Turkey Locates the Jet Shot Down by Syria

The wreckage of a Turkish jet shot down by Syria has been located in Syrian waters, but the search continues for two pilots.

It comes as Nato agreed to a request from Turkey for an emergency meeting of member states on Tuesday to discuss its response to the incident.

The jet was shot down over the Mediterranean on Friday, about eight miles from the Syrian coast.

Turkey's foreign minister has claimed the plane was hit without warning in international airspace. Ahmet Davutoglu said the F4 Phantom jet momentarily strayed into Syrian airspace - but was not on a spying mission. He said the plane was unarmed and had no "covert mission related to Syria," and was on a training flight to test Turkey's radar capabilities. Syria has said its action was "not an attack", but took down the plane because it violated its airspace.

While Mr Davutoglu admitted the plane had entered Syrian airspace by mistake, he asserted it was shot down in "international airspace" several minutes after it left, and without warning. Mr Davutoglu told state TV: "According to our conclusions, our plane was shot down in international airspace, 13 nautical miles from Syria. "The plane did not show any sign of hostility toward Syria and was shot down about 15 minutes after having momentarily violated Syrian airspace."

The minister said there was no warning from Syria before it shot down the plane, adding: "The Syrians knew full well that it was a Turkish military plane and the nature of its mission."

Tensions have been growing between the neighbouring countries since the incident on Friday, with the international community urging both nations to exercise restraint. Mr Davutoglu said he would present the incident formally to the Nato military alliance under article four of its founding treaty. The article provides for states to "consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the parties is threatened".

It stops short of the explicit mention of possible armed responses cited in article five.

Turkey has taken in more than 30,000 refugees who have fled the violence in Syria and the year-long uprising against President Bashar al Assad. British Foreign Secretary William Hague condemned Syria's shooting down of the plane as "an outrageous act".

"This deplorable incident underlines the urgent need to find a solution to the current crisis in Syria in order to bring an end to the violence and to achieve a genuine political transition," he said.

WHY I AM NOT A DISPENSATIONALIST; John Nelson Darby is recognized as the father of dispensationalism later made popular in the United States by Cyrus Scofield's Scofield Reference Bible. Charles Henry Mackintosh, 1820–1896, with his popular style spread Darby's teachings to humbler elements in society and may be regarded as the journalist of the Brethren Movement. CHM popularised Darby more than any other Brethren author. As there was no Christian teaching of a “rapture” before Darby began preaching about it in the 1830s, he is sometimes credited with originating the "secret rapture" theory wherein Christ will suddenly remove His bride, the Church, from this world before the judgments of the tribulation. Dispensationalist beliefs about the fate of the Jews and the re-establishment of the Kingdom of Israel put dispensationalists at the forefront of Christian Zionism, because "God is able to graft them in again," and they believe that in His grace he will do so according to their understanding of Old Testament prophecy. They believe that, while the methodologies of God may change, His purposes to bless Israel will never be forgotten, just as He has shown unmerited favour to the Church, He will do so to a remnant of Israel to fulfill all the promises made to the genetic seed of Abraham. I am not a dispensationalist; it is unbiblical.

'Close to death, his wife by his side': Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak taken off life support but still critical after being declared 'clinically dead' by his doctors

Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak arrived for his trial in Cairo, Egypt, lying in a hospital bed earlier this month because of his poor health

Ousted: Mubarak was sentenced to life in prison on June 2 for failing to stop the killing of civilians during last year's protest against his 30 year rule

Protest: Egyptians gathered to demonstrate in Tahrir Square last week in the run up to the election

Results of Egypt's presidential election were delayed last night, stoking fresh tensions in the country.

It appears two candidates claim to have been victorious in last weekend's poll.

Egyptians went to the polls to choose a replacement for Hosni Mubarak, who was said to be fighting for his life in hospital. He was ousted in an Arab Spring uprising last year.

Mubarak, who is said to have suffered a series of strokes, was jailed for life on June 2 for his role in the deaths of protesters during the demonstrations which swept him from power.

The leading election candidates were the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsy and Ahmed Shafik, a former air force commander who was Mubarak's last prime minister.

'We cannot say when the election results will be announced because we are listening to the representatives,' said presidential elections committee judge Hatem Bagato.

The review involved 'looking at records and logs related to the electoral process'.
A delay to the results risks prolonging uncertainty and stoking tensions when it is unclear how big a role the military will play in leading Egypt.

Omar Salama, a legal adviser and member of the election committee's secretariat, said Morsy had filed more than 150 complaints against Shafik.

The state-run Al-Ahram newspaper said Shafik had submitted 221 complaints about the results.

Reports had suggested 84-year-old Mubarak was on life support and might even be clinically dead. But yesterday he was said officially to be critical but conscious and stable.

He was transferred to a military hospital from the Cairo prison hospital where he has been kept since his June 2 conviction and sentencing for failing to stop the killing of protesters during the uprising.

The state news agency Mena said Mubarak was ‘clinically dead’ when he arrived at the hospital and that doctors used a defibrillator on him several times. It initially said the efforts were not successful.

His wife Suzanne was by his side in the Nile-side hospital in Maadi, a suburb just south of Cairo.

Security officials said a team of 15 doctors, including heart, blood and brain specialists, was supervising the condition of Mubarak, who needed help with his breathing.

Mubarak was convicted of failing to prevent the killing of some 900 protesters during the 18-day uprising that forced him out of office on February 11, 2011.

He and his two sons, onetime heir apparent Gamal and wealthy businessman Alaa, were acquitted of corruption charges.

But the two sons are held in Torah awaiting trial on charges of insider trading.

The two were by their father's side at the Torah prison hospital, but the officials said prison authorities refused their request to accompany him to the Maadi military hospital.

WHY I AM NOT A DISPENSATIONALIST; John Nelson Darby is recognized as the father of dispensationalism later made popular in the United States by Cyrus Scofield's Scofield Reference Bible. Charles Henry Mackintosh, 1820–1896, with his popular style spread Darby's teachings to humbler elements in society and may be regarded as the journalist of the Brethren Movement. CHM popularised Darby more than any other Brethren author. As there was no Christian teaching of a “rapture” before Darby began preaching about it in the 1830s, he is sometimes credited with originating the "secret rapture" theory wherein Christ will suddenly remove His bride, the Church, from this world before the judgments of the tribulation. Dispensationalist beliefs about the fate of the Jews and the re-establishment of the Kingdom of Israel put dispensationalists at the forefront of Christian Zionism, because "God is able to graft them in again," and they believe that in His grace he will do so according to their understanding of Old Testament prophecy. They believe that, while the methodologies of God may change, His purposes to bless Israel will never be forgotten, just as He has shown unmerited favour to the Church, He will do so to a remnant of Israel to fulfill all the promises made to the genetic seed of Abraham. I am not a dispensationalist; it is unbiblical.

The Muslim Brotherhood Victory: A Seismic Shift in the Middle East

By Chris Mitchell

The victory today by Mohammed Mursi represents a seismic shift in the Middle East. Now a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamic organization that has spawned most of the terror groups in the world—including Hamas—is the leader of the largest and most influential Arab nation in the Middle East.


While Mursi said he would govern with "moderate Islamic references," it's important to remember the creed of the Muslim Brotherhood:

"Allah is our objective; the Koran is our constitution, the Prophet is our leader; Jihad is our way; and death for the sake of Allah is the highest of our aspirations."

During Mursi's campaign, he also attended a rally at which Sheik Safawat Higzazi rallied the crowd in a chant to liberate Gaza and make Jerusalem the capital of Egypt. Here's an excerpt from a MEMRI translation:

"Brandish your weapons... Say your prayers... And pray to the Lord. From the eyes of all Jews... Come on, you lovers of martyrdom... Banish the sleep from the eyes of all Jews. Come on, you lovers of martyrdom, you are all Hamas. Indeed, all the lovers of martyrdom are Hamas. I say from this podium, from al-Mahalla, from the heart of the Delta, the heart of Egypt, so that the whole world may hear. We say it loud and clear: Yes, Jerusalem is our goal. We shall pray in Jerusalem, or else we shall die as martyrs on its threshold.”

A number of huge questions remain following Mursi's victory:

What will the consequences be for Israel? Is the more than 30 year peace treaty in jeopardy?

Will the Muslim Brotherhood confront the military, the current de facto power in Egypt?

What will be the fate of the millions of Coptic and evangelical Christians in Egypt?

Will women's and minorities rights be tolerated?

These questions remain and for now the scenes of jubilation from the Muslim Brotherhood crowd in Tahrir Square have gone around the world. But many, many Egyptians are deeply troubled. Here's how one Egyptian now living in the West expressed his feelings:

“Muhammad Mursi of Muslin Brotherhood won the election in Egypt. Today the true democracy dies in Egypt, may the Lord have mercy over the minority in Egypt, today human rights dies in the Middle East, I lost my country twice, the day that I left and today.”

WHY I AM NOT A DISPENSATIONALIST; John Nelson Darby is recognized as the father of dispensationalism later made popular in the United States by Cyrus Scofield's Scofield Reference Bible. Charles Henry Mackintosh, 1820–1896, with his popular style spread Darby's teachings to humbler elements in society and may be regarded as the journalist of the Brethren Movement. CHM popularised Darby more than any other Brethren author. As there was no Christian teaching of a “rapture” before Darby began preaching about it in the 1830s, he is sometimes credited with originating the "secret rapture" theory wherein Christ will suddenly remove His bride, the Church, from this world before the judgments of the tribulation. Dispensationalist beliefs about the fate of the Jews and the re-establishment of the Kingdom of Israel put dispensationalists at the forefront of Christian Zionism, because "God is able to graft them in again," and they believe that in His grace he will do so according to their understanding of Old Testament prophecy. They believe that, while the methodologies of God may change, His purposes to bless Israel will never be forgotten, just as He has shown unmerited favour to the Church, He will do so to a remnant of Israel to fulfill all the promises made to the genetic seed of Abraham. I am not a dispensationalist; it is unbiblical.

The president of the EU, Herman Van Rompuy, is to unveil a Banking Union Plan

European Union president, Herman Van Rompuy, hopes to unveil a proposal for a banking union at this week crunch EU leaders' summit.

Herman Van Rompuy sees banking union as key to breaking the link between bank risk and sovereign debt

A banking union would be the first step in a long-term roadmap to political union that he will outline to EU leaders, with dates and institutional problems such as treaty change set out by year's end.

"Banking union is a fundamental element," he told German paper Welt am Sonntag, in an interview published on Sunday. "I think we can move forward there more quickly than in other areas."

The success of his plan depends on whether EU leaders can overcome opposition to increasing the role of the European Central Bank. The ECB and Germany are opposed to increasing the role of the central bank to allow it become a lender of

last resort and underwrite the sovereign debt of eurozone countries.
Pressure for a banking union has increased in recent week after a rise in Spanish borrowing costs threatened the eurozone's fourth-largest economy and forced the country to seek help from its euro partners to prop up its ailing banks.

Spain is expected to make a formal request for €100bn of aid for its banks on Monday.

Christine Lagarde, the head of the IMF, warned last week that the eurozone is under "acute stress" and at risk of a downward spiral. She urged the eurozone to channel aid directly to struggling banks rather than via governments.

Mr Van Rompuy, who said recently the eurozone stood "at the edge of a cliff" with "a knife at its throat", told German paper Welt am Sonntag on Sunday: "Banking union is a fundamental element. I think we can move forward there more quickly than in other areas."

Proposals for a 'banking union' are expected to include a joint deposit guarantee scheme and a fund to wind down failing banks.

On Friday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel doused hopes of a break-through on proposals by Italy, France, and Spain to deploy the EU rescue funds to cap the bond yields of countries vulnerable to contagion, or to recapitalize banks directly to take the strain off sovereign states.

"Each country wants to help but if I am going to call on taxpayers in Germany, I must have guarantees that all is under control. Responsibility and control go hand in hand," she said after a crucial summit of the eurozone's Big Four powers in Rome.

"If I give moneystriaght to Spanish banks, I can't control what they do. That is how the treaties are written," she said.

WHY I AM NOT A DISPENSATIONALIST; John Nelson Darby is recognized as the father of dispensationalism later made popular in the United States by Cyrus Scofield's Scofield Reference Bible. Charles Henry Mackintosh, 1820–1896, with his popular style spread Darby's teachings to humbler elements in society and may be regarded as the journalist of the Brethren Movement. CHM popularised Darby more than any other Brethren author. As there was no Christian teaching of a “rapture” before Darby began preaching about it in the 1830s, he is sometimes credited with originating the "secret rapture" theory wherein Christ will suddenly remove His bride, the Church, from this world before the judgments of the tribulation. Dispensationalist beliefs about the fate of the Jews and the re-establishment of the Kingdom of Israel put dispensationalists at the forefront of Christian Zionism, because "God is able to graft them in again," and they believe that in His grace he will do so according to their understanding of Old Testament prophecy. They believe that, while the methodologies of God may change, His purposes to bless Israel will never be forgotten, just as He has shown unmerited favour to the Church, He will do so to a remnant of Israel to fulfill all the promises made to the genetic seed of Abraham. I am not a dispensationalist; it is unbiblical.