Calais in crisis over UK-bound migrants: Tensions at boiling point as riot police prepare to move in on 'Jungle 2', the camp housing thousands desperate to make Britain their home . Daily Mail

  Court deadline for migrants to leave illegal camp expires this morning

  Water supplies at camp cut off and police move in to clear 1,000 migrants

  Migrants started camping at 'Jungle 2' near busy road three months ago

  Mayor of Calais calls for new Sangatte-style accommodation centre

  Original Red Cross camp at Sangatte was shut down in 2002

  Britain accepted some migrants in deal but others moved to makeshift camp

Calais was at crisis point last night as French riot police prepared to raze a camp of East African migrants desperate to make their way to Britain.

Police vans patrolled the town ahead of the imminent crackdown as a court deadline for migrants to leave the illegal camp known as Jungle 2 expired.

It comes as the mayor of Calais called for a new Sangatte-style accommodation centre to be built.

The original was closed in 2002 after triggering a British immigration crisis. 

Last night, tensions at the camp were at breaking point as water supplies were cut off and gendarmes prepared to move in to clear the 1,000 migrants living there.

Numbers have swollen in recent weeks as more and more people from Eritrea, Ethiopia and Sudan make their way to the already crowded settlement and the surrounding countryside. 

But aid workers last night criticised the planned raids, insisting that closing the camp would not deal with the problem if no alternative solution was proposed.

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My Uttermost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers , The Brave Friendship of God, Daily Devotionals

Oh, the bravery of God in trusting us! Do you say, “But He has been unwise to choose me, because there is nothing good in me and I have no value”? That is exactly why He chose you. As long as you think that you are of value to Him He cannot choose you, because you have purposes of your own to serve. But if you will allow Him to take you to the end of your own self-sufficiency, then He can choose you to go with Him “to Jerusalem” (Luke 18:31). And that will mean the fulfilment of purposes which He does not discuss with you.

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Labour MPs tell Ed to sack Balls or we will lost the next Election: Shadow Chancellor under fire after he blocks extra health tax.

  A whispering campaign against Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls has started

  Mr Balls is fighting battle with Andy Burnham over their manifesto policies 

  He has categorically ruled out a ring-fenced tax to boost funding for NHS

  MPs have now put Labour's Ed Miliband under pressure to sack Mr Balls

  A whispering campaign against Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls has started

  Mr Balls is fighting battle with Andy Burnham over their manifesto policies 

  He has categorically ruled out a ring-fenced tax to boost funding for NHS

  MPs have now put Labour's Ed Miliband under pressure to sack Mr Balls

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Tom Hunter publishes Scottish independence info, The Scotsman

With just weeks to go until Scotland’s historic independence referendum, new leaflets and information booklets are being made available to help voters north of the border make up their minds.

A new e-book has been launched today, featuring contributions from leading academics who have been examining key issues in the debate.

A paperback version of the book, titled Scotland’s Decision - 16 Questions to think about for the referendum on 18 September, is also planned by its producers, which include businessman Sir Tom Hunter’s Hunter Foundation.

At the same time the Scottish Government is spending £550,000 sending a 12 page guide to the opportunities it says independence offers to all 2.5 million homes north of the border.

Meanwhile the UK Government will this week start sending out a leaflet to Scottish homes, setting it out what it believes are the five main benefits of remaining in the Union.

But Sir Tom said the decision voters will make on September 18 was “too important to leave to politicians to inform us”.

The Ayrshire-born entrepreneur said: “Like many voters, I am genuinely undecided, but I don’t feel that the campaigns so far have given me the facts and unbiased assessment to make a properly informed decision. I know I am not alone in thinking this way.

“A recent poll commissioned by the Hunter Foundation and published in early July showed 56% of undecided voters simply don’t feel they have enough impartial information to make a decision. And 45% of all voters claim they don’t trust either the UK or the Scottish Government’s predictions

“This series of papers we hope will bring some light upon the critical issues voters may wish to consider in making up their minds when they put a cross on the ballot paper on September 18.”

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Darling’s ultimate TV test... save the Union in two hours. Daily Mail.

It will be the most important televised clash in British history. On Tuesday night, Alex Salmond and Alistair Darling will debate Scottish independence.

 With only six weeks to go to the referendum, more than a million Scots are expected to tune in. Salmond has two hours to revive the flagging case for Scottish independence – and Darling two hours to secure the Union.

Salmond has been preparing intensively for this debate. The word is that he is relying on a lifestyle coach to help make sure he sounds sufficiently upbeat.

As one of his opponents observes: ‘If shouty Salmond turns up, he’ll turn off women.’

Darling is under a different kind of pressure. One big slip and he puts the entire Union in jeopardy. He will spend this weekend conducting mock debates against people playing Alex Salmond.

His team feels that after two years of public meetings and interviews on independence, he knows what he wants to say and how he wants to say it.

But this hasn’t stopped nervousness in London about how Darling will perform. Some Cabinet Ministers are fretting that Darling isn’t Scottish enough.

This might seem a bizarre thing to say about someone who went to school and university in Scotland and sits for Edinburgh South West in the House of Commons.

But in Salmond’s world, Westminster is a foreign country.

‘Salmond will play dirty,’ warns one Cabinet Minister. ‘He won’t hesitate to try to portray Alistair as an English lackey.’

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Commonwealth Games fail to deliver ‘Braveheart bounce’ to Salmond’s YES drive in favour of Scottish independence. Daily Mail

  First poll of Scottish voters conducted since the Games began puts ‘Yes’ vote on 40% – down one point on last month

  Those in favour of keeping the Union remain static on 46%

  Nationalists hoped Games would lead to surge of anti-UK votes 

Alex Salmond begins the most crucial week yet in the battle for Scotland’s future – without the hoped-for Commonwealth Games ‘bounce’ in favour of independence.

Three days before Mr Salmond’s live TV debate with anti-independence campaign leader Alistair Darling, a poll for The Mail on Sunday revealed no boost for the ‘Yes’ campaign from the Games in Glasgow.

The Survation survey, the first of Scottish voters to be conducted since the Games began, puts the ‘Yes’ vote on 40 per cent – down one point on last month – and ‘No’ unchanged on 46 per cent. The outcome will be a bitter disappointment for Scottish Nationalists, who had hoped that scheduling the independence referendum on September 18 on the back of the Games would lead to a surge of votes to break up the UK.

It also flies in the face of reports that a feel-good factor at Glasgow’s success in staging the Games and Scotland’s record haul of medals would provide a so-called ‘Braveheart bounce’ and revitalise the ‘Yes’ campaign.

But the survey does show that Scottish First Minister Mr Salmond is a clear favourite to win Tuesday night’s debate – the first head-to-head contest between the two campaign leaders.

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Red Len’s right-hand man backs the pro-Putin rebels: Unite union’s chief of staff brands Kiev rulers ‘fascist’ Daily Mail

  Andrew Murray is chief of staff of Britain’s largest trade union Unite

  Mr Murray was chairman of the Stop the War Coalition from 2001 until 2011

  ‘We must demand that our government stops supporting EU and Nato expansion' 

The chief of staff of Britain’s largest trade union Unite has launched a group supporting pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine.

Rebel groups are now widely suspected of shooting down Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in the east of the country.

Andrew Murray, right-hand man to the Unite general secretary Len McCluskey, spoke at the inaugural meeting of a campaign called Solidarity With The Antifascist Resistance In Ukraine (SARU) in June.

‘We must demand that our government stops supporting EU and Nato expansion and stops supporting the Kiev government.’

Since the airliner was shot down last month, with the loss of all 298 people on board, SARU has held a demonstration outside the Ukrainian Embassy in London, against ‘repression in Eastern Ukraine’.

A posting on the SARU website read: ‘Protesters also spoke up against the media coverage of the downed Malaysian flight MH17 over Eastern Ukraine, criticising the haste [sic] attribution of guilt to Russian President Vladimir Putin.’

Elsewhere it suggested that the airliner flew ‘lower than usual over the danger zone at the request of the Ukrainian dispatchers’.

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What We Get Wrong About 'Finding God's Will', Relevant Magazine, via Elim

What is God’s will for your life?

This question tends to haunt us while we go through our college years. We struggle through it by choosing our major, deciding where we will spend our summer, figuring out where to go to grad school, and so many other decisions.

If you are like me, anxiety creeps up on you every time you think about your future plans.

But why do we get so anxious? For me, I start thinking about how I have one opportunity at every decision I make, and when I choose one path, I am saying no to another. But how do I know the path I choose is the right one?

The phrase we have all heard in answer to this question is we need to find God’s will for our life. And for the past 21 years, I thought I had to keep praying for God to open my eyes to the will he had laid out for me. That if I just kept searching long enough and hard enough, I would know exactly what I was supposed to do in the future.

Chandler Vannoy

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Fighting on God's side?

Fighting on God's side?

THE BATTLEFIELD PREACHER

Another young man who died tragically young at Passchendaele was Albert Penn. Penn was not long married, and his wife Florence had just given birth to their daughter when he signed up. Devout and sincere Christians, they’d met at the Wesleyan Methodist chapel in their village, where he ran the boys’ Bible class and she ran the equivalent for girls.  

Penn was refused when he first volunteered because Florence was pregnant. ‘Come back when the baby is three months old,’ he was told. He did. Eight months later, when baby Mary Estelle was just 11 months old, he was dead.  

Penn died on 30 October 1917; he was just 28 years old. His body was never found, but his name is listed among the missing soldiers on the memorial at Tyne Cot, near Ypres in Belgium.  

Businessman sets up private toll road just 340 yards long charging motorists £2 a time to bypass closed section of main road. Daily Mail.

  The A431 Kelston Road between Bath and Bristol was shut in February following a landslip and won;t be repaired until the end of the year

  Local resident Mike Watts put up £150,000 of his own money to build bypass

  The route which opened yesterday is first privately run toll road to be built since cars became a familiar sight more than 100 years ago

  The toll road is just 340 yards in length but avoids a 10-mile detour

  Local council about road unhappy citing health and safety concerns 

A savvy grandfather who was sick of roadworks near his home has defied his council and built his own bypass toll road - the first for more than 100 years.

Businessman Mike Watts decided to open the thoroughfare - made of a mix of asphalt and chippings - to bypass a closed section of the A431 between Bath and Bristol.

The Kelston Road was shut in February following a landslip and officials say that it will not be repaired until the end of the year.

But a new makeshift road, which costs £2 a time to use, re-opens the important 'back road' - which is used by commuters going between the two cities.

Local villagers in nearby Kelston have repeatedly criticised Bath & North East Somerset Council for not re-opening the main road sooner and say it has caused major traffic problems in the area.

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PETER HITCHENS: These vainglorious fools will march us into another inferno. Daily Mail

A

 century ago, stupid and vainglorious politicians dragged us into war. We started it as a great, rich empire and ended it as an indebted husk. 

Soon afterwards, America’s President Woodrow Wilson told aides he would wipe Britain ‘off the face of the map’ in another ‘terrible and bloody war’ unless we ceded our naval supremacy.

And US Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes raged and shouted at Britain’s ambassador in Washington, Auckland Geddes, that America had saved Britain’s bacon and we had better be grateful from now on.

In a voice rising to a scream, Mr Hughes declared: ‘You would not be here to speak for Britain – you would not be speaking anywhere, England would not be able to speak at all! 

'It is the Kaiser who would be heard, if America – seeking nothing for herself but to save England – had not plunged into the war and won it!’

These little-known but important facts should be borne in mind as we look back on this dreadful episode. I for one have had enough of war poets and trench memoirs. Let’s have some proper history – who did what to whom and what it cost. 

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Dark shadow of the Great War: Tomorrow marks 100 years since Europe plunged into the war to end all wars. But as this brilliant analysis argues, we are still living with its appalling legacy in Ukraine and Gaza . Daily Mail Simon Heffer

E

xactly 100 years ago tomorrow, Britain stumbled into a war that would change the face not just of this country but of the whole of Europe, for ever.

Its consequences would spread far beyond the continent where it was fought, initiating almost a century of upheaval, revolution, bloodshed and conflict unimaginable to the Britons who cheered when we decided to fight the Kaiser on August 4, 1914.

It is no exaggeration to say that the effects of the Great War are still being felt. It isn’t just that so many families remember great uncles or grandparents or great-grandparents who lie in what Rupert Brooke called ‘some corner of a foreign field’.

The conflict in Ukraine and the bloody wars in Syria, Iraq and Gaza all have their roots in a war that destroyed the empires that constituted the old world order, and which began a century ago almost to the day.

Ukraine’s troubles were born from the ruins of the Austro-Hungarian and Russian empires, and the horrors of the Middle East from the fall of the Ottoman Empire. These two conflicts have conspired to make the world more dangerous than since the height of the Cold War in the early 1960s, and are direct legacies of the bloodbath which the nation commemorates the centenary of tomorrow.

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My Uttermost for His Highest , Oswald Chambers The Compelling Purpose, Daily Devotionals

J

erusalem, in the life of our Lord, represents the place where He reached the culmination of His Father’s will. Jesus said, “I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me” (John 5:30). Seeking to do “the will of the Father” was the one dominating concern throughout our Lord’s life. And whatever He encountered along the way, whether joy or sorrow, success or failure, He was never deterred from that purpose. “. . . He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem . . .” (Luke 9:51).

The greatest thing for us to remember is that we go up to Jerusalem to fulfil God’s purpose, not our own. In the natural life our ambitions are our own, but in the Christian life we have no goals of our own. We talk so much today about our decisions for Christ, our determination to be Christians, and our decisions for this and that, but in the New Testament the only aspect that is brought out is the compelling purpose of God. “You did not choose Me, but I chose you . . .” (John 15:16).

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Scottish independence would be economic disaster, finance experts warn just as the SNP say the economy is key battleground, Daily Mail

  Businesses and academics warn country would be plunged into turmoil

  Scotland would join the list of impoverished European countries

  Another says there would be 'utter panic' if voters back independence

Finance experts, academics and business leaders have raised fears that independence would destroy the economy, hit investment and force companies to migrate to England.

In an unprecedented survey that will prove devastating for the SNP, analysts believe a Yes vote in the referendum could lead to the loss of thousands of jobs and plunge the country into turmoil.

One finance insider suggested Scotland would be added to the list of impoverished European countries left on their knees. Another said there would be 'utter panic' among finance firms and several warned of a 'disaster' for Scotland.

Alex Salmond's separatist vision was dismissed as 'economically incoherent'; there were warnings that 'skilled labour' would leave; and creating a new border would cut gross domestic product (GDP) by as much as 3 per cent. 

The findings are particularly humiliating for Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who yesterday predicted the economy would be the key battleground in the referendum campaign.

The Financial Times asked a number of high-profile economists and eminent university professors to examine the impact of a Nationalist victory in September.

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Keep William Wallace out of it says Danny Alexander, Daily Mail

I am a Highlander. I spent my early years on Colonsay in the Hebrides, then moved to Lochaber and went to high school in Fort William. One of the most powerful memories of this time was seeing the Commando memorial at Spean Bridge twice a day from the school bus.

This imposing monument commemorates the role played by young men from all over the UK in protecting our freedom during the Second World War.

It’s a sight I have in mind as we approach the decision next month on whether Scotland should break away from the UK and become independent.

That memorial, a tribute to the extraordinary strength of our family of nations, is something I will think of when I watch this week’s TV debate between Alex Salmond and Alistair Darling.

It’s not often you’ll see a Liberal Democrat rooting for an ex-Labour Cabinet Minister like Darling. But now, more than ever, with only a few weeks until the referendum, is a time to lay down party political differences and stand up for the interests of Scotland – and the UK.

Expect fireworks, rhetorical flourishes and verbal acrobatics from the Scottish First Minister.

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New Skoda Fabia 2015 pictures and details | Auto Express

New Skoda Fabia 2015 pictures and details | Auto Express

One Tough Step to Blasting Open Doors for Your Life, Charisma Magazine

The Guillens were a bright, young, cheerful couple--cheerful despite the fact that their daughter was born with a large lump on the side of her neck. The child was beautiful, but the massive growth drew attention away from her pretty features.

Along with our church, they prayed diligently for her healing. Yet their prayers, including ours, did not seem to avail.

Then one day I received a call from this couple. "Pastor, our little girl is healed! The growth is gone!" The next day they shared their wonderful testimony with our church. With my own eyes I could verify this healing. There she was. Perfectly healed! No trace of the growth was there.

The thing that impressed me the most was not the healing, but how the healing took place.

This is the Guillens' testimony:

"The Lord laid upon our hearts to fast for our daughter. We didn't know much about fasting but we did it anyway. Our daughter began to complain that her neck was hurting. Soon she was screaming in pain. The soft growth turned hard. We were concerned, but we knew God had called us to fast for our daughter, and we knew she would be healed. One morning we noticed that the growth was a little smaller. The next day it shrank more. Finally, the growth disappeared altogether."

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Independence: RBS reiterate ‘Yes’ concerns, The Scotsman Newspaper

THE Royal Bank of Scotland has repeated its warning of a “material adverse effect” on its business if voters back independence in next month’s referendum.

The bank, which is 80 per cent owned by the taxpayer, highlighted the potential for uncertainty caused by a Yes vote, which it said could significantly impact the group’s credit ratings as well as the fiscal, monetary, legal and regulatory landscape to which the business is subject.

In a section outlining the risk factors facing the group, RBS said in its half-year results that independence could “significantly impact the group’s costs and would have a material adverse effect on the group’s business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects”.

The stark warning from the bank is in line with a statement it made in its annual report earlier this year about the consequences of independence.

The company, which has maintained a neutral position ahead of the vote, has been holding talks with the Bank of England, UK Financial Investments and the Scottish and UK Governments over the referendum.

Half-year results from the bank confirmed figures published last week showing a big jump in operating profits to £2.6 billion. It said it has benefited from the improving economy, reduced bad debts and the quicker run down of non-core assets.

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Standard Life could leave independent Scotland – threatening 5,000 jobs, Daily Express

Labour leader Johann Lamont accused the First Minister of “denial, deception and delusion” after Standard Life confirmed it may flee south of the Border in the event of a Yes vote.

The financial giant, which employs about 5,000 people in Scotland, said it was drawing up contingency plans amid doubts over a breakaway country’s currency and EU membership.

The Edinburgh-based pensions, savings and insurance firm also raised concerns about future financial services regulation and taxation.

And, in another setback for the SNP, RBS used its full-year results to warn that uncertainty over the referendum is already damaging business. The state-owned bank also claimed a vote for independence would “significantly impact the group’s credit ratings” which could be passed on to mortgage and loan customers.

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Something wrong, Alex? Moment Scotland's First Minister is mocked by a fan waving an England flag behind at the Commonwealth Games. Daily Mail

  Fan was at diving final in Edinburgh where England nudged to second place

  First Minister smiled and gasped as flag-waving punter gave knowing smile 

  Salmond infamously unfurled Scots flag in Royal Box behind David Cameron

With just 47 days until Scotland votes on independence, Alex Salmond has been unfurling the Saltire whenever he can.

So a cheeky England fan couldn't resist photobombing the First Minister with the St George's Cross - almost a year after Salmond pulled a similar stunt at Wimbledon.

The politician was watching the men's 10m synchronised diving final in Edinburgh at the Commonwealth Games, which saw England's Tom Daley and James Denny claim silver.

He smiled, gasped and held his hand to his mouth - all the while oblivious to the fan behind him, who gave the camera a knowing smile.

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