Sickly Sweet Garbage? Dorothy

Read the Telegraph article here

David Cameron 'Unsure and Inexperienced', Hillary Clinton Told

BT: A key confidant of US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton told her David Cameron was "unsure, inexperienced, oblique and largely uncommitted" on foreign policy, it has been revealed.

A key confidant of US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton told her David Cameron was "unsure, inexperienced, oblique and largely uncommitted" on foreign policy, it has been revealed.

The assessment came from Sidney Blumenthal in 2009, shortly before Mr Cameron became Prime Minister, and was contained in an email from a private system used by Mrs Clinton when she was US secretary of state.

Other messages describe London mayor Boris Johnson as "the Tory clown prince" and describe efforts by Gordon Brown and Ed Balls to prevent David Miliband from inheriting the Labour leadership as being "like the Tudors", The Times said. » | PA | Monday, August 3, 2015

3 Ex-Muslims on Leaving Islam

Three stories of Muslims leaving Islam. One became a Christian, and two became agnostic

A Jihadist Overcome by Love

A devout Muslim from Saudi Arabia, Al Fadi, was no match for the transforming love of Jesus Christ.

Saudi Arabian Former Muslim Shares His Conversion to Christianity

Friday Prayers in the Islamic Republic of Iran – But Where Are the Worshippers?

THE TELEGRAPH: A tide of religious fervour is swamping the Middle East, but there was an eery silence at Tehran University

The official outside Tehran University motioned towards me. “If he goes in, what is he going to report?” asked the elderly man in a stage whisper. “Hardly anybody is there: it’s almost empty.”

Friday Prayers at Tehran University is supposed to be one of Iran’s great set piece occasions. Every week, the authorities clear the city centre of traffic and lay on free buses to encourage the faithful to gather in a vast prayer hall beside the main campus.

As an added attraction, an A-list Ayatollah usually delivers a fire-breathing sermon. The previous week, the man on the dais had been Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader himself, who commended the faithful for their enthusiastic cries of “Marg bar Amrica”, or “Death to America”. Read on and comment » | David Blair | Saturday, August 1, 2015

'This Is a Global Migration Crisis'

Bernard Cazeneuve and Theresa May

THE TELEGRAPH: Home Secretary Theresa May and her French counterpart, Bernard Cazeneuve, call on countries across Europe and Africa to help solve the emergency caused by thousands of migrants congregating at their border

The British and French governments have warned that the world is facing a “global migration crisis”.

In a dramatic joint intervention, Theresa May, the Home Secretary, and her French counterpart, Bernard Cazeneuve, call on countries across Europe and Africa to help solve the emergency caused by thousands of migrants congregating at their border.

Writing in the Telegraph, they warn would-be immigrants planning to make the “desperate” journey in search of a better life that Britain’s streets “are not paved with gold”.

As a first step to make Britain less attractive, the Home Office announced plans to cut the weekly cash allowances that support thousands of failed asylum seekers with families.

The announcement came as figures showed the number of suspected illegal migrants detained in Britain has soared by almost a fifth since the Calais crisis erupted. » | Tim Ross, David Barrett, Colin Freeman in Calais and Robert Mendick | Saturday, August 1, 2015

Scorching 'Heat Dome' over Middle East Sees Temperatures Soar to 165F in Iran

THE TELEGRAPH: Iran is enduring a "heat index" of nearly 72C while Iraq has called a public holiday due to the sweltering temperatures

Iran is buckling under the pressure of a massive heatwave passing across the Middle East, with temperatures soaring to nearly 70C.

Scorching heat levels of 50C have already paralysed nearby Iraq, where officials were forced to call a four day public holiday because it was too hot to work.

But the word "hot" has taken on an entirely new meaning in Iran's city of Bandar Mahshahr, where it was claimed that the city's heat index, or "feels-like temperature", was among the highest ever recorded.

The heat index was recorded by a group of astonished weather experts who predict the country could be enduring some of the hottest urban temperatures ever endured by mankind. » | James Rothwell | Saturday, August 1, 2015

Kos Becoming Main Migrant Entry Point to Europe

The Obesity Epidemic Sweeping across the Middle East

Margaret Thatcher – Death of a Revolutionary – CH4

A documentary about the late former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, which could be criticised for being an uncritical hommage rather than a balanced view of her premiership. Most of the negative impacts caused by the fundamental changes she brought to Britain have been "elegantly" omitted, but her motives, her basic believes, her encouraging message and everything positive she stood for are beautifully summarised and one understands why despite her errors and some misjudgement she could be praised as a great and visionary politician who not only changed Britain for the better (on balance) but had an influence on the world like few other politicians can claim.

A Channel 4 documentary by Martin Durkin with contributions by Kenneth Baker, Cecil Parkinson, Neil Kinnock, Kelvin MacKenzie, Norman Tebbit, Bernard Ingham, Charles Powell, Nigel Lawson and David Cameron.

MARGARET THATCHER: December 9, 2002 – Penultimate Public Speech

MARGARET THATCHER's acceptance speech for the Clare Boothe Luce Award by the Heritage Foundation in Washington, given on 9 December 2002. This was a particularly memorable and moving occasion since (as far as I know) it marked the penultimate speech the former Prime Minister ever gave in public, almost a year after being forced to retire from public speaking officially due to a series of strokes and her progressing dementia.

Iran Nuclear Deal a 'Farce' Says Naftali Bennett - BBC News

The Israeli Education Minister, Naftali Bennett, has condemned the nuclear deal with Iran as a "farce"

Deutschlands Karte des Schreckens

TAGES ANZEIGER: Brandanschläge, tätliche Angriffe, Anti-Asyl-Demos: In Deutschland hat die Gewalt gegen Flüchtlinge stark zugenommen. Die Karte zeigt, was wo geschah.

«Es ist nicht nur tragisch, sondern auch beschämend, wenn Menschen, die bei uns Schutz suchen, um ihr Leben fürchten müssen.» Dies sagt der deutsche Aussenminister Frank-Walter Steinmeier in einem heute veröffentlichten Interview.

Die deutschen Medien sind derzeit voll mit Berichten zum Thema Flüchtlinge. Im ersten Halbjahr 2015 sind in Deutschland doppelt so viele Asylanträge gestellt worden wie in der gleichen Periode im Vorjahr. Insgesamt werden im laufenden Jahr bis zu 400'000 Asylbewerber erwartet. Bundesländer und Gemeinden, die für deren Betreuung zuständig sind, haben Alarm geschlagen. Die Unterkünfte sind voll. Längst wird auf temporäre Lösungen wie Zeltstädte ausgewichen. » | Von Luca De Carli, Redaktor Ausland | Donnerstag, 30. Juli 2015

Greece Crisis Escalates as IMF Witholds Support for a New Bail-out Deal

THE TELEGRAPH: Talks over new rescue package are derailed after less than a week as IMF seeks explicit assurances over debt relief from the Europeans

Talks over an €86bn bail-out for Greece have been thrown into turmoil after just four days as the International Monetary Fund said it would have no involvement in the country until it receives explicit assurances over debt sustainability.

An IMF official said the fund would withhold financial support unless it has guarantees Greece can carry out a "comprehensive" set of reforms and will be the beneficiary of debt relief from its European creditors.

The comments came after the IMF's executive board was told that the institution could no longer continue pumping more money into the debtor nation, according to a leaked document seen by the Financial Times.

The Washington-based Fund has been torn over its involvement in Greece - its largest ever recipient country. The world's "lender of last resort' said it would continue talks with its creditor partners and the Leftist government of Athens, but made it clear the onus of keeping Greece in the eurozone now fell on Europe's reluctant member states.

"There is a need for difficult decisions on both sides... difficult decisions in Greece regarding reforms, and difficult decisions among Greece's European partners about debt relief," said the official.

"One should not be under the illusion that one side of it can fix the problem." » | Mehreen Khan | Thursday, July 30, 2015

Six People Stabbed at Gay Pride in Jerusalem by 'Attacker Who Targeted Event a Decade Ago'

EXPRESS: SIX people were stabbed during a Gay Pride march in Jerusalem today with the suspect named as someone jailed ten years ago for attacking homosexuals.

A woman was reportedly left in a critical condition and a man is believed to have been left in a serious condition after the stabbing in Israel.

A police spokesperson identified the arrested suspect as Yishai Schlissel who had stabbed three people at the parade in 2005.

The ultra-Orthodox Jewish man was sentenced to 12 years for the attack and released from prison three weeks ago.

About 5,000 people were celebrating the event and marching along an avenue when a man jumped into the crowd, apparently from a supermarket, and plunged a knife into some of the participants. » | Jake Burman | Thursday, July 30, 2015

Two Israelis Charged in Arson Attack on Church of Loaves and Fishes

Ynon Reuveni (R) and Yehuda Assraf are seen at Nazareth
Magistrate's Court in Jerusalem

THE TELEGRAPH: Described by authorities as Jewish extremists, the two men are accused of torching part of a church at the site where Christians believe Jesus performed the miracle of the loaves and fishes

Two Israeli men, described by authorities as Jewish extremists, were charged on Wednesday with torching part of a church at the site where Christians believe Jesus performed the miracle of the loaves and fishes.

The June 18 arson attack followed more than 40 suspected hate crimes committed against churches, mosques and monasteries in Israel and the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem since 2009, with only a handful of indictments handed down.

In a statement, Israel's internal security agency, Shin Bet, identified the two suspects, aged 19 and 20 and wearing Jewish skullcaps in court, as followers of an "extremist ideology" that believes that "only someone who fights Christianity ... can call himself a Jew". » | Reuters | Wednesday, July 29, 2015

The Nature of Islam: The Glazov Gang

Read the WND article here

What Does Islam Say About Being Gay?

THE NEW YORK TIMES: ISTANBUL — On June 29, Turkey’s 12th Gay Pride Parade was held on Istanbul’s crowded Istiklal Avenue. Thousands marched joyfully carrying rainbow flags until the police began dispersing them with water cannons. The authorities, as has become their custom since the Gezi Park protests of June 2013, once again decided not to allow a demonstration by secular Turks who don’t fit into their vision of the ideal citizen.

More worrying news came a week later when posters were put up in Ankara with a chilling instruction: “If you see those carrying out the People of Lot’s dirty work, kill the doer and the done!” The “People of Lot” was a religious reference to gays, and the instruction to kill them on sight was attributed to the Prophet Muhammad. The group that put the posters up, the so-called Islamic Defense Youth, defended its message by asserting: “What? Are you offended by the words of our prophet?!”

All of this suggests that both Turkey and the Muslim world need to engage in some soul-searching when it comes to tolerance for their gay compatriots. » | Mustafa Akyol | Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Mustafa Akyol is the author of “Islam Without Extremes: A Muslim Case for Liberty.”

Céline Dion with Josh Groban: The Prayer

MARGARET THATCHER : The Making of Margaret (Telegraph Documentary)

Thatcher Defending Thatcherism

Gaddafi's Son Trial Run by Militia

Related »

US Man Plotted to Use Backpack Bomb on Florida Beach - FBI

BBC AMERICA: A 23-year-old man has been charged with planning to detonate a backpack bomb on a Florida beach, US officials say.

The US justice department said Harlem Suarez, also known as Almlak Benitez, has been charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction.

He allegedly planned to bury a bomb containing nails at a beach in Key West and detonate it with a mobile phone.

Prosecutors claim he was inspired by the Islamic State militant group, which has called for attacks on the West.

According to the FBI, Suarez recorded a video in May in which he said: "We will destroy America and divide it into two. We will raise our black flag on top of your White House and any president on duty." » | Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Austria ‘Investigates’ Geert Wilders for Incitement During Speech

DUTCH NEWS: The public prosecution department in Austria has launched an investigation into a speech made by Dutch anti-Islam campaigner Geert Wilders in Vienna, according to a report by local newspaper Kurier.

Wilders made the speech in March to members of the Austrian far-right party FPÖ. In the speech, he compared the Koran to Hitler’s book Mein Kampf and said Europe is at war with Islam.

The department is investigating Wilders for incitement following complaints from a local Muslim organisation, ut broke the law banning the propagation of nazi ideology. » | Tuesday, July 28, 2015

KURIER: Der Islamgegner mit der kugelsicheren Weste: Niederländischer Rechtspopulist Wilders spricht heute auf Einladung der FPÖ in Wien. Ein Porträt. »

Obama: If I Ran Again, I Could Win Third Term | Ethiopia | African Union Speech

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi Sentenced to Death in Libya

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi in a courtroom in Zintan, Libya

THE TELEGRAPH: Son of former dictator Col Gaddafi and security chief Abdullah Senussi found guilty of war crimes

The British-educated son of Col Muammar Gaddafi has been sentenced to death by firing squad by a court in war-torn Libya.

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the debonair friend of Lord Mandelson and other European notables who returned to his father's side during the 2011 revolution, was found guilty of war crimes by a court in the capital Tripoli.

He had appeared at hearings by video-link, as he was captured - in late 2011 - by a militia from the town of Zintan, which is fighting Tripoli-based brigades in the country's civil war.

Also sentenced to death were Col Gaddafi's notorious security chief and brother-in-law, Abdullah Senussi, accused by some of masterminding the Lockerbie bombing, and his prime minister, Al-Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi. They appeared in person, having been extradited before security collapsed in Libya from neighbouring countries. » | Richard Spencer, Middle East Editor | Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Public Anger after Gang Beat Up French Sunbather for Wearing a Bikini in Reims Park

THE INDEPENDENT: Authorities have not identified the attackers but most commentators have assumed that they were Muslims

French social networks exploded with anger after a young woman was reportedly beaten up by a gang of girls and young women for wearing a bikini in a park.

Authorities have not identified the attackers but most commentators have assumed that they were Muslims. » | John Lichfield | Sunday, July 26, 2015

Obama Performs Traditional Lipala Dance During Kenyan State Dinner

US president Barack Obama joins in the Lipala during a dinner at Nairobi's State House. The Lipala is a traditional dance which was updated by popular Kenyan band Sauti Sol earlier this year, becoming a dancehall hit. The band posted the footage online after playing the track as the entire top table including Obama, Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta, first lady Margaret Kenyatta and US national security adviser Susan Rice danced

Saudi Official Calls on International Community to Criminalize Criticism of Islam

JIHAD WATCH: “This requires everyone to intensify efforts to criminalize insulting heavenly religions, prophets, holy books, religious symbols and places of worship.” What is wrong with this? Who wants to insult “heavenly religions, prophets, holy books, religious symbols and places of worship,” anyway?

One problem with it, among many, is that at a time when hatred and violence are being preached and perpetrated in the name of a “heavenly religion” and justified by reference to a “holy book,” to criminalize criticism of such things would be tantamount to muzzling all resistance to that hatred and violence. And that may be precisely the agenda.

“Criminalize vilification of religious symbols, says Saudi official,” Saudi Gazette, July 26, 2015: » | Robert Spencer | Sunday, July 26, 2015

Hundreds Gather to Watch Islamic State Throw 'Gay' Man to His Death

The man was condemned to death after being accused of being gay

SUNDAY EXPRESS: SHOCKING pictures have emerged showing hundreds of people waiting to watch Islamic State (ISIS) militants brutally punish a man accused of being gay.

The horrific new images show the levels of depravity reached by the terror group, who are known for killing homosexual people by throwing them off buildings.

This latest insight into the workings of the extremist organisation shows hundreds of people gathered in the main street of Mosul in Iraq.

They are joined by ISIS jihadis, all dressed in black and white, as a judge reads out a statement which condemns a man to death for allegedly being gay.

In an attempt to publicise the brutal murder, the judge can reportedly be seen making his speech through a microphone system to the blood-thirsty crowd.

The majority of the people gathered were apparently carrying weapons - with even small children wearing ISIS clothing also seen in the street.

A final picture from the heinous scene shows the broken and motionless body of the man on the concrete floor after being pushed from the top of a building.

It is unclear how ISIS discovered the sexuality of the man. » | Levi Winchester | Sunday, July 26, 2015

The West Likes to Think That 'Civilisation' Will Defeat Isis, But History Suggests Otherwise

THE INDEPENDENT: We cling to our belief that barbarism will never outlast the power of the righteous

Hitler set a bad example. He was evil. His regime was evil. His Reich was destroyed, the Nazis vanquished, the Fuhrer dying by his own hand in the ashes of the European nightmare. Bad guys lose. Good guys win. Morality, human rights, law, democracy – though with the latter, we should perhaps speak carefully – will always prevail over wickedness. That’s what the Second World War taught us.

We have grown up in a Western society that believes in such simple, dodgy, history lessons. The world’s major religions teach us about goodness, humility, family, love, faith. So why should we not – however liberal, agnostic, cynical – cling on to our fundamental belief that violence and torture and cruelty will never outlast the power and courage of the righteous?

Isis is evil. It massacres its opponents, slaughters civilians, beheads the innocent, rapes children and enslaves women. It is “apocalyptic”, according to the Americans, and therefore it is doomed. Better still, Ash Carter – the US Secretary of Defence who accused the Iraqis of running away from Isis – lectured the Iraqi Prime Minister last week. His message – I could hardly believe this naivety – was Hollywood-clear. “Civilisation always wins over barbarism.” » | Robert Fisk | Sunday, July 26, 2015

The Greek Debt Crisis Threatens 70 Years of Peace

THE INDEPENDENT: We forget that wars in Europe were the norm before the EU

Political crises in the Middle East and North Africa since 2011 have either produced extreme violence or caused countries to dissolve into civil war. The territorial settlement that followed the defeat of the Ottomans in 1918 is collapsing, but there is no clear sign of what will replace it, other than conflicts which nobody knows how to end.

Bad though this is, the world has got used to instability in the Middle East and North Africa, almost as if it were a natural phenomenon like earthquakes in Japan or hurricanes in the Caribbean. Seven wars are being fought in Muslim countries between Pakistan and north-east Nigeria. In Europe, on the contrary, 70 years of almost continuous peace since 1945 have convinced its people that this is the natural order of things which will continue despite hiccups in atypical places such as Greece and Ukraine.

But peace in Europe has been very much the exception over the past 1,500 years and there is no God-given guarantee it will continue. The golden age of European integration may have ended as long ago as 2008 when the financial crash began to divide eurozone members into winners and losers. In the same year, the easy dominance of the Western powers established after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 began to look less absolute when Russia invaded Georgia. » | Patrick Cockburn | Saturday, July 25, 2015

Barack Obama: I'm Proud to Be the First Kenyan-American President

Barack Obama told crowds gathered in Nairobi he was proud to be the first Kenyan-American president

Read the Telegraph article here | Telegraph Video, and AFP, video source ITN | Sunday, July 26, 2015

Ex-Muslim: Leaving Islam - BBC News

Islam is the fastest growing religion in the UK, with the number of Muslims almost doubling in the last few years from 1.5 million in 2001 to 2.71 million in the latest census, 2011. A small but increasing number of people are also choosing to leave the religion and many say doing so has led them to be rejected by their family and friends and - in some cases - threatened with violence. Benjamin Zand spoke to ex-Muslims.

Petition as French Riviera Beach Closed for Saudi King

BBC AMERICA: More than 100,000 people have signed a petition against the closure of a beach on the French Riviera to allow Saudi King Salman to holiday in private.

The petition insists the public beach in Vallauris should be "available for the benefit of all".

Authorities sealed off the beach early on Saturday to prevent any protesters from occupying it as King Salman was due to arrive in the area.

The Saudi monarch is expected to stay at his villa for three weeks.

He and his entourage of about 1,000 people arrived at Nice airport on Saturday on board two Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747s.

The king's inner circle is staying at the villa - between Antibes and Marseille - while about 700 others will stay at hotels in Cannes.

Michel Chevillon, president of an association of Cannes' hotel managers, said the visit was "clearly good news" for hotels and the local economy.

"These are people with great purchasing power," he said.

However, the closure of a section of La Mirandole beach beneath the king's villa has outraged many local residents. » | Saturday, July 25, 2015

Related »

Barack Obama Tells African States to Abandon Anti-gay Discrimination

THE GUARDIAN: Visiting his father’s Kenyan homeland, US president says ‘bad things happen’ when governments get into habit of treating people differently

The US president, Barack Obama, has launched an unprecedented defence of gay rights in Africa, telling Kenya’s president that the state has no right to punish people because of “who they love”.

Obama, visiting his late father’s homeland for the first time as US president, confronted Uhuru Kenyatta and millions of Kenyans watching on television with his “unequivocal” views. Homosexual acts are illegal in Kenya and surveys show nine in 10 people find them unacceptable.

Obama personalised the issue by comparing homophobia to racial discrimination that he had encountered in the United States. Never before has such a powerful foreign leader challenged Africans so directly on their own soil. » | David Smith in Nairobi | Saturday, July 25, 2015

Origins of ISIS – Special Coverage

In a special report, RT America examines the origins, power and expansion of the terrorist group known as the Islamic State (IS, formerly known as ISIS). RT’s Ben Swann delves into the roots of the organization while Ameera David explains how the group amasses the millions of dollars it requires to operate. Finally, Manuel Rapalo explores how the Iraqi army fell apart despite benefiting from billions of dollars of US money – and military hardware – meant to ensure security.

Why Is ISIS Attacking During Ramadan? BBC News (June 2015)

Maajid Nawaz from the Quilliam Foundation describes the reasons why ISIS may have decided to execute attack during the holy month of Ramadan.

Obama's Visit Sparks Debate on Gay Rights in Kenya, Africa

One particular issue has been gripping many Kenyans in recent days. Just what is Barack Obama going to say about gay rights? As in much of Africa, homosexuality is widely frowned upon in Kenya. Some MPs have warned the American president to avoid the matter. But Obama's reportedly said, he will indeed be raising the issue when he's here. CCTV's Kathryn Ogunde has more…

Press Conference in Kenya: Obama and Kenyatta on State of Gay Rights in Kenya (July 25, 2015)

President Barack Obama – Full Interview – BBC News

In a wide-ranging interview with the BBC's North American Editor Jon Sopel, US President Barack Obama said a lack of changes on US gun laws was the "greatest frustration" of his presidency. Mr Obama also told the BBC what he will say about gay rights in Kenya, why his own Congress and the Gulf nations should accept the recent Iran nuclear deal, and what he expects his legacy as president will be.

Obama Admits US Gun Laws Are His 'Biggest Frustration'

BBC AMERICA: President Barack Obama has admitted that his failure to pass "common sense gun safety laws" in the US is the greatest frustration of his presidency.

In an interview with the BBC, Mr Obama said it was "distressing" not to have made progress on the issue "even in the face of repeated mass killings".

He vowed to keep trying, but the BBC's North America editor Jon Sopel said the president did not sound very confident.

However, Mr Obama said race relations had improved during his presidency.

Hours after the interview, a gunman opened fire at a cinema in the US state of Louisiana, killing two people and injuring several others before shooting himself.

In a wide-ranging interview, President Obama also said: » | Friday, July 24, 2015

Muslim Smashes Wine Bottles in Paris Market to Enforce Sharia

Read the Jihad Watch article here | Robert Spencer | Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Barack Obama Says Britain Must Stay in EU

THE TELEGRAPH: US president says Britain is 'best partner', but risks losing its influence on the world stage if it leaves the European Union

Barack Obama has said that Britain must stay in the European Union to continue to have a strong influence on the world stage.

The US president said that Britain was America’s “best and most important partner” because of its willingness to go beyond its "immediate self-interests to make this a more orderly, safer world".

But in his strongest warning to date, he said that for Britain to maintain its global influence, it must stay within the EU.

The EU has "made the world safer and more prosperous", and having Britain in it was crucial for America’s “transatlantic union” both with Britain and the rest of Europe, he said.

“(The EU) is part of the cornerstone of institutions built after World War Two that has made the world safer and more prosperous. » | Barney Henderson, New York | Thursday, July 23, 2015

Iran Nuclear Deal with US Sees Thousands Protest in Times Square

Protesters rally against the US nuclear deal with Iran
in New York's Times Square on 22 July.

THE GUARDIAN: An estimated 10,000 people, consisting mainly of pro-Israel supporters, chant ‘kill the deal’ and demand Congress vote down proposed nuclear agreement

Thousands of protesters packed into Times Square on Wednesday evening to demand that Congress vote down the proposed US deal with Iran.

As the crowd loomed behind police barricades, chants of “Kill the deal!” could be heard for blocks. The event, billed as the “Stop Iran rally” consisted mainly of pro-Israel supporters, though organizers said it represents Americans of all faiths and political convictions.

The group is asking Congress to reject the deal under which the US would agree to lift economic sanctions against Iran in return for measures to prevent the country from building nuclear weapons. » | Associated Press | Wednesday, July 22, 2015

‘World’s Oldest Qur’an’ Fragments Found at University of Birmingham

The discovery of one of the oldest fragments of the Qur'an at the University of Birmingham is hailed as a historic find of 'global significance'. Radiocarbon analysis has dated the parchment between AD568 and 645. David Thomas, professor of Christianity and Islam at the University of Birmingham, says the results suggest the manuscript was written less than 20 years after the death of the prophet Muhammad


JIHAD WATCH: Oldest Qur’an fragments in the world discovered in the UK? Maybe, maybe not » | Robert Spencer | Wednesday, July 22, 2015

BBC AMERICA: » | Sean Coughlan, Education correspondent | Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Conservative TV Host Tomi Lahren Spells It Out for Obama, the Worst President in History

Israeli Envoy 'Spoils the Party' at UN Following Iran Deal Vote

ARUTZ SHEVA: Israel's ambassador to the UN, Ron Prosor, slams international community's 'poor track record' after it empowers Iranian terror regime.

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 TELEGRAPH: Islamic State group bans private Wi-Fi access in Raqqa in latest communications diktat

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

BBC AMERICA: A bomb attack in the Turkish town of Suruc has killed at least 30 people during a meeting of young activists to discuss the reconstruction of the neighbouring Syrian town of Kobane.

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

Melanie Phillips: Jihadists, EU, Sexism & Refugees (Question Time, June 18, 2015)

François Hollande Urged to Intervene in Bitter Row between Saudi Royalty and French Nudists

The house of King Fahd of Saudi in Golfe Juan, France

THE TELEGRAPH: King Salman of Saudi Arabia has ordered the closure of an entire public beach on the French Riviera, which includes a special area for nudists

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 is right to identify the resentment that young Muslims can feel, but the antidote can only come from within Muslim communities themselves

Read the Telegraph article here | Philip Johnson | Monday, July 20, 2015
David Cameron tells teenage jihadists they are 'cannon fodder' »

David Cameron Launches Five-year Plan to Tackle Islamic Extremism in Britain

THE INDEPENDENT: 'It is an extreme doctrine subscribing to intolerant ideas'

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

THE TELEGRAPH: Outrage among residents of Farmersville at proposals for a cemetery 35 miles north-east of Dallas

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

Catherine The Great - BBC Documentary

ABC Catalyst - Low Carb Diet: Fat or Fiction?

Newcastle University Academic Says Britain Has Become a Less Free, Less Private State Since 7/7

CHRONICLE LIVE: Response to London bombings has seen individual freedom sacrificed for security according to Newcastle University professor Dr Martin Farr

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

Royals Told: Open Archives on Family Ties to Nazi Regime

The Duke and Duchess of Windsor meet with Adolf Hitler
in Munich in 1937.

THE GUARDIAN: Historian urges that secret correspondence be made public to reveal the truth after Queen’s Nazi salute footage released

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

How We Got Gay | Discovery Channel HD Documentary 2015

Trail of Terror: Shooter’s Motive Stumps Obama, FBI, Media

Rush: 'Must avoid bigotry, racism, prejudice and, obviously, the truth'

Read the WND article here | Garth Kant | Friday, July 17, 2015

Anti-racism Protesters and Nationalists Clash in Demonstrations

Anti-Islamic group Reclaim Australia and the United Patriots Front clash today at demonstration held in Melbourne. Contains lots of capsicum spray, protesters and cops throwing punches.

THE TELEGRAPH: Australia police use capsicum spray on protestors at race rally »

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Criticises 'Arrogance' of the United States Following Nuclear Deal

Khamenei said US policies in the region
were "180 degrees" opposed to Iran's policies

THE TELEGRAPH: Iran's Supreme Leader has praised his country's negotiators for reaching a nuclear deal, but lashed out at the US for seeking Iran's "surrender"

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

BBC AMERICA: Saudi security forces have arrested 431 suspected members of the Islamic State militant group, officials say.

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

The Insanity of Tolerating Islam: For How Much Longer?

How much longer do we, the people, have to put up with Muslims placing innocent people at risk of losing their lives? Yet again, today, we learn of another terrorist attack perpetrated by a Muslim. Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez has killed four INNOCENT US MARINES in Chattanooga, Tennessee. How many innocent people have to lose their lives before our useless, ineffectual politicians do SOMETHING to protect the innocent people of the West?

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 God’s Allah’s chosen people. How much longer are our politicians going to be willing to play fast and loose with our safety?

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

Eton, Harrow und Co. : Englische Top-Internate enttäuschen

Dauerbrenner Schulsystem: Nicht jeder hält die Elite-Schulen
für eine lohnende Investition.

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Adressen auf der Insel gelten als Garanten für eine exzellente Ausbildung des Nachwuchses. Ein Segen für den, der es sich leisten kann? Das schöne Bild hat seine Schattenseiten. Erfahrungen eines betroffenen Vaters.

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

IJ REVIEW: Anjem Choudary is known for stirring up controversy as the vocal Islamic scholar who supports ISIS and gets into screaming matches with conservative pundits.

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

Read on and comment » | Kyle Becker | Thursday, July 16, 2015

Netanyahu Rebuffs Philip Hammond over Iran Deal

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond holds a press
conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
at the latter's office in Jerusalem

THE TELEGRAPH: Israeli premier takes Foreign Secretary to task for remarks doubting whether Jewish State would have accepted any deal over Tehran's nuclear programme

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

Chancellor tries to comfort Palestinian girl whose family is facing deportation after telling her Germany ‘just can’t manage’ more refugees

Read the Guardian article here | Kate Connolly in Berlin | Thursday, July 16, 2015

Saudi Royals in Hot Water with Riviera Nudists over Access to Public Beach

The house of King Fahd of Saudi in Golfe Juan, France

THE TELEGRAPH: French bathers, including nudists, declare war on Saudi royal family over a bid to privatise a public beach at Vallauris, between Cannes and Antibes, during an upcoming visit

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

THE TELEGRAPH: France holds three suspected of plotting to kidnap and behead a military official to coincide with the January anniversary of the Charlie Hebdo killings

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'

THE INDEPENDENT: German Chancellor insists ‘marriage’ is only for a man and a woman

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

The billboard appeared in the Libyan city of Sirte

DAILY EXPRESS: ISLAMIC State (ISIS) fighters have put up huge billboards ordering women to wear the Burkha or face cruel and severe punishments.

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

DAILY EXPRESS: CONCERNS have been raised that the historic nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers could spark to a 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

Doku: Die deutschen Gotteskrieger - Töten und Sterben für Allah

ISIS Make Chilling Call to Supporters to Attack Britain after Tunisia Massacre

DAILY EXPRESS: ISLAMIC State (ISIS) has issued a chilling call to arms to their supporters to carry out more attacks on Britain and America.

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

Far right Golden Dawn MP, Ilias Kasidiaris harshly criticises the deal Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras agreed to during an impassioned speech to Parliament.

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

TAGES ANZEIGER: Molotowcocktails und Steine – Vor den Parlamentsabstimmungen in Griechenland knallt es, die Proteste eskalieren.

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



Live: Griechen erwarten Abstimmungsergebnis des griechischen Parlaments über Sparmaßnahmen

Op-Ed: The End of an Era

ARUTZ SHEVA: Liberty, equality and fraternity are now superseded by the recognition accorded the darkest regime known to man.

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