* The End of Judeo-Christian Civilization Is Fast Approaching It was a beautiful summer evening, with an occasional gentle breeze preventing it from becoming stifling.
* Hugh Fitzgerald: Was the Medina Attack an 'Assault on Islam Itself'? After every attack by Muslim terrorists, Muslims, and many non-Muslim apologists for Islam, insist that 'these attacks cannot possibly have anything to do with Islam.'
* Ramadan Ends With a Bang as Islamic State Suicide Bomber Explodes Syrian Bakery, Killing 30 An Islamic State suicide bomber blew himself up outside a bakery in the Kurdish northern Syrian province of Hassakeh as Ramadan was ending late Tuesday, killing as many as 30 people and injuring dozens more.
* Russia revamps air force array in Syria & Mid East Moscow has decided to send additional advanced aircraft, including K-52 helicopter gunships, to Syria 'in order to strengthen the Russian military grouping that takes part in anti-terrorist operations" - Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuriy Ivanovich Borisov announced this week.
* Iranian leader blasts US, Israel for Islamist terrorist attacks Khamenei says 'arrogant' West is trying to deflect attention from plight of Palestinians.
* Noah's ark of biblical proportions ready to open in Kentucky The wooden structure, built based on dimensions in the Bible, exhibits displays of Noah's family along with rows of cages containing animal replicas, including dinosaurs; it is also a source of great controversy over its funding.
* Israel, US successfully test integration of missile defense systems Test checks real-time communication between Israeli and American systems, simulating an attack in which thousands of rockets and missiles from Iran and Lebanon are fired at Israel; 6 missile defense systems tested, including Arrow 2 and 3, David's Sling, Aegis Ships, THAAD, and Patriot missiles.
* US Accuses Israel of "Systematically Seizing" Palestinian Land The U.S. State Department issued a strongly worded statement expressing 'deep concern' over Israel's recent approval of hundreds of new housing units in the disputed territories.
* Asia tourism spikes, drops sharply in Russia, increases modestly from US Nearly 80% of tourists visit Jerusalem, 70% go to Tel Aviv, 50% visit Dead Sea.
* 5 revelations from Chilcot's damning report into the Iraq war The long-awaited findings of Sir John Chilcot's inquiry into the invasion of Iraq by Britain in 2003 were finally published on Wednesday.