London 'could get car-free Sundays'

Mayor of London Boris Johnson says he will review the idea for car-free Sundays in parts of central London.

Supporter dies after clashes in Madrid

A Deportivo La Coruna fan dies following violent clashes outside the stadium before his team's game at Atletico Madrid.

A Short Story On A Hypothetical Middle East Nuclear War

An interception by the Iron Dome anti-missile system is seen as rockets are launched from Gaza towards Israel before a 72-hour ceasefire was due to expire August 13, 2014. Credit: Reuters/Amir Cohen

How The Middle East’s First Nuclear War Started -- Mathew Burrows, Politico

The following is a fictional story by Mathew Burrows, who, for the past decade, has overseen the creation of the National Intelligence Council’s Global Trends Report—an intelligence-based futurist guide that has become essential reading for the White House as well as the Departments of State, Defense and Homeland Security.



As the United States enters the final hours of nuclear negotiations with Iran this weekend, it is worth considering the possible paths forward depending on the outcome of the Geneva meetings. You never know—this story could already be happening.



***



Jamil Khoury woke at night in a cold sweat, shaken by the magnitude of what he had done. He had always considered himself a peace-loving man—having grown up in Lebanon, he knew what war could do to a country. And now it looked as if he would be responsible for war on a scale no one had ever seen.



He sat for a while in silence watching the sun creep in through the shutters until his phone rang. He answered, and after a brief call, resolved to get the next flight from Beirut to New York. If he could just talk to Lars, Lars might be able to help.



**



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My Comment: A short story on a hypothetical Middle East nuclear war. Let us hope that it remains like that .... a story of fiction.

Ill Teenager's Treatment Branded 'Abhorrent'

Charities condemn the handling of the case after the girl is held in police custody because no NHS beds were available.

Qatar court overturns conviction of U.S. parents in death of adopted girl

(Reuters) - An appeals court in Qatar on Sunday overturned the convictions of a Los Angeles couple who were sentenced to three years in jail for the death of their adopted African-born daughter, but the government was refusing to let the couple leave the country, a spokesman for the family said.

Southampton 0-3 Manchester City

Manchester City beat Southampton to move into second place and cut Chelsea's Premier League lead to six points.

Russians march through Moscow to protest healthcare reforms

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Over a thousand Russians marched through central Moscow on Sunday to protest against reforms to the healthcare system and to demand better wages and working conditions for doctors.

A Conversation On What It Means To Kill In War

Troops are trained to kill, but not to deal with the consequences of killing.(Reuters/Andrew Burton)

It’s Time For An Honest Conversation About What It Means To Kill In War -- Phil Zabriskie, Quartz

Last week, General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a Congressional committee that his office was still considering whether or not the US should send ground troops to Iraq to fight ISIL (a.k.a. the Islamic State). Some in Congress and the military think the idea is past due, and that only American combat troops can neutralize the threat ISIL poses to Syria, Iraq, and beyond.

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With Chuck Hagel’s resignation as defense secretary on Nov. 24—not to mention a move to slow the troop withdrawal in Afghanistan—a shift in policy may indeed be in the offing. But what everyone must understand is that if boots are put on the ground and a fighting war begins, American servicemen will not only likely be killed, but will also be killing.



That may sound obvious. Of course combat soldiers have to kill. And yet over the past year, as I’ve been reporting and writing about killing in combat—a project born from time spent covering the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and several other countries over the past decade—I’ve seen that this part of combat, obvious though it may be, remains one of the least discussed and most overlooked, despite the profound implications it has for all involved.



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My Comment: A sobering essay on a topic that no one wants to discuss. Fortunately .... in my own case .... I cannot relate to it. I have never killed anyone .... and it is a track record that I am very proud to hold. Unfortunately .... my father did kill a great deal of people during the Second World War .... and while I know some of the details (bits and pieces of info accumulated over the years) .... I do know that his war experience gave him horrible nightmares for the rest of his life.

Canada's Jean chosen to lead organization of Francophone states

DAKAR (Reuters) - Canadian candidate Michaelle Jean, a former governor general of Canada, was chosen as the next head of the international organization of Francophone nations (OIF) at a summit in Senegal on Sunday, the OIF said in a statement.

Hong Kong protesters clash with police near heart of financial district

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hundreds of Hong Kong pro-democracy activists scuffled with police on Sunday as they tried to encircle government headquarters, defying orders for protesters to retreat after more than two months of demonstrations.