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Senior Iranian cleric calls on Islamic Republic to defend Muslims worldwide

A high-ranking Iranian cleric on Friday said the country should grow into a military superpower to defend all Muslims, following an army parade at a time of mounting tension with the West. "In a not so distant future, we should reach a point to have the most powerful military equipment in the world, so that no one even think about invading our borders," Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati said in his Friday prayer sermon carried live on state radio. "And not only that of the Islamic Republic, but also the borders of Islam ... We must defend oppressed Muslims everywhere, so that the enemies do not dare to attack Afghanistan, Palestine and Iraq."

On Thursday's annual Army Day celebration in Tehran, dozens of fighter jets and other aircraft flew over the parade ground in a bid to show the power of the air force.

Also on display was Iran's Shahab-3 missile, whose range includes Israel and even the fringes of Europe.

The hard-line cleric also vowed to cheering worshippers, who chanted "Death to America" and "Death to Israel," that their slogans will materialize.

"I tell you that the death of the United States has come. You shouted Death to the Shah and he died," Jannati said, referring to the monarch overthrown by the 1979 Islamic Revolution and who died in exile. "You say 'Death to Israel,' and it is dying. You say 'Death to America,' and it will not take so long that its death prayer will be said."

Spikey haired techno fan Briston terror suspect

A terror suspect who dresses in Muslim robes was once a spiky-haired hardcore music fan with a pierced eyebrow. Andrew Ibrahim, 19, was arrested by police under the Terrorism Act on Thursday. Three controlled explosions have been carried out at his home in Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol.

A source who once worked with him confirmed that our picture from the website MySpace is of Ibrahim when he had dyed red hair and facial piercings.

Non-Muslim father and son banned from swimming in pool

According to The Telegraph, staff at the centre turned David Toube and his five-year-old son Harry during a men-only session.

The council of the area has now admitted that workers at Clissold Leisure Centre in Hackney had made a mistake and have offered the family an apology.

Toube, 39, a lawyer, said they visited the baths at 9 a.m. on Sunday.

"I asked whether my son and I could go as we were both male. I was told that the session was for Muslims only and that we could not be admitted."

Toube then spoke to the duty manager, who confirmed he could not enter.

"I asked what would happen if I turned up and insisted I was Muslim.

"The manager suggested that they might ask the Muslims swimming if they minded my son and I swimming with them. If they didn't object, we might be allowed in."

Toube claimed he was told by a member of staff on a subsequent visit that it was a "requirement of the Muslim religion that Muslims could not swim with non-Muslims".