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Quote Of The Day
"I can't help but feel sorry for Mel Gibson. If only he had joined the Muslim Brotherhood or Hezbollah rather than an ultra-reactionary Catholic sect, his views on a world Jewish conspiracy would have done him no harm. Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah declared that it if Jews 'all gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide,' yet Channel 4 News bends over backwards to make excuses for him. Hamas, the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, has a constitution which might have been written by Adolph Hitler, yet the Foreign Office gives the Brotherhood public money and the allegedly "left-wing" Ken Livingstone hugs its spiritual leader.
"You picked the wrong type of fascism, Mel. If only you'd been cannier, there would be pieces in the Independent denouncing your critics as Islamophobes."
- Nick Cohen, in the London Evening Standard. Quote spotted by Norman Geras.
Burkhas For Beer Bellies?
Well, the heat does do strange things to our brains. Among the strangest is the urge it inspires among British men of a certain age to go about their business, dressed only in the skimpiest shorts, beer bellies and man-boobs on display for the world to see.
One of the least pleasant views on Britain's sceptered isle. But stranger still is the mentality of some politicians who hope to slap a ban on these inflated exhibitionists, hoping to use local laws to slap anti-social behaviour orders on men who parade their pot bellies on hot days.
Tottyscope
Gawd bless Guido Fawkes, the British blogger who has picked at the scab of the government's cash for peerages scandal while other media sources have distracted readers with heatwave stories.
Of Border Controls And Deportation
Policing of borders - and with it, the sensitive subject of immigration - is once again making the news in Britain. The UK is set to introduce new embarkation controls. Soon, leaving the country via ports or airports will be controlled by a uniformed border force.
On the other side of the Channel, France has revealed plans to deport over 12,000 illegal immigrants.
Blair To Go "Shortly"
Britain's deputy prime minister John Prescott has stepped up speculation on the nation's biggest political question: When will Tony Blair resign?
Songs For Europe
The Sunday Telegraph reports that EU Commission propagandists want to hijack next year's Eurovision Song Contest - making it a celebration of the European Union's 50th anniversary.
Sarkozy's Manifesto
Nicolas Sarkozy, the probable centre-right challenger for France's presidency next spring, has published a book outlining his vision of a new, enervated nation. But will the 281-page Témoignage be a springboard to the Elysee - or history's longest political suicide note?
Flagged Out
EU Serf, who has found himself agreeing with former Minister for Europe Denis MacShane, has our sympathies. It's a situation EURSOC found itself in once, and it is an odd experience. We liked MacShame's attack on the Islington lefties who queued to kiss Hugo Chavez's ring in May: For his part, Serf welcomes MacShame's approval of Germany's new-found patriotism:
Anti-Social Model
In 2004, the New York Times declared that Europe had abolished poverty. Seems it was more of a statistical fiddle than a social revolution, however. And two years on, homelessness in Paris is as bad as New York's problem back in the 1980s. John Rosenthal reports for Tech Central Station.
Back To School
Deeply concerned that many of its citizens have barely a basic grasp of the realities of international economics, the French government plans a new body to help France learn to love capitalism.
Turbulence Hits Superjumbo
After a year when it outstripped its major rival Boeing for new orders, the European Airbus consortium is in deep trouble.
Islamists Kill World Cup Fans
Is Somalia the next Afghanistan? It's been reported that Islamist gunmen opened fire on a crowd watching World Cup football in a cinema in the town of Dhuusa Marreeb. The cinema's owner and a young girl were killed.
Damp Squib?
North Korea's provocative missile test was dismissed as a "fireworks display" - as one of its long-range Taepodong-2 rockets crashed less than a minute after launch.
Opium Of The People
Germany is having a great World Cup. Tonight, the hosts play Italy in the semi-final. Win or lose, much of Germany is going to have on hell of a hangover tomorrow morning - just as Angela Merkel's government slips in reforms and tax raises likely to make everyone from populist leftists to progressive liberals fume.
Double Agents
Al-Qaeda sympathisers have been trying to infiltrate British security service MI5, according to reports released today.
Happy Daze
"Is the heatwave a good thing?" asks the Independent as temperatures hit 30 degrees, sending Britain into its annual sun-induced hysteria.
Getting Things Done
Why is the British army under-equipped in Iraq and Afghanistan? The Ministry of Defence's refusal to pay up for armoured vehicles better suited to the deadly streets of Basra is costing British lives. Taken to task on the issue, notably by the heroic efforts of the EU Referendum Blog and its ally Christopher Booker, government evasion and dissembling is making sceptical citizens cynical about New Labour's committment to its troops.
Outside Booker's column in the Telegraph, few mainstream media commentators are paying attention to the story. The BBC, the blog reports, sided with the government on the issue.
The campaigners have succeeded in drawing some attention to the dangers facing troops - additional dangers they do not need, as the situation worsens in both war zones. Questions have been asked - and dismissed - in Parliament. However, Britain's media is concerned with other issues and its parliament will shortly close for summer. How many more avoidable deaths will occur before the summer ends? And how many will it take for the government to sit up and take notice?
Tories Consider Jock Block
Britain's Conservative Party is looking at ways to solve one of the major problems caused by the devolution of power to Scotland - why is it that MPs of Scottish constituencies can vote on issues of health, education and transport in England, while control of those issues in Scotland has been placed in the hands of the Scottish parliament, beyond the reach of English MPs?
Their main recommendation is to ensure that Scottish MPs are prevented from voting on issues that apply only to England. One suggestion hinted at by party leader David Cameron is an "English votes for English MPs" day, where MPs would debate issues relating only to England. Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish MPs would be excluded from these debates. Such a solution would have happy consequences for the Tories, but would be disastrous for one Scot in particular: Gordon Brown, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Prime Minister Tony Blair's designated successor, is MP for the Scottish constituency of Kirkaldy and Cowdenbeath.
A Tory spokesman said that it would be "almost impossible" for a Scottish MP to become Prime Minister should their proposals go ahead.
