-Kooperation
Der russische Präsident Wladimir Putin und sein iranischer Amtskollege Hassan Rohani haben eine engere Zusammenarbeit im Militärbereich vereinbart. So sollen Kriegsschiffe öfter Häfen des jeweils anderen Landes anlaufen, sagte Kremlsprecher Dmitri Peskow am Donnerstag in Ufa. » | APA | Donnerstag, 9. Juli 2015
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