Ouverture d'une agence spécialisée en finance islamique

Ce type de finance interdit la spéculation, le recours aux taux
d'intérêts, les produits ayant une incertitude excessive ou les
investissements considérés comme «nuisibles à la societé »
(tabac, alcool, armement, pornographie ou jeux d'argent).

LE MATIN: FRANCE — Une start-up spécialisée dans la finance islamique, proposait déjà ses services en ligne, a ouvert une agence en région parisienne.

NoorAssur, start-up spécialisée dans la finance islamique, indique vendredi avoir ouvert sa première agence en région parisienne et vise l'ouverture d'une vingtaine d'agences en France courant 2016.

Selon la jeune pousse, c'est la première agence dédiée à la finance islamique ouverte en France.

Ce type de finance, qui respecte la loi islamique (charia), interdit la spéculation, le recours aux taux d'intérêts, qui sont assimilés à l'usure, les produits ayant une incertitude excessive ou les investissements considérés comme nuisibles à la société (tabac, alcool, armement, pornographie ou jeux d'argent).

Créée en 2012, Noorassur qui proposait jusqu'ici ses services uniquement sur internet, revendique 7 millions d'euros d'épargne collectée. » | afp/Newsnet | vendredi 28 août 2015

Two French Journalists Arrested in Blackmail of Moroccan King

THE TELEGRAPH: Eric Laurent and Catherine Graciet are accused of demanding £2.2 million to keep a book about Morocco's King Mohammed VI unpublished

Two French journalists have been arrested in France for allegedly trying to blackmail Morocco's King Mohammed VI, the Paris prosecutor's office and a lawyer for the monarch have said.

The prosecutor's office said the two, Eric Laurent and Catherine Graciet, remained in detention on Friday. » | AP | Friday, August 28, 2015

Push to Make Australia a Republic Is 'Doomed,' Says Prime Minister Tony Abbott

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott

THE TELEGRAPH: The Australian leader has dismissed calls to remove the Queen as head of state

Australia's Prime Minister has dismissed calls for the country to become a republic, in spite of his own treasurer leading the cross-party campaign.

Conservative leader Tony Abbott insisted that efforts to resurrect a push for Australia to become a republic were "doomed" and said he doubted the Australian people would support the campaign.

Its torchbearer, Treasurer Joe Hockey, is leading a bipartisan lobbying group which has called for a plebiscite to be held by 2020 on having an Australian head of state. » | James Rothwell | Thursday, August 27, 2015

North Korea's Shiny New Airport Falls Short of Expectations

THE GUARDIAN: After Air Koyro is declared the world’s worst airline, a visit to Pyongyang International suggests tourist facilities offer little improvement

Pyongyang’s shiny new airport building has all the features international travellers have come to expect.

On arrival passengers see coffee and well-stocked souvenir shops, a DVD stand, information desk and a slickly produced billboard showing a crew of the nation’s flag-carrier, Air Koryo, looking sharp in their blue and red uniforms. There are even two chocolate fountains. One for white chocolate and the other one for dark.

But some of the amenities lose their luster upon closer examination. Case in point: the internet room appears to be missing the internet. » | Eric Talmadge in Pyongyang, Associated Press | Thursday, August 27, 2015

Op-Ed: Only Israel, Not the West, Grants Civilization Hope of Survival

ARUTZ SHEVA: The West is in retreat from the world, has lost all the spiritual and cultural values on which Europe was founded.

St. Elian was a young doctor originally from Homs, in Syria, who was killed in 284 C.E. by his father, a Roman legionnaire, for refusing to renounce his Christian faith. His bones were preserved in a monastery in Qaryatayn. The Islamist bulldozers of IS razed it to the ground and scattered the bones of the Christian saint.

The image is reminiscent of another digger who in 1931, under the orders of Stalin, razed the Church of the Saviour. On the ruins of this beautiful church the largest pool of the Soviet Union was then built.

"All forms of collective violence have a religious dimension" Roger Scruton, the most influential English philosopher, professor at St. Andrews University, a fellow of the British Academy and the Royal Society of Literature tells me in our conversation. "Christians are vulnerable and ISIS will go on with their decimation and will not stop until the West militarily attacks the Islamic State. The West is in retreat from the world, has lost all the spiritual and cultural values on which Europe was founded. Otherwise, facing these reports of Christians killed and churches destroyed, the West would immediately intervene against ISIS. But it will be punished, even by its own European multiculturalism". Read on and comment » | Giulio Meotti | Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Israeli Doctor Fired for 'Anti-Gay' Remarks: No Regrets

Dr. Sudi Namir, who was fired from the Israel Medical Association Ethics Committee for controversial comments he made about homosexuals on an internet forum, has defended his comments in an exclusive interview with Arutz Sheva.

Pakistan's Hidden Shame

Inside Story: Why Is ISIL Targeting Cultural Heritage?

The armed group's destruction of ancient sites in Syria and Iraq is drawing condemnation worldwide.

Captured, Sold, Raped: ISIS Turns Thousands of Christian Women and Children into Sex Slaves

Since the Iraqi city of Mosul was captured by ISIS many women and children have been kidnapped by ISIS fighters.

An organisation to help save those victims has been founded recently by Steve Maman. It uses crowd funded donations to pay for the captives' release, but does not have any contact with - and does not pay ransoms to - ISIS fighters.

Millionen junge Europäer ohne Job bedrohen den sozialen Frieden

TAGES ANZEIGER: In Europa sind 7,5 Millionen Menschen unter 25 Jahren seit Jahren ohne Job. Die Aussichten, dass sie jemals den Einstieg in die Arbeitswelt schaffen, sind schlecht. Trotzdem halten sie still.

Europas hohe Jugendarbeitslosigkeit ist eines der grossen Übel unserer Zeit. Vor allem im Süden des Kontinents droht es einer ganzen Generation das Leben zu vermiesen. Seine toxische Wirkung wird noch jahrzehntelang anhalten, selbst wenn sich die Lage irgendwann wieder bessern sollte. Aber das ist keineswegs sicher. 7,5 Millionen Europäer unter 25 Jahren haben keine Arbeit und keinen Ausbildungsplatz; europaweit beträgt die Jugendarbeitslosigkeit mehr als 21 Prozent, in Griechenland überschreitet sie die Marke von 50 Prozent, in Spanien liegt sie knapp darunter. Aber auch in einigen mitteleuropäischen und nördlichen Ländern, etwa in Belgien, Polen, Irland oder Schweden, ist mindestens jeder fünfte junge Erwachsene betroffen. Und in Wirklichkeit ist die Situation noch schlimmer, als es die Statistiken ausweisen. Denn es genügt, dass ein Jugendlicher eine einzige Stunde pro Woche arbeitet, ob bezahlt oder umsonst, um nicht mehr als erwerbslos zu gelten. » | Von Sandro Benini, Co-Leiter International | Mittwoch, 26. August 2015

Merkel Booed by Nationalists for Pro-refugee Policies, Trolled on Internet for Previous Silence

Chancellor Merkel has been booed by a crowd of nationalists - angry about her pro-migrant policies. The incident happened during a visit to a town near Dresden, where violent anti-refugee protests took place over the weekend. While the government has been slammed for inaction, many Germans have been making sure their views are heard... Some analysts believe the German government's policies have divided the public.

Angela Merkel Warns against Intolerance towards Refugees

The German chancellor's visit to the Heidenau refugee centre,
greeted above, by a placard reading "traitor of the people" came
a day after Berlin said it had eased some asylum rules.

THE GUARDIAN: Chancellor dismisses ‘traitor’ jibes from far-right hecklers at Saxony refugee shelter and thanks Germans trying to help asylum seekers

Angela Merkel was met by a barrage of whistles, boos and calls of traitor when she visited an emergency asylum seeker and refugee centre near Dresden. She insisted that hatred towards refugees would not be tolerated.

About 50 protesters had gathered outside the disused DIY store turned reception centre in Heidenau, Saxony, as the German chancellor, on Wednesday, made her first visit to a refugee shelter. Her visit reportedly followed criticism that she had failed to openly condemn recent violence against the large numbers of refugees arriving in Germany.

In a protest organised on social media by far-right groups car horns were blown to try to block out her words. Merkel insisted on the importance of “human and dignified treatment” of asylum seekers. “There will be no tolerance towards those who are not prepared to help,” she said. “The more people that make that clear, the stronger we will be.” » | Kate Connolly in Berlin | Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Gotthard Base Tunnel: The World’s Longest Railway Tunnel

Switzerland completes work on the world’s longest tunnel 8,000 feet beneath the Alps »

Sick Islamic State Video Shows Toddler Beheading TEDDY BEAR in Front of Terror Flag

EXPRESS: SICK Islamic State terrorists have released a disturbing new video showing a "jihadi" toddler beheading a teddy bear.


The shocking 30-second clip shows a child brandishing a large blade and sawing the head off the white cuddly toy.

The child, who appears to be no older than two years old, is encouraged to hack the toy's head off as the man filming is heard to shout "takbir", which means "Allah is great" in Arabic.

ISIS supporters have allegedly been sharing the video on social media accounts.

The child is described as the son of an ISIS fighter, according to the video which has not yet been verified. » | Scott Campbell | Wednesday, August 28, 2015

Beirut Turmoil: 'Lebanon On Brink of New Arab Spring'

It is the fourth night of unrest in Lebanon's capital Beirut. What started as demonstrations over a breakdown in the city's rubbish removal system has turned into violent protests, with calls growing for the government to resign.

Unveiling France's Burqa Ban

Burqa Battle (2010): In the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo killings, secular France has been forced to examine its relationship with the country's Islamic minority. This 2010 report looks at tensions surrounding the controversial Islamic garment.

Southern France's Violent Religious Tensions

The Abandoned Front Line Of Europe's Refugee Crisis

Sinking Under The Migrant Crisis: Meet the people helping to prevent Europe's worse refugee crisis since WWII.

'Migration of Peoples Underway: Rising Africa, Declining Europe'

The UN has strongly criticised Europe's handling of the growing migrant crisis, calling it ineffective. The numbers of desperate migrants heading to Europe has surged ... and, so far, EU leaders have been unable to present a plan to tackle the crisis. Hugh Bronson, vice chairman of the Berlin branch of the Alternative for Germany party, says Germany is simply not ready to cope with increasing influx of migrants.

Trump Demolishes NBC Reporter

Reporter and Cameraman Shot Dead in Virginia during Live Broadcast

Reporter Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward.

THE GUARDIAN: Suspect is at large after killing reporter Alison Parker, 24, cameraman Adam Ward, 27, and injuring third person on scene of live TV news segment

A gunman killed two members of a news crew and injured one more in Moneta, Virginia, in a shooting that was partially captured on video on Wednesday morning.

Police are investigating the shooting at the Bridgewater Plaza near Smith Mountain Lake that took place at about 6.45am ET. A news crew from WDBJ7 local news was on the scene to film a segment for the morning news when several shots rang out. Screams followed and the camera recording the feature fell, as producers cut to the shocked studio news team.

The station later announced that two of their team, Alison Parker, 24, and Adam Ward, 27, had been shot dead.

Police are searching for a suspect at the scene. » | Alan Yuhas in New York | Wednesday, August 25, 2015

Tea Party Speaker Says America, Christians "Losing The War" To Islam

THE CHATTANOOGAN: Dr. Bill Warner, a university professor with a PhD in physics and math and an applied physicist, said at a Chattanooga Tea Party-sponsored meeting Monday night that America and Christianity "are losing the war to Islam."

Dr. Warner, who is also billed as a national and international expert on the subject of Islam, spoke to a crowd of over 400 people at Stuart Heights Baptist Church.

It was billed as a discouse "on the recent Chattanooga terror attack.

Why did it happen and what can we do about it?" However, the speaker did not mention the July 16 slaying of five military personnel in his talk except to say the billing was apparently what prompted so many to attend.

His lecture explained the need for Americans to be educated about what is happening around them related to Islam and to talk about it.

He began by defining two words: Islam, which is an ideology and Muslim, which is people. He told the audience that he would not discuss Muslims except for how they follow the doctrine of Islam.

He said in Islam, there is no god but Allah, and Mohammed who is his prophet. There are two parts of the Koran, Mecca, the earliest portion and Medina that was written later, and they are very different he said, and contradictory in nature. The Medina version is 24 percent about jihad, he said and the Mecca portion has no mention of jihad or no anti-Jew text. In this religion, Mohammed is the perfect human being and provides a pattern of life. Whoever follows him will go to paradise and those that do not will go to hell.

Is the Koran about peace?, he asked. Yes was the answer. Is it opposed to peace? he asked next. Yes was the answer. Both praising or hating Jews and exercising tolerance or opposing it is addressed in the Koran, and it advocates for all of these things. He defined this as dualism—it always has two versions.

Dr. Warner said he is only concerned with “political Islam,” not the religion associated with it, because that is what has an effect on him directly. Examples of his statement that Islam is winning the conflict include the fact that he has been forbidden by Governor Bill Haslam to speak to law enforcement about Islam. He also described new textbooks being used in Tennessee that teach about Islam with nothing in the book to teach about Christianity. » | Gail Perry | Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Univision's Jorge Ramos: 'I've Never Been Kicked Out Of A Press Conference'

NPR: Jorge Ramos, one of the most influential journalists in the United States, says he had never been thrown out of a press conference before GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump did so last night.

"This is the first time," the news anchor told his network. "It's never happened anywhere in the world. I've never been forcibly removed from a press conference or an interview." » | Eyder Peralta | Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Flüchtlingskrise: Gewalt in Deutschland

Assad 'Confident' of Russian Support for Syria Regime

THE GUARDIAN: Syrian president describes Vladimir Putin’s regime as ‘sincere and transparent’ while US ‘abandons its friends’ in interview with Hezbollah TV network

The Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, has expressed “strong confidence” that Russia will continue supporting his embattled regime.

“We have strong confidence in the Russians, as they have proven throughout this crisis, for four years, that they are sincere and transparent in their relationship with us,” Assad said in an interview with Hezbollah’s al-Manar television network.

He also described as “legitimate” the presence in Syria of fighters from Hezbollah backing his forces. The powerful Lebanese Shia movement, along with Russia and Iran, has backed Assad since Syria’s revolt broke out in 2011.

The rare television interview came as the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, discussed the Syrian crisis with Jordan’s King Abdullah on the sidelines of the Maks-2015 aerospace show in Moscow.

Assad described Russia as “principled”, while “the United States abandons its allies, abandons its friends”. » | Agence France-Presse in Beirut | Wednesday, August 26, 2015

État islamique : Rabat et Madrid démantèlent un réseau de recruteurs

LE POINT: Quatorze personnes ont été interpellées au Maroc et en Espagne, soupçonnées de recuter et d'envoyer des combattants en Syrie et en Irak.

Quatorze personnes ont été interpellées au Maroc et en Espagne lors d'une "opération antiterroriste conjointe" des deux pays, visant à démanteler un réseau de recrutement pour le groupe État islamique (EI, Daesh en arabe), ont annoncé les ministères de l'Intérieur des deux pays. Des agents des services de renseignement - du Commissariat général d'information de la police espagnole et de la Direction générale de la surveillance du territoire marocaine - "ont démantelé une cellule terroriste composée de 14 personnes", a expliqué mardi le ministère espagnol de l'Intérieur. » | Source AFP | mardi 25 août 2015

UK Newspaper Claims US Blocking Crucial Data about Iraq Invasion

A British newspaper reports that the US is withholding documents that could help explain why Tony Blair decided to join the invasion of Iraq. Washington’s refusal to declassify the documents has become a major scandal in London. RT’s Gayane Chichakyan asked the US State Department about the obstruction of the Chilcot Inquiry documents and received a surprising answer.

‘I'd Rather Sacrifice My Life’: Yazidi Women Taking Revenge on ISIS

Yazidi women who have to put up with numerous atrocities from Islamic State are hitting back at their tormentors. They have set up an all-female battalion to take the fight to the militant jihadists and gain revenge for forcing their sisters into sexual slavery and beheading their brothers

‪Heavy Flooding, Landslide after Torrential Rains Pound North-eastern Turkey‬

Severe flooding swept the north-eastern city of Artvin in Turkey after torrential rains hit the region, killing at least 7 people, flooding streets and destroying numerous buildings. Two more people, including one child, are still missing, according to local authorities.

The Saudi Royal Family

Comrade Corbyn on HAMAS, the Middle East and the Super-rich

Labour leadership candidate Jeremy Corbyn spoke to Channel 4 News’ Krishnan Guru-Murthy about Hamas and Hezbollah, the wider situation in the Middle East, tax, the super-rich and immigration.

Merkel und Gabriel verurteilen rechte Gewalt in Heidenau

Bundeskanzlerin Merkel hat die Attacken auf Flüchtlinge in Heidenau verurteilt. Die "dumpfen Hassbotschaften" der Rechtsextremen seien "abstoßend". Bei der Lösung der Flüchtlingskrise appellierten sie und der französische Präsident Hollande an alle EU-Staaten.

Model of Moroccan Origin Hopes to Become First Muslim Miss Italy

Miss El Brinis is an admirer of Sofia Loren
and said she loved cooking Italian food

THE TELEGRAPH: Ahlam El Brinis, 20, defies critics who say she is insulting Islam by taking part in the pageant

A model of Moroccan origin who hopes to become the first Muslim Miss Italy has vowed to defy critics who accuse her of insulting Islam by taking part in the beauty pageant.

Ahlam El Brinis, 20, who was born in the northern Veneto region to Moroccan parents, has received threats and insults on social media for her decision to participate in the contest next month.

She has been criticised for posing in bikinis, lacy underwear and revealing clothes, with some Muslims accusing her of bringing Islam into disrepute.

But she has labelled her critics “ridiculous people with too much time on their hands” and said she has drawn strength from the support of her grandmother back in Morocco, who told her “religion is in the heart, not in the choice of clothes you wear”.

“There have been insults but there have been far more messages of encouragement, both from friends and people I have never met,” the model told La Repubblica newspaper. “Religion should have nothing to do with a beauty contest.” » | Nick Squires, Rome | Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Isis in Palmyra: Militants Release First Images Showing Destruction of Baalshamin Temple

THE INDEPENDENT: Unseco has described the attack on Syria's cultural history, reported by activists on Sunday, as a 'war crime', while the British Museum is 'deeply distressed'

The Isis militant group has released a series of images purporting to show the destruction of the ancient Baalshamin Temple in Palmyra.

Images posted online and shared by Isis-affiliated social media accounts showed fighters, whose faces were cropped out of the photographs, lining the 2,000-year-old monument with explosives.

Explosives can be seen wired together both inside and outside the structure of the building, which experts said was one of the best-preserved and most completely intact examples of Greco-Roman architecture at the ancient site. » | Adam Withnall | Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Die Öl-Party ist vorbei

TAGES ANZEIGER: Wie die Börse kennt auch der Ölpreis derzeit nur eine Richtung – abwärts. Das hat gravierende Folgen für die grossen Förderländer. Die interaktive Übersicht.

Die psychologisch wichtige Marke ist geknackt. Weniger als 40 Dollar kostete am Montagmorgen ein Fass der US-Sorte West Texas Intermediate. Die Nordsee-Sorte Brent lag deutlich unter 45 Dollar. Was im letzten Sommer seinen Anfang nahm – als der Ölpreis noch bei deutlich über 100 Dollar lag – , hat sich inzwischen zu einem Preissturz historischen Ausmasses entwickelt. Und die Analysten rechnen nicht mit einer schnellen Erholung. Im Gegenteil: Auch Preise um 30 Dollar pro Fass werden als realistisch angesehen.

Fareed Zakaria, Kommentator für Aussenpolitik der «Washington Post», vergleicht die aktuelle Situation mit den 80er-Jahren. Als der Ölpreis letztmals in einem vergleichbaren Ausmass fiel, sei die Sowjetunion kollabiert. » | Von Luca De Carli, Redaktor, Ausland | Von Marc Fehr, Multimedia Storyteller | Dienstag, 25. August 2015

North Wales Fire Service Employee Quits amid Investigation into Alleged Posts on Far-right Website

DAILY POST: The clerical worker was being probed over allegations they uploaded material onto a Norway-based site

A North Wales fire service employee has quit amid an investigation into alleged anti-Islamic posts made on a far-right website during work time.

The clerical worker, who was based in Colwyn Bay, was being probed over allegations they uploaded material onto a Norway-based website which is described by its critics as “one of the main forums for Islamaphobic debate”.

Articles understood to have been written by the fire service worker included one which suggested that “jihadists” were being recruited by councils in Northern Europe, and the website was allegedly used by them to publicise demonstrations by the far-right English Defence League (EDL).

A raft of other articles apparently written by the worker highlight mainstream UK media stories about offences committed by Muslims.

Other articles focused on crimes committed by immigrants. » | Jez Hemming | Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Saudi Arabia Executes 175 People in A YEAR - So Why Does Britain Still Call Them an ALLY?

Prince Charles greets King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud

EXPRESS: SAUDI ARABIA executes one person every TWO DAYS, according to a shocking new report - which casts new scrutiny on Britain's close ties to the Middle East kingdom.

In the last 12 months 175 people were beheaded or shot for crimes including drugs confessions claimed to have been extracted through torture, said the report released by human rights charity Amnesty International.

The 43-page report titled "Killing In the Name of Justice: The Death Penalty in Saudi Arabia" revealed that between January 1985 and June 2015, at least 2,208 people were executed in the oil-rich kingdom.

The oppressive state have killed 109 people since January, compared to 83 in all of 2014.

The Saudi kingdom follows an ultra-strict interpretation of Sharia law and applies the death penalty to a number of crimes including murder, rape and drug smuggling.

Although not as common, Saudi courts also allow for people to be executed for adultery, apostasy and witchcraft.

People can also be executed for crimes committed when they were below 18 years of age. » | Rebecca Perring | Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Boko Haram Sends Terrorists to Help ISIS Take Libya as Map Shows Horrifying Plan for World

One ISIS supporter posted this map on Twitter, boasting the
group will conquer Rome

EXPRESS: TERRORIST group Boko Haram has sent hundreds of fighters to Libya to help Islamic State (ISIS) conquer the wartorn country…and their next stop could be EUROPE.

The Nigerian-based fanatics have dispatched up to 200 heavily armed troops to bolster ISIS forces in north Africa in a terrifying sign of the growing alliance between the two feared groups.

ISIS is fighting to take control of Libya - which has been engulfed by a chaotic civil war since the fall of Colonel Gadaffi - because it believes that it is a launchpad to Europe.

Boosted by the deployment, gleeful ISIS fighters boasted online of how they will use their stronghold in the north African nation to invade Italy and other parts of southern Europe.

The terrorists have described Libya as the "gateway to Rome" and it is thought they are planning to stow away fighters on smugglers' boats full of migrants destined for Italy.

ISIS supporters posted a series of mocked up messages online showing the eternal city in flames and the black flag of their hate group flying above the Vatican.

One even posted a map showing the area the terror group was targeting, writing in French that its fighters will conquer Iran, Burma, Rome and even America. » | Nick Gutteridge | Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Islamic State Has Killed At Least 30 People for Sodomy, UN Told

THE GUARDIAN: US ambassador tells security council meeting it is ‘about time’ the issue of violence and discrimination towards LGBT people is highlighted

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for killing at least 30 people for sodomy, the head of an international gay rights organisation has told the first UN security council meeting in New York to focus on violence and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

“It’s about time, 70 years after the creation of the UN, that the fate of LGBT persons who fear for their lives around the world is taking centre stage,” said the US ambassador, Samantha Power, who organised the meeting with Chile’s UN envoy. “This represents a small but historic step.”

Diplomats said two of the 15 council members, Chad and Angola, had not attended the informal closed meeting. » | Associated Press in New York | Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Irshad Manji Head to Head with Mehdi Hassan

Trash Crisis in Beirut, Clashes with Police, Calls for Government to Go

Another day of violent street clashes in Lebanon has gripped the capital, amid the ongoing waste collection crisis. Thousands poured into the streets of Beirut, rallying against government corruption. Police again battled masked youths, who set tires ablaze, as the night descended into chaos.

Opinion: America And Europe Desperately Need History Lesson On Radical Islam

THE DAILY CALLER: Hundreds of potential victims owe their lives to three Americans and a fellow British passenger who risked theirs to save them on an Amsterdam to Paris train last week.

The heroes, including two U.S. servicemen on leave, contrast sharply with the unarmed crew who barricaded themselves inside locked cabins. And even more so with politically correct leaders on both sides of the Atlantic who continually fail to show leadership in confronting radical Islam.

Even though the gunman, Moroccan 25-year old Ayoub el-Khazzani, was known to Spanish, German and French authorities for ties to “radical Islamist movements” and was armed with an AK-47, 300 rounds of ammo, a pistol and box cutter, the French government’s reaction was typical: “It is too early to speak of a terrorist link.”

Really?

America and Europe desperately need a history lesson about radical Islam. And our leaders must be held accountable if they will not face the facts.

President Obama claims that jihadists like the self-labeled “Islamic State” are not really Islamic. If so, why are Guantanamo detainees served 4 halal meals a day, issued Korans and prayer rugs, and have arrows pointing to Mecca painted throughout the camps? Either somebody is lying or the Gitmo guards have a truly bizarre sense of humor. » | J. D. Gordon | Executive Director. Protect America Today | Monday, August 24, 2015

Les 4 «héros du Thalys» ont été décorés de la Légion d'honneur

Trois Américains et un Britannique ont été décorés de la plus prestigieuse distinction française pour avoir fait preuve de courage dans le Thalys Amsterdam-Paris et évité ce qui aurait pu devenir un drame.

Lass mich dich küssen, Held!

TAGES ANZEIGER: Frankreichs Präsident François Hollande hat drei US-Bürger und einen Briten für ihr Eingreifen bei der Thalys-Attacke zu Rittern der französischen Ehrenlegion ernannt.

Mit ihrem Mut hätten die drei US-Amerikaner und der Brite es ermöglicht, Leben zu retten, sagte Frankreichs Präsident François Hollande heute Morgen zu den «Thalys-Helden». Den höchsten französischen Orden überreichte er den US-Soldaten Alek Skarlatos und Spencer Stone, dem amerikanischen Studenten Anthony Sadler sowie dem Briten Chris Norman im Elysée-Palast in Paris. Die Männer hatten am Freitagabend einen schwer bewaffneten Marokkaner in dem Hochgeschwindigkeitszug Amsterdam–Paris niedergerungen. Stone und ein Passagier wurden schwer verletzt.

Der verletzte Passagier soll zu einem späteren Zeitpunkt in die französische Ehrenlegion aufgenommen werden, ebenso wie ein 28-jähriger Franzose, der sich als Erster dem Angreifer entgegenstellte und der anonym bleiben will.

«Die Franzosen bewundern Ihren Mut, die Kaltblütigkeit, die Sie unter Beweis gestellt haben, die Solidarität, die Ihnen erlaubt hat, mit blossen Händen – ich betone: mit blossen Händen – einen Schwerbewaffneten zu überwältigen, der zu allem bereit war», sagte Hollande. «Ihr Heldenmut sollte ein Vorbild für viele sein.» » | Montag, 24. August 2015

Carly Fiorina Talks Terrorism, Hillary and Creating Jobs

Aug. 24, 2015 - 4:24 - Republican presidential candidate on 'Fox & Friends'

(Keine) Reaktionen auf rechte Gewalt: Frau Merkel, was sagen Sie zu Heidenau? - "..."

STERN: Die Krawalle im sächsischen Heidenau schockieren ganz Deutschland - und immer mehr Menschen wundern sich, warum die Bundesregierung keine klare Stellung bezieht. Im Netz regt sich Protest gegen diese Haltung.

Die gewalttätigen Ausschreitungen in der Nähe einer Asylunterkunft im sächsischen Heidenau sorgen für jede Menge Aufregung. Zwar blieb es rund um Heidenau in der vergangenen Nacht ruhig - doch, und das ist das Aufregerthema, so ruhig wie zur Stunde in Heidenau bleibt es auch rund um Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel: Von ihr gibt es kein Statement zu den Vorkommnissen, sie zeigt keine klare Kante gegen rechte Randalierer.

Stattdessen reagieren von Berlin bis Heidenau hohle Phrasen mit peinlicher politischer Korrektheit - ob von sich windenden Provinzpolitikern oder vom Regierungssprecher: Die halbherzige Haltung sorgt zunehmend für Unmut in den Medien. Hier eine Auswahl an Reaktionen und Kommentaren in den Sozialen Netzwerken. » | Tim Sohr | Montag, 24. August 2015

Fremdenhass in Heidenau: Polizei errichtet Sicherheitszone um Asylunterkunft

Nach den Krawallen im sächsischen Heidenau hat die Polizei eine Sicherheitszone vor der Flüchtlingsunterkunft errichtet. Zwei Nächte in Folge war es dort zu ausländerfeindlichen Protesten gekommen. Rechte Demonstranten warfen Bierflaschen und Böller auf Polizisten. Seit Freitag wurden über 30 Polizisten verletzt, davon einer schwer. Ziel der Ausschreitungen ist es, die Ankunft von Flüchtlingen in einem Notquartier zu verhindern.

Krawallnächte in Heidenau

Rund um eine neue Asylunterkunft in Heidenau kam es an zwei Tagen hintereinander zu nächtlichen Krawallen Rechtsradikaler und zu Attacken auf Polizisten. Auch ein Zusammenstoß Linker und Rechter sorgte für Unruhen. Ein klares Konzept, wie das Gewaltproblem zu lösen ist, gibt es offenbar nicht.

Libanon, Beirut: Demonstration wegen Abfallbergen

Isis 'Blows Up Temple Dating Back to 17AD' in Syrian City of Palmyra

Temple of Baal Shamin, which has been apparently
blown up by Isis.

THE GUARDIAN: Official says group destroyed Baal Shamin in city described as being of outstanding universal value and first appearing in 19th century BC

Islamic State blew up the ancient temple of Baal Shamin in the Unesco-listed Syrian city of Palmyra, the country’s antiquities chief has said.

“Daesh placed a large quantity of explosives in the temple of Baal Shamin ... and then blew it up causing much damage to the temple,” said Maamoun Abdulkarim, using another name for Isis.

Isis, which controls swaths of Syria and neighbouring Iraq, captured Palmyra on 21 May, sparking international concern about the fate of the heritage site described by Unesco as of outstanding universal value. “The [inner area of the temple] was destroyed and the columns around collapsed,” said Abdulkarim.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based group that monitors the country’s civil war, confirmed the destruction of the temple. » | Agence France Presse in Damascus | Sunday, August 23, 2015

'EU Should Settle Refugees in Countries Like Germany and Britain'

Macedonian police have used tear gas and stun grenades against large crowds of migrants trying to enter the country from Greece. Refugees were injured in clashes, including children. Political analyst Chris Bambery believes the richest states of Europe should support the migrants.

‘Foreigners Out!’ Anti-refugee Protest Turns Violent in Heidanau, Germany

Around 600 far-right demonstrators and police clashed at an opening of a new refugee center in eastern Germany, with over 30 officers being treated for injuries afterwards. Asylum applications in the country have quadrupled in the space of a year.

Radical: My Journey Out Of Islamist Extremism (Full Session)

Today, Maajid Nawaz leads a think tank focusing on such things as citizenship and identity, religious freedom, and extremism. But his young life is marked by years spent as a youth leader and recruiter for a radical Islamist group which ultimately landed him in an Egyptian prison for four years. He shares his remarkable transformation toward liberal democratic values.

Maajid Nawaz on ISIL & Islamism (Sunday Politics, June 28, 2015)

Maajid Nawaz on ISIL & Islamism (Sunday Politics, 28/6/15) Political reaction to the terrorist attacks this week, including interviews with Lord Dannatt, Tim Marshall and Hilary Benn.

Muslim Critics of British Islam (2014)

Maajid Nawaz talks for first time about "Jesus and Mo" cartoon row and asks: who speaks for Muslim Britain? He quickly comes under personal attack from Mehdi Hasan and Mo Ansar.

Sweden's Anti-immigration Party Now in First Place. Why?

Inside Kacanik, Kosovo's Jihadist Capital

Infamous son: Lavdrim Muhaxheri, from Kacanik, in Syria

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Tiny town boasts only 30,000 people, yet two dozen local men have gone to fight jihad in Iraq and Syria

Nestling in a wooded valley that its citizens laid their lives down to defend, the town of Kacanik in southern Kosovo is fiercely proud of its war dead.

Well-kept cemeteries include nearly 100 victims of Serb-led ethnic cleansing in 1999, while in the town centre, a statue clutching an RPG honours fallen members of Brigade 162 of the Kosovan Liberation Army.

But a decade and a half on from the war that brought about Kosovo's independence, there is rather less pride in Kacanik's new crop of warriors.

In the last three years, some 24 local menfolk have gone to fight for jihadist groups in Syria and Iraq, giving the town of just 30,000 people an unwanted reputation as the jihadist capital of the Balkans.

To add to the sense of shame, one of them, a 25-year-old recruiter named Lavdrim Muhaxheri, has committed atrocities as gruesome as any of those carried out in Kacanik in 1999, when British troops unearthed a mass grave containing 81 bodies.

Last summer, in an act that sent shockwaves across Kosovo, Muhaxheri posted Facebook pictures of himself apparently beheading another man suspected of spying against the Islamic State. Another shows him executing a Syrian man using an RPG. Read on and comment » | Colin Freeman, Chief Foreign Correspondent | Sunday, August 23, 2015

Lord Kitchener Hate Sign Found in Wetherspoons Tells Muslims ‘Get the F*** Out’ of Britain

The poster at The Moon on the Square
Witherspoon's tells Muslims to leave Britain

EXPRESS: A HORRIFIED Wetherspoon punter discovered a sick sign telling Muslims to ‘get the f*** out of our country’ as he dined with his Muslim colleague.

The racist sign, in the style of a First World War recruitment poster with Lord Kitchener, was pinned on the noticeboard of the family chain pub.

It tells Muslims who are insulted by British culture to ‘get the f*** out’ of Britain and ‘go back to the monstrous sh**holes you came from’.

A shocked regular to The Moon on the Square pub in Feltham, Middlesex, spotted the offensive sign as he went for lunch with a Muslim colleague.

The 28-year-old said: "Just as we sat down inside the pub, I noticed the sign a few tables away from us.

"My friend, who is a Muslim, didn't say anything but I could see he was highly uncomfortable. » | Helen Barnett | Saturday, August 22, 2015

UK Muslim Society Wants Forced Sex Segregation in UK Universities (December 10, 2013)

Some Muslims want to force male and female university students to be seperated in universities, treating them as some kind of relious place - which they are not. Journalist Yasmin Alibhai Brown has a go at Omar Ali, who represents the Federation Of Student Islamic Societies.

In 21st Century Britain, such seperation in schools and universities should NOT be allowed.

Christopher Hitchens on Islam

Hitchens Schools a Muslim on Free Speech

David Starkey Schools Muslim about Why Islam is Primitive and Backward

David Starkey educates Mehdi Hasan on Free Speech & "backward Islam".

Channel 4 Dispatches - What Muslims Want (2007)

Problems with Jay Smith (Christian Critic of Islam)

Historical Discrepancy of Quran in Geography and Times - Jay Smith »

Klingschor: Problems with Jay Smith (A Christian Critic of Islām) »

Libya's Struggle To Cope With Surge In Migrant Smuggling

The Migrant Trade: The unscrupulous people smugglers are risking migrant's lives for the sake of easy money.

French Exodus: 'When Jews Flee, a Nation is Sick' (2014)

Before World War II, Jews waited too long to leave an increasingly anti-Semitic Europe and ended up trapped. Jews in France don't want to make the same mistake again.

Brian Lilley - Muslim Anti-Semitism in Canada

Muslims in Canada: Anti-Islamic Sentiment a Growing Concern

Muslims in Canada are concerned their religion has become a lightning rod for fear and anger, and they believe anti-Muslim sentiment is only getting worse. CityNews reporter Avery Haines explores the issues in this four-part series.

Muslim Gangs Take Control of 55 Zones in Sweden | November 2014

Muslim criminal gangs have taken control of 55 “no-go zones,” according to a report released by Swedish police, which mapped out the areas law enforcement has handed over. The areas are overrun by organized crime and drug dealing and officers frequently face direct attacks when trying to enter them. We look at how the gangs have secured these zones from criminal authorities, and how authorities have been powerless to change the tide in this Lip News clip with Elliot Hill and Mark Sovel.

PBS NewsHour – Full Episode | August 21, 2015

Resentment Grows between Christians and Muslims in France

The deadly attack on Charlie Hebdo puts a spotlight on the growing tensions between France's Muslim and immigrant communities and a large portion of French society, which is traditionally Catholic. The NewsHour’s Megan Thompson recently visited Marseille, one of the country’s most diverse cities, to report on the root of the conflict and the rise of anti-Muslim sentiment in France.

Donald Trump Widens Lead Over US Republican Presidential Field: Poll

NDTV: WASHINGTON: Republican Donald Trump is pulling away from the pack in the race for the party's US presidential nomination, widening his lead over his closest rivals in the past week, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed on Friday.

Republican voters show no signs they are growing weary of the brash real estate mogul, who has dominated political headlines and the 17-strong Republican presidential field with his tough talk about immigration and insults directed at his political rivals. The candidates are vying to be nominated to represent their party in the November 2016 general election. » | Reuters | Saturday, August 22, 2015

Iran Unveils New Missile, Says Seeks Peace through Strength

REUTERS.COM: Iran on Saturday unveiled a new surface-to-surface missile it said could strike targets with pin-point accuracy within a range of 500 km (310 miles) and it said military might was a precondition for peace and effective diplomacy.

The defense ministry's unveiling of the solid-fuel missile, named Fateh 313, came little more than a month after Iran and world powers reached a deal that requires Tehran to abide by new limits on its nuclear program in return for Western governments easing economic sanctions.

According to that deal, any transfer to Iran of ballistic missile technology during the next eight years will be subject to the approval of the United Nations Security Council, and the United States has promised to veto any such requests. An arms embargo on conventional weapons also stays, preventing their import and export for five years.

But Iran has said it will not follow parts of the nuclear deal that restricts its military capabilities, a stance reaffirmed by President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday. » | Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin; Editing by Gareth Jones | Dubai | Saturday, August 22, 2015

Is Christianity in the Middle East Coming to an End?

Christian communities being driven out by ISIS

Dschihadisten-Offensive: IS-Terroristen in Libyen auf dem Vormarsch

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Die Friedensverhandlungen in Libyen laufen zäh. Der "Islamische Staat" nutzt das Chaos und weitet sein Einflussgebiet mit blutigem Terror aus. Warnungen vor einem "neuen Somalia" werden laut.

Mehr als zehn Monate hat der Uno-Sondergesandte Bernardino León zwischen den zwei zerstrittenen Fraktionen in Libyen vermittelt, ein Friedensvertrag soll bald unterzeichnet werden. Doch nun eskaliert die Lage, sodass Italiens Außenminister Paolo Gentiloni vor einem "neuen Somalia" warnt.

Denn der "Islamische Staat" (IS) ist auf dem Vormarsch. Dessen Kämpfer töteten innerhalb einer Woche bis zu 200 Salafisten und Bewohner der Stadt Sirt, von denen ein Dutzend geköpft oder gekreuzigt zur Schau gestellt wurden. Der IS hat nun die volle Kontrolle über die nordlibysche Hafenstadt, damit ist auch der Weg frei zu dem östlich gelegenen "Ölhalbmond". » | Von Mirco Keilberth | Freitag, 21. August 2015

The Muslim George Galloway?

Frenzied Armed Riots in Migrant Camp after Man Tears Up Koran and Throws Pages in TOILET

EXPRESS: RIOTS broke out in an overcrowded German refugee camp after a resident tore pages out of a Koran and threw them in the TOILET.

At least 17 people were injured when 20 Syrian refugees chased down an Afghan man after he ruined and discarded the Islamic holy book.

But the situation turned nasty when the crowd turned their anger to the camp's security guards as they protected the alleged offender.

More than 50 men armed themselves with steel rods and began hurling rocks at the guards and police.

The migrants smashed car windows, ransacked buildings and demolished the walls, which divide the shelter in Suhl, Thuringia, in a rampage which lasted several hours. » | Rebecca Perring | Friday, August 21, 2015

Cameron's 'Knee-jerk' Policies Will Fail to Root Out Hate Preachers, Blasts Muslim Leader

EXPRESS: GOVERNMENT proposals aimed at cracking down on extremism in the UK are “knee-jerk” and have allowed hate preachers to radicalise thousands of young British Muslims, a senior faith leader has claimed.

Speaking ahead of the country’s biggest annual gathering of Muslims this weekend, Naseer Dean, the London head of the influential Ahmadiyya Muslim group, launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister David Cameron and Home Secretary Theresa May.

He argued that Tory ministers had allowed for the radicalisation of 4,000 young British Muslims by failing to grasp the scale of the problem of religious extremism.

He accused the media regulator Ofcom of being “reactive” rather than proactive and attacked the Home Office for cutting off funding to vital services aimed at monitoring extremist preachers.

And he called on the Government to “educate itself” about Islam so that "they have a better handle of what is going on in the mosques".

Shortly after the General Election, the Prime Minister announced plans for tough new rules to tackle extremism, claiming Britain had become a “passively tolerant” society.

They included “closure orders” brought in to shut buildings used by extremist preachers and a ban on radical clerics mixing with vulnerable young Muslims.

But, in an exclusive interview with Express.co.uk, Mr Dean rubbished the proposals as “a knee-jerk reaction”.

“They are expecting the local authority and everybody to be monitors and to snoop, which is not the way to go,” he said.

“They need to find out what is going on in the mosques and a lot of the clerics that are coming to the United Kingdom are being allowed to come here.” » | Tom Batchelor | Friday, August 21, 2015

The Threat of ISIL in Saudi Arabia

After a number of recent attacks, ISIL claimed responsibility for the bombing that killed at least 15 at a Saudi mosque.

North Korea - South Korea: Kim Jong-un Promises 'Indiscriminate Strikes' and Places Country on 'War Footing' after Artillery Shots Fired

THE INDEPENDENT: Tensions arose following South Korea's use of loudspeakers on DMZ

Kim Jong-un has put North Korea on a war footing and threatened "indiscriminate strikes" against the South if it doesn't agree to halt propaganda broadcasts by Saturday evening at 5pm.

Mr Kim claimed North Korea’s soldiers were in a “quasi-state of war” and ordered them to prepare for battle, according to state news outlet KCNA.

The country has threatened action unless South Korea stops its anti-Pyongyang broadcasts over the heavily fortified North-South border by 5pm (local time) on Saturday.

South Korea's defence ministry has warned that the nation will "strongly retaliate against any kind of North Korean attacks". » | Rose Troup Buchanan | Friday, August 21, 2015

Catholic Monastery in Syria 'Destroyed by Isil Bulldozers'

THE TELEGRAPH: Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant seized Al-Qaryatain town and monastery Mar Elian earlier this month, kidnapping local Christians

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) militants have destroyed a historic monastery seized in their latest advance across central Syria.

Photographs appeared online of fighters from Isil with bulldozers at the Mar Elian monastery in Al-Qaryatain, in Homs province.

The monitoring group Syrian Observatory of Human Rights said the Catholic monastery was then destroyed "on the pretext that it was used for worshipping others than God". » | Richard Spencer, Middle East Editor | Friday, August 21, 2015

Arnoud van Doorn: Why I Converted to Islam

London 'Draw Mohamed' Exhibition Cancelled due to 'Real Possibility People Could Be Killed'

THE INDEPENDENT: Organiser Anne Marie Waters has branded Britain 'a frightened nation' in response

A planned 'Draw Mohamed' exhibition has been cancelled in London after counter-terrorism police warned that people could be killed if it went ahead.

Organiser Anne Marie Waters, Sharia Watch director and former UKIP candidate, revealed that security services had reason to believe the event might be attacked, with a "very real possibility that people could be hurt or killed - before, during and after".

Organisers asked more than 200 galleries to host the exhibition but their requests were almost universally refused, with even the gallery that eventually agreed later pulling out.

Waters says police did not force her to shelve the exhibition, but it was clear that Britain had become a "frightened nation" afraid of exhibiting controversial Mohamed cartoons.

"We need an international campaign comprising all who seek free speech protection, particularly from Islam," she wrote for Breitbart London. » | Jess Denham | Thursday, August 20, 2015

Etats-Unis: un touriste touché par la peste au parc Yosemite

L’EXPRESS: Il s'agit de la seconde personne à avoir contracté la maladie après un séjour au célèbre parc californien qui accueille 4 millions de personnes chaque année.

Faut-il craindre le retour de la peste? Un touriste a contracté la maladie dépeinte par Albert Camus après avoir visité le parc du Yosemite en Californie, l'un des plus populaires des Etats-Unis.

Le patient, originaire de Géorgie, dans le sud-est des Etats-Unis, s'était rendu en vacances dans le Yosemite et le massif montagneux de la Sierra Nevada avant de tomber malade, selon le services de santé publique de Californie (CDPH). "Les avertissements sur la peste diffusés par les autorités californiennes ont été très utiles jusqu'en Géorgie (car ils ont) permis à ce patient de recevoir rapidement l'attention médicale nécessaire pour se remettre de cette maladie", a déclaré le docteur Karen Smith, directrice du CDPH dans un communiqué. » | Par LEXPRESS.fr avec AFP | jeudi 20 août 2015

Greek Bailout: Alexis Tsipras to 'Step Down and Call Snap Elections'

Alexis Tsipras insisted that accepting tough reform demands
is the only way to ensure Greece remains in the eurozone.

THE GUARDIAN: Prime minister set to make imminent announcement, with 20 September predicted as most likely date for a poll

The Greek prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, has decided to step down and call snap elections for 20 September, government officials said.

As the debt-crippled country received the first tranche of its new €86bn (£61bn) bailout, Tsipras was set to make the formal announcement later on Thursday, government sources told Reuters.

Once he submits his resignation the prime minister would be replaced by the president of Greece’s supreme court, Vassiliki Thanou-Christophilou – a vocal bailout opponent – who would oversee the elections as the head of a transitional government. » | Jon Henley | Thursday, August 20, 2015

Former President Jimmy Carter to Be Treated for Brain Cancer

REUTERS.COM: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said on Thursday that he will start radiation treatment for cancer on his brain later in the day, adding that his fate was "in the hands of God" barely a week after announcing he had undergone surgery for liver cancer.

Appearing calm and lucid, Carter, 90, told a news conference that he will cut back dramatically on his schedule to receive treatment every three weeks after doctors detected four "very small spots" of melanoma on his brain. » | David Beasley | Atlanta | Thursday, August 20, 2015

The Watchman: Sunni And Shia Jihadists Battle

On this week's edition of The Watchman, we sit down with leading Middle East analyst Elliot Chodoff to discuss the ongoing battle between Sunni and Shia jihadists in the region and what it means for America and Israel.

The Moral State Of America

North American Jews Return To Israel

CBN NEWS: Prophecy Fulfilled: N. American Jews Return to Israel » | Julie Stahl | CBN News Middle East Correspondent | Thursday, August 20, 2015

Schwere Krawalle in Flüchtlingsheim

SPIEGEL ONLINE: In der Erstaufnahmestelle für Flüchtlinge in Suhl ist ein Streit zwischen Asylbewerbern eskaliert. Polizisten, die einem Mann zur Hilfe kommen wollten, wurden mit Steinen beworfen. Mindestens zehn Menschen wurden verletzt.

In einem Flüchtlingsheim im thüringischen Suhl ist es am Mittwochabend zu Ausschreitungen gekommen. Nach Angaben der Polizei attackierte eine Gruppe von 20 Asylbewerbern einen Mitbewohner wegen eines Streits um Glaubensfragen. » | syd/dpa/AFP | Donnerstag, 20. August 2015

Cairo Blast: Isis-linked Group Claims Responsibility

THE GUARDIAN: Car exploded outside national security agency building, injuring six police, in attack claimed by Sinai Province of the Islamic State

Isis-affiliated militants in Egypt have claimed responsibility for an explosion at a Cairo security building that left six police wounded.

The claim came in a message circulated on social media by the Sinai Province of the Islamic State, which has claimed a series of similar bombings in Cairo and elsewhere in Egypt.

The blast happened just before 2am close to the national security agency building in Shubra al-Khaima, a neighbourhood on the northern edge of the Egyptian capital. The sound of the explosion echoed across Cairo, rattling windows and waking residents miles from the blast.

Egypt’s interior ministry said in a statement that a car had exploded outside the security compound. The assailant fled the scene on a motorcycle, it said. » | Jared Malsin in Cairo | Thursday, August 20, 2015

Isil Murders Scholar Who Hid Treasures of Palmyra

Khaled Asad, the Director of Antiquities and Museum in Palmyra

THE TELEGRAPH: Isil extremists behead revered antiquities scholar Khaled al-Asaad in ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, says government official

Militants from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) have killed a revered archaeologist in the Syrian city of Palmyra, after he refused to give up the secrets of its ancient treasures.

Syrian state antiquities chief Maamoun Abdulkarim said on Tuesday that 82-year-old Khaled al-Asaad, longtime director of the Palmyra museum, was beheaded in a local square before his body was placed on display in public.

The archaeologist had been detained and interrogated for over a month by Isil, Mr Abdulkarim told Reuters. The jihadists had wanted to extract information about the whereabouts of precious Palmyra antiquities which had been removed as the extremist group advanced on the city. » | Louisa Loveluck | Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Pope Francis Poses with 'Dialogue for Malvinas' Sign

THE TELEGRAPH: Pope Francis poses with a propaganda sign calling for "dialogue" between Britain and Argentina

Pope Francis has posed with a propaganda poster backing Argentina's call for dialogue with Britain over the Falkland Islands.

The move risked angering residents of both the Falklands and Britain, which has always considered its sovereignty over the islands beyond question.

The Argentine pontiff, who has previously refused to get involved in the disagreement, was visited at the Vatican by an activist from the "Dialogue for Malvinas" campaign.

The activist presented the Pope with a sign reading: "It's time for Argentina and Britain to discuss the Falklands."

Britain and the Falkland Islanders have long rejected calls for dialogue, with the argument that there is nothing to discuss.

The islanders voted overwhelmingly to remain British in a March 2013 referendum. Read on and comment » | Harriet Alexander | Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Donald Trump to the Pope: 'Isil Wants to Get You'

Donald Trump

THE TELEGRAPH: Billionaire Republican frontrunner says he would like to meet Pope Francis but would not tolerate any criticism of capitalism

Donald Trump says he would not allow the Pope to criticise capitalism if they were to meet face to face, and would scare him into silence by reminding him that violent jihadis of the Islamic State want to invade the Vatican.

It was a typically bombastic Trump moment delivered during a wide-ranging interview in which he took on Hillary Clinton, underlined his views on illegal immigrants and said he would allow women to fight in American special forces. » | Rob Crilly, New York | Thursday, August 20, 2015