Red Cross staff and volunteers are helping people affected by the New South Wales bushfires, and forecasters say today’s conditions could be the worst of the traumatic episode.  Please consider helping out with a donation to those who come to our aid when disaster strikes.  Meanwhile, tales of even more US spying on France rankle relations – A second blond girl is taken from a Roma family in Europe – And why does London’s newest MBA love a good scratch behind his ears?

The US National Security Agency (NSA) spied directly on French diplomats in Washington and at the United Nations.  This new report in Le Monde is on top of the earlier revelations that the US conducted surveillance on millions of phone calls in France.  The eavesdropping on the diplomats was achieved through a sophisticated program called “Genie” and, yes, the report comes from the vast troves of America surveillance information released by Edward Snowden.

Police in Dublin, Ireland placed a 7-year old blond girl with a foster family over night, while DNA tests determine if she is the child of the Roma couple she was found with.  The parents could not come up with a birth certificate and the hospital they claim she was born at has no record of the birth.  The case echoes a similar situation in Greece; that investigation found that little “Maria’s” DNA doesn’t match those of missing children in Interpol’s database.

Greece has cut state funding to the Golden Dawn fascist political party.  It’s the latest in a series of moves to clamp down on the neo-nazi group after one of its members admitted murdering a popular anti-racist musician.  Six Golden Dawn politicians are up on a host of charges including being part of a criminal gang.

Iran will not re-hang a convicted drug smuggler who survived his date with the gallows.  The Justice Minister said there is “no need” and executing the man would harm Iran’s image abroad.  The 37-year old condemned prisoner was hanged for 12 minutes, pronounced dead by a doctor, but was found breathing in the morgue the next day.  He was transferred to a hospital, but his condition is not known.

Israeli troops have killed an Islamic Jihad militant believed to have been behind a 2012 bus bombing in Tel Aviv that wounded 29 people.  Troops stormed an area in the West Bank, sparking a brief gunfight.  Mohammed Assi and some others tried to barricade themselves in a cave; it didn’t work, Assi was killed and two others were arrested.

Kenya’s military are denying troops looted the upscale Westgate Mall in Nairobi as they attempted to subdue murderous al Shabaab terrorists during last month’s siege.  CCTV footage from the mall showed soldiers walking into the Nakumatt Supermarket, past the blood stains of some of the 67 people killed, and leaving with loaded shopping bags.  The military says the men merely took some bottled water “to quench their thirst,” and they did it “with authority from their commanders.” 

A so-called “university” has been caught awarding an MBA degree to a South London resident in exchange for A$7,500 and no course work.  And the new degree holder graduated Magna Cum Dog; the BBC submitted the name and made-up CV of one “Peter Smith”, whose qualifications include doing his business outside and staying off the furniture and generally being a very good dog.  The American University of London (AUOL) is exists neither in America nor London:  It’s incorporated in the Caribbean.