Financial Crisis
»	Spain Hits New Joblessness High at Almost 5 Million
	USA
»	American Reds Still Backing Obama
»	America Nears El Tipping Pointo
	Europe and the EU
»	£2bn of UK Aid to Help Third World Go Green
»	Biggest UK Mosque: Decision Due on Tablighi Jamaat Bid
»	Dutch Ready to Revoke Blasphemy Law
»	French Sperm Count ‘Falls by a Third’
»	Gas: Greek Reserves Could Reach 427 Bln Euros, Deutsche Bank
»	Italian Premier Calls High-Speed Rail ‘Growth’ Measure
»	Italy: Financial Times Urges Bersani to Clarify Party Direction
»	Male Fertility Down in France… And Will UK be Next? Sperm Counts Fall Rapidly Due to Diet and Lifestyle
»	Mining Company Fibs About Danish Support for Uranium Extraction
»	Netherlands: All Football Matches Scrapped After Linesman’s Violent Death
»	Nobel Prize to Get Hedge Fund Boost After Awards Sink 20%
»	Quality of Life in Athens Lowest in Western Europe, Survey
»	Serbian NATO Envoy Jumps to Death at Brussels Airport
»	Spain’s ‘New Muslims’
»	UK: Appeal for Information About Whereabouts of Man Arrested in Connection With Sexual Offence — Bristol
»	UK: A Teenage Girl Was Raped After Accepting a Lift Home From a Stranger in Rochdale
»	UK: Homecoming Parade for Royal Welsh After Afghanistan Tour
»	UK: Megamosque Nixed for Now
»	UK: Nassim Nicholas Taleb and His Enemies
»	UK: Rochdale Safeguarding Board Chairman Quits After Sex Grooming Scandal
»	UK: Sex Grooming: Shaun Wright May Face Select Committee Summons
»	UK: The Turner Prize: A Bloated, Contrived, Luvvie-Riddled Waste of Taxpayer’s Money
»	UK: Tories Vote to Scrap ‘Undemocratic’ Human Rights Act
»	UK: Tories Turn Up Heat on Human Rights Act as Seven Former Ministers Call on Cameron to Repeal the Law
»	UK: We Wish You a Merry Hatefest
	North Africa
»	Arab Spring on Big Screen in Bari Arab Film Festival
»	Egypt: More Clashes at Presidential Palace, Two Dead
»	Libya: Al-Qaeda ‘Intensifying Efforts to Establish New Base in Libya’
»	Three Dead, 350 Wounded in Egypt Violence
»	Tunisia: Sixtieth Anniversary of Farhat Hached’s Assassination — UGTT March Disturbed
»	Tunisia: ‘UGTT is Murdered the Very Day We Commemorate 60th Anniversary of Leader Farhat Hached’s Assassination, ‘ Houcine Abassi
»	Tunisia: UGTT HQ Attacked, Unionists Almost Lynched in Video
	Israel and the Palestinians
»	Europe Mulls New Mideast Peace Plan: Palestinian Official
»	Israel Accuses US of Backing European Settlement Backlash
»	The Conversation Israel and Palestine Needs to Have
	Middle East
»	2 Killed, 12 Injured in Fresh Fighting in Lebanon’s Tripoli
»	A US-Led Coalition Against Syria Could Include Israel
»	Italy Has No Plans to Cut Contingent to UN Lebanon Mission
»	NATO’s Turkey Missile Deployment “Inconducive” To Peace: China FM
»	Syria: ‘Russia is a Convenient Excuse to Do Nothing’
»	Syria: Children Freezing to Death, Italy to Sent 1.5mln Euros
»	Turkey Opens an Arabic Website for Arab Visitors
	South Asia
»	India: Not Another Mosque-Temple Tinderbox
»	India: Gujarat Polls: Who Will Hug the Muslims?
»	Over 500 Buddhist Artifacts Looted in Bangladesh
	Australia — Pacific
»	Faith Off: Sparks Fly in Doveton Mosque Row
	Sub-Saharan Africa
»	Nigeria: Disquiet Over Sack of Jaji Military Chiefs — Jni Alleges Religious Bias
»	Nigeria: We’ll Dialogue With Boko Haram if … — FG
»	Nigeria: Christians, Muslims Ask to Join Hands to Fight Terrorism
»	Somali Men Jailed in Rome for Piracy
»	South Africa: Beleaguered White SA Farmers Ask for State Protection
»	South African Farmers Fearing for Their Lives
	Immigration
»	Immigrants Absent From German Public Sector
»	UK: Countryside is Under Threat in Migrant Surge
	Culture Wars
»	The Agenda Behind Gender Bending
	General
»	Earth’s Earliest Dinosaur Possibly Discovered
»	NASA’s Next Mars Rover Should Collect Samples, Experts Say

Spain Hits New Joblessness High at Almost 5 Million

+11% in a year, fewer registered for social security benefits

(ANSAmed) — MADRID, DECEMBER 4 — Spain’s unemployment rate continued to grow in November, reaching almost 5 million — a new record high of 74,296 more jobless compared with the previous month. These figures were released today by the Labour and Social Security Ministry. The overall number of unemployed is 4,907,817 people, a rise of 487,355 people in one year (more than 11%). Almost 38,000 of the newly unemployed (reported the sources) are the effect of the discharge of special obligatory contracts of the Social Security Institute for non-professional assistants for the disabled. This is the direct effect of measures adopted in July by Mariano Rajoy’s conservative government in the decree for service cuts affecting the disabled, on the basis of which non-professional caregivers must pay social security contributions which previously had been paid by the state. A sharp drop was also seen in November for the number of those signed up for social security benefits, down by 111,782 — about 205,678 fewer than at the beginning of the year. In the sector breakdown, 85% of the newly unemployed were from the tertiary sector while the rest were from agriculture or manufacturing.

Labour Minister Fatima Banez has admitted that “it is clearly a negative figure”, in commenting on the unemployment rate today. However, she went on to defend the government’s policies, saying that “ despite having made the appropriate decisions and asked for enormous efforts from citizens, the recession continues to have painful consequences for all Spaniards.” She said that “the government is working every day to change the situation.”

— Hat tip: Insubria

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American Reds Still Backing Obama

Erwin Marquit, a member of the International Department of the Communist Party USA (CPUSA), recently told a conference of communist political parties from around the world that communists in the U.S did not run their own candidate for president on November 6 because they worked within the Democratic Party for the reelection of Barack Obama and the victories of “progressive” Democrats to Congress.

“The Communist Party USA not only welcomes the reelection of President Barack Obama, but actively engaged in the electoral campaign for his reelection and for the election of many Democratic Party congressional candidates,” Marquit declared at the conference, hosted by the Lebanese Communist Party.

Under Obama, he said, “…we have been forming Party clubs in states in which we previously had very few or even no members. This influx of new members led us to have a national Party school earlier this year to acquaint new members with the Marxist-Leninist orientation of the Party.”

The communist resurgence under Obama is not surprising, since he has consistently waged a Marxist class warfare campaign as President and was influenced as a young man by Communist Party member Frank Marshall Davis.

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America Nears El Tipping Pointo

An article by Nate Cohn in the current New Republic argues, as the title puts it: “The GOP Has Problems With White Voters, Too.” As proof, Cohn cites Jefferson County, Colo.; Loudoun County, Va.; Wake County, N.C.; and Somerset County, N.J., all of which went Republican in presidential elections from 1968 through 2004, but which Romney lost in 2012.

Smelling a rat, I checked the demographic shifts in these counties from the 2000 to the 2010 census. In each one, there has been a noticeable influx of Hispanics (and Asians, who also vote Democrat), diminishing “the white vote” that Cohn claims Republicans are losing.

Between the 2000 and 2010 census, for example, the white population of Jefferson County declined more than 90 percent to less than 80 percent, while the Hispanic population more than doubled, from 6 percent to 14 percent.

In Loudoun County, the Asian population tripled from 5 percent to 15 percent and the Hispanic population doubled from 6 percent to 12 percent. Meanwhile, whites plummeted from 83 percent to 69 percent of the population.

Similarly, Wake County shifted from 74 percent white to 66 percent white in the past decade, while the Hispanic population doubled, from 5 percent to 10 percent, and the black population stayed even at about 20 percent.

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£2bn of UK Aid to Help Third World Go Green

Britain yesterday pledged almost £2 billion in “climate aid” to help finance foreign projects including wind turbines in Africa and greener cattle farming in Colombia.

Each household will contribute £70 to schemes to tackle climate change in developing countries before March 2015, under plans championed by Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat Energy Secretary.

Conservative MPs were furious last night at the scale of the bill, which was unveiled as George Osborne prepares to announce a series of tax rises and spending cuts in today’s Autumn Statement.

Lord Lawson of Blaby, a former Chancellor, also criticised the “appalling waste of money” at a time when household budgets are already squeezed.

Senior Conservatives were also dismayed at the timing of the announcement, but Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, hailed the cash as “fantastic news”.

The disclosure is sure to provoke anger among hard-pressed families, who increasingly see foreign aid and green energy as among the lowest priorities for Government spending in the current financial climate.

— Hat tip: Kitman

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Biggest UK Mosque: Decision Due on Tablighi Jamaat Bid

A decision on whether to approve plans for what would be the UK’s biggest mosque, near the Olympic Park in east London, will be made later.

The Islamic missionary group Tablighi Jamaat has been trying for 10 years to build a large mosque in Newham. The mosque would have four times the capacity of St Paul’s Cathedral with room for almost 10,000 worshippers — which opponents say is too big. Plans for the Abbey Mills site will be discussed at a meeting later…

— Hat tip: JP

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Dutch Ready to Revoke Blasphemy Law

While some countries convict people for blasphemy and tighten laws concerning insulting religions, the Netherlands aims to strike blasphemy from the books. But the Dutch are going to make one royal exception. Blasphemy has been illegal in the Netherlands since 1932. But it’s been decades since the statue has seen the light of a courtroom — the last time anyone was convicted of “offensive blasphemy” was in 1968. Now, the Dutch government would like to remove the law entirely. The Dutch parliament in The Hague has suggested abolishing section 147, under which blasphemy becomes a punishable offense. Any insults lobbed at the Dutch Queen Beatrix, however, shall continue to be a punishable offense…

— Hat tip: JP

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French Sperm Count ‘Falls by a Third’

French men are not as fertile as they used to be, according to a new study. And not only are they producing less semen, but the sperm is of a lower quality at that.

Researchers found that the sperm count in French men fell by nearly a third between 1989 and 2005, at a rate of about 1.9 percent a year. The study, published in the Oxford journal Human Reproduction, tested semen samples from more than 26,000 men from across the country.

“To our knowledge, this is the first study concluding a severe and general decrease in sperm concentration and morphology at the scale of a whole country over a substantial period,” wrote one of the report’s authors, epidemiologist Dr Joelle Le Moal.

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Gas: Greek Reserves Could Reach 427 Bln Euros, Deutsche Bank

(ANSAmed) — ATHENS, DECEMBER 5 — Undersea natural gas reserves south of Crete could reach an estimated value of up to at 427 billion euros, according to a Deutsche Bank report. The German lender’s report notes that the Greek government has commissioned preliminary seismology studies, with initial results expected in mid 2013. The report, however, also noted that the scale and evaluation of the natural gas reserves have yet to be verified and have so far been based on gas finds in the Levantine Basin in the Eastern Mediterranean, a sea area between Cyprus, Turkey, Syria, Israel, Egypt and Lebanon.

According to the report, as Kathimerini online writes, revenues stemming from the exploitation of the natural gas reserves could be expected in no fewer than 8 to 10 years.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Italian Premier Calls High-Speed Rail ‘Growth’ Measure

Monti says ‘concrete’ projects needed to flank budget discipline

(ANSA) — Rome, December 3 — Italian Premier Mario Monti said Monday the future high-speed rail link between Lyon and Turin will contribute to badly needed economic growth in France and Italy.

“We are both convinced” that for economic growth “budget discipline” is necessary, but “at the same time not sufficient,” Monti told reporters at the conclusion of a France-Italy bilateral summit in Lyon.

“Concrete initiatives are needed, like the one confirmed today, with shared political will, of the Turin-Lyon high-speed link,” Monti said.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Italy: Financial Times Urges Bersani to Clarify Party Direction

Must say if will follow Monti agenda says British newspaper

(ANSA) — Rome, December 5 — The first task of newly re-elected Democratic Party (PD) leader Pier Luigi Bersani must be to clarify his party’s direction, the Financial Times newspaper said Wednesday.

The FT, an influential British newspaper, said Bersani should be clear with voters on where he stands on reforms already implemented by Premier Mario Monti and his technocrat government.

Bersani’s “first task is to clarify whether his government will follow the path traced by Monti” in such areas as public finance, pension and labour-market reforms, and public spending cuts. In an editorial following Bersani’s victory Sunday in PD primaries, the newspaper said clarity from Bersani — a 61-year-old former Communist — is also important for Italy’s credibility in the eyes of financial markets and investors.

Markets are said to be concerned by the PD’s alliance with the smaller leftist SEL party, although Bersani has already signalled he will not deviate from Monti’s adherence to EU-mandated fiscal discipline. Polls suggest that Bersani could become the country’s next premier in elections slated for February or March.

Bersani’s PD party stands a good chance over former premier Silvio Berlusconi’s centre-right People of Freedom (PdL) party, which is in a state of confusion as its candidate for premier is still not known just months before the vote.

But the PD will also face competition from comedian Beppe Grillo’s anti-establishment Five Star Movement, which opposes the current party system and wants Italy to have a referendum on whether to keep the euro as its currency.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Male Fertility Down in France… And Will UK be Next? Sperm Counts Fall Rapidly Due to Diet and Lifestyle

Falling sperm counts in France are a ‘serious warning’ to British men, scientists said yesterday.

A major French study has revealed that sperm counts and quality have fallen sharply since the start of the 1990s.

It is believed the trend is linked to diet, lifestyle and ‘gender bender’ chemicals.

Read more:

— Hat tip: Kitman

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Mining Company Fibs About Danish Support for Uranium Extraction

Pushy foreign companies want Denmark and Greenland to allow the mining of the radioactive metal, but major diplomatic hurdles need to be cleared before the ban is repealed

A multi-billion kroner rare earth mineral mine in Greenland could break China’s near-monopoly on the minerals and bring enormous wealth to the Danish autonomous territory.

But while the mine’s operator, the Australian company Greenland Mineral and Energy (GME), is eager to get going, they can’t until a ban on uranium mining is lifted.

Uranium would be an inevitable by-product of the mine in the Kvanefjeld region, and GME has been placing pressure on Greenland’s Self-Rule government to lift the ban so it can invest an additional 15 billion kroner to get the mine started.

Lifting the ban is not simple, however. While Greenland has full jurisdiction over which resources it allows to be mined, if the mines affect the security of the Kingdom of Denmark, then the central Danish government also has a say.

As a result of the joint interest, the Greenlandic Self-Rule government and the Danish government recently agreed to establish a commission that will access the impact of lifting the ban.

Thee results of the study won’t be ready before the spring when the Self-Rule government will vote on whether to allow uranium mining. But according to GME, they already have the support of the Danish government.

“The Danish foreign minister Villy Søvndal … has indicated that Denmark will support Greenland in pursuing uranium production,” GME’s managing director Roderick McIllree wrote in a press release.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Netherlands: All Football Matches Scrapped After Linesman’s Violent Death

THE HAGUE, 05/12/12 — The Dutch football association KNVB yesterday cancelled all this weekend’s amateur football matches in a protest against the violent death of a linesman.

A linesman who was beaten up after an amateur football match on Sunday died on Monday. Three youths aged 15 and 16 have been arrested.

Out of respect for the linesman the KNVB has cancelled all 31,000 matches except those in the two professional leagues. All players there will wear black ribbons. A minute’s silence will be held before every professional game.?

The KNVB yesterday also called on all amateur clubs to open their clubhouses this weekend. It urges teams to get together and discuss the incident.

After an amateur football match between the B1 youth teams of Amsterdam club Nieuw Sloten and Almere club Buitenboys on Sunday linesman Richard Nieuwenhuizen was attacked by Nieuw Sloten players. He got unwell two hours later and was being kept in an artificial coma. He died on Monday from brain damage.

Three youths aged 15 and 16 of the B1 youth team have been arrested and charged with manslaughter. Nieuw Sloten has removed the team from competition, suspended the boys and passed their names to the KNVB.

According to media reports, the Nieuw Sloten club has been warned before by KNVB about aggressive behaviour, particularly in relation to its B1 youth team. Also, its younger C1 team is said to be given kickboxing classes prior to each match. Nieuw Sloten’s players and members are predominantly immigrants.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Nobel Prize to Get Hedge Fund Boost After Awards Sink 20%

The Nobel Foundation, which this year lopped 20 percent off its cash prizes, is planning to invest more money through hedge funds to boost its returns and restore the award to its previous size.

“When we look at the analysis we see that we can get more return with less risks by doing that,” Executive Director Lars Heikensten said in an interview at the Nobel Foundation’s Stockholm headquarters yesterday. “If we can choose hedge funds that we trust, then we can get better returns for given risks.” The fund “probably shouldn’t” be fully invested in debt securities, he said.

The Nobel foundation, created in 1900 at the request of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel to award prizes in physics, chemistry, medicine, peace and literature, this year cut the cash amount of its prize for the first time since 1949. The move followed a decade of poor returns, exacerbated by the onset of the global financial crisis.

The foundation had 2.97 billion kronor ($448 million) in investments at the end of 2011, corresponding to an 18 percent slump from its 2007 level, according to its website. The decline prompted a cut in this year’s prize amount to 8 million kronor, from 10 million kronor to safeguard Nobel’s capital.

“It was a difficult decision to take, since Nobel when he wrote his will made clear he wanted his money to be used for prizes,” said Heikensten, a former governor of the Swedish central bank.

An economics prize was created by Sweden’s Riksbank in 1968. Alvin E. Roth and Lloyd S. Shapley shared the award this year for their work on matching supply and demand. Previous laureates include Milton Friedman and Paul Krugman. The 2012 peace prize went to the European Union.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Quality of Life in Athens Lowest in Western Europe, Survey

(ANSAmed) — ATHENS, DECEMBER 4 — Athens offers its residents the worst quality of life of any city in western Europe, according to the latest global survey from consultant group Mercer. Earlier this year, the company’s researchers found that Athens was the world’s 78th most expensive city for non-locals, among 214 cities. Vienna has the best quality of life of any city in the world and Baghdad the worst, Mercer found as Kathimerini online reports.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Serbian NATO Envoy Jumps to Death at Brussels Airport

(Reuters) — Serbia’s ambassador to NATO jumped to his death from a multi-storey carpark at Brussels airport, officials said on Wednesday, and Serbia said it was investigating the incident.

Branislav Milinkovic, 52, jumped to his death during a conference of NATO foreign ministers, but officials did not make any connection between the meeting and his suicide.

“We are shocked and we are investigating all circumstances” surrounding the ambassador’s death, said a Serbian Foreign Ministry official who asked not to be named.

“We have no clues about what could prompt Milinkovic to do that. He was a good man,” the official said.

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen was “deeply saddened by the tragic death of the Serbian ambassador,” who was highly respected, said an alliance spokeswoman.

Brussels prosecutor’s office said: “We can be sure that it was a suicide, therefore we are not investigating any further.”

The Serbian Foreign Ministry praised Milinkovic as a distinguished diplomat and jurist who would be “remembered as a skilled diplomat, an intellectual and a noble man.”

Milinkovic was appointed ambassador to NATO in 2009 but had already been based in Brussels since 2004 as an envoy from the now defunct state union of Serbia and Montenegro.

Serbian tabloid newspaper Kurir reported that Milinkovic jumped around 10 metres (30 feet) in the presence of Serbia’s assistant foreign minister for security policy, Zoran Vujic.

The report, which could not immediately be confirmed, quoted an unnamed foreign ministry source as saying: “It’s possible the man was depressed and that nobody had noticed.”

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Spain’s ‘New Muslims’

A FORMER New York Times correspondent has penned a new book tracing the history of Spain’s ‘new Muslims’.

Al-Andalus Rediscovered discusses the integration of Muslim boatpeople, students, women and clerics, and how they fare in a largely Roman Catholic region. “Spain and Portugal have such long and conflicted history with the Islamic world,” said author Marvine Howe. “I focus primarily on the new Muslims, including the economic migrants who come via pateras from North Africa, the 2004 Madrid terrorist attacks and the impact of the economic crisis on integration efforts,” she added.

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: Appeal for Information About Whereabouts of Man Arrested in Connection With Sexual Offence — Bristol

Mohammed Sabry Aldeed, aged 37, of no fixed abode, was arrested on suspicion of rape following an incident which took place on the platform at Stapleton Road railway station at around 11pm on Sunday, 16 September 2012.

Aldeed was arrested by a patrolling Avon and Somerset Police officer who spotted him walking on Stapleton Road on Thursday, 27 September and recognised him as being a man wanted by BTP in connection with the incident.

Following an interview by BTP detectives, Aldeed was released on police bail to return to Trinity Road police station on Tuesday, 23 October.

His bail conditions included attending Trinity Road police station every Monday and Thursday.

Aldeed failed to answer his bail conditions and his whereabouts are currently unknown.

The Crown Prosecution has given authority to charge Aldeed with rape and enquiries are currently ongoing to trace Aldeed and bring him to justice.

Detective Constable Steve Eyers, of BTP, said:”It’s paramount that we locate Aldeed as soon as possible and ensure that he is brought back into custody and he answers the charge of rape.

— Hat tip: Kitman

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UK: A Teenage Girl Was Raped After Accepting a Lift Home From a Stranger in Rochdale

At about 12.40am on Saturday 1 December 2012, the 17-year-old was on Fleece Street when she was approached by a man in a car who offered her a lift home.

She accepted and the man took her to her house in Newbold.

During the journey he made threats towards her, leaving her frightened for her safety.

As she opened her front door the man got out of his car and followed her in.

Taking advantage of her drunken state he then raped her.

The man is described as Asian, in his early 20s, 5ft 7in tall and of stocky build. He had short black hair, was clean shaven and was wearing a white T-shirt and jeans.

Detective Inspector Ian Harratt, of the Serious Sexual Offences Unit, said: “The victim, suffering the effects of having consumed a variety of drinks during a night out, has accepted a lift home from a stranger in the early hours.

“The end result, tragically, is that he has forced his way into her house and raped her.

“If anyone can help us identify this person I would urge them to contact us.

“Unfortunately this incident acts as a timely reminder of just how important is it to keep yourself safe, especially in the lead up to Christmas when more people will be out drinking and socialising.

“Clearly, there are those prepared to take advantage of people when they are at their most vulnerable and by following a few safety tips, such as only travelling in pre-booked taxis and always staying with friends, we have a much better chance of having a safe Christmas.”

— Hat tip: Kitman

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UK: Homecoming Parade for Royal Welsh After Afghanistan Tour

Members of 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh have marched through Swansea in a homecoming parade to mark their return from Afghanistan.

The occasion remembered Capt Stephen Healey, 29, and Cpl Michael Thacker, 27, who died during the tour. The city also signed a community covenant to support members of the armed forces and their families. The parade began on Oystermouth Road and went through the city centre to Brangwyn Hall. Speaking before the event, Lord Mayor of Swansea Dennis James said: “This will be a historic day for the city when its links with the armed forces will be celebrated and sealed in the new covenant.”…

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: Megamosque Nixed for Now

Esmerelda, our Roving Reporter (this is not a time to avoid clichés) has just phoned/texted from the heart of the protest near Stratford Old Town Hall to say that permission for the Megamosque has been refused.

The decision must be ratified by the office of Boris Johnson, non-Lord Mayor of London, who had better not turn again. There may also be an appeal.

Esmerelda will file a full report when she gets back.

Rejoice!

— Hat tip: Steen

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UK: Nassim Nicholas Taleb and His Enemies

In the process of becoming rich, famous and outspoken, Nassim Nicholas Taleb — the best-selling author of The Black Swan — has accumulated enemies. With the publication of Taleb’s latest book, entitled Antifragility, his critics are out in force and putting the boot in. A prime example is a hostile review by David Runciman in the Guardian, which kicks off with a useful description of what Antifragility is all about […]

Taleb has found new ways of annoying people, especially those on the left. David Runciman identifies their main complaint: “Taleb thinks modern states become fragile when they get into debt, and that a prerequisite of political antifragility is rigid fiscal conservatism.” Leftwingers enjoyed The Black Swan because it exposed the intellectual bankruptcy of the financial establishment. However, though Taleb continues to excoriate the cheerleaders of vulture capitalism, he also shows that they are all of a piece with the advocates of debt-fuelled statism. In other words, Taleb, in his own defiantly eccentric, willfully cantankerous fashion, has shown himself to be a proper conservative. And his critics — whether of the left, right or centre — don’t like that at all.

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: Rochdale Safeguarding Board Chairman Quits After Sex Grooming Scandal

The head of Rochdale council’s safeguarding board has quit following the borough’s grooming scandal. Board chair Lynne Jones has stepped down after less than three years, describing the last 12 months as ‘challenging’. In May nine men were jailed for grooming young girls using drink and drugs. Following the case the board delivered a ‘damning’ report slamming the council and police for repeatedly failing the victims. Mrs Jones, who joined as chair of the board in 2010, is the latest in a string of high profile figures to leave their jobs in the wake of the scandal. Since May Cheryl Eastwood, the council’s director of children’s services, and Steve Garner, head of its targeted services department, have both left the council. Chief executive Roger Ellis took early retirement shortly before the court case…

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: Sex Grooming: Shaun Wright May Face Select Committee Summons

SOUTH Yorkshire’s newly-elected Police and Crime Commissioner Shaun Wright may have to face a Commons committe looking into the Rotherham sex grooming scandal. Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, said during a hearing yesterday that Cllr Wright, who was Rotherham Council’s Cabinet member for children between 2005 and 2010, could be asked to give evidence to the committee, along with other council representatives.

Times journalist Andrew Norfolk, who spent two years looking into sexual exploitation in the town told the committee that he was ‘flabbergasted’ that the issue of attitudes to the age of consent had not been considered over the question of young girls being groomed for sex by Asian men. “If you come from rural Mirpuri, Kashmiri community, where whatever state law says, village tradition and Sharia law says puberty is the green light for marriage, then perhaps you begin to understand why it’s not just lone offenders,” he told the committee.

[JP note: View the Home Affairs Committee session with Andrew Norfolk here www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=12009

Committee Chair Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP on Andrew Norfolk: “At a time when there is widespread discussion about the failings of the press we are pleased to welcome such a distinguished investigative journalist. It is the work of Andrew Norfolk which brought the terrible cases of localised grooming to national attention. His work has started a long overdue public discussion on the attitudes towards the victims of child sexual exploitation which we hope will mean that failures like those seen in Rochdale and Rotherham won’t happen again.”

www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/home-affairs-committee/news/121130-grooming-ev/

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: The Turner Prize: A Bloated, Contrived, Luvvie-Riddled Waste of Taxpayer’s Money

by Ruth Dudley Edwards

Anyone who watched Channel 4’s coverage of the Turner Prize last night will have noticed Noel Fielding’s hat, which vaguely resembled an ill-fitting bearskin. I suppose if you’re a comedian who moonlights as a surrealist (he once put on an exhibition called Psychedelic Dreams of the Jelly Fox at a Soho patisserie), you feel it necessary to wear something extremely silly when you’re on television talking about art…

[Reader comment by rsmith on 5 December 2012 at 3:30 am.]

Two words: Cultural Marxism.

[JP note: Three words: Common Purpose Art.]

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: Tories Vote to Scrap ‘Undemocratic’ Human Rights Act

Andrew Mitchell, the former government chief whip, led more than 70 Tory MPs in voting to scrap the Human Rights Act.

The Commons vote intensified pressure on David Cameron from his own backbenchers to pull Britain out of the “undemocratic” jurisdiction of the European court. The Prime Minister has said he would like to abolish the Human Rights Act but suggested Nick Clegg’s Liberal Democrats would not allow him move “further and faster” with reform. Former Tory ministers including Nick Herbert, Crispin Blunt and Gerald Howarth were among 71 Conservatives who backed a Commons motion to repeal Labour’s Human Rights Act 1998…

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: Tories Turn Up Heat on Human Rights Act as Seven Former Ministers Call on Cameron to Repeal the Law

Seven former ministers voted for the repeal of the Human Rights Act yesterday — as Tory MPs stepped up pressure on David Cameron to act on the issue.

Former Chief Whip Andrew Mitchell, former justice minister Crispin Blunt and former schools minister Nick Gibb were among 72, mostly Tory, MPs who voted for the repeal of Labour’s controversial legislation, which enshrined the European Convention of Human Rights in British law.

Other senior Tories involved included the former defence minister Sir Gerald Howarth, former social security secretary Peter Lilley and former whips Bill Wiggin and James Duddridge.

— Hat tip: Kitman

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UK: We Wish You a Merry Hatefest

by Sarah AB

On the 23rd December, at a venue yet to be announced, a conference entitled ‘Five Great Men’ (a reference to those who are seen as precursors to Muhammed within Islam) will feature the following speakers:

• Ustaad Murtaza Khan
• Abu Abdisalaam
• Imam waseem kempson
• Sheikh Abu Usama Ad-Dharbi
• Imam Shakeel Begg
• Raheem Jung (Islam Channel)

Murtaza Khan has come out with these statements: “We should have a sense of shame. For how long have we seen our mothers, our sisters, and our daughters have to go and uncover themselves before these filthy non-Muslim doctors. We have become Jews in our clothing, Jews in our eating and Jews in everything that we do, and the other half is Christian in everything we do. Muslims are following one of these accursed nations. And people are still not waking up to understand the fact that these people are enemies towards us.”…

[JP note: Link to conference poster http://newhamconference.com/ ]

— Hat tip: JP

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Arab Spring on Big Screen in Bari Arab Film Festival

The first Arab Film Festival of Bari, Italy to be held from December 5 to 7 will be dedicated to the Arab Spring. Twenty five filmmakers from Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine, guest of honour of the festival, will take part in this event.

— Hat tip: JP

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Egypt: More Clashes at Presidential Palace, Two Dead

All presidential advisors resign

(ANSAmed) — CAIRO — The political situation in Egypt seems about to explode, after Mohamed Morsi’s recent moves transformed the area around the presidential palace in Cairo into the scene of more clashes between his supporters and those opposing him. More blood has also been shed, with at least two people dying in the clashes this evening: a Muslim Brotherhood activist and a woman, ANSA was told by sources within the security forces.

Meanwhile, all of President Mohamed Morsi’s advisors announced their resignation, according to one of them, Ayman El Sayad.

Today, thousands of pro-Morsi demonstrators gathered in front of the presidential palace, taking down the tents of the opposition, who yesterday had been forced to leave them. This evening Morsi left the presidential palace while violent scuffles and stone-throwing were underway. “The blood which has been shed this evening at Ittahadeya cancels out the president’s legitimacy,” said Nasserite leader Hamdeen Sabbahi in a press conference with Mohamed El Baradei and Amr Moussa. Morsi is “to blame for the violence this evening”, and opposition groups are ready for dialogue if he withdraws his decree. Otherwise “the battle will go on”, Mohamed El Baradei said after a meeting of the National Salvation Front.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Libya: Al-Qaeda ‘Intensifying Efforts to Establish New Base in Libya’

by Con Cloughlin

Al-Qaeda is intensifying efforts to establish a new base for its terrorist operations in Libya following the recent attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, according to the latest Western intelligence reports.

The leaders of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the North African offshoot of the mainstream organisation, are making a concerted effort to link up with Ansar al-Sharia.

The CIA believes Ansar al-Sharia was behind the September 11 attack on the US consulate in which four people died, including US Ambassador Christopher Stevens. AQIM leaders are also attempting to establish ties with other Libyan Islamist groups in the hope of establishing an al-Qaeda fiefdom there similar to the one it has created in nearby Mali. Intelligence officials say that leaders of the AQIM movement have been travelling regularly to the desert town of Ghat in south-western Libya, close to the border with Niger. Their aim is to establish a foothold in Libya from which to launch attacks against Western targets, as well as gaining access to the large stockpiles of weapons — including Russian-made anti-aircraft missiles — that were looted by Libyan rebels during the fall of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s regime at the end of last year…

— Hat tip: JP

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Three Dead, 350 Wounded in Egypt Violence

THREE demonstrators have died in clashes between opponents and supporters of Egyptian head of state Mohamed Morsi around the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt’s top rescue official says.

Mohamed Soltan told journalists on Thursday that the three were shot dead, while nearly 350 others were wounded.

It was the worst violence in Egypt since Morsi became the country’s first Islamist president in June.

He drew the wrath of the opposition and many in the magistrature by assuming exceptional powers under a November 22 decree.

Allies and foes of Morsi lobbed fire bombs and rocks at each other in the plush Heliopolis neighbourhood in a Cairo suburb as shots rang out early on Thursday.

Many of the opposition had left and a few hundred protesters remained outside the palace.

The violence spread beyond the capital, with protesters torching the offices of the powerful Muslim Brotherhood in the Mediterranean port city of Ismailiya and in Suez, witnesses said.

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Tunisia: Sixtieth Anniversary of Farhat Hached’s Assassination — UGTT March Disturbed

Tunis — The march staged by the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT), on Tuesday at the Kasbah in Tunis, on the occasion of commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Farhat Hached’s assassination, was disturbed by stone throwing. People, mainly members of the Revolution Protection League, came in large numbers, attempted to disrupt the march led by UGTT secretary-general Houcine Abassi himself and members of the labour union’s executive bureau, and shouted insults and various accusations at the marchers.

— Hat tip: JP

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Tunisia: ‘UGTT is Murdered the Very Day We Commemorate 60th Anniversary of Leader Farhat Hached’s Assassination, ‘ Houcine Abassi

Tunis — Three members of the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) executive bureau, Hfaiedh Hfaiedh, Samir Cheffi and Mouldi Jendoubi, were assaulted on Tuesday, by members of the Revolution Protection League at the Mohamed Ali Square, just in front of the UGTT headquarters, according to labour union sources. “UGTT is murdered on the very day we are commemorating the 60th anniversary of the assassination of leader Farhat Hached, as trade-unionists have been attacked. This shows the real intentions of those sides,” UGTT Secretary-General Hassine Abassi told TAP news agency.

— Hat tip: JP

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Tunisia: UGTT HQ Attacked, Unionists Almost Lynched in Video

Attack by gov’t supporters, former minister among the injured

(ANSAmed) — TUNIS, DECEMBER 5 — A shocking video broadcast on Nessma TV shows yesterday’s attack in Tunis on the central headquarters of the UGTT union by a group of government supporters. Hundreds are seen in the video just before they attack Tunisia’s most powerful union (its offices are located in central Tunis) and then during the attack itself, with the attackers using what seems an iron bar or railings to knock down the door. The attackers claim to belong to the League for the Protection of the Revolution, and their actions met with opposition from the severely outnumbered union members, who were soon forced to retreat.

The video shows the attackers chasing the union members and hitting them with sticks and flag poles. One of the most shocking sequences shows a unionist hit to the back of his neck by a stick, who then fell violently to the ground and continued to be kicked in the head, despite his clearly being unconscious.

A few minutes later police in anti-riot gear arrived in front of the union headquarters and placed themselves between the attackers and those attempting to defend the offices. However, the police seemed to take a passive stance in the video, despite the fact that the attackers continue to chase and beat one individual(evidently considered an adversary). Dozens were injured, including Said Aidi,former minister and representative of the Al Joumhoury party. Aidi sustained serious injuries to his face when he tried to put up resistance to the attack.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Europe Mulls New Mideast Peace Plan: Palestinian Official

RAMALLAH, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) — European countries are mulling a new plan to revive the peace talks that have been stalled since 2010 between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), a Palestinian official said Tuesday. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said France, Russia and Britain are leading such efforts…

— Hat tip: JP

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Israel Accuses US of Backing European Settlement Backlash

Israel has accused its closest ally, the United States, of endorsing a concerted European backlash against its plans to expand settlements in east Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Five European countries, including Britain, have registered formal protests with Israeli ambassadors over last week’s decision by Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to build 3,000 settlers’ homes and develop an area of the West Bank that could render a Palestinian state unviable. Along with Australia and Brazil, they were joined by Egypt, threatening to destabilise its fragile regional relations. The Egyptian foreign minister said it had registered a “strong protest” with Israel’s Cairo ambassador over the proposals. Despite the mounting international protest however, Mr Netanyahu’s office indicated there would be no backing down over its settlement plans. An official in Mr Netanyahu’s office told the AFP news agency: “There will be no change in the decision that has been made.”…

— Hat tip: JP

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The Conversation Israel and Palestine Needs to Have

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is spiraling out of control. Peter Beinart and Alan Dershowitz on the conversation both sides desperately need to have while peace is still a possibility.

From the Gaza war and the upgrading of Palestine at the U.N. to Israel’s announcement that it will likely build new settlements, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is spiraling out of control. We as coauthors disagree on the Palestinian U.N. bid, as on other important aspects of Middle Eastern politics. But on this we profoundly agree: negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority must resume, and fast. In the wake of the Gaza War, with Hamas growing stronger and the Likud lurching to the right, it is easier than ever to be pessimistic about the prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace. But acquiescing to that pessimism means acquiescing to new spasms of terrible violence…

— Hat tip: JP

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2 Killed, 12 Injured in Fresh Fighting in Lebanon’s Tripoli

BEIRUT, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) — Two people were killed and 12 others wounded in a fresh fighting between the two rival neighborhoods of Sunni Bab El-Tebbaneh and Alawite Jabal Mohsenin in north Lebanon’ s port city of Tripoli, a security source said. The source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that one man was killed and two others were wounded in Jabal Mohsen, while another man was killed and 10 others were injured in Bab El- Tebbaneh. Sniper fire is still ongoing in the area, which led to the closure of a main highway, as the Lebanese army that were deployed in the region sent out patrols in the area, separating the rival neighborhoods.

Tensions rose in the city amid conflicting reports about the death of Sunni Salafists gunmen from Tripoli, who tried to infiltrate the border region with the Syrian province of Homs.

Reports said an unknown number of young men were killed in an ambush by the Syrian government forces recently. Tripoli has repeatedly been the focus of the sectarian conflict linked to the troubles in Syria between pro- and anti-Syrian government gunmen from Sunni and Alawite groups, whose rival districts, Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen, respectively, are divided by the main thoroughfare Syria Street.

— Hat tip: JP

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A US-Led Coalition Against Syria Could Include Israel

A military coalition led by the US, ready to intervene in case the Syrian regime uses chemical weapons against rebel forces, could include Israel, Maariv has reported. The US is ready to take military action “within days” if chemical weapons are used, according to reports. “It won’t require major movement to make action happen. The muscle is already there to be flexed,” a US official told The Times. “It’s premature to say what could happen if a decision is made to intervene. That hasn’t taken shape, we’ve not reached that kind of decision. There are a lot of options, but it [military action] could be launched rapidly, within days.” Countries involved in the combined force could include the UK and other European allies, The Times said. Maariv reported that Turkey and Jordan could also be involved. These reports come after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Israel’s National Public Diplomacy forum on Tuesday that the country is “closely monitoring” developments in Syria.

— Hat tip: JP

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Italy Has No Plans to Cut Contingent to UN Lebanon Mission

‘UNIFIL more necessary than ever,’ says Monti

(ANSA) — Rome, December 5 — Premier Mario Monti said Wednesday that Italy has no plans to cut its contingent in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL.

“We haven’t spoken about extending the UNIFIL mission but I want to reiterate that Italy is not considering any further cuts to the number of the contingent in Lebanon because we believe the UNIFIL force is more necessary than ever, given the situation in the region,” Monti said.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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NATO’s Turkey Missile Deployment “Inconducive” To Peace: China FM

BEIJING, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) — NATO’s decision to deploy Patriot missile batteries in Turkey is “inconducive to peace, security and stability” in the region, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said Wednesday. “Highlighting military factors and strengthening military existence are inconducive to the resolution of contradictions and disputes, and inconducive to the peace, security and stability in the whole region,” spokesman Hong Lei told reporters at a regular press conference, when asked to comment on the NATO decision…

— Hat tip: JP

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Syria: ‘Russia is a Convenient Excuse to Do Nothing’

The US should intervene in Syria, if necessary with ground troops, argues Nadim Shehadi, associate fellow at Chatham House’s Middle East Program. At the moment, he told DW, the US has no policy toward Syria…

— Hat tip: JP

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Syria: Children Freezing to Death, Italy to Sent 1.5mln Euros

‘We must act to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe’, Italian FM

(ANSAmed) — BRUSSELS, DECEMBER 5 — In announcing EUR 1.5 million in immediate aid for Syrian refugees, Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi said that the humanitarian emergency “is extremely urgent, and we must prevent a humanitarian catastrophe”. The refugees are in camps on Syria’s borders in Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan, where there are “300,000 refugees”, and where “children are already freezing to death, as I have been told by the head of the Syrian opposition”.

Terzi noted that a plane would be leaving from Brindisi with the aid “over the coming hours”.

The Italian foreign minister said that “the humanitarian emergency that has been created by this extremely serious Syrian crisis has been Italy’s top priority from the very beginning. We tried to get the international community to act and we were among those who pushed the most for UN and EU programmes to help the refugees.” He went on to say that “there are already 300,000 refugees in Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon. We have arranged for additional, substantial aid to be delivered over the next few hours, over 1.5 million euros’ worth, including heating systems. Children are already freezing to death in some camps in Jordan, as I have been told by the leader of the Syrian opposition.” The minister then said that, as seen in the foreign ministers dinner at NATO headquarters, other European countries “are putting forth massive efforts” for humanitarian aid, noting that German Foreign Minister Westerwelle is preparing to allocate 70 million euros and that Italy will set aside 20 million euros “from the beginning of next year”.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Turkey Opens an Arabic Website for Arab Visitors

(ANSAmed) — ANKARA, DECEMBER 5 — Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism opened a website in the Arabic language to appeal to the Arab tourism sector, Anatolia news agency reports quoting Cumhur Guven Tasbasi, a senior official with the Ministry.

Tasbasi said that the website in Arabic language would increase the number of Arab tourists visiting Turkey. “We want our culture and tourism attaches in all corners of the world to promote Turkey on their website in the language of the country they serve in. Turkish Culture and Tourism Attache’s Office in Dubai began such services. We do hope that the number of Arab tourists visiting Turkey would increase significantly,” Tasbasi stated.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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India: Not Another Mosque-Temple Tinderbox

by Rosina Nasir

The Charminar-Bhagyalaxmi temple row in Hyderabad could escalate into an Ayodhya-like situation if the powers that be do not cease from their polarising antics

It seems in secular India, encroachment and squatting to build illegal religious structures in public spaces are still quite rampant. Religion may be a private affair, but vested interests know well how to manipulate it in public spaces. By the time the administration or the state machinery takes cognizance, the event has already snowballed into a political crisis, now with fears of polarisation thrown in. Such polarisation was precisely what happened in Ayodhya, resulting in the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Faizabad district, Uttar Pradesh…

— Hat tip: JP

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India: Gujarat Polls: Who Will Hug the Muslims?

Although Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi carried out a year-long Sadbhavana Yatra to reach out to the state’s Muslim community, the fact is that no member from this minority group got a ticket to fight the polls under the BJP banner this year. “Sadbhavana Yatra was meant for the development of six crore Gujaratis. It was not for a particular community. We don’t look at it like that.It was for all,” said BJP spokesperson Jai Narayan Vyas in a CNN-IBN programme India@9. Denying that the absence of a Muslim candidate from the BJP list signifies that the party has no faith in them, Vyas said, “It is simply a matter of social engineering.”…

— Hat tip: JP

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Over 500 Buddhist Artifacts Looted in Bangladesh

More than 500 artifacts were stolen from Buddhist monasteries in a coordinated attack on the minority faith in Bangladesh last month. Fourteen Buddhist monasteries reportedly came under attack by mobs of Islamists, as well as from Muslim Rohingya refugees from neighboring Myanmar (Burma). However, a criminal network with high level political links network may have […]

— Hat tip: Takuan Seiyo

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Faith Off: Sparks Fly in Doveton Mosque Row

A local council has overwhelmingly rejected a call for a discussion on the “dangers” of Islam in an ongoing row over a planning application for a mosque in the south-eastern suburb of Doveton. At a City of Casey council meeting on Tuesday night, mayor Amanda Stapledon said a discussion on the “dangers” of Islam — proposed by deputy mayor Sam Aziz — would create a very poor perception in a multicultural community. Tensions between the mayor and her deputy were clear during a fiery debate in front of a large public gallery. Cr Aziz’s original notice of motion proposed to invite Pastor Danny Nalliah, known for his strong views against Islam, to address the council “on the dangers of indoctrinated religious intolerance to the values, freedoms and stability of liberal and democratic societies”…

— Hat tip: JP

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Nigeria: Disquiet Over Sack of Jaji Military Chiefs — Jni Alleges Religious Bias

Abuja and Kaduna — The removal of two top military commanders in Jaji on Saturday is drawing sharp reactions from several quarters, including the JNI and senior security officials who allege the decision was tinged with religious bias. Commandant of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Air Vice Marshal Abdullahi Kure and the Corps Commander, Infantry, Major General Muhammad D. Isa, were removed over the twin blasts that killed 15 people at a church in the Jaji Military Cantonment a week earlier.

The Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) pointed out in a statement in Kaduna yesterday that the speed with which the commanders were removed was never noticed in previous bombings of military formations. On Saturday, Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim named Air Vice Marshal E. E. Osim to replace AVM Kure at AFCSC and directed Major General K. C. Osuji to act as Corps Commander, Infantry. JNI Secretary-General Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu said yesterday the fact that the two officers who were swiftly removed are Muslims, and were replaced by two officers who are non-Muslims, makes any discerning observer to be suspicious of the motives behind the exercise…

— Hat tip: JP

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Nigeria: We’ll Dialogue With Boko Haram if … — FG

Abuja — Minister of State for Defence, Erelu Olusola Obada, said Tuesday that the Federal Government had not ruled out dialogue with the Boko Haram sect provided they were ready to come out from their hiding place…

[JP note: They’re behind you!]

— Hat tip: JP

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Nigeria: Christians, Muslims Ask to Join Hands to Fight Terrorism

Worried over the current security challenges facing the nation, the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church (CSMC) Yandoka, Bauchi State, has enjoined members of the two major religions (Christianity and Islam) in the country to come together and take pragmatic steps aimed at putting an end to the present and unnecessary killings of innocent people, particularly in some parts of the northern Nigeria…

— Hat tip: JP

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Somali Men Jailed in Rome for Piracy

Case relates to seizure of oil tanker in seas two years ago

(ANSA) — Rome, December 4 — Eleven Somali men were sentenced to prison for three and a half years Tuesday on charges of piracy and attempted kidnapping after an attack two years ago on an Italian vessel.

The Somalis were convicted of attacking the oil tanker Valdarno on January 16, 2011, off the coast of Yemen. The Italian tanker, which is part of the fleet of shipping company Navigazione Montanari, headquartered in Fano, managed to escape.

Italian marines arrested the pirates, who have been held in prisons in Rome.

Numerous Italian vessels have been seized by pirates who have taken millions in ransom payments by attacking vessels sailing in the Arabian Sea

— Hat tip: Insubria

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South Africa: Beleaguered White SA Farmers Ask for State Protection

In the wake of hundreds of attacks and murders, a group of activists and farmers marched to Pretoria over the weekend to demand the state protect them and their property, International Business Times reports. Represented by farmers associations AfriForum and Solidarity — the beleaguered farmers asked Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa to declare such assaults “crimes of priority.” SAPS figures show the country’s overall murder rate stood at 51 per 100,000, while farmers’ murders stood at 99 per 100,000.

The farmers said that farm murders are marked by extreme brutality. Therefore, the argument that farm murders are ‘only murder’ does not hold water.” In a statement, AfriForum Deputy CEO Ernst Roets blamed the ruling ANC party and the South African Police Service (SAPS) of ignoring the plight of rural white farmers who are increasingly vulnerable to violence perpetrated by dispossessed blacks almost two decades after the fall of apartheid. “Farm murders are not only a crisis,” Roets said, “They are a catastrophe.”…

— Hat tip: JP

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South African Farmers Fearing for Their Lives

On Saturday, in an unprecedented move to mark the second anniversary of the slaughter of a farming family, survivors of farm attacks marched in Pretoria and called for attacks on South Africa’s mostly white farmers to be designated a crime of national priority.

Since the attack on Attie Potgieter and his family, the simple stone farmhouse where they lived has stood empty and crumbling, with nobody wanting to live in the home where one of South Africa’s most disturbingly brutal crimes took place. Mr Potgieter, a farm caretaker, was stabbed and hacked 151 times with a garden fork, a knife and a machete near Lindley in the Free State — the agricultural heart of the country. His wife, Wilna, and two-year-old daughter, Willemien, were both made to watch him die, before being shot in the head, execution style…

— Hat tip: JP

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Immigrants Absent From German Public Sector

In the last decade Germany has made great strides when it comes to integration. A recent study, however, shows a relative absence of children of immigrants working in the public sector. The OECD sees cause for alarm. Apparently those who object to immigration in Germany are also in control of public sector jobs. Or at least, that was the conclusion of a study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) presented in Berlin on Monday. According to the study, Germany takes a “sad last place” compared to the 34 other member states of the OECD when it comes to children of immigrants in the public sector, said the director of the study, Thomas Liebig…

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: Countryside is Under Threat in Migrant Surge

NEW houses will have to be built across Britain’s countryside to provide homes for a mass influx of immigrants, an MP has warned.

Tory backbencher Philip Hollobone used a Commons debate to raise concerns about a fresh surge of newcomers when border controls for Romanians and Bulgarians are relaxed next year.

He estimated that around 270,000 people will head to Britain from the two new European Union countries in the two years from the border shake-up scheduled for next December.

And he savaged the Home Office for failing to prepare for the potential threat to law and order and social cohesion from the looming influx.

“The British people won’t put up with this for much longer,” the MP said.

“I know through my humble experience as a special constable with the British Transport Police on London’s Underground network that some eight out of 10 shoplifters arrested by the police are from Eastern Europe.

Mr Hollobone raised his concerns about the end of temporary restrictions on immigration controls from Bulgaria and Romania in a debate in Parliament’s Westminster Hall annex.

He pointed out that 43 per cent of new homes under construction were already likely accounted for as a result of population growth spurred by immigration.

“What we are going to see is swathes of our countryside built over to accommodate the millions of new arrivals from the European Union, over which we seemingly have little control,” the MP said.

“The numbers are getting completely out of hand,” he told MPs.

“My constituents will be horrified to learn that from next December yet another hole in Britain’s border controls will be opened up with the prospect of unlimited immigration from Romania and Bulgaria.”

— Hat tip: Kitman

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The Agenda Behind Gender Bending

We are now familiar with pro-homosexual bias both in the western media, and in the Anglo-American political elite. In the UK, increasingly media personalities and politicians openly promote the homosexual agenda.

The stated aim is for society to accept that the homosexual lifestyle is on a par with the traditional family paradigm. Anyone daring to question this assumption is attacked and branded as being “outdated, hateful, and offensive”.

The former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey is the latest victim of such homosexual swarming. Even his former college (Kings College, London) is being pressured to remove his photograph from their famous alumni display. (Sounds like Stalin’s Russia doesn’t it?)

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Earth’s Earliest Dinosaur Possibly Discovered

A wonky beast about the size of a Labrador retriever with a long neck and lengthy tail may be the world’s earliest known dinosaur, say researchers who analyzed fossilized bones discovered in Tanzania in the 1930s.

Now named Nyasasaurus parringtoni, the dinosaur would’ve walked a different Earth from today. It lived between 240 million and 245 million years ago when the planet’s continents were still stitched together to form the landmass Pangaea. Tanzania would’ve been part of the southern end of Pangaea that also included Africa, South America, Antarctica and Australia.

It likely stood upright, measuring 7 to 10 feet (2 to 3 meters) in length, 3 feet (1 m) at the hip, and may have weighed between 45 and 135 pounds (20 to 60 kilograms).

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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NASA’s Next Mars Rover Should Collect Samples, Experts Say

The unmanned rover that NASA plans to launch toward Mars in 2020 should gather up Red Planet rocks and dirt for delivery to Earth someday, some experts say.

NASA science chief John Grunsfeld announced the new rover here Tuesday (Dec. 4) at the annual fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union. Details of the roughly $1.5 billion mission have yet to be worked out, but some big names in the Mars community are already pushing hard for a sample caching system.

“I hope and expect that its main mission will be to collect and cache a well-chosen set of samples for eventual return to Earth,” Steve Squyres of Cornell University, principal investigator for NASA’s Opportunity Mars rover, told SPACE.com via email.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

[Return to headlines]

	Financial Crisis
»	Greece: Memorandum Brings Forward Selloff Projects
»	Monti Expresses Goal of 287 Basis Points for Italian Spread
»	Poverty on the Rise in EU
»	Spain’s Banks Granted Money From the EU’s ESM Fund
	USA
»	Burgeon, the Hamburger-Making Robot That Makes 360 Burgers an Hour
»	Couple Convicted of Stealing GM Trade Secrets
»	Frank Gaffney: Obama’s Global Makeover
»	Highest US Military Court Ejects Judge in Fort Hood Case for “Bias”
»	Mother and Stepfather ‘Beat to Death Her Seven-Year-Old Son for Not Reading His Bible’
»	Suspect Pleads Guilty in Plot to Bomb NYC Synagogues
	Europe and the EU
»	Belgium: Jihad on Christmas Trees — Welcome to Christmas Cubes!
»	Bomb Explodes at Offices of Greek Far-Right Party, No Injuries
»	France: Police Arrest Two ‘Accomplices’ In Toulouse Gunman Attacks
»	France: Two Arrested in Connection With Toulouse Shootings
»	France: Toulouse Shooting Spree Suspects Arrested
»	French Police Nab Couple Suspected of Aiding Toulouse Jewish School Killer
»	Germany: Hamburg Plans Europe’s Tallest Lighthouse
»	Germany and Norway Link Up in Renewable Energy Deal
»	Greece: Golden Dawn Offices Damaged by Bomb
»	Hungary: Democratic Coalition Moves to Ban Jobbik From Parliament
»	Italy and France Sign TAV and 5 Other Agreements
»	Netherlands: Teen Football Players Arrested for Seriously Beating Up Linesman
»	Netherlands: Linesman Dies After Attack by Teenage Football Players
»	Netherlands: Fireworks Bomb Destroys Police Station
»	Netherlands: Amsterdam to Create ‘Scum Villages’
»	Norway’s Chess Star Makes History
»	Three Swiss Cities in Quality of Life Top Ten
»	UK: 21 Years for Bottom Shooting Bandit
»	UK: Hunt for Man Who Raped Woman in Clayton
»	UK: More Than 500,000 Pensioners ‘Will be Lonely at Christmas’ With Just the Television for Company
»	UK: Niazi: Jealous Dad Murdered Ex Two Months After Asking to be Deported
»	UK: Night Bus Driver ‘Groped’ Lone Passenger
»	UK: Number of Recorded Racist Incidents Up by 10 Per Cent in Year
»	UK: Police Hunt After Three Sex Assaults
»	UK: Rap Music Fan Who Shouted N***** at a Black Man is Cleared of Racism as Magistrates Accept He Was Using ‘Street Slang’
»	UK: Tax and Corporations: One Law for Them
»	UK: Worcester Park Mosque Plans Kicked Out by Councillors
	North Africa
»	Egypt: Protesters Clash With Police, Morsi Flees Palace
»	Egypt: The Obama’s Administration’s PR Campaign for Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood
	Israel and the Palestinians
»	Hague Says EU Trade Sanctions Against Israel Not an Option
»	Palestinians: Abbas’s Classic Thug Extortion Trick
	Middle East
»	Iraq: Gunmen Kill 6 Family Members in Baghdad
»	NATO to Order Deployment of Patriot Missiles to Turkey’s Border With Syria
»	Saudi Regime Fears Social Networks as Means of Triggering Popular Protests
»	US Issues New Warning on Syrian Chemical Weapons
	South Asia
»	Afghanistan Horror: A 14-Year-Old Girl is Beheaded
»	Bomb Attack in Southern Afghanistan Kills 2 NATO Service Members
»	Hindus and Sikhs — Homeless Afghan Citizens
»	Pakistan’s Disappearing Temples and Churches
»	Swedish Missionary Shot in Pakistan
	Far East
»	Vietnam Condemns China’s Sea Claims as “Serious Violation”
	Sub-Saharan Africa
»	Nigeria: Days of Boko Haram Over Soon — DD SSS
»	South African Farmers Fearing for Their Lives
	Latin America
»	Brazilian Police Arrest Dozens of Officers for Alleged Collaboration With Drug Dealers
»	Colombia: FARC Rebels Killed in Military Strike
»	Mexico: More Than 25,000 People Disappear in Six Years
	Immigration
»	Fifty-Seven Percent of Mexican Immigrants on Welfare
»	George W. Bush: Immigration Reform Needed to Boost Economy
»	Lord Bilimoria Says UK Immigration Policy is ‘Harming the Nation’
»	UK: Planning Minister Nick Boles Becomes Tory ‘Hate Figure’ With Plan to Build on Two Million Acres of Countryside
»	We’ve Made it! Relief for 27 Immigrants Rescued by Spanish Coast Guard as They Sailed Toy Dinghies Across Strait of Gibraltar
	Culture Wars
»	College Says “Men Working” Sign is Sexist
»	Gender Debate Sparks UK-Sweden Media Spat
	General
»	Human Evolution Enters an Exciting New Phase
»	The Rise and Possible Fall of SMS Text Messaging

Greece: Memorandum Brings Forward Selloff Projects

(ANSAmed) — ATHENS, DECEMBER 3 — The new draft of the memorandum of understanding between Athens and its creditors is speeding up planned privatizations by an average of three to six months, depending on the project. The selloffs of train service operator TRAINOSE, Hellenic Post, horse racing organization ODIE, Athens International Airport and others are expected to begin one or two quarters earlier than the previous draft provided for, as daily Kathimerini reported. The November 27 draft now provides for the postal company’s privatization to start in the first quarter of 2013, instead of the second, while the start of the process for the sale of TRAINOSE is brought forward from Q4 to Q2 of next year. The procedure for the sale of ports and regional airports has been accelerated by three months, while the restart of the privatization of Athens airport is to take place six months earlier. The only exception is the privatization of Egnatia Odos, the highway that runs across northern Greece, which has been postponed from the first to the second quarter of next year.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Monti Expresses Goal of 287 Basis Points for Italian Spread

Italian premier satisfied with spread plunge below 300 pts

(ANSA) — Rome, December 3 — Italian Premier Mario Monti expressed satisfaction at the Italian bond spread’s decline to less than 300 basis points on Monday, but confessed a goal of seeing it narrow further to 287 basis points. Monti called Monday “a positive day” for the spread between the interest rates on Italian and German bonds, because it “fell below the 300-point mark”.

After Monti spoke, the spread dipped to 292 before rising back to 301.

The spread is an important gauge of market confidence in Italy’s ability to pay down its enormous public debt.

Escalating interest rates on Italian bonds and their vertiginous distance from German bonds precipitated the emergency appointment of Monti in November 2011 to guide Italy through its financial crisis as head of an unelected, technical government.

“I would like to confess that for me (a) spread…of 287 basis points represents an objective and I hope it touches” that level, he added, because it represents “half of the 574 (point) quota with which we began our path”.

Monti spoke from Lyon, where he had concluded a bilateral summit with France.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Poverty on the Rise in EU

BRUSSELS — Europe’s economic crisis is pushing more people to the brink of poverty and social exclusion.

According to figures released on Monday (3 December) by the EU’s statistical office, Eurostat, over 24 percent of the EU population in 2011 was either struggling with low income or have extremely poor living conditions.

“More than 27 percent of children are now at risk of poverty or social exclusion in the EU, that is much more than the overall population,” said EU employment commissioner Laszlo Andor said in a speech in November

At the bottom of the scale is Bulgaria where nearly half the population is suffering from some form of poverty.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Spain’s Banks Granted Money From the EU’s ESM Fund

Hours after making a request to finance ministers to receive funds from the European Stability Mechanism to prop up its banking sector, Spain has gotten approval. The money is expected next week.

Eurozone finance ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday agreed to provide Spanish banks with 39.5 billion euros ($51.6 billion) from the ESM after Madrid’s formal request arrived earlier in the day.

Spain’s banking sector has been in dire straits ever since a housing bubble collapse in 2008 left it swimming in bad credit. Four of the country’s biggest banks were nationalized with help from previous installments of international bailout money.

Bankia, Novagalicia, CatalunyaCaixa and Banco de Valencia are to share 37 billion euros of the newly approved money, with 2.5 billion euros going to Spain’s worse-off Sareb, which was established to buy up toxic real estate assets to remove them from other institutions’ books.

“The disbursement will be made in mid-next week,” eurozone president Jean-Claude Juncker said on Monday. “The implementation of the program is well on track.”

The money approved in Brussels on Monday is just the first installment of a 100-billion-euro package designed to prop up Spain’s ailing banks that was agreed to in July. In exchange, the banks are expected to embark on a strict program of austerity, which will likely include reductions in the number of employees.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Burgeon, the Hamburger-Making Robot That Makes 360 Burgers an Hour

A hamburger-making robot that can create 360 perfectly made burgers an hour promises to usher a new era for fast food restaurants.

Called Burgeon, the new robot that promises to make fresher, more consistent burgers, could replace thousands of low-paid workers in burger bars across the world.

“The Burgeon can crank out a burger every 16 seconds. It grinds the meat, stamps out the patty, sends it along a conveyor-belt grill, toasts the buns, squirts on the condiments, slices and drops in pickles and tomatoes and lettuce, then pops the finished burger into a bag, all in under five minutes,” reports The Mercury News who’ve seen the robot in action.

Created by Momentum Machines, the team behind the food-bot includes members trained in mechanical engineering, control systems, and physics at top tier institutions in the US; Berkeley, Stanford, UCSB, and the university of Utah.

— Hat tip: Kitman

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Couple Convicted of Stealing GM Trade Secrets

DETROIT (AP) — A former General Motors engineer with access to the automaker’s hybrid technology was convicted Friday along with her husband of stealing trade secrets for possible use in China.

Shanshan Du won a transfer within GM in 2003 to be closer to the technology and then copied documents until she accepted a severance offer and left the company in 2005, prosecutors said.

Du, 54, and Yu Qin, 51, were found guilty Friday by a federal jury in Detroit after a trial that lasted weeks. Qin also was convicted of wire fraud and attempting to obstruct justice by shredding documents. They shook each other’s hand after the verdict but declined to comment, as did their attorneys.

Du faces up to 10 years in prison, while her husband faces up to 30. No sentencing date has been set.

Prosecutors told jurors that GM trade secrets were found on at least seven computers owned by the Oakland County couple. The government doesn’t believe the information ever made it to China, although Qin had set up his own company, Millennium Technology International, and claimed to have made contact with GM competitors overseas.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Frank Gaffney: Obama’s Global Makeover

In an impromptu conversation with Joe the Plumber during the 2008 presidential campaign, candidate Barack Obama famously and unintentionally acknowledged his support for redistributing the nation’s wealth. And he has been hard at it ever since.

Mr. Obama has yet to cop, however,to another, arguably even more radical agenda: redistributing the nation’s power. We are, nonetheless, beginning to witness the poisonous fruits of his efforts to enhance the relative might of America¹s adversaries while degrading our own. Call it Obama’ s global makeover.

The most obvious example is in the Middle East, where each day brings fresh evidence of how the Obama administration’s disastrous policy of embracing Islamists is transforming and destabilizing the region. Of particular concern is the Muslim Brotherhood’s accelerating domination of the Egyptian government, which is turning the Arab world¹s most populous nation, one that sits astride the strategic Suez Canal and wields a formidable, American-supplied arsenal, into a shariah-adherent, Islamic supremacist state. This is a formula for mass repression in Egypt, war in the Mideast and increased jihadist terror elsewhere…

— Hat tip: CSP

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Highest US Military Court Ejects Judge in Fort Hood Case for “Bias”

The Military Justice system have handed a politically correct victory to Fort Hood massacre perpetrator, Maj. Nidal Hassan by ejecting the circuit judge in the Court Martial proceeding over the appearance of bias. The AP reported that In a ruling issued yesterday by the Washington, DC US Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces (USCAAF) in the matter of Hasan v Gross (13-8011 / 13-8012/AR), the highest military court determined that circuit court Judge Col. Gregory Gross had “didn’t appear impartial while presiding over the case of Maj. Nidal Hasan, who faces the death penalty if convicted in the 2009 shootings on the Texas Army post that killed 13 people and wounded more than two dozen others.”

Renowned Forensic Psychiatrist, Dr. Michael Welner, Chairman of the Forensic Panel, was an expert witness for the prosecution in the 2010 Guantanamo military tribunal of Omar Khadr Canadian Al Qaeda killer of US Special Forces medic SFC. Christopher Speer at the Battle of Khost in Afghanistan in August 2002. Welner opined about Maj. Hasan’s jihadist behavior: . . . the motivation was to create a “spectacle”, said that a trauma care worker, even one afflicted with stress, would not be expected to be homicidal toward his patients unless his ideology trumped his Hippocratic oath—and this was borne out in his shouting “Allahu Akhbar” as he killed the unarmed. We wonder what the reactions are to the USCAAF ruling by the wounded survivors and the loved ones of those victims whom Maj. Hasan killed at Fort Hood on November 5, 2009. The mills of military justice have now ground to a halt until presiding circuit judge Col. Gross is replaced with a more impartial officer of this courts martial proceeding at Fort Hood. Pity! Justice is being denied…

— Hat tip: Jerry Gordon

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Mother and Stepfather ‘Beat to Death Her Seven-Year-Old Son for Not Reading His Bible’

A seven-year-old boy has been beaten to death by his stepfather and mother for not reading his Bible, authorities said.

Markiece Palmer, 34, and Dina Palmer, 27, were charged with murder last week along with other counts of child abuse and neglect.

Roderick Arrington, seven, was taken to University Medical Center in Las Vegas last Thursday unconscious and with brain swelling. He died the following day.

The couple admitted to police that they had regularly beaten the child for not reading the Bible or finishing his homework.

— Hat tip: Kitman

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Suspect Pleads Guilty in Plot to Bomb NYC Synagogues

A man charged with plotting to blow up synagogues in New York City has pleaded guilty to state terrorism charges.

Ahmed Ferhani entered the plea on Tuesday in the unusual state-level terror case.

Manhattan state Supreme Court Justice Michael Obus says he plans to sentence Ferhani to 10 years in prison. Sentencing is set for Jan. 30.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office has said Ferhani wanted to attack a synagogue. Prosecutors say he bought three guns and a grenade to do so. The buy was a sting.

His lawyers previously said Ferhani was mentally unstable. They have said the prosecution was based on insufficient evidence and dubious tactics.

Ferhani and a co-defendant were arrested last year.

A grand jury declined to indict the men on a top-level terror conspiracy charge.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Belgium: Jihad on Christmas Trees — Welcome to Christmas Cubes!

by Soeren Kern

More than 25,000 people in Belgium have signed a petition denouncing a decision to remove the traditional Christmas tree in the central square in Brussels and replace it with a politically correct structure of abstract minimalist art. Critics accuse the Socialist mayor, Freddy Thielemans, of declaring war on Christmas by installing the “multicultural” structure of lights to placate the city’s burgeoning Muslim population…

Meanwhile, critics of the “electronic winter tree” have called on Muslims in Belgium to sign a petition to show that they do not have anything against the traditional Christmas tree. The petition reads: “The removal of the Christmas tree on the Grand-Place in Brussels aroused strong controversy about the role of Muslims in this decision. I hereby would like to see Muslims sign this petition to show that they are not against this tree. I would like to gather as many signatures as possible to show that Muslims comply with Belgian traditions and do not want to remove this joy at home.” Fewer than 80 of Belgium’s 600,000 Muslims have signed the petition.

— Hat tip: JP

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Bomb Explodes at Offices of Greek Far-Right Party, No Injuries

ATHENS (Reuters) — A makeshift bomb exploded at the offices of the far-right political party Golden Dawn near Athens early on Tuesday, ripping through a wall and smashing the windows of a nearby building but causing no injuries, police said.

Golden Dawn has surged in popularity during Greece’s debt crisis and was catapulted from obscurity to winning 7 percent of the vote in parliamentary elections in June, riding a wave of public anger at austerity, corrupt politicians and immigrants.

Activists and politicians have called for the ultra-nationalist party, whose members have been seen giving Nazi-style salutes and whose emblem resembles a swastika, to be banned.

— Hat tip: Kitman

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France: Police Arrest Two ‘Accomplices’ In Toulouse Gunman Attacks

French police on Tuesday arrested two alleged accomplices of gunman Mohamed Merah, whose al-Qaeda-inspired shooting spree in and around the southern city of Toulouse left seven people dead.

A man, described by police as a member of the traveller community, was arrested in the southern town of Albi, while his former partner was arrested in Toulouse, a police source said. They were detained on suspicion they helped Merah in carrying out his attacks in March, the source said. Merah’s elder brother Abdelghani previously told French media that the gunman had accomplices, including someone from the traveller community who may have been involved in stealing the scooter Merah used in his attacks. Merah shot a rabbi, three Jewish schoolchildren and three French paratroopers in March before being shot dead in a police siege. A petty criminal who was lured into Islamic extremists circles in Toulouse, Merah visited Afghanistan and Pakistan before his attacks…

— Hat tip: JP

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France: Two Arrested in Connection With Toulouse Shootings

French police on Tuesday arrested two alleged accomplices of gunman Mohamed Merah, whose Al-Qaeda-inspired shooting spree in and around the southern city of Toulouse left seven people dead.

A man, described by police as a member of the traveller community, was arrested in the southern town of Albi, while his former partner was arrested in Toulouse, a police source said.

They were detained on suspicion they helped Merah in carrying out his attacks in March, the source said.

Merah’s elder brother Abdelghani previously told French media that the gunman had accomplices, including someone from the traveller community who may have been involved in stealing the scooter Merah used in his attacks.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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France: Toulouse Shooting Spree Suspects Arrested

French police on Tuesday arrested two alleged accomplices of gunman Mohamed Merah, whose Al-Qaeda-inspired shooting spree in and around the southern city of Toulouse left seven people dead.

A man, described by police as a member of the traveller community, was arrested in the southern town of Albi, while his former partner was arrested in Toulouse, a police source said.

They were detained on suspicion they helped Merah in carrying out his attacks in March, the source said.

Merah’s elder brother Abdelghani previously told French media that the gunman had accomplices, including someone from the traveller community who may have been involved in stealing the scooter Merah used in his attacks.

Merah shot a rabbi, three Jewish schoolchildren and three French paratroopers in March before being shot dead in a police siege.

A petty criminal who was lured into Islamic extremists circles in Toulouse, Merah visited Afghanistan and Pakistan before his attacks.

Since his shooting spree, it became clear that Merah had been on the radar of France’s security services for years and that authorities under-estimated the extent of his radicalisation following his trips to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

French intelligence services have been heavily criticised for failing to realise the threat posed by Merah.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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French Police Nab Couple Suspected of Aiding Toulouse Jewish School Killer

French authorities reportedly have arrested a man and a woman in the Toulouse area on suspicion that they helped Mohammed Merah “commit crimes” that may have included the murder of four people at a Jewish school last year.

According to L’Express, a French daily, the two were arrested Tuesday morning. The French news service AFP named one of the suspects as Charles Mencarelli and reported that he had been arrested in Albi, about 45 miles northeast of Toulouse. AFP described Mencarelli as not having a permanent address. His life partner also was arrested at her home in Toulouse, according to the report.

Mohammed Merah, a 23-year-old radical Muslim, killed four Jews — a rabbi and three children — in a pre-planned attack on the Otzar Hatorah Jewish school in Toulouse on March 19. He gunned them down a few days after killing three French soldiers in two drive-by shootings from a scooter near Toulouse. He was shot dead on March 22 by police as they stormed his home.

The two suspects arrested on Tuesday are not suspected of belonging to a Jihadist network, an unnamed police source told L’Express.

The arrests, which did not require any use of force, according to reports in the French press, were headed by France’s domestic intelligence service, DCRI, and the country’s top SWAT team, the anti-terrorist SDAT unit.

They will be brought for arraignment within 96 hours of their arrest, according to L’Express, during which time they will be interrogated about their links with Mohammed Merah.

— Hat tip: Steen

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Germany: Hamburg Plans Europe’s Tallest Lighthouse

The northern city of Hamburg is planning to build the tallest lighthouse in Europe, with a tower nearly 100 metres tall for its busy harbour. Regional NDR radio reported this week that the city’s port authority wanted to start work on the black and white tower as early as next year.

The lighthouse, expected to cost some €10 million, is necessary to protect ship traffic around a new container terminal along the Bubendey-Ufer coast.

At 99.20 metres, the tower would be 16 metres higher than Europe’s current tallest lighthouse which is on France’s Atlantic coast. A second, lower tower in Hamburg would reach 75 metres.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Germany and Norway Link Up in Renewable Energy Deal

Germany and Norway have signed a contract for a high-voltage undersea cable aimed at exchanging surplus renewable energy. The project is essential for Germany’s plan to phase out nuclear power by 2022.

Construction of the North Sea underwater cable would cost between 1.5 billion and 2 billion euros ($2-2.6 billion), and is expected to be finished by 2018, Germany’s state-owned KfW development bank announced Tuesday.

Alongside KfW, the joint venture includes the Norwegian power-grid operator Statnett and the Dutch grid operator TenneT, which owns large parts of the German electricity distribution network. The new consortium will be half owned by Norway and half by the German parties to the deal.

“This project is a major step toward the integration of German wind power in the country’s energy grid, and a cornerstone of Germany’s shift toward renewable energy generation,” TenneT Chief Executive Martin Fuchs said.

The North Sea cable is scheduled to boast a capacity of 1,400 megawatts — the equivalent of a larger plant. It is intended to transport Norwegian hydropower to Germany in times of low wind and solar supply. Furthermore, the country’s excess power from renewable sources is meant to be transported to Norway to be stored there in dams for later use back in Germany.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Greece: Golden Dawn Offices Damaged by Bomb

A makeshift bomb exploded at the offices of the far-Right political party Golden Dawn near Athens in the early hours of Tuesday, ripping through a wall and smashing the windows of an adjacent building but causing no injuries, police said.

A police official, who declined to be named, said the attack was most likely carried out by a far-Left group. “It was a powerful blast that caused a lot of damage,” he said. “It looks like (domestic) terrorism.”

The device packed with dynamite was placed outside the party’s local offices in Aspropyrgos, an industrial suburb west of Athens.

The bombing was the first recorded occasion that the group has been targeted since its surge popularity during Greece’s debt crisis. Riding a wave of public anger at austerity, corrupt politicians and immigration, its members have repeatedly been accused of using violence against immigrants.

There are growing calls for the banning of the ultra-nationalist party, whose members have been seen giving Nazi-style salutes and whose emblem resembles a swastika.

Golden Dawn has said it wants to rid Greece of all foreigners, including what it calls the “stench” of immigrants.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Hungary: Democratic Coalition Moves to Ban Jobbik From Parliament

The leftist Democratic Coalition (DK) is seeking the support of parliamentary parties in moving to ban the radical nationalist Jobbik party.

Csaba Molnar told a press conference on Monday that his party would submit a set of proposals to parliament in order to banish anti-Semitic and racist views from parliament. DK will also initiate a ban on radical nationalist Jobbik with the public prosecutor, Molnar said.

Thousands demonstrated over the weekend against remarks made by Marton Gyongyosi, a lawmaker for Jobbik, which holds 44 seats in parliament.

The proposal also calls on the government to revoke the constitution, arguing that it declared March 1944 as the time when the rule of law broke down in Hungary, but Jewish laws predated that. DK said this is unacceptable.

The proposal would also act against naming public spaces after or erecting public statues of anti-Semitic politicians or artists. It also calls on the government to delete “anti-Semitic authors” from the national reading school curriculum.

It calls on parliamentary parties to refrain from cooperation with Jobbik, to ignore their proposals in committees and to vote against them in the house. Similar action was recommended by the party in local governments.

The proposal would ban uniformed demonstrations which raise fear.

— Hat tip: Kitman

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Italy and France Sign TAV and 5 Other Agreements

Leaders and officials meet in bilateral summit in Lyon

(ANSA) — Lyon, December 3 — Italy and France on Monday signed a joint commitment to complete the controversial TAV high-speed rail line from Lyon to Turin according to its previously established schedule.

The countries also sealed five other agreements at the bilateral summit in Lyon, where Italian Premier Mario Monti and French President Francois Hollande gathered along with ministers and high-ranking officials from both sides.

Agreements were sealed on police cooperation, defense operations, higher education, research, and transport.

In addition to the TAV agreement, France and Italy signed transport accords to modify the Frejus tunnel, which connects the two countries, and to make tariffs consistent for the Frejus and Mont Blanc tunnels.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Netherlands: Teen Football Players Arrested for Seriously Beating Up Linesman

Three youths aged 15 and 16 have been arrested for beating up a linesman after an amateur football match between Amsterdam club Nieuw Sloten and Almere club Buitenboys.

The man is said to be in a critical condition in hospital. He was attacked by the Nieuw Sloten players after the match and was taken ill two hours later. He is being kept in an artificial coma, Nos television said.

Nieuw Sloten has removed the team from competition, suspended the boys and passed their names to the football association KNVB.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Netherlands: Linesman Dies After Attack by Teenage Football Players

The 41-year-old linesman reportedly beaten up by three boys aged 15 and 16 after a football match in Almere at the weekend has died.

Richard Nieuwenhuizen was chased and attacked by the youths from Amsterdam club Nieuw Sloten after an amateur football match between the Amsterdammers and Almere club Buitenboys.

He became ill a couple of hours after the attack and was taken to hospital where he was put into an artificial coma. He was declared dead on Monday afternoon.

According to media reports, the police have not ruled out making more arrests. The three boys currently in custody were arrested at their homes on Sunday evening.

Sports minister Edith Schippers issued a statement describing the death as ‘shocking’. The death of the linesman makes the case even worse, Schippers said.

The Dutch football association is investigating the attack. It issued a statement on Monday evening saying ‘it is too insane for words that someone enjoying a hobby is confronted with such aggression.’

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Netherlands: Fireworks Bomb Destroys Police Station

THE HAGUE, 04/12/12 — Police have arrested four youths for a firework bomb attack on a police station.

On Saturday, the police station in Hilvarenbeek in Brabant was heavily damaged by fireworks. No persons were injured, but the damage was enormous. Bits of rubble from the building was scattered over the street and in gardens of houses.

The suspects are youths from Hilvarenbeek aged 17 and 18 jaar. In house raids, the police seized seven fake firearms and fireworks.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Netherlands: Amsterdam to Create ‘Scum Villages’

Amsterdam is to create “Scum villages” where nuisance neighbours and anti-social tenants will be exiled from the city and rehoused in caravans or containers with “minimal services” under constant police supervision.

Holland’s capital already has a special hit squad of municipal officials to identify the worst offenders for a compulsory six month course in how to behave.

Social housing problem families or tenants who do not show an improvement or refuse to go to the special units face eviction and homelessness.

Eberhard van der Laan, Amsterdam’s Labour mayor, has tabled the £810,000 plan to tackle 13,000 complaints of anti-social behaviour every year. He complained that long-term harassment often leads to law abiding tenants, rather than their nuisance neighbours, being driven out.

“This is the world turned upside down,” the mayor said at the weekend.

The project also involves setting up a special hotline and system for victims to report their problems to the authorities.

The new punishment housing camps have been dubbed “scum villages” because the plan echoes a proposal from Geert Wilders, the leader of a populist Dutch Right-wing party, for special units to deal with persistent troublemakers.

“Repeat offenders should be forcibly removed from their neighbourhood and sent to a village for scum,” he suggested last year. “Put all the trash together.”

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Norway’s Chess Star Makes History

Magnus Carlsen, the Norwegian chess progidy who rose to be ranked tops in the world, now seems to have made history as well. His victories in a chess tournament in London this week have given him a live rating of 2857.4, surpassing the record of 2851 set by the legendary Garry Kasparov in 1999.

“This is fantastic, almost unreal,” Carlsen’s manager, Espen Agdestein, told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) Tuesday night.

Kasparov has held the record for being ranked the World’s #1 chess player the most times (23). Carlsen already holds the record for being ranked the World #1 Junior the most times (15). Now Carlsen is closing in on Kasparov’s ratings honour as well.

The official ratings will be published January 1 and that’s what will mean most to the still-young Norwegian chess star. Carlsen, who turned 22 last Friday, is poised to set a new record, and the prospects for winning the London Chess Classic looked good, too.

His rating has been climbing throughout the tournament in London and he achieved a new goal after a match on Tuesday against Gawain Jones. Carlsen was declared the winner after around three hours of play, telling reporters afterwards that he tried to maintain a solid position from the start and felt he had firm control.

Agdestein said Carlsen would take a day off on Wednesday and prepare for the rest of the tournament. Dag Danielsen, a former secretary general of the Norwegian chess federation who has followed Carlsen for years, called his latest achievement “a milestone.”

“Magnus Carlsen has a fundamental understanding of chess that perhaps no one else has had before him,” Danielsen told NRK. “It’s a god’s gift. He is often called ‘the Mozart of chess.’“

Agdestein said Carlsen probably wouldn’t be celebrating with champagne, joking that “he’s a bit boring in that regard.” But Carlsen was surely pleased because he’s long been intent on remaining at the top of his game. NRK reported that he said before he left for London that breaking the record had also been a goal for a long time: “I think it also means a lot that I’m so far ahead of the others in the ratings. Then I send out a message about who’s running the show.”

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Three Swiss Cities in Quality of Life Top Ten

Zurich leads three Swiss cities that are ranked among the top 10 in the world for quality of living, according to an annual ranking from Mercer, the human resource consulting firm.

Switzerland’s largest city is ranked second in the 2012 survey released on Tuesday, just behind Vienna, Austria and ahead of Auckland (New Zealand), Munich and Vancouver.

Geneva is rated in eighth place, while Bern, the Swiss capital, is in 10th place in a global list dominated by European cities, particularly in the area of infrastructure, despite economic problems in the eurozone.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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UK: 21 Years for Bottom Shooting Bandit

Hackney A gunman who left a bullet in a man’s buttock in a row over £500 has been jailed for 21 years. Izaiah Smith, 23, blasted 36 year-old Alrick Huie in the side of the stomach in Hackney, east London, for not lending him £500. Mr Huie miraculously survived after surgeons battled to repair the damage to his internal organs but spent the next five weeks recovering in hospital. The bullet is still lodged in his buttock. Smith was convicted of wounding and possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life after an Old Bailey trial and locked up for 21 years.

— Hat tip: Kitman

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UK: Hunt for Man Who Raped Woman in Clayton

A woman was raped at knifepoint by a man she had asked for a cigarette. The 38-year-old approached her attacker at a bus stop on Ashton New Road in Clayton.

He offered to roll her a cigarette and she walked with him to nearby Stokes Street. But once there he threatened her with a knife and raped her.

He was Somalian, between 28 and 30, 6ft and muscular. He had a bald head with a lump on his forehead and gave his name as Tanasula.

— Hat tip: Kitman

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UK: More Than 500,000 Pensioners ‘Will be Lonely at Christmas’ With Just the Television for Company

One in six is in touch with family, friends and neighbours barely once a week, while one in ten is in contact less than once a month.

Surveys reveal the depth of isolation affecting many over-65s, whose wellbeing is at greater risk during the winter.

Even in relatively mild winters, there are around 8,000 extra deaths for every one degree drop in average temperature.

Spiralling energy bills, the severe cold snap affecting much of the country and poor eating habits pose threats to their health, but charities also want people to make time to care for their emotional needs.

Richard Furze, chief executive of the Friends of the Elderly charity, said: ‘The effects of isolation on older people — including loneliness, depression, feelings of low self-worth, poor health and diet — can be devastating, with isolated individuals being less likely to obtain the services they need or seek help.

‘We understand that people are incredibly busy today, and especially at Christmas, but we urge people to get more involved with the older people around them — and not just at Christmas.’

— Hat tip: Kitman

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UK: Niazi: Jealous Dad Murdered Ex Two Months After Asking to be Deported

Kingston, Surrey A jealous dad bludgeoned his ex-girlfriend to death with a hammer two months after asking to be deported, the Old Bailey heard today (Mon). Muhammad Niazi, 29, told police he wanted to return to his native Pakistan after Charito Cruz, 37, deserted him for another man. Niazi went on to kill Ms Cruz, a nanny and cleaner, in front of their two-year-old daughter, the Old Bailey was told.

— Hat tip: Kitman

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UK: Night Bus Driver ‘Groped’ Lone Passenger

Central London; Ilford, Essex A night bus driver groped a tipsy passenger after finding she was still on board at the end of his route, a court heard today (Mon). Gulam Mayat, 54, allegedly put his arm around the blonde woman’s shoulder and squeezed her breast during the assault. The 33-year-old had earlier left a house party in east London and asked Mayat to tell her when his number 25 bus reached its terminus in Oxford Circus.

— Hat tip: Kitman

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UK: Number of Recorded Racist Incidents Up by 10 Per Cent in Year

THE number of recorded racist incidents increased by about 10 per cent in a year, according to official figures.

The total grew to 5,349 in 2011-12, up from 4,877 in the previous year, it was revealed in the latest annual Scottish policing performance framework report.

The total is slightly less than the 5,357 recorded in 2007-8, the first year the report was published.

Crimes with an element of racial motivation were also higher at 6,622 in 2011-12, up from 6,109 in the previous year and at a five-year high.

More people are confident that a complaint about racism will be taken seriously by police, the Scottish Government said.

— Hat tip: Kitman

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UK: Police Hunt After Three Sex Assaults

Police are searching for a man who indecently assaulted three women in the space of half an hour.

The women told police a man approached them in either Newarke Close or Eastern Boulevard, near De Montfort University, Leicester, and touched them indecently.

The suspect was aged 50 to 60 and Asian.

— Hat tip: Kitman

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UK: Rap Music Fan Who Shouted N***** at a Black Man is Cleared of Racism as Magistrates Accept He Was Using ‘Street Slang’

A rap-mad music fan who shouted n***** at a black man has walked free from court after magistrates agreed he had just been using ‘street slang’.

Christopher Jones was arrested after he was overheard aiming the offensive word at a group of men in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, on September 10.

But the sign-writer claimed he couldn’t be racist because he listened to hip-hop music, had ‘more black friends than white friends’ and this is what he called everyone.

Police charged him with using racially-aggravated words or behaviour and Jones was hauled before magistrates last week.

And he was cleared of racist abuse after successfully arguing that he regularly uses the word n****r as ‘a term of endearment’ on the streets around his home.

— Hat tip: Kitman

[Return to headlines]

UK: Tax and Corporations: One Law for Them

Nearly four years have passed since the Guardian’s tax gap series, as have two since the founding of UK Uncut and one since Occupy. In different ways, each shone a spotlight on the murky world of business tax, and to some extent succeeded — though until now nobody would have called it a mainstream concern. But the tax affairs of Google itself, together with Amazon and Starbucks, are suddenly just that — thanks to the chutzpah of the public accounts committee chair, Margaret Hodge, in hauling corporate colossi over the coals. The report that the committee has published states that the intention was not to single out these three multinationals, only to illustrate wider points. But with voters facing higher VAT, shredded tax credits and swollen energy bills, news that these three big brands coughed up at most 1.5% (Google) and at least 0% (Starbucks) of 2011 UK turnover in corporation tax risks making them public enemies.

None of these companies are charged with breaking the law, and the ethics depend on the detail. Corporation tax, after all, is not meant to be a tax on sales but only profits. Financial flows around global empires are necessarily complex, and pinpointing where a profit — and thus a tax liability — was generated will on occasion be open to real debate. The systematic pushing of profits away from these shores, however, is more a question of distortion than interpretation. The ordinary taxpayer may only half-understand the report on the radio but is left with one clear thought: if I told HMRC to regard my personal earnings as the preserve of my Dutch division or Irish operation, they’d tell me where to get off.

— Hat tip: Kitman

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UK: Worcester Park Mosque Plans Kicked Out by Councillors

Planning permission for a mosque in Worcester Park was unanimously turned down by councillors after a lively meeting last night. Councillors said the proposed mosque in Green Road would bring too much traffic to the area and voted to refuse planning permission after hearing arguments from concerned neighbours and from the project’s backers. Around 300 people attended the meeting, as well as several police officers, and there were loud cheers as the councillors voted. During the meeting the chairman had to ask the audience to calm down on several occasions as speakers were interrupted by loud heckling…

— Hat tip: JP

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Egypt: Protesters Clash With Police, Morsi Flees Palace

Tear gas on demonstrators, police cordon smashed

(ANSAmed) — CAIRO, DECEMBER 4 — Egyptian police on Tuesday fired tear gas at demonstrators trying to scale the barbed wire barrier separating them from President Mohamed Morsi’s palace, leaving dozens intoxicated, sources said. The president fled the palace after demonstrators smashed through the police cordon, reaching the palace walls, other sources said. Shortly after, security forces withdrew from the presidential palace perimeter, leaving some Republican guards within the palace itself, sources said. Al Jazeera TV broadcast images of a police armored vehicle followed by officers in riot gear, completely surrounded by protesters. At least 18 of them were intoxicated by tear gas, MENA news agency reported.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Egypt: The Obama’s Administration’s PR Campaign for Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood

The elected head of a nation made threatening statements toward Israel. His organization called for jihad and celebrated a bus bombing in Tel Aviv. The United States then hailed Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi as a statesman and a moderate last week…

— Hat tip: JP

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Hague Says EU Trade Sanctions Against Israel Not an Option

Foreign Secretary William Hague has said that European trade sanctions against Israel are not an option, Reuters has reported. “I don’t think there is enthusiasm around the European Union … about economic sanctions in Europe on Israel. I don’t believe there would be anywhere near a consensus nor is that our approach,” Mr Hague said. “Nevertheless, if there is no reversal of the decision that has been announced, we will want to consider what further steps European countries should take.”…

— Hat tip: JP

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Palestinians: Abbas’s Classic Thug Extortion Trick

by Douglas Murray

Watching Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas make his speech to the UN General Assembly, I suspect the same jolting thought passed through my head as it did for a lot of the viewers’: “Isn’t this guy meant to be the moderate?” Coming so soon after the latest Hamas rocket-barrage against Israel, the almost physical need to hold onto that dead paradigm can still occasionally override most of the facts. On one side are the Palestinian rocket-launching squads about whom nothing apparently can be done. Then on the other side are the other Palestinians, led by moderates, who just want to sit down and negotiate if they could only find time out of their busy schedules…

— Hat tip: JP

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Iraq: Gunmen Kill 6 Family Members in Baghdad

BAGHDAD, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) — Gunmen killed six people from one family in eastern Baghdad on Tuesday, an Iraqi Interior Ministry source told Xinhua. The attack occurred in the early hours of the day when gunmen broke into a house in Zaiyounah district in eastern of Iraqi capital and shot dead the householder, his wife and his four children, the source said on condition of anonymity…

— Hat tip: JP

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NATO to Order Deployment of Patriot Missiles to Turkey’s Border With Syria

Nato will order the deployment of Patriot missiles to Turkey’s border with Syria later today and has warned the Syrian regime that the use of chemical weapons will trigger an immediate response.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Nato’s secretary general, warned Syria that the international community would not stand by if Bashar al-Assad unleashes chemical warfare against the Syrian people. “The possible use of chemical weapons would be completely unacceptable for the whole international community,” he said. “If anybody resorts to these terrible weapons, then I would expect an immediate reaction.” Despite warnings from Russia that deployment of Patriot missiles would add to tensions in the Syria region, Nato foreign ministers will on Tuesday agree to deploy Patriot missiles to the Turkish-Syrian border…

— Hat tip: JP

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Saudi Regime Fears Social Networks as Means of Triggering Popular Protests

The use of social networking sites has become very common in the Arab world, particularly in Saudi Arabia. Studies conducted in this country have revealed that 38% of the population use social networks, more than in any other Arab country, and that Saudis lead the list of the 100 most influential Arabs on Twitter.(1) Saudi Twitter users include members of the royal family, such as Emir Walid bin Tallal; journalists and intellectuals such as Turki Al-Dakhil and Jamal Al-Khashoggi; and oppositionists such as Sheikhs Salman Al-’Odeh and Muhammad Al-’Arifi.

An example of the widespread use of Twitter in Saudi Arabia was apparent following a recent food crisis in the country and a drastic rise in the price of chicken. In response to the crisis, Saudi citizens organized a “Chicken Campaign” protest on Twitter which was so successful that the regime, sensing a possible threat, quickly curbed the price increase. The students who protested in the kingdom in March 2012 also made use of the social networks, mainly Facebook, to promote their cause.(2) In addition, the Saudi media has recently been warning that the Muslim Brotherhood is using Twitter to incite against the regime. In light of this growing use of social networks, the regime increasingly fears that they could spark social or political unrest, and is consequently monitoring the material posted on them by Saudi citizens.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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US Issues New Warning on Syrian Chemical Weapons

Washington repeated warnings on Monday that President Bashar al-Assad’s “increasingly beleaguered regime” might use chemical weapons against Syrian rebels, a move that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said would “certainly” prompt US action.

By News Wires (text)

The United States warned Monday that Syria had begun mixing deadly sarin gas, and said it was more and more concerned a desperate President Bashar al-Assad could use chemical arms on his own people.

But the Damascus government, hitting back at increasingly explicit and alarming warnings from Washington, pledged never to take such a step, which the Obama administration warns would cross a “red line” and result in US action.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Afghanistan Horror: A 14-Year-Old Girl is Beheaded

In Afghanistan last week, two brothers slit the throat of Gastina, a seventh-grade girl, for refusing a marriage proposal. It wasn’t an isolated incident.

Fourteen-year-old Gastina probably didn’t realize the imminent danger she was facing.

As the seventh-grade student was fetching drinking water at 9 a.m. from a well some 500 feet from her modest house in the northern Afghan province of Kunduz early this past Tuesday, she was set upon by two men brandishing a hunting knife. The men, who are related to Gastina, jumped on her and brutally slit her throat to the bone. The local police and the provincial director of women’s affairs in the province called her cruel death a beheading.

“They did not give her a chance,” Kunduz police spokesman Sayed Sarwar told The Daily Beast by phone. “They didn’t even let her cry out for help.”

“She was very brutally beheaded just for refusing a marriage request,” says Nadiya Guyah, the Kunduz provincial women’s affairs director.

Both men, who are brothers, have been arrested…

— Hat tip: EO

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Bomb Attack in Southern Afghanistan Kills 2 NATO Service Members

KABUL, Afghanistan — The international military coalition in Afghanistan says two of its service members have been killed in a bomb attack in the country’s south. The NATO-led alliance said in a statement issued late Monday that the blast occurred earlier that day. It did not provide further details or the nationalities of the dead. The coalition usually waits for member nations to identify their dead before providing specifics on attacks…

— Hat tip: JP

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Hindus and Sikhs — Homeless Afghan Citizens

For hundreds of years, Hindus and Sikhs have lived in Afghanistan. But even after the fall of the Islamist Taliban regime, they face growing discrimination, forcing many to leave.

Sometimes you can recognize them on the streets, usually because of their black or wine-red turbans and opulent beards. Others look no different from the rest of the pedestrians, aside from the fact that they may be homeless.

Hindus and Sikhs are a religious minority in Afghanistan. But, despite being there for centuries, they are discriminated against for their beliefs. The war years forced many people belonging to these two non-Muslim minorities to leave the country.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Pakistan’s Disappearing Temples and Churches

Rights activists say that places of worship for minorities in Pakistan are either rapidly disappearing or are subject to negligence by the state. A pre-Partition Hindu temple was recently razed in Karachi.

Hindus in the Pakistani city of Karachi demanded retribution after one of their temples and some houses were reportedly demolished on Sunday in one the busiest areas of the city. Pakistani authorities say that a court order allowed some buildings to be demolished but they deny that the temple was razed.

Ramesh Kumar Vankwani of the Pakistan Hindu Council told the media that there had been a long-running legal dispute between a builder and the Hindu residents of the area over the land. He said that the land belonged to the Hindu residents and not to the builder as claimed by the authorities.

Abdul Hai, a senior official of the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan in Karachi, told DW that the court order did not allow the builder to demolish the buildings. “There is no complete judgment on the dispute yet,” Hai said.

Sikh devotees pray next to the Gurdwara Punja Sahib shrine where thousands of Sikh devotees gathered to celebrate the religious annual festival of Baisakhi in Hasan Abdal, 48 kilometers (30 miles) north of Islamabad, Pakistan (Photo: AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) There are a number of Sikh temples in Pakistan, particularly in the Punjab province

Hindus make up 2.5 percent of the 174 million people living in Pakistan. The majority of them, over 90 percent, live in southern Sindh province.

It is not the first time in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan that a temple or a church has been demolished by members of the majority Muslim community for commercial or religious purposes. Rights organizations in Pakistan report widespread social and cultural discrimination against minorities.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Swedish Missionary Shot in Pakistan

Gunmen shot a female Christian charity worker from Sweden in Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore on Monday leaving her hospitalized, police said.

Birgitta Almeby, 72, was returning from work when she was attacked by unknown assailants in the upmarket locality where she lives.

“She was returning from her office and was attacked when she arrived in front of her home in the Model Town neighbourhood,” Awais Malik, a senior police official told AFP.

Doctors said Almeby was hit in the chest and was recovering in hospital.

“A bullet hit her in the chest. We have treated her and she is improving now,” Ali Usman, a doctor at the hospital, told AFP.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Vietnam Condemns China’s Sea Claims as “Serious Violation”

Vietnam condemned on Tuesday China’s claims to disputed South China Sea islands as a serious violation of its sovereignty after saying it was setting up patrols to protect its fisheries and accusing Chinese boats of sabotage.

The condemnation of China’s claims to the sea and its numerous reefs and tiny islands was the strongest yet from Vietnam since tension flared this year and came after India declared itself ready to send navy ships to safeguard its interests in the disputed waters.

Claims by an increasingly powerful China over most of the South China Sea have set it directly against U.S. allies Vietnam and the Philippines, while Brunei, Taiwan and Malaysia also claim parts of the mineral-rich waters.

Vietnam’s condemnation came a day after its state oil and gas company, Petrovietnam, accused Chinese boats of sabotaging an exploration operation by cutting a seismic cable being towed behind a Vietnamese boat.

Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry spokesman condemned the cable cutting as well as some recent Chinese provincial regulations that identified the disputed Spratly and Paracel islands as Chinese, and a map that did the same thing.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Nigeria: Days of Boko Haram Over Soon — DD SSS

DIRECTOR General of the Department of State Security, Ekpenyong Ita, yesterday, assured that the service and other security agencies are working with other stakeholders including the media towards ensuring that the activities of the Boko Haram sect are brought under total control for peace to reign in the country. Ita who gave the assurance at the opening of a one week training programe for media practitioners in Abuja, disclosed that activities of the sect have turned to a full scale business venture for its leaders. According to him, recent discovery of the main objective of the terrorist group runs contrary to the earlier claims by the group that they are actually fighting a religious war.

Criminal activities

The group he said actually started as an extremist religious group under the late Mohammed Yusuf, but later transformed into a business venture, as the sect members are now make good living out of their criminal activities…

— Hat tip: JP

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South African Farmers Fearing for Their Lives

On Saturday, in an unprecedented move to mark the second anniversary of the slaughter of a farming family, survivors of farm attacks marched in Pretoria and called for attacks on South Africa’s mostly white farmers to be designated a crime of national priority.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Brazilian Police Arrest Dozens of Officers for Alleged Collaboration With Drug Dealers

Brazilian law enforcement intelligence agencies responsible for combating organized crime have launched an operation against alleged corruption within the Rio de Janeiro state police force itself.

The Rio state security department says Tuesday’s “Operation Purification” is the result of a year of investigation.

A press release from the security department says that of 65 wanted officers, 59 were arrested Tuesday morning. There are also warrants for 18 alleged drug traffickers, and 11 have been arrested so far.

Among the charges against the officers are that they have been taking monthly bribes from the Red Command, Rio’s most powerful drug trading organization.

Other charges include racketeering, kidnapping and extortion stemming from officers allegedly kidnapping drug dealers and holding them for ransom.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Colombia: FARC Rebels Killed in Military Strike

At least 20 Farc rebels — including a senior commander — have reportedly been killed in a military strike in Colombia, despite ongoing peace talks.

In a raid that indicated President Juan Manuel Santos’s growing impatience with the negotiations, the Colombian army and air force targeted the group’s camp in Narino, near the border with Ecuador. General Jorge Segura confirmed the deaths included that of the Farc ringleader known as Guillermo Pequeño, commander of the Mariscal Sucre unit. The other fatalities were believed to include Pequeño’s personal nurse as well as the third-in-command known only as Mario. General Segura told Caracol Radio: “With the support of the air force, the national army launched a strike that hit the structure of Mariscal Sucre. “There is a report that 20 rebels were killed and their top ringleader Guillermo Pequeño.”…

— Hat tip: JP

[Return to headlines]

Mexico: More Than 25,000 People Disappear in Six Years

Unpublished official figures show cost of chaos and violence enveloping country in fight against drug gangs

Mexico’s Attorney General has compiled a list showing that more than 25,000 adults and children have gone missing in Mexico in the past six years, according to unpublished government documents.

The data sets, submitted by state prosecutors and vetted by the federal government but never released to the public, chronicle the disappearance of tens of thousands of people in the chaos and violence that have enveloped Mexico during its fight against drug mafias and crime gangs.

Families have been left wondering whether their loved ones are alive or among the more than 100,000 victims of homicides recorded during the presidency of Felipe Calderon, who leaves office today.

— Hat tip: Kitman

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Fifty-Seven Percent of Mexican Immigrants on Welfare

A report by the Center for Immigration Studies (www.cis.org) reveals some startling figures about welfare use by families headed by immigrants.

“In 2010, 36 percent of immigrant-headed households used at least one major welfare program (primarily food assistance and Medicaid) compared to 23 percent of native households,” summarizes the document which was published by the Center for Immigration Studies and examines a wide variety of topics relating to immigration.

The document breaks down the immigrant families by country of origin and gives specific types of welfare and percentages of the families that used it in 2010. An average fewer than 23 percent of native households use some type of “welfare” which is specifically defined in the study. 36 percent of households headed by immigrants use some type of welfare. Families headed by immigrants from specific countries or areas of the world range from just over 6 percent for those immigrants from Great Britain to more than 57 percent of those from Mexico using some type of welfare.

This comprehensive study suggests there are approximately 40 million immigrants in the United States of which more than a 25 percent of that number, and the largest overall group, originate from Mexico. The study estimates that approximately 28 percent of immigrants, or just over 11 million, are within the United States illegally. The study also suggests that nearly 50 percent of those immigrants originating from Mexico and Central America are here illegally.

This report is very comprehensive and examines various statistics of immigrants currently residing in the United States. Overall, state and federal aid use by immigrant families is much higher than that used by families headed by citizens of the United States.

The large population of immigrants, both legal and illegal in Eastern Washington and even Spokane affects the states budget dramatically.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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George W. Bush: Immigration Reform Needed to Boost Economy

WASHINGTON — Former President George W. Bush stressed the importance of immigration on Tuesday at a speech in Dallas, throwing himself back in the ring as the debate over reform heats up in Washington.

“Immigrants come with new skills and new ideas. They fill a critical part in our labor market. They work hard for a better life,” Bush said at the event, hosted by the George W. Bush Institute and the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

His brief speech introduced the groups’ conference, which focused on the need for immigration reform to bolster economic growth.

“Not only do immigrants help build our economy, they help invigorate our soul,” he said later in the speech.

— Hat tip: Kitman

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Lord Bilimoria Says UK Immigration Policy is ‘Harming the Nation’

Lord Bilimoria, the founder of Cobra Beer, has said that the UK’s immigration policy is preventing Indian restaurants from recruiting the staff they need.

Writing in British Sunday newspaper The Observer, Lord Bilimoria says that Britain is now a multi-ethnic country which offers opportunity to all. He says that the UK Border Agency has lost control of immigration. It does not know how many illegal immigrants are in the country. He says ‘I am all for clamping down on illegal immigration and bogus colleges, but the government’s cap on immigration numbers is crude and blunt.’ It stifles the good immigration this country has been built on over the centuries.’ He says that the UK’s tough stance on immigration is preventing various industries, including the Indian restaurant industry, from employing the skilled staff that it needs.

— Hat tip: Kitman

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UK: Planning Minister Nick Boles Becomes Tory ‘Hate Figure’ With Plan to Build on Two Million Acres of Countryside

A plan to build on two million acres of countryside to solve Britain’s housing crisis has made planning minister Nick Boles a Tory ‘hate figure’, it was claimed today.

The outspoken minister, promoted by David Cameron in this autumn’s reshuffle, claimed ‘another 2 to 3 per cent of land’ needed to be developed to meet soaring demand for housing fuelled by immigration.

But Tory MP Bob Stewart revealed voters in his Beckenham constituency are furious at the idea, insisting homes should be built on brownfield sites which have been developed before.

Last week Mr Boles said migrants accounted for almost half of the housing demand, and his figures suggest 100,000 new homes a year will be needed to accommodate them. The minister added: ‘We can’t go on like this.’

— Hat tip: Kitman

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We’ve Made it! Relief for 27 Immigrants Rescued by Spanish Coast Guard as They Sailed Toy Dinghies Across Strait of Gibraltar

Migrants began to swim towards Spanish Coast Guard when they realised a boat from Morocco was also coming to rescue them

Relief etched on their face, these African immigrants say goodbye to their inflatable dinghy, and hello to the reassuring sturdiness of the a Coast Guard boat.

Spanish officials say Coast Guard vessels from southern Spain and Morocco have rescued 27 migrants on four inflatable dinghies in the Strait of Gibraltar in the last 24 hours.

Officials said some of the migrants trying to reach Spain from Morocco jumped into the sea when the two countries’ rescue vessels approached them Monday.

They were desperate to be picked up by the closer Spanish boats that would take them to Europe — instead of back to North Africa.

Each year thousands of suspected illegal immigrants from Africa risk their lives trying to reach Europe on small, flimsy boats.

Spanish authorities said their vessels took 19 sub-Saharan men and two women to the port of Cadiz in southern Spain. Some were suffering from hypothermia.

Whether they will find a new home on this side of the Mediterranean is not known.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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College Says “Men Working” Sign is Sexist

An Ohio community college forced a construction crew to remove its “Men Working” sign after the sign was deemed sexist and non-inclusive by a college administrator.

The construction crew at Sinclair Community College in Dayton was forced to stop working until the sign had been removed.

A spokesman for the college told Fox News that they have a deep commitment to diversity and take it quite seriously.

“While it may not have been necessary to suggest work be stopped, we stand by our commitment to providing an environment that is inclusive and non-discriminatory,” director of public information Adam Murka told Fox News.

— Hat tip: Kitman

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Gender Debate Sparks UK-Sweden Media Spat

Claims that a gender-neutral toy catalogue proved Sweden had “lost” a generation of women sparked a fierce war of words between popular Swedish tabloid Expressen and British publication The Telegraph.

“Boys will be girls, as they say in Sweden,” finance writer Thomas Pascoe wrote in a post published last week in the blog section of The Telegraph’s website.

He went on to argue that Sweden’s anti-discrimination laws are “insane” and lead to “bizarre” outcomes which do little to improve the status of women in Swedish society, citing figures showing a persistent wage gap between men and women.

“The result of stripping women of their social roles as mothers has not been the development of a new balance in society which still respects women, but rather a sexual nihilism with which most women are instinctively uncomfortable,” he wrote.

The sideswipe against Sweden’s gender-equality efforts came on the heels of reports that Toys”R”Us had produced a “gender neutral” toy catalogue for consumers in Sweden which features images of boys offering dolls a toy bottle, as well as little girls taking aim with plastic rifles.

“No boy grows up dreaming of being a princess. I find it hard to believe many little girls grow up wanting to shoot people,” wrote Pascoe.

The article prompted a stinging reply published on Saturday in Swedish tabloid Expressen by columnist Jenny Strömstedt.

She explained she was addressing her open letter to “Fred Flinstone”, because Pascoe “seems convinced that we still live in caves”.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Human Evolution Enters an Exciting New Phase

If you could escape the human time scale for a moment, and regard evolution from the perspective of deep time, in which the last 10,000 years are a short chapter in a long saga, you’d say: Things are pretty wild right now. In the most massive study of genetic variation yet, researchers estimated the age of more than one million variants, or changes to our DNA code, found across human populations. The vast majority proved to be quite young.

The chronologies tell a story of evolutionary dynamics in recent human history, a period characterized by both narrow reproductive bottlenecks and sudden, enormous population growth. The evolutionary dynamics of these features resulted in a flood of new genetic variation, accumulating so fast that natural selection hasn’t caught up yet. As a species, we are freshly bursting with the raw material of evolution.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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The Rise and Possible Fall of SMS Text Messaging

SMS text messaging has revolutionized mobile phone communication, ever since it was launched 20 years ago. But more modern, Internet-based technologies appear poised to bring an end to its dominance.

“Come later, still busy. CU XOXO”: a typical message written using the SMS (short message service), complete with well-known abbreviations. The service has become a convenient part of daily communication ever since it was launched on December 3, 1992.

These days, SMS abbreviations like these have become a common part of everyday speech, with most everyone now knowing that “CU” means “See you” and “XOXO” standing in for, of course, “hugs and kisses.”

Keeping it concise is an essential element of the SMS: text messages may not be longer than 160 characters, and for good reason. When the technology was still in its early stages in the 1980s, SMS inventors were guided by analog predecessors like the postcard and telex-newswires, the latter of which were restricted to less than 160 characters.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

[Return to headlines]

	Financial Crisis
»	Italy: Spread Keeps Falling: 292 Points
»	More EU Citizens at Risk of Poverty, Exclusion: Agency
»	Spain: Cabinet Says it Will Not Meet Deficit Target
»	Thunderdome in California?
	USA
»	Chrysler U.S. Sales Up 14% in November
»	GOP Congressman: Muslim Brotherhood “Advising” The Obama Admin
	Europe and the EU
»	Cassation Says CIA Spies ‘Violated Italy’s Sovereignty’
»	Danube Fare Fight Sends Romania, Bulgaria to Court
»	Defeated Renzi Pledges Not to Split Italy’s Democratic Party
»	France: How Discriminated and Alienated Are Muslims in France?
»	France: Lawyer’s Slit Throat Rocks Crime-Infested Marseille
»	France: Museum Bids High for Napoleon Letters
»	France: Beer or Wine? Increasingly a Question of Class
»	Ikea’s Kamprad Still Switzerland’s Richest
»	Italy: France Confirm Turin-Lyon Rail Link
»	Italy: Berlusconi Return Seen as More Likely After Bersani Win
»	UK: Danger Man
»	UK: Durham Muslim Centre Demo: Two Men Arrested
»	UK: It is the Web, Not the Press, That Must be Brought Under Control
»	UK: Mega Mosque — Planning Decision This Week
»	UK: March for Mega-Mosque
»	UK: Meeting on Worcester Park Mosque to Take Place on Monday
	North Africa
»	Egypt: Judges Refuse to Oversee Morsi Referendum
»	ENI Resumes Drilling in Libya
	Israel and the Palestinians
»	Britain ‘Considering Recalling Ambassador to Israel in Settlement Protest’
»	Hamas Appeals for Talks With EU Diplomats
»	Will Israel’s Long Delayed E-1 Project Finally Begin?
	Middle East
»	Al-Qaeda Key to Fight in Syria
»	Egypt: Paralysed by Political Correctness, The West Looks on as Egypt and Syria Follow Iran Into Islamofascism
»	Internet Control to Dominate at Dubai Talks
»	Qatar: Emirate Opens to Foreign Workers’ Union
»	Syria: Devastation After Homs Car Bomb Attack
»	Syrian Forces Pound Damascus Suburbs
»	Turkey Fines ‘Blasphemous’ Simpsons for Poking Fun at God
	South Asia
»	Pakistan: Journalist Targeted for ‘Threatening’ Islam
	Far East
»	Japan Deploying Missile Defense for North Korean Rocket
»	The Price of Economic Growth in China
	Australia — Pacific
»	Fiji’s Tribal Chiefs Slam Decision to Remove Queen From Currency
»	Sydney: Naive Jewish Schoolgirls Being Groomed for Dhimmitude
	Latin America
»	Argentina: Pollution in River Basin Choking Buenos Aires
	Immigration
»	Greece: Evros Fence Ready by Mid-December
	General
»	Elon Musk: Mars Base Will Open the Way to Other Stars
»	Galaxy Grande: Milky Way May be More Massive Than Thought

Italy: Spread Keeps Falling: 292 Points

New post-March low

(ANSA) — Rome, December 3 — The spread between Italian and German 10-year bonds kept tumbling Monday, reaching a new post-March low of 292 points.

The yield fell to 4.37%.

— Hat tip: Insubria

[Return to headlines]

More EU Citizens at Risk of Poverty, Exclusion: Agency

(BRUSSELS) — The number of EU citizens at risk of poverty or social exclusion rose last year to nearly 120 million, the Eurostat statistics agency said on Monday as the debt crisis continues to sap the economy.

It said in 2011, 119.6 million people or 24.2 percent of the population in the EU’s 27 member states were at risk of poverty, social exclusion or living in very low-employment households, up from 23.4 percent in 2010 and 23.5 percent in 2008.

Bulgaria was most affected, with 49 percent of its people listed, followed by Romania and Latvia, each on 40 percent, Lithuania 33 percent, and then Greece and Hungary on 31 percent.

The Czech Republic had the lowest rate at 15 percent, with the Netherlands and Sweden each on 16 percent, and Luxembourg and Austria both at 17 percent.

Germany, the EU’s biggest economy, was listed at 19.9 percent in 2011, down from 20.1 percent in 2008, with France at 19.3 percent, up from 18.6 percent.

Eurostat said that overall, some 17 percent of the EU’s 500 million people were at risk of income poverty, while 9.0 percent counted as “severely materially deprived” and 10 percent were in households with very low employment rates.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

[Return to headlines]

Spain: Cabinet Says it Will Not Meet Deficit Target

(ANSAmed) — Madrid, December 3 — The Spanish government on Monday admitted it will not meet its budget deficit target for 2012 set at 6.3%of GDP, an estimate which should be corrected to 7% of GDP at the end of the year, sources in the conservative government of Mariano Rajoy were quoted as saying by radio Cadena Ser. According to the sources, Spain will also not meet its budget deficit target for 2013, which should be modified from the 4.3% forecast to 6% of GDP.

In an interview to La Razon daily published on Sunday, Rajoy did not guarantee that Spain would meet its targets in spite of harsh security measures imposed on the population. ‘Our objective is to do things well and we will see what happens at the end of the year’, the premier said. The 7% estimate had been anticipated on Saturday by the vice-president of the European Commission Olli Rehn.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Thunderdome in California?

Things are getting worse in San Bernardino. The city filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, but its financial situation has continued to deteriorate. And now with what promises to be a heated court battle over payments to the state pension fund in the offing, further cuts are likely.

Things are getting so bad that at a recent city council meeting, the city attorney advised residents to “lock their doors and load their guns” because the city could no longer afford to keep up a strong enough police force. CBS News reports:…

— Hat tip: DS

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Chrysler U.S. Sales Up 14% in November

Car sales 122,565, vans 107,172

(ANSA) — Rome, December 3 — Chrysler’s sales rose 14% in the United States in November compared to the same month in 2011, the Fiat-controlled company said Monday.

Car sales rose to 122,565 and van sales to 107,172.

Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat and Chrysler, said last month the combined brands would sell more than 4.3 million vehicles next year ahead of their 2014 merger.

Chrysler is expected to contribute at least 2.6 million sales to the total.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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GOP Congressman: Muslim Brotherhood “Advising” The Obama Admin

Frank Gaffney, host: Congressman Gohmert let me just ask you quickly because you were one of five members of the House of Representatives, Newt Gingrich called you all the National Security Five, who back in June of this year wrote letters to Inspectors General of five different departments raising the question that some of these dismal policies that have resulted in the Obama administration embracing Islamists at home as well as abroad and finding itself I would argue squarely on the wrong side of history as far as freedom is concerned, may be a function of these Muslim Brotherhood associated individuals who are serving in or advising the Obama administration. Looking at what’s happening now, looking at what has developed since you wrote those letters, do you feel that that issue should be raised anew and much more aggressively as Congress looks into the fiasco in Benghazi and now more recently in Egypt?

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX): Absolutely. I think it almost makes a prima facie case when you look at the decisions made by this administration over the last couple of years, or actually all four years. You look at the decisions it made especially in the last two years in going through the revolutions in Northern Africa and across the Middle East and to the Far East, and the only way you can explain the horrendous decisions that were so completely wrongheaded would be if this administration had a bunch of Muslim Brotherhood members giving them advice.

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Cassation Says CIA Spies ‘Violated Italy’s Sovereignty’

22 agents convicted for abducting Muslim cleric Nasr

(see previous) (ANSA) — Rome, November 29 — Italy’s highest appeals court on Thursday said the 22 CIA agents convicted of abducting Muslim cleric Hassan Mustafa Omar Nasr in Milan in 2003 deserved no leniency because they “violated the sovereignty of the Italian State”. Commenting on its September decision to uphold their convictions, the Cassation Court called their actions “extremely serious” given they were unauthorized and took place on Italian soil.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Danube Fare Fight Sends Romania, Bulgaria to Court

A second bridge across the Danube between Romania and Bulgaria was to be officially opened on Thursday. But a revenue-sharing disagreement is keeping the Vidin-Calafat Bridge closedas the countries head to court.

This is Kamen Kalnidolski’s lucky day: it is a Monday morning, and the long-haul truck driver will not have to wait more than two hours for the ferry runs from Calafat in Romania to Vidin in Bulgaria. The crossing lasts an hour, passport and customs checks are quick; the 52-year-old could be home with his wife in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, by early afternoon.

“There is bumper-to-bumper traffic here on Wednesdays and Thursdays — we all have to wait for at least 20 hours,” Kalnidolski said.

Kalnidolski is stuck in Calafat or Vidin two or three times a month, a bottleneck much-feared by truck drivers on their trips from central to southeast Europe. Romania and Bulgaria share a 450-kilometer (279-mile) border along the Danube River — but there is only one single bridge, far in the east near Romania’s capital, Bucharest. In some cases, that would mean a detour of several hundred kilometers. So many truck drivers opt for the ferry — and a long wait. Drivers who arrive shortly before nightfall are in for an especially long wait as the ferries do not operate in the dark.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Defeated Renzi Pledges Not to Split Italy’s Democratic Party

‘I’ll be loyal to Bersani’ says Florence Mayor

(see related stories) (ANSA) — Rome, December 3 — Florence Mayor Matteo Renzi has rejected speculation he could split from the Democratic Party (PD) to form his own group after losing to party leader Pier Luigi Bersani in the centre left’s primary runoff. “I’ll be loyal to Bersani,” Renzi said after collecting around 39% of the votes cast on Sunday compared to over 60% for Bersani.

The run-up to Sunday’s runoff was marred with a dispute over whether Renzi had broken the rules for the primaries, because a foundation linked to him took out allegedly misleading advertising in the national press calling on people to vote.

Renzi’s camp also said many people in Tuscany were not allowed to vote on Sunday even though they should have been able to.

But the 37-year-old, who presented himself as a moderniser, was graceful in defeat.

He admitted he had made mistakes in his campaign and said Bersani was the “clear” winner.

The Florence mayor, who has aroused suspicion from some members of the PD’s rank and file for allegedly being too business-friendly, also managed to joke about Sunday’s outcome.

“I finally did something left-wing — I lost,” he quipped.

He added that he would continue his campaign for the party and for Italy’s whole political arena to renew itself. Renzi has made several calls for older figures from Italy’s political class to be “scrapped”, including members of the PD. This has led to him being portrayed at times as an opportunist who is playing on this issue because of his youth.

“We tried to change the political world and we didn’t manage to,” he said.

“Once we’ve shaken off the disappointment, we’ll resume the path we’ve taken. We have three things on our side — enthusiasm, time and freedom”.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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France: How Discriminated and Alienated Are Muslims in France?

After the publication of the insulting cartoons by a French magazine in September, that Muslims around the world found deeply offensive, the French government denied Muslims from any political demonstration.

Reports say that the Police arrested 150 protesters near the US Embassy in Paris. It has used pepper spray to scatter demonstrators in Paris and other cities. It seems that France is in a paradoxical situation. It restricts freedom of speech to protect freedom of speech. France In a symbolic stance against Islam banned one type of Muslim women’s veil known as burqa last year. Former President Sarkozy and other right-wing politicians have constantly used anti-Muslim rhetoric to scapegoat Muslims for their economic and political failure.This is while France has one of the largest Muslim populations in Europe…

— Hat tip: JP

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France: Lawyer’s Slit Throat Rocks Crime-Infested Marseille

A murder investigation is under way after a lawyer was found with her throat slit in the heart of the crime-ridden city of Marseille.

A colleague found Raymonde Talbot’s body in her office on the Maport city’s main business street on Friday, police said.

The third-floor office was locked and no murder weapon was found, they said.

“It’s blood-chilling,” a fellow lawyer said.

“We don’t know the exact circumstances but the whole profession is concerned.”

Marseille deputy mayor Caroline Pozmentier said the authorities were “revolted by this odious act which has rocked not only the legal profession but the entire city.”

While little is known about the circumstances surrounding this murder, there has been growing concern in government circles at a wave of killings in Marseille.

So far this year, 18 people have been killed there in crimes linked to inter-gang rivalry, many of them gunned down in killings linked to the drugs trade.

On September 6th, Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault announced beefed-up security with 250 extra police to tackle deadly gang violence in Marseille.

But a number of police officers have been also suspended as part of a corruption investigation in the city.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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France: Museum Bids High for Napoleon Letters

A Paris museum paid record sums to acquire letters written by Napoleon Bonaparte, which fetched bids well above their estimate at an auction on Sunday in Fontainebleau, near the capital.

One letter written in code by Napoleon to one of his ministers 200 years ago, in which he threatens to blow up the Kremlin, fell under the hammer at the Osenat auction house for 150,000 euros, more than 10 times its estimate.

The manuscript, dating from the time of the disastrous French invasion of Russia after a decision had been made to turn back, was acquired by the Museum of Letters and Manuscripts.

The total cost for the museum including fees was 187,500 euros.

The letter, essentially a series of numbers encoding the message, was addressed to Foreign Minister Hugues Bernard Maret and written on October 20, 1812, a day after Napoleon ordered his troops out of the Russian capital.

“I am going to bring down the Kremlin on the 22nd at three o’clock in the morning,” the emperor writes, although he had already left Moscow.

The Paris museum also succeeded in obtaining a manuscript written by Napoleon during his exile on Saint Helena about his past military campaigns for 300,000 euros.

Osenat estimated its value at between 60,000 and 80,000 euros.

This was a record payment for the museum for any historical document, mounting to 375,000 euros when fees are included.

The “Essay on Campaign Fortification” is a 310-page document dictated by Napoleon, with his corrections, annotations and drawings, while in exile on the island of Saint Helena.

The book is described by the Osenat auction house as the most important item in private hands of the writings dictated by Napoleon on the island.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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France: Beer or Wine? Increasingly a Question of Class

The French government, keen to cut its budget deficit, says it’s going to raise taxes on beer. French beer drinkers, who more and more belong to France’s poor, say it’s unfair that only their drink is being singled out.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Ikea’s Kamprad Still Switzerland’s Richest

Ingvar Kamprad, founder of Swedish furniture giant Ikea, has retained his place atop Switzerland’s rich list, with his net worth estimated at up to 39 billion Swiss francs ($42 billion), Swiss magazine Bilan said Friday.

In its annual review of the country’s 300 wealthiest residents, Bilan estimated that Kamprad’s fortune rose by around 1.0 billion Swiss francs in 2012.

The 86-year-old Swede, who was also listed as the fifth wealthiest person on the planet, did not however keep pace with the 9.0-percent average boost seen by Switzerland’s 137 billionaires, the magazine said, estimating their total worth at more than 438 billion Swiss francs.

In October, Kamprad scoffed at the notion he might retire following reports in the Swedish media in September that he planned on passing the baton to his three sons Peter, Jonas and Mathias.

“Oh, I have so much work to do and no time to die,” he told Swiss business magazine Bilanz in October.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Italy: France Confirm Turin-Lyon Rail Link

Work will be completed ‘on schedule’ ministers say

(ANSA) — Lyon, December 3 — Italy and France on Monday signed a joint statement confirming that a contested high-speed rail link between Turin and Lyon will be completed on schedule.

Final work on the line is scheduled to start in 2014 and take about seven years.

Italian Industry Minister Corrado Passera and French Trasport Minister Frederic Cuviller signed the statement at a Franco-Italian summit in Lyon.

At Rome talks with French President Francois Hollande in September, Italian Premier Mario Monti described the project as “fundamental” while Hollande confirmed his government’s commitment to complete the line.

Construction of the so-called TAV line has sparked staunch opposition since it requires digging a tunnel in the Valle di Susa valley near Turin.

Naysayers argue that the line will create pollution and harm the area’s natural beauty and maintain that the money would be better spent on improving public transport locally.

Supporters of the project, including most Italian political parties and the European Commission, say the link will actually reduce pollution by minimizing freight traffic on the road.

The movement against the tunnel has seen numerous episodes of violence over the last several years and included arrests as opposition has grown increasingly hostile.

The line did not meet much opposition on the French side until recently, when protests burgeoned over the link’s cost, impact and utility.

The Italian government has repeatedly reiterated that the project is necessary and must go ahead.

In July Paris daily Le Figaro reported that the French government was considering reviewing and possibly scrapping 10 high-speed railway lines, including the Turin-Lyon link, due to high costs and a drop in freight traffic as a result of the recession.

France subsequently confirmed its commitment to the project but said a new funding agreement was required.

The high-speed train would cut by half — just four hours — the time it takes to travel between Paris and Milan.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Italy: Berlusconi Return Seen as More Likely After Bersani Win

PdL in chaos months before national elections

(ANSA) — Rome, December 3 — Ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi’s return to front-line politics is more likely after Democratic Party (PD) leader Pier Luigi Bersani won the centre-left primaries on Sunday, according to most commentators.

Berlusconi’s centre-right People of Freedom (PdL) party last week held off on a decision about whether to scrap a primary of its own scheduled for December 16. Most political pundits said this was because Berlusconi wanted to know who his main rival would be before making an announcement on whether he would stand for a fourth term at the helm of government in next spring’s national elections.

The 76-year-old media magnate said he would retire from politics after being forced to resign as prime minister to make way for Premier Mario Monti’s emergency administration a year ago, when Italy’s debt crisis looked in danger of spiralling out of control.

But he has changed his mind several times in recent months about whether to make a comeback, with his party, which has been hit by corruption scandals, internal rifts and confusion, struggling in the polls. The ex-premier was said to have been unlikely to stand if Florence Mayor Matteo Renzi had won Sunday’s centre-left primary runoff.

This is because the 37-year-old, a slick media performer who is friendly to business and sits closer to the middle of the political spectrum, would probably have been a tougher opponent as he would have had more appeal with traditional centre-right supporters disaffected with the PdL.

Although Bersani is a moderate and, like Renzi, said he would continue with Monti’s policies if elected premier, he is widely seen as representing the traditional Italian left as he is a former member of Italy’s former Communist party.

A series of corruption scandals affecting top centre-right politicians in Rome and Milan have contributed to the PdL, which is the biggest party in parliament at the moment, dropping to third in the opinion polls.

But the party has also been suffering from a vacuum of leadership since Berlusconi stepped back from the front line.

Berlusconi has reportedly dropped plans to abandon the PdL and recreate his old party, Forza Italia.

But the party may split anyway because many former members of the right-wing National Alliance (AN) party, which merged with Forza Italia in 2009, are unhappy about the direction Berlusconi wants to take the party in.

The PdL’s mayor of Rome, Gianni Alemanno, said Monday that it would be “irrational” for Berlusconi to stand again, saying the party needed to be rejuvenated. He also admitted to being “envious” of the PD primary.

“These primaries have turned out to be an exceptional instrument,” Alemanno, a former AN member, told Sky television.

“Thanks to the primaries, Bersani can present himself almost as something new, even though he has a long history (in politics). “The centre right cannot do without them”.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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UK: Danger Man

NOT for the first time Nick Clegg sounds like a man gripped by hopeless confusion.

One minute he lines up alongside serial bandwagon jumper Ed Miliband to demand statutory regulation of our free Press which he says would shield the innocent from newspaper stories. The next he delays online security measures considered vital to prevent the innocent from being massacred. We are talking here about allowing police access to sketchy but potentially crucial web data that could uncover a bomb plot or a paedophile ring grooming children. But on THIS issue, one of life or death, the Deputy PM is overwhelmed by civil liberties angst…

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: Durham Muslim Centre Demo: Two Men Arrested

TWO men were arrested yesterday during a protest over a planned Muslim education centre in the North. Police estimate that around 200 members of the English Defence League turned out to the protest in the former pit village of Shotton Colliery, County Durham. The arrests were made for breach of bail conditions, a spokesperson for Durham Police said.

Superintendent Helen McMillan said: “Although Durham Constabulary respects the right for people to take part in peaceful protests, we will ensure that law and order is maintained at all times. “We had effective resources in place to ensure the event proceeded peacefully for the safety of everyone,” she said. “The men are currently being held in a local police station where they are helping police with enquiries.”

[…]

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: It is the Web, Not the Press, That Must be Brought Under Control

Lord Justice Leveson’s desire to emasculate newspapers will do little to stop the rot, says Boris Johnson

You know I don’t want to be more at odds than usual with public opinion; but I have just read the Leveson Report — all four volumes of horror — and my first reaction is that the British press is really rather magnificent…

Leveson is proposing to throw shackles around that part of the media that is already struggling — while doing nothing to tackle the riot of bile and slander on the web. It was Twitter that turned the BBC’s awful Newsnight into a monstrous libel of Lord McAlpine; and yet Leveson proposes no code of conduct for the Tweeters. Instead, he endorses just about every politically correct criticism of the mainstream press, to the point where he seems to want to sterilise it of fun and flavour. He complains, for instance, that the Mail was wrong to say that an asylum seeker was given leave to remain because of the attachment he had formed to his cat. I read the judgment, and the cat was certainly mentioned. It struck me as an entirely legitimate headline…

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: Mega Mosque — Planning Decision This Week

by Esmerelda Weatherwax

Newham Council will make their decision on the latest planning application for the Riverine Mosque in Newham, better known informally as the megamosque. The date is fixed for this Wednesday 5th December at 7pm in the Old Town Hall Stratford. The doors will open to the public at 6pm. The Council are expected to follow the advice of the planning officials and reject the appplication.

Haitham al-Haddad the islamic preacher, well known for his support of Hamas and the statement (koranically based) that Jews are the descendants of apes and pigs, gave out a message last week whic was videoed. He called for all Muslims, at least 15,000 to gather outside the Old Town Hall by 5pm on Wednesday. The idea is that as the councillors enter ready for the meeting they will see the level of support for the mosque and vote accordingly. He said “ Is the duty, I would say in my heart obligation for all Muslims to attend, even bring your women and children (it must be important if he’s allowing the women out!). . . even if this is a mosque to be used by another group it is still a big Muslim symbol in the heart of London . . . and we are all one ummah, one body. . . If we lose this chance to have a big masjid, we will lose other chances to have big masjid in London.”

The police have been made aware of his video which is below — I hope the council do not succumb to intimidation.

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: March for Mega-Mosque

UP to 15,000 militant Islamists are set to descend on east London this week to pressure town hall chiefs into allowing a 9,000 capacity mega-mosque.

Supporters of Islamist sect Tablighi Jamaat are irate after Newham Council rejected plans for the group’s new HQ. The sect, which has been linked to shoe bomber Richard Reid and 7/7 terrorists Mohammed Siddique Khan and Shehzad Tanweer, owns the Abbey Mills site near the Olympic Park in West Ham. In a YouTube video, extremist cleric Sheikh Haitham al-Haddad urged Muslims to come together to support what should be a “big Islamic symbol in the heart of London”…

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: Meeting on Worcester Park Mosque to Take Place on Monday

More than 4000 people have signed a petition against a controversial plan to convert a disused bank into a mosque ahead of a meeting next week to decide its future. Councillors will decide on Monday whether the bank chambers in Green Lane can be developed into a mosque. Worcester Park resident Jacki Chillman appealed to others who do not want the plans to go ahead to make sure they make their presence felt at the meeting…

— Hat tip: JP

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Egypt: Judges Refuse to Oversee Morsi Referendum

Judges in Egypt have refused to oversee a vote on the country’s new draft constitution, to be held in two weeks.

The Judges’ Club’s decision follows a confrontation between Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court and Islamist supporters of President Mohammed Morsi. The court said it was suspending its work after its members were prevented from ruling on the legitimacy of the body that drew up the constitution. Opposition groups called for protests against the referendum on Tuesday. They said Mr Morsi had broken a promise not to call a referendum without gaining a wide national consensus. “The National Salvation Front condemns the irresponsible act by the president of the republic in calling a referendum on an illegitimate constitution that is rejected by a large section of his people,” an alliance of opposition groups said in a statement. The opposition believes that the draft constitution undermines basic freedoms…

— Hat tip: JP

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ENI Resumes Drilling in Libya

Calls reopening of exploratory well ‘important step’

(ANSA) — Rome, December 3 — The Italian petrol giant ENI has resumed exploratory drilling in Libya, the company said Monday.

ENI will probe 4.4 km under the earth, at a site in the Sirte basin about 300 km south of Benghazi, marking a major step in the relaunch of ENI’s exploration and production activities in Libya, the company said in a note.

ENI said it was the first international company to resume production in September 2011, the first to lift the “force majeure status” in Libya in December 2011, and the first to resume offshore exploration activities in February 2012 by acquiring a 3D seismic survey.

Oil and gas production had been suspended in Libya due to the civil war that ended in the defeat and death of the country’s former ruler, Muammar Gaddafi, in October 2011.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Britain ‘Considering Recalling Ambassador to Israel in Settlement Protest’

Britain is considering recalling its ambassador to Israel to protest at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to expand settlement building, a diplomatic source said on Monday.

Israel’s Haaretz newspaper reported that France was also considering withdrawing its envoy. Both embassies declined to comment on the reports, but the British issued a statement saying they had made clear they would not support strong Israeli retaliation to a UN vote last week that gave the Palestinians de facto recognition of statehood. “The recent Israeli government decision to build 3,000 new housing units threatens the two-state solution and makes progress through negotiations harder to achieve,” the British embassy in Tel Aviv said. “We have called on the Israeli government to reconsider.” A diplomatic source, who declined to be named, said London would decide later in the day whether to recall its ambassador.

[JP note: This will go down well in our mushrooming Islamic republics. Whether they will vote Tory at the next election is another thing though.]

— Hat tip: JP

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Hamas Appeals for Talks With EU Diplomats

GAZA — The Prime Minister of Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, has appealed to the EU to take his political and militant group, Hamas, off its terrorist register.

Speaking to a delegation of visiting MEPs and MPs from Poland, Portugal and the UK in Gaza on Sunday (2 December), he said: “It is time to remove the Palestinian resistance from the terrorist list. Hamas is a national liberation movement which operates only inside the borders of Palestine.”

“We would like you to send a message from under the rubble which you have seen here, that we are not terrorists,” he added.

His spokesman, Taher Nouno, told EUobserver: “We want a direct dialogue with European leaders so that they can hear from us, not just to hear about us.”

“This dialogue is very important. Maybe we can change our minds on some issues and maybe European countries can change their minds on some issues,” he noted.

The EU designated Hamas as a terrorist entity in 2003 during a suicide bombing campaign in Israel.

The decision means it cannot meet with EU officials or EU countries’ diplomats and that the Palestinian diaspora in Europe is forbidden from sending it money.

Communication channels do exist.

For example, Hamas meets with Norwegian, Swiss and UN diplomats, who in turn speak with EU foreign ministries.

But the EU’s main partner on the conflict is the Palestinian Authority, a body dominated by Fatah, a rival and more moderate Palestinian group, which holds sway in the West Bank.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Will Israel’s Long Delayed E-1 Project Finally Begin?

Now, in the wake of Israel’s outrage at the UN GA conferring the PA with non-member status, we will see if Netanyahu’s resolve will eventuate in the long promised E-1 project actually beginning development. Ma’aleh Adumim’s Mayor Kashriel and others, including right wing National Union Knesset member Arieh Eldad, will be waiting to see if the first permits are let and construction finally begins after 37 years of broken promises…

— Hat tip: Jerry Gordon

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Al-Qaeda Key to Fight in Syria

When the group Jabhat al Nusra first claimed responsibility for car and suicide bombings in Damascus that killed dozens last January, many of Syria’s revolutionaries claimed that the organization was a creation of the Syrian government, designed to discredit those who opposed the regime of President Bashar Assad and to hide the regime’s own brutal tactics.

Nearly a year later, however, Jabhat al Nusra, which U.S. officials believe has links to al Qaida, has become essential to the frontline operations of the rebels fighting to topple Assad.

Not only does the group still conduct suicide bombings that have killed hundreds, but they’ve proved to be critical to the rebels’ military advance. In battle after battle across the country, Nusra and similar groups do the heaviest frontline fighting. Groups who call themselves the Free Syrian Army and report to military councils led by defected Syrian army officers move into the captured territory afterward.

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Egypt: Paralysed by Political Correctness, The West Looks on as Egypt and Syria Follow Iran Into Islamofascism

by The Rev Dr Peter Mullen

Why be content with just one Iran when you can have two? Egypt shows every sign of developing quickly into another Islamofascist regime. Egyptian judges have gone on strike because President Morsi has ascribed to himself something resembling absolute power, more control than even the hated and deposed “Western puppet” Mubarak ever had. Naturally, he is supported by the Muslim Brotherhood and assorted Salafists who look to the establishment of an Islamic republic resembling that of the Ayatollahs in Iran…

Tragically, the West, consumed by self-hatred and the postcolonial guilt which accepts as true its enemies’ propaganda to the effect that the present militancy and its attendant terrorism is repayment for the “oppression” to which we have subjected Muslims worldwide, remains paralysed. It looks as if we really are going to die of political correctness.

— Hat tip: JP

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Internet Control to Dominate at Dubai Talks

Talks in Dubai, under way until December 14, could bring radical changes to the Internet and who controls it. Some want a body like the United Nations to rein in the Net’s freewheeling nature.

Calls for a more regulated Internet are nothing new.

But they have grown louder as the “network of networks” continues to connect people socially and politically — more than 2 billion and rising — while at the same time generating billions of dollars of revenue through electronic commerce.

Proposals to place the Internet under the control of a global authority, like the International Telecommunication Union, a UN body, have resurfaced in time for the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT), which kicked off Monday (03.12.2012) in Dubai.

The conference will discuss and likely revise many of the current international telecommunications regulations, originally agreed in 1988 — at a time when the Internet was largely unknown outside of academia.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Qatar: Emirate Opens to Foreign Workers’ Union

Out of 1.7 million residents, 1.2 million are immigrants

(ANSAmed) — Doha, December 3 — Qatar’s labour ministry will start cooperating next month with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) to create a union representing foreign workers in the Emirate, according to local press reports.

Foreign workers in the country are 1.2 million foreign out of a population of 1.7 million and many international organizations have slammed their conditions as very similar to slavery. ‘We see no workers’ rights here’, said Sharan Burrow, secretary general of ITUC. ‘We will make sure that the rights of workers in Qatar follow the standards of the international labour organization. We have met the labour minister and he has said that if we createa union, members will not be punished’.

Many members of ITUC held a demonstration in Doha on Saturday, December 1, in the first pro-environment march ever staged in the Emirate and authorized by the local government during the 18th UN conference on climate change.

The number of foreign workers in the country is expected to further grow in the next few years as investments are booming to build new infrastructures for the 2022 world soccer championship.

In its last 2012 report on Qatar, Human Rights Watch cited grave violations against the human rights of foreign workers.

The report denounced that many workers said they were either not paid or paid late and that employers also failed to legally register them as foreign workers. Many workers said they had been given false information on their job and salary before arriving in Qatar and were subsequently forced to sign a labour contract. Many live in overcrowded camps with no hygiene nor access to drinking water.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Syria: Devastation After Homs Car Bomb Attack

Video uploaded to a social media website purports to show the aftermath of a car bombing in the central Syrian city of Homs which killed at least 15 people.

Cars can be seen burning in the video, while debris is strewn across the street, and people try urgently to put out the fires with a hose, said to be filmed in the Malaab neighbourhood of Homs. The content of the video footage cannot independently verified. Syria’s state news agency SANA reported that a car bomb killed at least 15 people and wounded 24 on Sunday. It said the blast in the city’s Hamra district also damaged many nearby residential buildings. There has been a rise in the number of car bombs around the country…

— Hat tip: JP

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Syrian Forces Pound Damascus Suburbs

Syrian forces have continued attacks on areas around Damascus, as they try to push back against rebel attempts to close in on the capital. Opposition activists say government forces shelled Damascus suburbs Monday, a day after carrying out deadly airstrikes and rocket attacks against rebel-held areas. Fighters opposed to President Bashar al-Assad have been trying to secure a perimeter around Damascus from their strongholds on the outskirts of the city.

Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department says it is “hopeful” NATO will approve a plan to deploy Patriot missiles near Turkey’s border with Syria. Turkey has asked the alliance for the missiles in order to bolster its air defenses. A senior State Department official said Monday that if NATO signs off on the plan, it will likely still be “a matter of weeks” before the missiles are deployed. NATO foreign ministers are meeting Tuesday and Wednesday in Brussels. Syrian ally Russia has warned against the missile plan, saying it would not promote stability in the region…

— Hat tip: JP

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Turkey Fines ‘Blasphemous’ Simpsons for Poking Fun at God

God offers coffee to the devil in one of the cartoon’s episodes

(ANSAmed) — ANKARA, DECEMBER 3 — Just about everything that could be said and written about the super-popular cartoon ‘The Simpsons’ had been, except that it was blasphemous. Now even that “milestone” has been reached, thanks to the watchdogs of Turkey’s television stations under the Islamic-leaning government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. According to the newspaper Hurriyet, Ankara’s Council of Radio and Television (RTUK) has handed down a TRY 52,951 fine (about 23,000 euros) to the private broadcaster CNBC-E for having broadcast an episode of the cartoon in which “God is mocked”. In the episode, God goes so far as to offer coffee to the devil. In the eyes of RTUK, this “can be considered an insult” of a blasphemous nature, and the cartoon was held to encourage young people “to drink alcohol during New Year’s celebrations in New York City”. What’s more, “one of the characters insults the religious beliefs of another to induce him to commit murder”, “the Bible is burnt in public” and “ God and the devil are represented in human form”. “In a country in which the head of the government thinks that a TV series must be historical documentation, it is entirely normal that the RTUK fails to understand the jokes in a cartoon,” said Hurriyet op-ed writer Mehmet Yilmaz. Last week Erdogan lashed out at the popular Turkish television series Suleiman the Magnificent, which boasts 150 million viewers in the Middle East and the Balkans, threatening to order that the judges stand trial over its focus on sex and love in the harem of the important sultan, instead of concentrating on his territorial conquests. In the eyes of the secular opposition, the prime minister — who has been in the position for 10 years — has a “hidden agenda” to re-Islamicise the country, and wants to dilute the legacy left by the founder of modern Turkey and “father of the country” Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Erdogan has lifted the ban established by Ataturk on the Islamic headscarf in universities, builds mosques everywhere (one slated to be built in Istanbul will be “enormous” and will have to be “able to be seen from every corner of the vast city on the banks of the Bosporus), and is considering bringing back the death penalty, since according to Islamic tradition only families and not the society can pardon a murderer. Yilmaz wrote today that “I am curious to see what the screenwriters will do when that find out that in a country called ‘Turkey’ their irony is punished with a fine. Perhaps they’ll put a RTUK inspector next to the evangelist Flanders? Or perhaps between Homer’s house and that of Flanders they’ll put the house of a God-fearing Muslim, ‘Almond Mustache?”. In Turkey religious Muslims shaved their mustaches around the lips in the manner of Erdogan, in contrast with traditionally “Turkish” mustaches. The population call this type of mustache, which translates as ‘Almond Mustache’.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Pakistan: Journalist Targeted for ‘Threatening’ Islam

Religious extremists continue to intimidate journalists in Pakistan. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for recently planting a bomb under the car of a prominent journalist because he was “working against Islam.”

Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir, who hosts a popular political talk show Capital Talk on Geo — Pakistan’s biggest private TV channel — and writes a column for Jang newspaper, narrowly escaped an attempt on his life on Monday when a bomb was found attached to the underside of his car.

Police said that half a kilogram of explosives had been fitted with a detonator under Mir’s car in capital Islamabad.

Pakistanis one of the most perilous countries for journalists in the world. A 2012 UNESCO report has ranked Pakistan “the second most dangerous country for journalists the world over” after Mexico. According to the South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA), 17 journalists were killed in South Asia in 2011, 12 of them in Pakistan.

Terrorism and Islamism are the most dangerous issues for Pakistani journalists to report on, SAFMA says.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Japan Deploying Missile Defense for North Korean Rocket

Japan has begun deploying a surface-to-air missile system ahead of North Korea’s planned rocket launch. The move comes as neighboring countries express concern over Communist state’s proposed action.

A Japanese naval vessel carrying Patriot missiles is on its way to the southern island chain of Okinawa, public broadcaster NHK reported Monday.

North Korea announced Saturday it would launch a rocket between December 10 and 22. The country says it is a peaceful and scientific mission to place a polar-orbiting earth observation satellite into orbit.

The US and allies South Korea and Japan condemned the launch, calling it a disguised ballistic missile test that violates United Nations resolutions, themselves a result of North Korean nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009.

Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto said shortly after the announcement he was ordering the military to prepare for the rocket launch.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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The Price of Economic Growth in China

Environmental degradation has emerged as a serious downside of China’s rapid development. In a rare acknowledgement, Beijing admitted that China has entered a “sensitive period” of growing discontent over pollution.

Lanzhou is known for its colorful ethnic mix, its super-spicy beef noodles, and its historic perch on the Silk Road. But it has another distinction. In 2011, the World Health Organization named Lanzhou as the city with the worst air quality in China. In spring, sandstorms choke the city — a product of deforestation, overgrazing and urban sprawl.

“If the sandstorm is very strong, I can’t go outside, sometimes I can’t even breathe, “ says Li Xiao, a university student in Lanzhou. And winter, she says, is not much better. That’s when the thermal power stations fire up, to heat homes. They run on coal — one of the dirtiest fuels around. For Li Xiao that means “Putting a mask over my head to protect myself.” And: keeping keen eyes on the road, as pollution reduces vision to a minimum: “At the worst time, it’s somewhere between 10 and 20 meters,” he says.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Fiji’s Tribal Chiefs Slam Decision to Remove Queen From Currency

Fiji’s tribal chiefs have slammed a decision by the Pacific state’s military rulers to remove the Queen’s picture from the national currency.

The chiefs have expressed “shock” and say they long ago bestowed the chiefly title of Tui Viti — or monarch — on the British royals, who are “held in high regard by all Fijians”.

“[The decision has] been met with great shock and much sadness [as] the royal family is held in very high regard and passion by Fijians,” a prominent chief, Adi Litia Qioniaravi, told ABC Radio…

— Hat tip: JP

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Sydney: Naive Jewish Schoolgirls Being Groomed for Dhimmitude

by Christina McIntosh

This article by one Michelle Favero, which appeared on November 2 2012 in Jwire, a clearinghouse of news for Jewish Australians, has got to be read to be believed. I reproduce it here because it forms such a perfect companion-piece to the article just posted here at NER by our friend Jerry Gordon, ‘Deciphering Muslim Taqiyya’. Read it, and weep. Read it, and wince. Read it, and then click on the link to see the picture of (bare-headed) Jewish girls sunnily smiling alongside two cute little heavily-be-hijabbed mini-Muslimahs, and remember Sol Hachuel, of Morocco, and her sweetly-smiling Muslim ‘friend’, and feel nauseated.

www.jwire.com.au/younger-minds/forging-new-friendships/29324

‘Forging New Friendships’

‘Throughout this year 24 Year 7 students from Sydney’s Emanuel School have met with Year 7 students from Iqra Islamic College to learn about each other’s cultures and beliefs, as well as to forge friendships.

‘Friendships’. Somehow I suspect the Jewish girls were not told about Surah 3: 28, or about Surah 48: 29. And I doubt that anyone told them about Safiyyah, Jewish teenager of the Khaybar Oasis, aged 17, taken to Mohammed’s bed by force on the night of the day that Mohammed had ordered and overseen the torture-murder of her husband Kinana. — CM

‘The students met in a variety of places, including Emanuel Synagogue, The Big Kitchen, and Iqra College in Minto. ‘As the year progressed, the students were able to break down the barriers to their initial shyness and to build meaningful friendships with each other…

— Hat tip: JP

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Argentina: Pollution in River Basin Choking Buenos Aires

Near Argentina’s capital, years of growth along the Riachuelo river basin have gone largely unchecked. As companies flush heavy metals into the water, residents are being forced to suffer the side effects.

Judith Aragón tries to use as little water as possible from her tap. She’s not obsessed with economizing: She’s simply weary of the source.

Judith lives in a shantytown called Villa Inflamable just south of Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires. It’s located on the edge of the Riachuelo, one of the most polluted river basins in the world.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Greece: Evros Fence Ready by Mid-December

Interceptions of illegals on Aegean islands up tenfold

(ANSAmed) — ATHENS, DECEMBER 3 — A barbed-wire fence running along a 12.5-kilometer stretch of land border between Greece and Turkey is expected to be finished and operational by mid-December and to decisively curb illegal immigration, sources at the Public Order Ministry have told Kathimerini. The fence, which has been under construction since the summer, has already had a huge impact on the influx via the land border with illegal arrivals down by 95%, according to border guards. The police force at the border, currently 1,900-strong, is to be whittled down to half its size, sources said. However, the sharp drop in undocumented immigrants entering Greece through Evros has been accompanied by a renewal in the illegal influx via the islands of the Aegean. From the beginning of the year until the end of July, police and coast guard officers on the Aegean islands detained 102 undocumented migrants while more than 10 times that number — 1,536 — were intercepted over the following three months.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Elon Musk: Mars Base Will Open the Way to Other Stars

The SpaceX founder says he’d like to “die on Mars”. Why the obsession with going to the Red Planet?

Why are you so keen to get humans to MarsMovie Camera?

Because this is the first time in 4 billion years of Earth’s history that it has been possible. That window may be open for a long time — and I hope it is — but it may not be. We should take advantage just in case something bad happens. It wouldn’t necessarily be that humanity gets eliminated; it could just be a drop in technology.

Why go to Mars, when advances in telepresent robotics could give us all the physical sensations of being there?

Maybe I’m just being romantic but I do think there is some value to being there in person. We can learn a lot from robotics but it is no substitute for being there. And having a base on Mars, where there is a lot of travel to and from Earth, will create a powerful incentive for developing technology that will enable us to travel to other star systems.

Like the exoplanet recently found in Alpha Centauri 4 light years away?

I think you could figure out how to get there. With a nuclear thermal rocket you could definitely reach a tenth of the speed of light. It would take 40 years, though, which is a long time. You’d have to start off not too old if you wanted to see it.

What could change that?

There are some interesting things I’ve seen lately about warp drives. You can’t exceed the speed of light but you can warp space and effectively travel many times the speed of light. That’s kind of exciting. People have found increasingly smarter ways of minimising the energy required (to warp space). Before, you would need the mass-energy of Jupiter.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Galaxy Grande: Milky Way May be More Massive Than Thought

Hubble observations of a speedy galaxy weigh on the Milky Way and indicate that our galaxy is at least a trillion times as massive as the sun

Although scientists know the masses of the sun and Earth, it’s a different story for the galaxy. Mass estimates range widely: At the low end, some studies find that the galaxy is several hundred billion times as massive as the sun whereas the largest values exceed two trillion solar masses. Astronomers would have an easier task if the galaxy consisted solely of stars. But a huge halo of dark matter engulfs its starry disk and vastly outweighs it. Now remarkable observations of a small galaxy orbiting our own have led to a new number.

In studies of the Milky Way’s mass one little galaxy plays an outsize role: Leo I. “The value of Leo I is twofold,” says Michael Boylan-Kolchin of the University of California, Irvine. “It’s both very distant and moving quite quickly.” Discovered in 1950 and located 850,000 light-years from the Milky Way’s center, Leo I is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy and the farthest of the many galaxies that are thought to orbit our own. Most of the Milky Way’s dark matter halo should fit inside Leo I’s orbit-that is, if the dwarf galaxy is actually in orbit and not just passing by.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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	Financial Crisis
»	11 Facts That Show That Europe is Heading Into an Economic Depression
»	America Went Over the Fiscal Cliff Long Ago
»	Merkel Does Not Rule Out Future Greek Haircut
»	The Chart That Keeps Ben Bernanke Up at Night
»	The Working Class and the Government Class
	USA
»	Are Establishment Republicans Ready to Give in to Obama?
»	Dinosaurs Might Have Once Gazed Into the Grand Canyon
»	Global Governance: Pushing the Normal
»	Is Obama Fowling Up Domestic Energy Production?
»	Lines Blur in Texas as Industries Seek Givebacks
	Europe and the EU
»	DNA Imaged With Electron Microscope for the First Time
»	Elections in Catalonia: Victory of the Status Quo
»	Italy: Marchini Independent Candidate in Rome Mayoral Election
»	Italy: Grande Sud Leader Regrets Introducing Alfano to Berlusconi
»	Netherlands: Wilders to Embark on “Mosque Tour”
»	Spain: Madrid Hospital Personnel Protest Against Privatization
»	UK: Thousands of Robbers and Rapists Let Off With Cautions, Despite Guidelines That They Should Only be Given for Minor Offences
»	UK: The Sikh Soldier Who Will be the First to Guard Buckingham Palace Without a Bearskin as He’ll be Wearing a Turban Instead
»	UK: We Cheapen Justice at a Massive Cost
»	UK: We Feel Cheated by British Justice, Say Parents of ‘Bad Samaritan’ Riot Victim
	Balkans
»	Serbia: Villagers Claim to Fear a Vampire
	North Africa
»	Benghazi Explained: Behind the Lies
»	Egypt: Youth Paint and Sing Against the Muslim Brotherhood
»	Egypt’s Morsi is Laying the Bricks for an Islamic Democracy
»	Muslim Brotherhood ‘Paying Gangs to Go Out and Rape Women and Beat Men Protesting in Egypt’
	Israel and the Palestinians
»	‘We Lost Europe’: Says Israeli Press After UN Vote on Palestine
	Middle East
»	Bahrain: Kim Kardashian Starts a Riot!
»	Intelligence Asset Anonymous Declares Cyber War on Syria
»	Kuwait Elects Its New Parliament With 39% of Enfranchised
	Russia
»	Convergence: Globalists Push Russia-EU Merger
	South Asia
»	Indonesia: Jakarta: Entrepreneurs Wage War Against the Governor Who Increased the Minimum Wage for Workers
»	Suicide Bombers Attack US Base in Afghanistan
	Far East
»	Chinese Migrant Workers, Mutilated in the Name of Economic Growth
	Australia — Pacific
»	Crocodile Grabs Boy, 12, As He Swims With Friends in Australia’s Second Fatal Attack Within Two Weeks
»	Pensioner Who Went Blind After Drinking Vodka Has His Eyesight Saved… By a Bottle of Whisky!
	Sub-Saharan Africa
»	Churches, Government Buildings Torched in Nigeria Attack
»	Suspected Islamists Kill Christians, Burn Homes in Nigeria
	Culture Wars
»	Electronic Privacy is the New 21st Century Battleground: Why We Must Fight Back
»	Europe’s First Gay-Friendly Mosque Opens in Paris

11 Facts That Show That Europe is Heading Into an Economic Depression

Europe is not just heading into another recession. The truth is that Europe is heading into a full-blown depression. The economy of the EU is actually larger than the U.S. economy, and we are watching it melt down right in front of our eyes. Things just continue to get worse in Europe, and yet somehow the authorities over in Europe just keep insisting that everything is going to be “just fine”. Well, everything is not “just fine” over in Europe right now. Unemployment in the eurozone has just hit another brand new record high. In some nations in Europe, the unemployment rate is already significantly higher than anything the United States experienced during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Europe is a continent that is collapsing under the weight of its own debt, and this is just the beginning. A lot more pain is on the way.

Officials over in Europe are trying to hold the European financial system together with duct tape and prayers, but it could literally fall apart at any moment. Europe has a much larger banking system than the United States does, so when a financial collapse happens in Europe, it is going to be very significant for the entire globe. Sadly, most Americans do not even pay attention to much of anything that is happening in Europe. They tend to think that the United States is the center of the universe and that as long as we are fine that everything will be okay. Well, all of those people who are not paying attention need to wake up. First of all, the U.S. economy is most definitely in decline. Secondly, the European economy is imploding right in front of our eyes and Europe is going to end up dragging the entire globe down with it.

The following are 11 facts that show that Europe is heading into an economic depression…

— Hat tip: JD

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America Went Over the Fiscal Cliff Long Ago

I doubt that President Obama will compromise with the House Republicans on anything that might be done to avoid the January 2nd “fiscal cliff” that kicks in with higher taxes for everyone.

Obama has made it clear that increasing the tax rates on “millionaires” is his goal and he made that clear throughout the campaign. The income that would be generated from the increased rates would generate enough money to run the nation for about a week or so at most. In politics perception often trumps reality. And those “millionaires” are mostly middle class folks earning $250,000 or more.

As Chris Cox and Bill Archer, two veterans of the House, chairman of key committees, now in the private sector, wrote in a November 26 Wall Street Journal commentary, “The actual liabilities of the federal government— including Social Security, Medicare, and federal employees’ future retirement benefits—already exceed $86 trillion, or 550% of GDP” (Gross Domestic Product, i.e., the total the U.S. earns from the sale of all goods and services annually).

[Comment: Excellent article.]

— Hat tip: JD

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Merkel Does Not Rule Out Future Greek Haircut

(AGI) Berlin — The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, has said she does not rule out the possibility of Greece’s creditors devaluing the country’s debt — carrying out what is known as a haircut — but not before the bailout package agreed by the Eurogroup and IMF has fulfilled its aims. She told the Bild am Sonntag that “If one day Greece is in a position to manage its own revenue without entering into further debt, we will have to assess the situation. This will not happen before 2014-15, if all goes according to plan.” Merkel also denied that the 2013 elections in Germany were behind Berlin’s opposition to a haircut, and stressed that Athens has gained another two years, until 2016, to fulfill its obligations. She added that were Greece to leave the Euro, it would cost more than a bailout.

“We must avoid instability,” she said.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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The Chart That Keeps Ben Bernanke Up at Night

What changed in the last 30 days? Did the world just wake up to the idea that the only way out of this quagmire is a twisted currency war that appears to have re-ignited thanks to Abe’s efforts? Something appears to have snapped in the American psyche as the last 30 days have seen the largest physical gold sales on record. Between the search volume for ‘bulk ammo’ and this, we fear something is afoot and while Congress fiddles as our economy burns, Bernanke going ‘back to work’ is perhaps what the physical ‘horders’ are thinking… or maybe they understand, as we noted here, that just as Kyle Bass has confirmed previously, Paper Gold is just like allocated, unambiguously owned physical bullion… until it’s not.

— Hat tip: JD

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The Working Class and the Government Class

Forget all the talk about whether we will or won’t go over the fiscal cliff. We ourselves are the fiscal cliff and have been for some time now. The real fiscal cliff is not the point at which we run out of money, our credit rating sinks lower than Enron and or everyone is fighting over jars of cat food at Wal-Mart. The real fiscal cliff is when even the dumbest person in the country is no longer able to deny what the packs of robbers and thieves he appointed to steal for him have perpetrated for their own benefit in his name. And that fiscal cliff may never come.

Soviet leaders used to promise their people that one day they would live under true Communism. Under our hybrid system, many Americans already live under Communism. And the rest of the country pays for it. As the number of people living under Communism grows and the number of people subsidizing Communism shrinks, the fiscal cliffs begin coming in faster than Wile E. Coyote on jet-powered rocket skates.

Our class warfare is not determined by paycheck size. The United States has only two classes. The working class and the government class.

[…]

Not everyone in the working class is a saint and not everyone in the government class is a parasite. There are plenty of corporations who care only about short term profit and create social problems that the rest of the country has to live with. Immigration is a classic example. And there are also plenty of government employees who perform vital and even heroic functions. Your local firefighter and member of the armed services are obvious examples.

— Hat tip: JD

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Are Establishment Republicans Ready to Give in to Obama?

If I’ve said it once in my columns, I’ve said it a dozen or more times; and that is, “in the lexicon of the liberal Socialist-Communist Democrats, the word bipartisanship means, ‘do it our way’.”

As if providing evidence of that one-sided axiom, the head enforcer, Slippery Senate Leader Harry Reid, (D-NV) was quoted by Reuters Money News online November 29, 2012, as saying “A U.S. debt ceiling increase must be part of any deal to resolve the looming ‘fiscal cliff’ of tax increases and spending cuts.”

That is libDem speak for ‘bipartisanship.’ Note carefully the words “must be part of any deal…” Those words shine the spotlight on what Reid and Obama and Pelosi ALL determine is needed if a bi-party agreement is to be accomplished.

— Hat tip: JD

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Dinosaurs Might Have Once Gazed Into the Grand Canyon

Picture the scene. It’s late in the Cretaceous period, 70 million years ago. A group of dinosaurs have gathered at the rim of what will become known as the Grand Canyon. They’re gawping over the edge, just as humans will in millennia to come.

That might not be complete fantasy. It had been thought that the canyon formed 6 million years ago. But now two geologists have evidence it is actually closer to 70 million years old.

Rebecca Flowers at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and Ken Farley at the California Institute of Technology calculated the canyon’s age by examining helium levels in the mineral apatite in the rocks under the western part of the canyon’s floor. Apatite contains uranium and thorium, which decay into helium over time. At high temperatures, like those found deep underground, helium can dissipate. But if surface erosion brings these rocks closer to the surface, as happened at the Grand Canyon, then the cooler temperatures they are exposed to can cause the mineral to hold on to its helium.

Based on higher than expected helium levels, Flowers and Farley concluded that the erosion that shaped the canyon began 70 million years ago. That will be debated among geologists, but if there is one thing that could add to the wonder of the canyon — up to 29 kilometres wide, 446 kilometres long, 1800 metres deep and very, very old — it is the thought of it filled with dinosaurs.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Global Governance: Pushing the Normal

Obama’s goal” Destruction aimed at our Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, property ownership rights, and the Rule of Law Global Governance: Pushing the Normal.

Global control of firearms through mandatory registration and interlinked world-wide databases per the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), the U.N. Law of the Sea Treaty (LOST) controlling navigation, fishing, oil drilling, and all other actions on the high seas more than 200 miles off-shore, along with other efforts to funnel distribution of food and energy — and yes, even the distribution of wealth — are now considered by interested parties within the purvey of U.N. “authority” as the never-ending quest for “social justice” continues: stamp of global Progressive Marxism at its finest.

Why?

Informed readers certainly know the answer. The Progressive Marxist goal is always one of control, because without absolute control there can not exist a One World Government functioning unimpeded within a New World Order.

Mark Levin was spot on during one of his recent programs (11/29/12) — as usual — when he had Dick Morris on the air to discuss his new book Here Come the Black Helicopters!: UN Global Governance and the Loss of Freedom.

[…]

As Andy Stern — former president of SEIU and frequent visitor to the White House — has pointed out, “Workers of the World Unite” is no longer just a slogan. Matthew Vadum, writing in Front Page Magazine on October 21, 2011, revealed Mr. Stern’s true intentions as well as his ideological roots:

“Andy Stern is one of the most outspoken, cocksure neo-communists of the American labor movement. ‘We like to say: We use the power of persuasion first,’ Stern said, channeling Rules for Radicals author Saul Alinsky. ‘If it doesn’t work, we try the persuasion of power.’“

“Stern quotes Karl Marx in television appearances. In 2007 the wannabe Bolshevik told Bill Moyers that his Service Employees International Union (SEIU) was expanding to Australia, Switzerland, England, South America, and Africa.

— Hat tip: JD

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Is Obama Fowling Up Domestic Energy Production?

WASHINGTON D.C. — The Institute for Energy Research responded to today’s announcement by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) that the agency will consider the lesser prairie-chicken as a “threatened” species under the Endangered Species Act. According to FWS, the action is a part of a “comprehensive, court-approved agreement” to address “habitat loss, fragmentation, modification, and degradation within the species’ range.” Additionally, the agency noted that “land uses related to wind energy and transmission . . . present conservation challenges for the lesser prairie-chicken.” The areas affected by the action include major energy producing regions in West Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado.

IER Senior Vice President for Policy, Daniel Kish, released the following statement:

“Today’s action is the latest example of the consequences of the Obama administration’s ‘sue and settle’ strategy, in which the Administration and special interest groups negotiate friendly settlements that give both parties what they want. The lesser prairie-chicken is but one of 250 species the Administration has agreed to review for listing. The full extent of this particular listing on domestic energy production is yet unkown, but it cannot be positive. Multiply today’s action by 250, and it is easy to get the sense that the president’s “all of the above” energy plan is empty rhetoric. Under these policies, the most endangered species in the United States could become American jobs.”

— Hat tip: JD

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Lines Blur in Texas as Industries Seek Givebacks

Under Gov. Rick Perry, Texas offers more incentives to attract businesses than any other state, around $19 billion a year, an examination by The New York Times has found. Texas justifies its largess by pointing out that it is home to half of all the private sector jobs created over the last decade nationwide.

Yet the raw numbers mask a more complicated reality behind the flood of incentives, the examination shows, and raise questions about who benefits more, the businesses or the people of Texas.

In a state that markets itself as “wide open for business,” the lines are often blurred between decision makers and beneficiaries, according to interviews with dozens of state and local officials and corporate representatives.

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DNA Imaged With Electron Microscope for the First Time

It’s the most famous corkscrew in history. Now an electron microscope has captured the famous Watson-Crick double helix in all its glory, by imaging threads of DNA resting on a silicon bed of nails. The technique will let researchers see how proteins, RNA and other biomolecules interact with DNA.

The structure of DNA was originally discovered using X-ray crystallography. This involves X-rays scattering off atoms in crystallised arrays of DNA to form a complex pattern of dots on photographic film. Interpreting the images requires complex mathematics to figure out what crystal structure could give rise to the observed patterns.

The new images are much more obvious, as they are a direct picture of the DNA strands, albeit seen with electrons rather than X-ray photons. The trick used by Enzo di Fabrizio at the University of Genoa, Italy, and his team was to snag DNA threads out of a dilute solution and lay them on a bed of nanoscopic silicon pillars.

The team developed a pattern of pillars that is extremely water-repellent, causing the moisture to evaporate quickly and leave behind strands of DNA stretched out and ready to view. The team also drilled tiny holes in the base of the nanopillar bed, through which they shone beams of electrons to make their high-resolution images. The results reveal the corkscrew thread of the DNA double helix, clearly visible. With this technique, researchers should be able to see how single molecules of DNA interact with other biomolecules.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Elections in Catalonia: Victory of the Status Quo

La Vanguardia Barcelona

The early regional elections of November 25 marked a decline in the party of Catalonian President Artur Mas, which had focused on winning an absolute majority in order to organise a referendum on independence for the region. In the end, it was the ruling order which prevailed.

Enric Juliana

The Catalan regional elections were won by Spain. To put it in a more orthodox and precise way, it’s the Spanish status quo that won.

The victor has been the ruling order, despite growing disorder throughout the country. The order that has been established in Spain for a very long time. That is going to be very difficult to understanding, accept, and digest, for a large portion of Catalan society, which still make up a clear sovereigntist majority — albeit a sentimental one.

However, the hard reality will take hold as the days, weeks and months go by. The Alpha Party (Partido Popular) of the Spanish middle class, despite the serious challenges posed by the crisis, still has its grip on the steering wheel.

True, there is a sovereigntist majority in the new parliament, which in the coming weeks may produce a coalition government in favour of independence. Convergència i Unió (CiU) and Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) together hold 71 seats, which is more than enough to cobble together a stable executive, leaving them free to make holding a sovereignty referendum a central plank of their programmes. CiU, despite the whipping it has taken, still enjoys the tactical advantage of being able to sound out another majority government with the Socialists, for a total of 70 deputies.

It could even negotiate PP support for some issues, with the two having 69 seats in total. However the government is formed, CiU will be in it, and if this leads to parliamentary deadlock, new elections could be held in the not too distant future.

Partit de Catalunya

Deeply wounded, the CiU remains the “pal de paller”, [the cornerstone] of the nationalist movement. It continues to be the most genuine political voice of the suffering Catalan middle classes. It is still the “Partit de Catalunya”, Catalan for Party of Catalonia.

Accordingly, the majority in favour of a referendum on sovereignty goes beyond the sum of the seats for the strongest and second-strongest parties. And the separatist majority, broadly speaking, is still enormous. Nothing will happen in Catalonia in the near future that will truly rock the existing order. Work will be done on forming a stable coalition, approving budgets and governing a huge administrative apparatus that depends on monthly transfers from the Ministry of Finance…

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Italy: Marchini Independent Candidate in Rome Mayoral Election

(AGI) — Rome, Dec. 2 — Alfio Marchini, the heir of one of the capital’s best-known families of developers, expressed his intention to run in Rome’s mayoral election as an independent candidate. The announcement was made during Lucia Annunziata’s ‘In Mezz’ora’ Rai Tre TV show. “As far as Rome is concerned — Marchini explained — we intend to promote an independent list, representing the first step in a broader project to establish and found a metropolitan civic movement”.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Italy: Grande Sud Leader Regrets Introducing Alfano to Berlusconi

(AGI) Palermo, Dec. 2 — Grande Sud leader Gianfranco Micche’ has told the “Telecamere” programme on RaiTre that “now that Alfano is trying to pull a fast one on Berlusconi, I wish I had never introduced them. He’s clearly trying to do the dirty on Berlusconi, and I am sorry, but I don’t feel responsible.” He also said that he did not regard himself as being responsible for the Centre-Right defeat in Sicily: “I refuse to say that it was my fault. If that were true, Crocetta should give me four councillors. As it happens, I wanted to forge an alliance with the Centre-Right, but they weren’t interested, and I’m referring to Alfano. Who else?” .

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Netherlands: Wilders to Embark on “Mosque Tour”

The PVV will go around the country to help with the prevention of the building of mosques. According to party leader Geert Wilders the party has gotten hundreds of messages from people who complain about Islamic places of worship which are being planned in their neighborhood.

“We will go along to all of them and attempt to prevent there being built and at the very least to keep them outside of built up areas” says Wilders.

Changes in the laws

On the PVV -website tips have been put for how to file an objection against new mosques by the municipality and provinces.” And we will also give the complaints to ministers and see if we can get further changes in the laws”.

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Spain: Madrid Hospital Personnel Protest Against Privatization

(AGI) — Madrid, Dec. 2 — The protest against the regional Government’s privatization plan took the peculiar shape of a human chain. Thousands of citizens joined doctors and paramedics in order to symbolically enclose the hospitals of the Spanish capital in an embrace formed by a human chain. The protest was called by the ‘Mesa per la Sanidad Publica’ against the local Government’s plan to outsource the management of 6 of Madrid’s 27 hospital facilities. Reiterating that there is no going back on the decision, the Councillor for Public Health Javier Fernandez-Lasquetty said that he was very satisfied with the protest because “it is an expression of fondness” for the hospitals and their personnel.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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UK: Thousands of Robbers and Rapists Let Off With Cautions, Despite Guidelines That They Should Only be Given for Minor Offences

[WARNING: Disturbing content.]

More than half a million criminals have been let off with warnings for serious offences including rape, burglary and arson.

Official figures revealing the full scale of the problem show more than 400 sex offenders who admitted rape or attempted rape over the past 15 years walked free after being given a caution by police.

Over the same period more than 90,000 burglaries, almost 8,000 serious assaults and 7,000 robberies were dealt with by cautions, along with more than 500,000 acts of vandalism and arson attacks.

The out-of-court penalty does not count as a conviction, does not have to be disclosed to employers and means their victim does not see justice done in court. Thousands are still being handed out each year despite senior politicians, legal figures and watchdogs repeatedly calling for serious offenders to be taken to court.

The Lord Chief Justice, the Director of Public Prosecutions and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary have all expressed concern at the number of out-of-court penalties being handed out and the drop in cases going before juries. The Magistrates’ Association has also warned that it risks police enforcing the law and deciding on the punishment as well.

— Hat tip: JD

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UK: The Sikh Soldier Who Will be the First to Guard Buckingham Palace Without a Bearskin as He’ll be Wearing a Turban Instead

The British Army is embroiled in a damaging row after the first Sikh soldier allowed to wear a turban rather than a bearskin on ceremonial duties suffered abuse from his colleagues.

Guardsman Jatinderpal Singh Bhullar, 25, who joined the Scots guards this year, has been given permission to wear a turban outside Buckingham Palace, breaking hundreds of years of tradition.

The decision by Army bosses has proved controversial with Bhullar’s fellow soldiers. The Army’s Sikh chaplian has told The Mail on Sunday that Bhullar has endured taunts about his turban and his refusal to cut his hair and his beard.

— Hat tip: JD

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UK: We Cheapen Justice at a Massive Cost

There is a place for cautions and on-the-spot fines in any criminal justice system. They can be used to close minor cases, and to deal with petty offenders who are prepared to accept a fine rather than costly and time consuming court case.

But most people will be dismayed to find they applied to criminals who admit to serious and violent offences, including rape, burglary, assault and robbery.

Evidence suggests that police are resorting to this technique to make it look as if they are dealing with these crimes, when in fact they have lost control of them.

— Hat tip: JD

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UK: We Feel Cheated by British Justice, Say Parents of ‘Bad Samaritan’ Riot Victim

[WARNING: Disturbing content.]

The parents of a Malaysian student robbed by thugs posing as Good Samaritans have described how they feel cheated by British justice after the men convicted of the attack were acquitted by an Appeal Court judge.

Ashraf Rossli, 21, was robbed by two men who tried to ‘help’ him to his feet as he lay on the ground having had his jaw shattered by a thug during last summer’s London riots. The robbery, filmed on a mobile phone and uploaded on to YouTube, caused outrage.

Within weeks, Reece Donovan and John Kafunda, both 23, were arrested and charged for the offence and, in March, were each sentenced to four years in jail. But their convictions were overturned on Thursday.

Mr Rossli’s father, retired army officer Rossli Harun, told The Mail on Sunday: ‘This is not justice. This is not fair. We are all very upset.’

Mr Harun, 50, is angry that neither the police nor the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) informed his son or the family about the High Court’s decision. He and his son learned about the judgment after being contacted separately by The Mail on Sunday.

Horrified by the ruling, Mr Harun, said: ‘What happened to my son would never have happened in Malaysia. In Malaysia, people are taught from an early age that they will be punished if they do something that is against the law. They would be afraid to behave like this. They would never dare do it.’

— Hat tip: JD

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Serbia: Villagers Claim to Fear a Vampire

Depending on which version of “history” you subscribe to, vampires originated in Egypt, China or, most infamously, Romania, where the real Romanian prince Vlad Tepes (1431-1476) is thought to have been at least a partial model for the decidedly fictional Dracula of Bram Stoker’s imagination.

Or, if you’re to believe officials in the village of Zarozje, Dracula is alive and well in Serbia. Yes, fear is said to be spreading.

The fears revolve around Serbian vampire Sava Savanovic who is, it should be noted, acknowledged locally to be a fairy tale character. Still, villagers are packing around hawthorn stakes and garlic and putting holy crosses up over doorways.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Benghazi Explained: Behind the Lies

Author’s note: This is a special supplement of a multi-part interview with a government insider intimately familiar with the events that took place in Benghazi. It is important to note that the information contained in this series was developed from interviews that spanned over 100 hours. My source requested that the following information be written separately due to its importance.

DH: You told me that you wanted to talk about the lies behind Benghazi, said it is critical for everyone to understand the reason for the lies. and asked that we do this separately. Go ahead.

II: It’s about the lie, and once you understand it, it becomes extremely revealing. It’s about what the public has been told from the very beginning. Do you realize that a lot of people, especially Obama’s associates and supporters do not believe that they’ve been lied to? Do you understand that much of the public does not believe that they were lied to? Like a lot of us, you’re in this thing so deep that we forget not everyone even believes they’ve been lied to. They’re certainly not going to hear about it in the media. To understand how deep this goes, how important it is, and why it is so important, we’ve got to go back to the very beginning.

Think back to when we were first told that Ambassador Stevens, Sean Smith, Glen Dougherty, Tyrone Woods were killed in Benghazi….

[Comment: HIGHLY recommended reading.]

— Hat tip: JD

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Egypt: Youth Paint and Sing Against the Muslim Brotherhood

Street artists in Tahrir to defend freedom of thought

(ANSAmed) — CAIRO, NOVEMBER 30 — “They beat us and they stop us from expressing our ideas. They say they are our brothers, but of brotherhood they have absolutely nothing”: that is, except for the name by which the movement founded by Hassan Al-Banna is known.

Young graffiti artists in Tahrir Square refuse to give up, despite a law banning the use of spray paint issued after the January 25 revolution. They continue fearlessly expressing their thoughts through what they paint on the walls around and in the square. They draw on the walls, but the authorities waste no time in sending someone to paint over their work. Or at least they try to.

Those in power consider the words accompanying the pictures on the graffiti to be offensive. After the swearing-in of President Mohamed Morsi, the graffiti on the walls of the square symbolising the 2011 uprising and the surrounding streets was removed. However, in these days of high tension, in Mohamed Mahmoud Street (where security forces and protestors clashed violently) the walls are once again full of their drawings. “We are constantly beaten,” said Hana Maged, a 20-year-old film student at Cairo’s October 6th University. Her friends are a bit more wary, but also join in a moment later. Saiko and Kim are roughly the same age, and also claim to spend a good deal of their time in the streets. Since January 25, 2011, many artists and intellectuals have supported what they call the “Art Revolution”, and many people have passed by Tahrir Square to see them and show their support, including such well-known journalists such as Yosri Fouda, Galal Amer and Reem Maged, as well as the poet who has become the symbol of the revolution with his “O Egypt, It’s Close”, Tamim El Barghouti. Even politicians — such as El-Baradei — have put their ‘stamp of approval’ on it.

Cairo’s International Film Festival, which is currently being held in the Egyptian capital, has offered them a space inside of the Opera House. “They asked us to go slowly,” Hana said. And so no frontal attacks on specific politicians and only graffiti expressing such concepts as freedom and justice through visual arts and music.

Ramy Essam, the most famous of the ‘revolutionary singers’, was entirely unknown before the revolution, he told ANSAmed. “I was playing with a group of friends called Mashakel (problems).” What brought him to the limelight were the 18 days that led to the fall of Mubarak. Essam studies engineering and at the age of only 25 he has become a hero for Egyptians. In November 2011 he received the Freemuse Award in Stockholm, an award given every year to a musician struggling for freedom through his music. His winning song was ‘Erhal’, which translates as ‘go’ or ‘leave’ — an imperative addressed to Mubarak. Many production companies (for the most part British and American) later tried to get him to sign on with them.

“But I turned down their proposals,” he said, “I prefer to stay independent.” According to a ranking compiled by the London magazine Time Out, among the songs that have changed the world ‘Erhal’ comes just after John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ and Public Enemey’s ‘Fight the Power’. And this evening, once again, Essam will be in the middle of the protest called by opposition groups against the presidential decree with which Mohamed Morsi took on sweeping new powers.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Egypt’s Morsi is Laying the Bricks for an Islamic Democracy

President Morsi’s leadership is analogous to the pharaohs of ancient Egypt, at least in the eyes of his opposition figure ElBaradei. He meant it as an insult to Mr. Morsi in light of the Presidents greed for power. Truthfully, it is an insult to world history but no worse than claiming Mr. Morsi is a broker for peace in the Middle East or that his objective for Egypt is to fulfill the aspirations of the January 2011 uprising.

Mr. Morsi’s November 22nd Amendment to Egypt’s constitution is illegitimate and concretes his authority. With it he places himself above Egyptian law and the legal system and grants himself the last-word on his decrees. Morsi has unilaterally altered Egypt’s constitution to concentrate power in his own hands. This facilitates Egypt’s move in the direction of an Islamist Shariah state.

— Hat tip: JD

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Muslim Brotherhood ‘Paying Gangs to Go Out and Rape Women and Beat Men Protesting in Egypt’

[WARNING: Disturbing content.]

Egypt’s ruling party is paying gangs of thugs to sexually assault women protesting in Cairo’s Tahrir Square against President Mohamed Morsi, activists said.

They also said the Muslim Brotherhood is paying gangs to beat up men who are taking part in the latest round of protests, which followed a decree by President Morsi to give himself sweeping new powers.

It comes as the Muslim Brotherhood co-ordinated a demonstration today in support of President Mohamed Morsi, who is rushing through a constitution to try to defuse opposition fury over his newly expanded powers.

[…]

One protestor, Yasmine, told the newspaper how she had been in the square filming the demonstrations for a few hours when the crowd suddenly turned.

Before she knew what was happening, about 50 men had surrounded her and began grabbing her breasts. She said they ripped off her clothes, starting with her headscarf and for nearly an hour, indecently assaulted her with their hands.

A few men tried to help her but they were beaten away. Eventually some residents who had seen the attack from their windows came to her aid and an elderly couple pulled her into their home. She suffered internal injuries and was unable to walk for a week.

— Hat tip: JD

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‘We Lost Europe’: Says Israeli Press After UN Vote on Palestine

(ANSAmed) — ROME — Israel intends to authorise 3,000 new housing units for settlers in the Occupied Territories.

Reports were on the Ynet website, which said that the decision had already been made yesterday evening by the Netanyahu government’s National Security Cabinet. The announcement of the decision has come the day after the UN vote on Palestine.

The new housing units should be built in Maleh Adumin and in East Jerusalem, Ynet reports.

On Friday the Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot’s banner headline was “The World Has Decided For A Palestinian State”, going on to say that yesterday at the United Nations Israel suffered a “political debacle”.

It reported that Israeli PM Benyamin Netanyahu has not “been able to accurately assess the extent of the rage against Israel in the world”. Haaretz (which summed the situation up in its headline “The World Has Decided”) also spoke of a “political domino” set in motion against Israel which enabled Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to rake in 138 votes in favour, compared with only 9 against.

“Yesterday we lost Europe,” the paper claims a high level figure in the foreign ministry has said. On the front page are photos of Palestinians celebrating in the central square of Ramallah and among the Palestinian delegation in the UN. A right-wing newspaper, Makor Rishon, published a caricature of Mahmoud Abbas with the features of a Trojan horse just outside of the UN’s New York headquarters, while inside Hamas militants celebrate.

The paper claims that once the Palestinian Authority president has achieved an independent state, Hamas will immediately take it over. One of the most likely candidates for the Likud party in the next general elections and a representative of the settlers movement, Moshe Feiglin, urged Israel to react by immediately extending Israeli sovereignty to all of the West Bank, by taking exclusive control of Temple Mount (where 2,000 years ago the Temple of Jerusalem was located) and by leaving the UN.

“If Switzerland can manage without being in the UN, then so can we,” he said.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Bahrain: Kim Kardashian Starts a Riot!

She is certainly not everybody’s cup of tea but never before has Kim Kardashian’s presence started a riot.

Just hours after the reality TV star gushed about her impressions of Bahrain, riot police were forced to fire tear gas at an angry crowd.

More than 50 hardline Islamic protesters had gathered to denounce the 31-year-old’s presence in the Gulf kingdom.

The clashes took place just before Miss Kardashian opened the Bahrain branch of her Millions of Milkshakes shop.

Protesters were seen chanting ‘God is Great’ near the shopping complex in Riffa, about 12 miles south of the capital Manama.

The demonstrators were cleared before Miss Kardashian appeared late today.

— Hat tip: JD

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Intelligence Asset Anonymous Declares Cyber War on Syria

The Anonymous hackster collective has announced it will attack Syrian websites outside the country in response to the Syrian government shutting down the internet in that country.

Aonymous’ declaration of war follows a story published in the New York Times on November 28 reporting that the U.S. is ready for direct intervention in Syria.

In a press release issued on Thursday, the shadowy group admitted it “has been working with Syrian activists for well over a year.”

As exhaustively documented by Infowars.com and others, the Syrian opposition is run by the CIA, MI6, and Mossad and funded by the authoritarian monarchies in Saudi Arabia and Qatar and largely composed of elements associated with al-Qaeda.

— Hat tip: JD

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Kuwait Elects Its New Parliament With 39% of Enfranchised

(AGI) Kuwait — Kuwait elected a new Parliament although with only 39% of the voters compared to 60% in the previous elections.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Convergence: Globalists Push Russia-EU Merger

An op-ed column appearing in the November 25, 2012 Gulf News, entitled, “Need for Europe-Russia institutional integration,” by former Russian Foreign Minister Igor S. Ivanov is one of the latest globalist paeans to East-West “convergence.”

“Without a fundamental reset,” argues Ivanov, “relations between Russia and Europe will continue to decay, eventually becoming characterised by benign neglect.” To avoid this undesirable situation, Ivanov avers, “Russia and Europe must identify where their interests converge” and work toward “partnership,” “political cooperation,” and “political integration.”

“Convergence” is a key theme of policy elites the world over, especially those associated with the Royal Institute for International Affairs (RIIA), the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), World Policy Conference (WPC), Trilateral Commission (TC), Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP), and Bilderberg Conferences (BC). Mr. Ivanov, who was an apparatchik in the Soviet diplomatic corps and head of the Russian Security Council under Vladimir Putin, has been associated with all of the above-named organizations. He is a member of that growing body of “former” Communists who now unabashedly wear the globalist label and hobnob with billionaire Russian oligarchs, western corporate CEOs, Wall Street bankers, heads of the giant tax exempt foundations, and denizens of the elite think tanks.

Globalists march under a number of banners and code words to identify themselves and the global political-economic transformation they desire: globalism, globalization, global governance, internationalism, and new world order. In moments of candor and/or daring, some globalists unblushingly blurt out their true goal: world government.

— Hat tip: JD

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Indonesia: Jakarta: Entrepreneurs Wage War Against the Governor Who Increased the Minimum Wage for Workers

The new minimum wage — to go into force in 2013 — will be about $230, a more than 40% increase over the previous wage. Companies, supported by the central government, have announced they will challenge it in court; and the flight to areas where labor costs are lower.

Jakarta (AsiaNews) — The trade association of entrepreneurs in Jakarta, joined at the national level under the abreviation “Apindo”, announced they will fight against the recent decision by the new governor Joko Widodo, who has arranged for a 44% increase in the minimum wage for workers. A move welcomed with joy and satisfaction by workers and social partner organizations, who for days have been in the streets requesting that salaries be adjusted to meet the cost of living, a move strongly opposed by manufacturers and small and medium size enterprises. The latter have been flanked by even the central government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who has expressed solidarity with the businessmen and promised “support” for the appeals presented in court to invalidate the measure.

Thousands of underpaid and exploited workers have taken to the streets in recent days, asking for an increase in the minimum wage, paralyzing traffic and commercial activities. Their protest has been heard and accepted by “Jokowi” — the nickname of the new governor of the capital, a moderate Muslim and liberal — who has decided to set the threshold at 2.2 million Indonesian rupiahs (about $228). The measure will cover next year and will come into force in January 2013.

The previous JRU limit (Upah Minimum Regional, the minimum wage at the regional level) was 1.5 million rupees; the increase exceeds 40% and has sparked anger and discontent among entrepreneurs, industrialists and businessmen. Some see reduced earnings prospects, while others fear the closure of businesses as a result of soaring prices, or mass layoffs decided by entrepreneurs no longer able to bear the cost of labor. Many instead are thinking of moving to other parts of the archipelago, where the minimum wage controversy has not yet taken on confrontational tones and revenue prospects are far superior.

What is certain is that the governor, while on the one hand having satisfied workers, will now be forced to face the barrage of local entrepreneurs, who have already announced they will challenge the law in court and undertake a fierce legal battle. Noteworthy was the furious reaction of Sofjan Wanadi, the Apindo President, who spoke of a “bad day” for entrepreneurs and pointed the finger at Jokowi, the only one “responsible” for the consequences of the decision, especially for smaller firms, craft enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises.

Meanwhile, the Industry Minister MS Hidayat expressed the government’s support for the entrepreneurs. The Ministry and small and medium-sized enterprises have allegedly reached an agreement, according to which they would not have to apply the minimum wage law. The same should also go for the industry giants, which employ hundreds of workers. Widodo commented, “it is their [i.e., the companies’] right” to oppose the decree.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Suicide Bombers Attack US Base in Afghanistan

Taliban suicide bombers attacked a US-Afghan base with explosives and gunfire sparking a two hour battle with American forces.

Militants detonated a car bomb at the gate of Jalalabad Airfield in Afghanistan before American helicopters fired down at militants, defeating them.

Local police officials said a dozen bodies in Afghan police and military uniforms were scattered around the entrance.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claim they stormed the base but a spokesman for the Afghan Defence Ministry, General Mohammad Zahir Azimi, said none of the militants were able to enter.

The NATO military coalition also described it as a failed attack.

Lt Col Hagen Messer, a spokesman for the international military coalition, said in an email: “We can confirm insurgents, including multiple suicide bombers, attacked Jalalabad Airfield this morning.

“None of the attackers succeeded in breaching the perimeter.”

He said that the fighting had ended by mid-morning and that reports showed one member of the Afghan security forces was killed.

Several foreign troops were wounded, but Messer did not give any numbers or details…

— Hat tip: Nick

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Chinese Migrant Workers, Mutilated in the Name of Economic Growth

In Guangdong, the rich southern province that is driving the gross domestic product of the “world’s factory”, every year more than 60,000 workers are involved in work-related accidents. Between employers refusing to pay compensation and local governments conniving with industrialists, this silent army pays with the lives of its members China’s prominence on the world economic stage.

Guanzghou (AsiaNews) — The Communist Congress which just ended proclaimed impressive slogans in favor of the labor force in China, which according to leadership is the “true hero” of the national economic miracle. Yet the situation of internal migrants, a silent army that across the nation comprises between 250 and 300 million workers, is dramatic. Between work-related accidents, mutilations and social discrimination, these workers are paying for everone.

One of the most dramatic cases of recent times, reported the South China Morning Post, is that of Ou Changqun: while working at a heavy metal factory two years ago she was involved in an accident that tore off her arm. After 7 operations what remained was a disabled right arm and a hospital bill to pay: “Immediately after the accident I went into a coma due to excessive bleeding, and stayed in an intensive care unit for three days. I had not signed a labour contract with the factory owner, so my expenses were not paid by the company.”

Her employer even went so far as to suspend her medical treatment for the first emergency interventions: “I was forced to petition the local government for a year before getting justice.” She worked six days a week, 9 hours a day for four years, earning 2,000 yuan per month (about 190 euro). But the cost of her operations reached 120,000 yuan, paid by her employer only after a year and a half of continuous legal battles. Now she does not know what will happen, because with she is unable to work with only one arm.

He Xiaobo is a trade unionist who lost three fingers in an industrial accident in Foshan in 2006: “Ou’s story is typical of millions of migrant workers who have been disabled working in the cities of Guangdong in the last 30 years. Dongguan and Foshan are the cities with the highest incidence of serious cases, and for this reason have huge surgical departments, especially for hand and arm reattachment surgery. Each year in Foshan alone there are at least 50,000 violent incidents, three times the government’s estimate.”

Liu Kaiming, director of the Institute for Contemporary Observation in Shenzhen, has done field research according to which at least 60,000 migrant workers — out of a total of 30 million in the province — are disabled every year on the job: “The number of new disabled workers in Shenzhen is around 12,000 per year, plus those of other industrial cities. But even experienced labour rights experts have underestimated the serious work injury situation in Guangdong.”

According to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, in China there are presently 8.2 million persons disabled as a result of workplace accidents. Official figures show that the majority of them live in the southern province, which last year furnished 2.9 million of them with medical and living expense subsidies. In 2009, according to the government, 175,602 migrants were wounded: 18% of the national total.

According to trade unionists in Hong Kong, however, these numbers are incorrect because they include only those who have reached an agreement of some kind with the employer for compensation after being injured. Chris Chan King-chi, a sociologist at the University of Hong Kong City, says that in the “black factories” — those unregistered, illegal or too small to be considered by the government — the incidents are not reported.

The hospital numbers confirm this terrible trend. Yu Wenxue, director of the private Nanhai hospital of Foshan, explains that he receives each day between 100 and 200 workers who have been injured in the assembly lines. All available beds were fully booked for the entire year: “99% of our patients are immigrants.” In seven years, the Shunde Heping surgical hospital has increased the number of its beds from 30 to 660; in 2004 it operated on the fingers or hands of 3,000 people, and the number grows by 25% every year.

The cost of the operations, however, risks distancing many migrants from the possibility to return to a normal life. Reattaching a finger costs between 20-30,000 yuan, while for more difficult cases requiring several operations, the cost comes to 150,000 yuan. Most migrant workers earn at most 1,800 yuan per month, which includes the several hours of overtime every day; in addition, most employers refuse to provide compensation for injuries.

Zhou Litai, a lawyer, has been fighting for the rights of migrants since the mid-90s and has taken part in more than 3,000 lawsuits against companies that refused to pay what was due: “More than 10,000 migrant workers lose their fingers and hands in Shenzhen’s Baoan and Longgang districts each year. In the late 1990s, the labour laws only required factory owners to pay 33,000 yuan as compensation.” Since then the price has gone up to 500,000 yuan for the most serious cases, but the workers have to wait an average of 1,074 days before getting their due.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Crocodile Grabs Boy, 12, As He Swims With Friends in Australia’s Second Fatal Attack Within Two Weeks

[WARNING: Disturbing content.]

A 12-year-old boy was grabbed by a crocodile which swam off with the child in its mouth today in the second fatal attack within two weeks in Australia’s tropical Northern Territory.

Although teams of police and rangers will continue the hunt for the youngster on Sunday they privately fear that the boy is well beyond help.

Less than two weeks ago a seven-year-old girl was killed by a crocodile in the Northern Territory, with what are believed to be her remains being found in a reptile that was later shot in the area where she went missing.

— Hat tip: JD

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Pensioner Who Went Blind After Drinking Vodka Has His Eyesight Saved… By a Bottle of Whisky!

As any hardened drinkers know, too much alcohol can severely impair your sight.

But for one man in New Zealand, a whole bottle of whisky actually led to his eyesight being saved.

Denis Duthie suddenly went blind after vodka he had been drinking reacted with his diabetes medication.

— Hat tip: JD

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Churches, Government Buildings Torched in Nigeria Attack

(AGI) — Kano (Nigeria), Dec. 2 — At least two people were killed when three churches and border posts were attacked by armed men, possibly Boko Haram militants, in Gamboru Ngala, on Nigeria’s north-eastern border with Cameroon at 8:30 a.m. Local sources report that about 50 armed men shouting “Allah Akbar!” (God is great!) in cars and on motorcycles, opened fire on police officers. Immigration, customs, secret police headquarters and a building used for quarantine were set on fire. Sani Kani, a local inhabitant, said, “I saw two bodies of policemen in uniform not far from the police station. One was in the street and the other was on the seat of a van.” The town of Gamboru Ngala is about 40 km from the Boko Haram stronghold of Maiduguri.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Suspected Islamists Kill Christians, Burn Homes in Nigeria

(AGI) — Maiduguri (Nigeria), Dec. 2 — Suspected Boko Haram militants killed 10 Christians and burned their homes in the village of Chibok in northeast Nigeria, police sources report.

The massacre is not directly linked to the burning of three churches in Gamboru on Saturday night in Bornu State, which caused the death of two police officers. These attacks are aimed at increasing tensions between Christians and Muslims.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Electronic Privacy is the New 21st Century Battleground: Why We Must Fight Back

With the advent of the Electronic Age mankind has seen increasing breakthroughs of communications and entertainment utterly unthinkable a century ago. Along with these advances though comes the ability of government to increasingly track the emails, cell calls, and online activities of countless Americans with increasing ease. In fact, we are being spied on routinely—a fact which is occasionally noted but hardly ever protested in our increasingly complacent, civil-rights illiterate and government-trusting populace. But is our reaction wise? Could not these new government “duties” backfire upon us? And whatever happened to America’s rich history of civil liberties advocacy which routinely aimed the gimlet eye at government power grabs and was not afraid to call out usurpation of protections under the Bill of Rights?

What are the actual rights to privacy Americans hear of, especially regarding such topics as medical records or to abortion? Outside of procreative activities, where else is the doctrine of a constitutional Right to Privacy detailed? Or are such rights, as Alasdair MacIntyre states in After Virtue, just like witches and unicorns—all a mirage? If so, how can Americans hope to fight back against such entities as Homeland Security, Echelon surveillance network, drones, constant Google and Gmail scans, and other privations of privacy? In fact, we must now demand our rights to privacy against the burgeoning government intrusions before our society becomes mirror of Brave New World meets Nineteen-Eighty-Four, if it is not already too late.

— Hat tip: JD

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Europe’s First Gay-Friendly Mosque Opens in Paris

(ANSAmed) — Paris, November 30 — The first mosque in Europe to welcome homosexual and transsexual worshippers opened in the outskirts of Paris on Friday.

The gay-friendly mosque is an initiative of Ludovic-Mohammed Zahed, 35, a French national of Algerian origin and the founder of HM2F, the association for gay Muslims of France. He has long called for an “open Islam”. The place of worship is located on property belonging to a homosexual Buddhist monk near Vincennes park in the Val-de-Marne department southeast of the French capital. The address has not been made public for fear of attacks.

The first prayer service was held on Friday evening and led by an imam belonging to the HM2F association. News of the opening had to be removed from Facebook due to offensive comments.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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	Financial Crisis
»	$80 Trillion in Unfunded Liabilities the True Noose Around Our Necks
»	EU Set Back a Generation
»	National Debt is Still the Biggest Threat to Our National Security
»	Our Collapsing Economy and Currency
»	Prepare for the Tantrums to Get Worse
»	Senator: Obama ‘Crazy’ To Claim Unilateral Debt-Ceiling Power
»	UK: Welfare State Has Ballooned to Over 12 Times Its Original Size, Figures Reveal as Chancellor Prepares Benefits Freeze
	USA
»	As Companies Seek Tax Deals, Governments Pay High Price
»	Cop Flips Crippled Woman’s Car for Driving Two MPH Over Speed Limit
»	Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill ‘Cleanup’ Made Toxicity Worse, Study Finds
»	Exclusive: Obama White House Threatens to Veto 2013 NDAA if Gitmo is Not Closed
»	GOP Consultants Advise: Bring Sporks to New Gunfight With the Left
»	New Social Contract; Old Strategy, Part 2
»	Obama Voters Love Socialism
»	Romney Strategist Fails to Grasp Media Bias
»	The Republicans, The Democrats and Grover
»	Two Pakistan Born Brothers Arrested in Florida for Terror
»	US ‘Approaching Tipping Point When Military Conflict With Al-Qaeda Should End’
	Europe and the EU
»	2nd German Region Allows Muslim Holidays
»	Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Two Other Nobel Peace Prize Winners Say European Union is Not Worthy of Being Given the Award
»	Belgium: Abstract Christmas Tree Sparks Protests in Brussels
»	CleanIT — Leak Shows Plans for Large-Scale, Undemocratic Surveillance of All Communications
»	Dutch Police Arrest 3 Muslims Who Planned to Travel to Syria to Fight
»	Greece: Shipowners Turn to Newer Vessels of Higher Capacity
»	Italy Supports UN Resolution Against Genital Mutilation
»	Italy: Teacher Sentenced to 8 Months for Killing Rabbits in Class
»	Italy: Baby Deer Loses Way and Wanders Into Supermarket Parking Lot
»	Italy: Police Seize Enel Plant in Southern Italy Over Pollution
»	Multi-Drug Resistant Bacterium Found on Dutch Broiler Farms
»	Portugal: Census Finds 5% of Population Illiterate
»	Radical Islamic Drug Gang Forced Swiss Youths to Deal Drugs, Obtain Mobile Phones and Convert to Islam
»	Scotland Launches Winter Festival Celebrations
»	UK: ‘White Witch Coven’ In Ritual Sexual Abuse of Young Girls
»	UK: Abuse of Elderly Patients by NHS Staff Rises by a Third in One Year With a Shocking 36,000 Offences Reported Last Year Alone
»	UK: Ex-BBC Man Appears in Court on Sex Abuse Charges
»	UK: In Mosques and Pubs, People Are More Worried by the Cuts Than Ethnic Tension
»	UK: Muslims Fear EDL Demo
»	UK: Man Who Stabbed and Raped a Woman at Knifepoint in Peckham is Sentenced
»	UK: Motorist Who Hit Pensioner, 81, For Driving Too Slowly Has Jail Sentence Overturned
»	UK: Man Charged With Kidnap and Rape of Teenager
»	UK: Mother and Son Terrorised by Hooded Gang Armed With Knives Who Burst Into Their £1m Home and Demanded Cash
»	UK: Now Gloating Thugs Cleared of Robbing Malaysian Student During London Riots Want Payout
»	UK: Paedophile Who Said a Seven-Year-Old Girl Seduced Him is Finally Jailed Weeks After Judge Set Him Free
»	UK: Tory MP Attacks Cameron for Allowing Party to Become ‘Emaciated’
»	UK: The Vichy Evening News …
»	UK: The Labour of the Negative
»	UK: Taxi Driver Liaqat Ali Jailed for Raping Teenage Passenger
»	UKIP Row: Multiple Reasons Children Taken From Rotherham Foster Parents
	Balkans
»	Serbian Village Council Issues Vampire Alert
	North Africa
»	Algerian Ruling Party FLN Wins Local Elections
»	Andrew Bostom: Sharia is Morsi’s Totalitarian Mandate
»	Egypt: Mohammed Morsi Criticised by UN
»	Tunisian President Calls for Gov’t Reshuffle After Clashes
	Israel and the Palestinians
»	Abbas and the Death of the Two-State Solution
»	Deciphering Muslim Taqiyyah
»	Israel Hits Back After Palestinian UN Vote With 3,000 New Settler Homes
	Middle East
»	Muslim Swedes Told to Join Syrian War Effort
»	New Documentary Portrays Islam as Path to Women’s Empowerment
»	Six Injured in Explosion at Arms Depot in Yemeni Capital: Police
»	Turkey: Not Enough Recycling Plants for E-Waste
	South Asia
»	Afghan Taliban Commander Killed
»	Bangkok Exceeds Delhi, Thailand Becomes the World’s Leading Rice Exporter
	Far East
»	Chinese Arrested for Denouncing Extravagant Leader
»	Nine Sentenced in Chinese Kidney-for-iPad Scheme
»	North Korean Historical Institute ‘Declares it Has Discovered Unicorn Lair Belonging to Founder of Ancient Kingdom’
	Australia — Pacific
»	British Family Facing Deportation From New Zealand Because the Father Has a Brain Tumour
	Immigration
»	House Passes, Obama Disses 55,000 Visas for Educated Immigrants
»	UK: Leveson on Media Misrepresentation of Muslims and Migrants
	Culture Wars
»	Doomsday for the Greedy Freeloaders of the Left
	General
»	NASA’s Messenger Finds Water Ice and Organic Molecules on Mercury

$80 Trillion in Unfunded Liabilities the True Noose Around Our Necks

We hear all about the $16 Trillion dollars in debt that our country is in, but the much larger problem and the one that our politicians and citizens do not want to talk about honestly is the $80 Trillion Dollars in Unfunded Liabilities at the federal level.

We all know about how the states and local governments are being swamped by these obligations, but we cannot even have an honest discussion about the true nature of the long term problems that we face because for one reason or another it always turns into a Left — vs -Right you-are-wrong-and-stupid argument. We have those in congress such as Dick Durbin and Chuck Schumer who will not even let this be discussed in all the negotiations that we currently hear about going on with the debt crisis that this government created. It is easy to understand that they do not want to do so as it exposes the blatant mistakes that those in government have made over the years and this includes those from both sides.

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

EU Set Back a Generation

Dziennik Gazeta Prawna Warsaw

It will be decades before the most economically stricken countries recover their pre-crisis standard of living. And the gulf between with these states and those doing well is widening all the time, threatening the unity and stability of the EU.

Jedrzej Bielecki

Angela Merkel warned as early as in 2009: let’s not expect a miracle, because not even the boldest political decision will turn the European economy back on the path of growth. “At the time she was alone in saying this. Today it’s clear that she was right”, said Nicolas Veron, a senior fellow at Bruegel, the Brussels-based think tank.

In the fifth year of the crisis, the EU’s economic condition remains dismal, 17 out of the Union’s 27 member states being in recession. In the hardest-hit countries, such as Spain or Portugal, bringing living standards back to pre-crisis levels will take at least a generation. But the EU may not last as long. For the first time since its inception, the EU — unlike the eurozone — could disintegrate. The scenario is becoming more and more real with each successive month. It’s hard to say what is happening faster: the construction of an integrated eurozone bloc around Germany or the secession of the eurosceptic countries, notably Britain.

Nonexistent common market

Ms Merkel, it needs to be admitted, didn’t want the EU to evolve in such a way and tried to prevent it. In particular, she was interested in keeping within a new, more closely integrated Union the countries of Central Europe, including Poland. They are not only Germany’s economic base (German companies having relocated much of their manufacturing operations here), but also Berlin’s frequent, and precious, ally in the EU Council, where they support structural reforms and responsible budget policies.

But this didn’t work. Market pressure meant that the eurozone leaders finally started laying the foundations of separate eurozone institutions: banking supervision, fiscal policy governance, a separate budget. “This was assumed to be a minimum step for ensuring the eurozone’s efficient functioning, but one that won’t undermine the EU’s foundations. Today it’s clear such expectations were unrealistic”, admitted Cinzia Alcidi at the Centre for European Policy Studies in Brussels…

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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National Debt is Still the Biggest Threat to Our National Security

Since 1971, U.S. borrowed $50 trillion to produce only $13 trillion of goods and services in a 40 year period.

Americans are in denial about the simple fact that our national debt is the biggest threat to our national security. National debt grew exponentially from Washington’s profligate deficit spending, recessions, and wars.

When I looked today at the national debt clock, each taxpayer owed approximately $142,000, the figure changing rapidly based on factors such as the value of the dollar, trade deficits, and the latest sums borrowed from U.S. taxpayers or from whatever country willing to buy our Treasury Securities, T-bills, T-notes, and T-bonds — China, Japan, and oil exporters being the largest buyers of U.S. debt so far.

The national debt to most Americans is something on paper in a faraway place that does not concern or affect us. Americans have no idea how it grew so exponentially large, where it came from, who owes it, who owns it, and how many zeroes a trillion has.

— Hat tip: JD

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Our Collapsing Economy and Currency

The US economy has two serious diseases, and neither one is too much welfare spending.

One disease is the offshoring of US middle class jobs, both manufacturing jobs and professional service jobs such as engineering, research, design, and information technology, jobs that formerly were filled by US university graduates, but which today are sent abroad or are filled by foreigners brought in on H-1B work visas at two-thirds of the salary.

The other disease is the deregulation, especially the financial deregulation, that caused the ongoing financial crisis and created banks too big to fail, which has prevented capitalism from working and closing down insolvent corporations.

The Federal Reserve’s policy is focused on saving the banks, not on saving the economy. The Federal Reserve is purchasing not only new Treasury bonds issued to finance the more than one trillion dollar annual federal deficit but also the banks’ underwater financial instruments, taking them off the banks’ books and putting them on the Federal Reserve’s books.

— Hat tip: JD

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Prepare for the Tantrums to Get Worse

Yawn. It’s the whole robbing Peter to pay Paul sort of economics liberals excel at. Increasing taxes simply doesn’t solve the problem. And all intelligent beings know this. You don’t get growth by shifting money around.

Let’s look at the math, shall we?

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the way we measure a country’s standard of living. It is equal to private consumption + gross investment + government spending + (exports — imports).

Taking money from the “private consumption” and “gross investment” components (by taxing people) and moving it in to the “government spending” component changes nothing. Well, it makes liberals who benefit from “government spending” happier, but essentially the GDP stays the same.

— Hat tip: JD

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Senator: Obama ‘Crazy’ To Claim Unilateral Debt-Ceiling Power

‘I’m amazed that Secretary Geithner had the courage to float that yesterday’

(The Hill) Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who will soon be the second-ranking Republican in the Senate, on Friday panned a proposal by the White House that would allow President Obama to raise the debt ceiling without congressional approval.

Cornyn was referring to a plan Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner presented to Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) on Thursday that was meant to avoid the “fiscal cliff” of tax increases and spending cuts.

The plan, which sparked strong Republican criticism, included a provision allowing the White House to raise the debt ceiling without the consent of Congress.

“Well, it’s outrageous,” Cornyn said on Fox News.

— Hat tip: JD

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UK: Welfare State Has Ballooned to Over 12 Times Its Original Size, Figures Reveal as Chancellor Prepares Benefits Freeze

The cost of the Welfare State has risen 12-fold in real terms since its introduction, figures reveal today — as George Osborne prepares to unveil a benefits freeze.

Figures released by the Department for Work and Pensions to mark the 70th anniversary of William Beveridge’s landmark report on welfare, show the cost of the modern system dwarfs that of his original vision.

They come as the Chancellor puts the finishing touches to next week’s Autumn Statement on the economy, when he is expected to announce a freeze in the value of most benefits apart from pensions and disability payments.

— Hat tip: JD

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As Companies Seek Tax Deals, Governments Pay High Price

A New York Times investigation into the incentives that governments offer businesses has found that states, cities and counties are giving up more than $80 billion a year to attract or keep the companies and the jobs that they provide. The beneficiaries come from virtually every corner of the corporate world, encompassing oil and coal conglomerates, technology and entertainment companies, banks and big-box retail chains.

But the cost of the awards is certainly far higher. A full accounting, The Times discovered, is not possible because the incentives are granted by thousands of government agencies and officials, and many do not know the value of all their awards. Nor do they know if the money was worth it because they rarely track how many jobs are created. Even where officials do track incentives, they acknowledge that it is impossible to know whether the jobs would have been created without the aid.

[Return to headlines]

Cop Flips Crippled Woman’s Car for Driving Two MPH Over Speed Limit

When you’re being pulled over for a simple infraction like speeding, you don’t expect police to push your car off the road forcing it to flip, but that’s exactly what happened to a Florida woman last month.

Sandra Silasavage, a 62-year-old disabled woman who suffers from scoliosis, was driving home on State Road 70 when her 2008 Ford Expedition was forced off the road by a St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Deputy using a pursuit tactic known as the PIT maneuver, short for Precision Immobilization Technique, causing her vehicle to flip on its side. The incident, however, received virtually no media attention.

“Her 2008 Ford Expedition was totaled in the wreck, she’s out thousands of dollars and her life has been turned upside down,” the TC Palm wrote earlier this month.

Her crime? Driving 57 MPH, two miles over the posted speed limit.

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill ‘Cleanup’ Made Toxicity Worse, Study Finds

(NaturalNews) The cleanup technique used by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico actually made the spilled oil more than 50 times more toxic than doing nothing, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Universidad Autonoma de Aguascalientes (UAA), Mexico. The findings were published in the journal Environmental Pollution.

Over the course of three months, 4.9 million barrels of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico (although some scientists believe that the spill is likely ongoing to this day). To aid in the cleanup, the EPA ordered another two million gallons of a chemical “dispersant” known as Corexit poured into the Gulf.

“There is a synergistic interaction between crude oil and the dispersant that makes it more toxic,” study co-author Terry Snell said.

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

Exclusive: Obama White House Threatens to Veto 2013 NDAA if Gitmo is Not Closed

….earlier yesterday the White House started circulating a Statement of Administration Policy (SAP) warning that President Obama would veto the renewal of the pending 2013 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) if Guantánamo transfer and funding restrictions were not removed. The SAP also warned the Senate not to add any new detention provisions.

The National Defense Authorization Act is legislation which provides budget authority to the Department of Defense and to the Department of Energy’s national security programs.

In a nation already divided, the divide is about to become even sharper. Who will win this battle that effects national security and potentially the safety of Americans at home?

— Hat tip: JD

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GOP Consultants Advise: Bring Sporks to New Gunfight With the Left

Word on the political street from GOP consultants and the Left is that Rush Limbaugh and the Tea Party cost Romney the election. We Conservatives are advised to “moderate our tone” and back away from our “extremist ideas.”

So let me make sure I understand. Obama and company were allowed to go for the jugular, using false narratives (lies), to win votes. They said Romney hates dogs, blacks, women and the poor. Heck, they even threw in the absurd accusation that Romney was responsible for the death of a working man’s wife. Check and mate. Game over. Obama won. Did anyone suggest Team Obama “moderate their tone”?

— Hat tip: JD

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New Social Contract; Old Strategy, Part 2

Enlightened, twenty-first century thought compels folks to rethink the nature of social relationships and interactions. What’s not to like about “a sustainable, equitable future for all world citizens”? The world community couldn’t agree more that, for the sake of the common good, it behooves us, as affluent Americans, to abandon any fanciful notion of our nation’s exceptionality and, as President Obama famously suggested, to “spread the wealth around.”

At the global level, soft law represents unenforceable agreements between nations. By appearing to represent global consensus, these have a way of evolving slowly into enforceable international law in the form of agreements, conventions, declarations, executive orders, pacts, summits, and treaties. UN resolutions represent a kind of international common law to which national courts have already begun to refer.

[…]

The socialist principle of government-managed development, sustainable development calls for revamping the very infrastructure of our nation away from private ownership and control of property to nothing short of a national zoning system through which producers are expected to provide for non-producers. At the global level, egalitarianism may sound good for its supposed advocacy of political, economic, and legal equality for all when, in truth, it is no more than a specious buzzword for supplanting America’s hegemony. The eventual goal of the global brain trust is to incite planetary class conflict, resulting in paradigm shift to democratic transnationalism, which weds free-market capitalism with communism.

— Hat tip: JD

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Obama Voters Love Socialism

Gallup poll confirms earlier Pew Foundation study

According to a December 2011 Pew Foundation study, while 60 percent of Americans view socialism negatively, a plurality of Americans ages 18 to 29 (49 percent to 43 percent) and a majority of African-Americans (55 percent to 36 percent) view socialism positively. Conversely, while a majority of Americans view capitalism positively (50 percent), again a plurality of Americans ages 18-29 (47 percent) and a majority of African-Americans (51 percent) view it negatively.

Only one other demographic in America views socialism as positively as the young and African-Americans: liberal Democrats. While 90 percent of liberal Republicans and even 51 percent of moderate Democrats oppose socialism, 59 percent of liberal Democrats view socialism positively.

This is Obama’s base: liberal Democrats, the young and African-Americans. They are the voters that turned out in record numbers to save Obama’s second term. They are the source of his mandate. And they want socialism!

Today, Gallup released a new poll confirming what Pew already found: Obama’s Democratic base loves socialism. Just look at this chart:

— Hat tip: JD

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Romney Strategist Fails to Grasp Media Bias

In his first public criticism of the conduct of the media during the presidential campaign, the chief strategist for Mitt Romney meekly suggests that reporters “often felt morally conflicted about being critical” of President Obama.

Obama “was a charismatic African American president with a billion dollars, no primary and media that often felt morally conflicted about being critical,” Stevens says.

But if this is all that Stuart Stevens takes away from the campaign coverage, he is woefully ill-informed about the nature of media bias. While it is certainly true that reporters didn’t want to criticize the first black President, Stevens’ comment doesn’t explain the intensity of the media attacks on Romney and the media cover-ups on Obama’s behalf.

— Hat tip: JD

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The Republicans, The Democrats and Grover

By R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.

WASHINGTON — What is a Republican elected official? A Republican elected official is one who says, “I won’t raise my constituents’ taxes.” Asked to elaborate, the Republican elected official explains, “I will keep taxes down to allow the economy to grow and to throw off ever more tax revenue.” The Republican believes that the way to pay for government is to let the economy roar… and to keep spending reasonable.

[….]

— Hat tip: JP

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Two Pakistan Born Brothers Arrested in Florida for Terror

Charged with conspiring to use weapon of mass destruction within U.S.

(Reuters) Two Pakistan-born brothers living in Florida have been arrested on charges of providing support to terrorists and conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction within the United States, authorities said on Friday.

The men were charged in a grand jury indictment announced by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. Federal prosecutors allege the men, both U.S. citizens, provided money, housing, communications equipment and transportation as part of a conspiracy.

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

US ‘Approaching Tipping Point When Military Conflict With Al-Qaeda Should End’

The United States is approaching a “tipping point” in its war with al-Qaeda beyond which it will no longer be regarded as a military conflict, the Defense Department’s top lawyer has said.

In a speech to the Oxford Union on Friday night, Jeh Johnson predicted that the terror network would become so “effectively destroyed” that it would no longer have any capacity to be able to launch another attack on America…

— Hat tip: JP

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2nd German Region Allows Muslim Holidays

BERLIN: The region of Bremen in northern Germany on Friday said it would be the second of the country’s 16 states to recognize Muslim holidays.

“I am delighted because Islam and Muslims are part of our city and part of our life,” said the mayor of the city state, Jens Boehrnsen, after signing the deal with representatives of the local Muslim community…

— Hat tip: JP

[Return to headlines]

Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Two Other Nobel Peace Prize Winners Say European Union is Not Worthy of Being Given the Award

Three Nobel Peace Prize winners have blasted the decision to give this year’s award to the European Union.

In an open letter, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Northern Ireland’s Mairead Maguire and Adolfo Perez Esquivel from Argentina say that the EU is ‘clearly not one of the “champions of peace” Alfred Nobel had in mind’ when he created the prize in 1895.

They insist the 27-nation bloc’s values do not match those associated with the prize, and say the prize money of £750,000 should be withheld.

— Hat tip: Kitman

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Belgium: Abstract Christmas Tree Sparks Protests in Brussels

Thousands of people have signed a petition against an abstract light installation replacing the traditional Christmas tree in Brussels city centre.

More than 11,000 signatures have been gathered in the online petition and a Facebook page attacking the new feature has been launched. Critics accuse officials of opting for the installation for fear of offending non-Christians, especially Muslims. But the mayor’s office said it was part of a theme this year of “light”…

— Hat tip: JP

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CleanIT — Leak Shows Plans for Large-Scale, Undemocratic Surveillance of All Communications

A leaked document from the CleanIT project shows just how far internal discussions in that initiative have drifted away from its publicly stated aims, as well as the most fundamental legal rules that underpin European democracy and the rule of law.

The European Commission-funded CleanIT project claims that it wants to fight terrorism through voluntary self-regulatory measures that defends the rule of law.

The initial meetings of the initiative, with their directionless and ill-informed discussions about doing “something” to solve unidentified online “terrorist” problems were mainly attended by filtering companies, who saw an interesting business opportunity. Their work has paid off, with numerous proposals for filtering by companies and governments, proposals for liability in case sufficiently intrusive filtering is not used, and calls for increased funding by governments of new filtering technologies.

The leaked document contradicts a letter sent from CleanIT Coordinator But Klaasen to Dutch NGO Bits of Freedom in April of this year, which explained that the project would first identify problems before making policy proposals. The promise to defend the rule of law has been abandoned. There appears never to have been a plan to identify a specific problem to be solved — instead the initiative has become little more than a protection racket (use filtering or be held liable for terrorist offences) for the online security industry.

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Dutch Police Arrest 3 Muslims Who Planned to Travel to Syria to Fight

AMSTERDAM — Dutch prosecutors say police have arrested three Muslim men who wanted to travel to Syria to fight in the country’s civil war. Prosecutors announced Friday the men, aged 22, 23 and 33, were arrested Thursday in the port city of Rotterdam “because they planned to travel to Syria to take part in international armed Jihad.” They did not specify if the men were Dutch. A search of their home uncovered knives, a sword and a crossbow…

[JP note: Medieval crusaders in reverse.]

— Hat tip: JP

[Return to headlines]

Greece: Shipowners Turn to Newer Vessels of Higher Capacity

According to data, only very large ships rise in numbers

(ANSAmed) — ATHENS, NOVEMBER 26 — Shipowners flying the Greek flag have turned toward vessels of greater capacity in the last 12 months, daily Kathimerini reports citing figures from the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT). September 2012 data showed that the fleet on the country’s register posted a capacity increase of 1.5% from September 2011, while the number of ships dropped 3.2%. The combined capacity of the Greek fleet amounted to 43,993,381 tons this September against 43,356,420 tons in the same month last year. However there were 65 fewer ships than last year, as the fleet numbered 1,962 vessels of over 100 gross tons, against 2,027 units in September 2011.

Another significant trend is the gradual reduction of the average age of Greek-flagged ships — now at 10.5 years against an international average of 12.5 years — thanks to the continued efforts of Greek shipowners to renew their fleets despite the global financial crisis. In September 2012 the Greek register accounted for 780 ships aged up to 15 years with a total capacity of 35,056,016 tons, compared with 812 vessels up to 15 years old totaling 33,723,778 tons a year earlier. As far as the profile of the Greek-flagged fleet is concerned, ELSTAT data illustrates that in September 2012 there were 545 dry-bulk carriers in the country’s register with a total capacity of 16,341,366 tons, 532 tankers totaling 26,218,498 tons, 659 passengers ships adding up to 1,370,492 tons, and 226 ships of other types with a capacity of 63,025 tons. By contrast, in September 2011 the Greek flag was flying on 560 dry-bulk carriers with a capacity of 16,035,854 tons, 539 tankers adding up to 25,754,363 tons, 731 passenger ships totaling 1,601,980 tons, and 230 ships of other types with a total capacity of 63,361 tons. As Kathimerini notes, Greek shipowners’ shift toward ships with greater capacity is also evident in the figures relating to tonnage categories, where only very large ships are showing a rise in numbers. In September this year there were 1,251 ships between 100 and 10,000 tons on the Greek register, down from 1,315 ships a year earlier, 140 ships with a capacity between 10,001 and 30,000 tons, against 152 in September 2011, and 571 vessels over 30,000 tons, up from 560 ships in September last year. Among the shipping companies with a high number of ships in the Greek register are the following: Anangel (owned by John Angelicoussis), Minerva Marine (Andreas Martinos), Marmaras Navigation (Diamantis Diamantidis), Eletson (Karastamatis family), Costamare (Constantakopoulos family), Tsakos Shipping, Dryships (George Economou), Arcadia and Aegean (Constantinos Angelopoulos family), Belgian company Euronav, NEDA (Nick Lykiardopoulos family) and several others.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Italy Supports UN Resolution Against Genital Mutilation

‘Step helps millions of girls find freedom’ says Ragaglini

(ANSA) — Rome, November 26 — A resolution banning female genital mutilation was adopted Monday by a United Nations committee, with the support of Italy.

The resolution, presented by a group of African nations, calls for a widespread condemnation of mutilation, and the promotion of social and educational programs to encourage leaders to abandon the practice.

“The text adopted today confirms the full commitment of the international community and gives new impetus to the efforts carried out against female genital mutilation,” said Cesare Maria Ragaglini, Italy’s ambassador at the United Nations.

He added that eliminating genital mutilation is an important step in helping millions of girls find freedom.

The United Nations estimates that up to 140 million women and girls worldwide have undergone some form of genital mutilation or cutting, and at least three million girls are at risk from the practice every year.

— Hat tip: Insubria

[Return to headlines]

Italy: Teacher Sentenced to 8 Months for Killing Rabbits in Class

Anatomy teacher ‘brutally’ strangled then bludgeoned animals

(ANSA) — Milan, November 28 — A Milan court on Wednesday sentenced public school anatomy teacher Carlo Rando to eight months in prison for the killing of two rabbits in a classroom in 2010.

Italian animal rights association LAV filed a complaint after students reported that during a dissection lesson Rando, upon seeing that two of the four rabbits delivered to the school were still alive, “brutally killed the animals himself” in front of the class.

According to reports from LAV, the teacher “first tried to strangle them, then repeatedly punched the animals, and then after prolonged violence, smashed the rabbits’ heads with a hammer — all in front of a room full of children”.

“The conviction sets an important legal precedent in the educational field and is a move to guarantee pedagogical ethics,” said Michela Kuan, a biologist with LAV.

“Such uncivilized methods are not only ethically unacceptable, but totally unnecessary. Anatomy is no longer taught through dissecting animals, but through the widespread availability of models, videos and interactive three-dimensional reconstructions, which moreover simulate and explain the organization of many species, not just one,” Kuan said.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Italy: Baby Deer Loses Way and Wanders Into Supermarket Parking Lot

Rangers capture and return young roe deer to protected park

(ANSA) — Genoa, November 29 — Park rangers on Thursday captured a baby roe deer in a supermarket parking lot in Genoa after passers-by noticed the animal trying to hide between cars.

Rangers said that the small female most likely wandered out of the woods and got lost wandering the city’s narrow streets.

The exhausted and frightened deer was eventually captured and returned to the protected forest area of the Val d’Aveto nearby.

— Hat tip: Insubria

[Return to headlines]

Italy: Police Seize Enel Plant in Southern Italy Over Pollution

Judge says plant given three months to clean up

(ANSA) — Bari, November 27 — A judge in southern Italy ordered police to seize a power plant owned by utility giant Enel on Tuesday, and ordered the company to start clean up immediately.

An investigating judge for the Court of Bari, a large city in the southern region of Puglia, order the plant’s seizure and gave the company three months to make the necessary environmental and safety improvements.

The judge said protective measures are essential to avoid endangering public safety and the health of workers.

The court appointed Barbara Valenzano, an executive of the Regional Agency for Prevention and Environmental Protection (ARPA) Puglia, as guardian of the site while it is under seizure order.

Enel, which operates worldwide, disputes allegations that it has violated workplace health and safety regulations as well as laws designed to prevent major accidents.

However, the court says accidents have already occurred.

The community of Bari is only an hour’s drive from Taranto, where prosecutors have seized large parts of a major polluting steel plant owned by ILVA.

That seizure has triggered both support from community members concerned about their health, and outrage from politicians and workers at the plant who are fearful for their jobs.

— Hat tip: Insubria

[Return to headlines]

Multi-Drug Resistant Bacterium Found on Dutch Broiler Farms

THE HAGUE, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) — Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus bacterium, or MRSA, has been found in 8 percent of Dutch broiler farms, a report by the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) said on Thursday…

— Hat tip: JP

[Return to headlines]

Portugal: Census Finds 5% of Population Illiterate

Rates halved in 10 years but still highest in Europe

(ANSAmed) — LISBON — Over half a million Portugese, or 5% of the population are illiterate according to a census. The National Institute of Statistics released the data, noting that although the rate has halved over the past 10 years it is still the highest in Europe. ß But the results reflect steady progress with regard to qualifications. 15% of over 23 year olds graduated high school versus 9% ten years ago. And the number of children attending obligatory school rose by 12%. Lisbon and the Algarve hold the highest levels of schooling at 60.4% and 52.7% respectively.

Meanwhile the number of immigrants has risen 70% for an overall population swell of 2%. 28% came from Brazil; 10% from Cape Verde, and 9% from the Ukraine. Women outnumber men 5,515,578 to 5,046,600. And while the amount of families has risen from 365,000 to 404,000, nuclear families have dipped 2.8% to 2.6%.

Changing family patterns have led to a 36% upsurge in single parents. Also according to the data the average age in Portugal has risen from 39 to 42, reflecting an increasingly aged society.

The number of over 70’s has gone up 26%.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Radical Islamic Drug Gang Forced Swiss Youths to Deal Drugs, Obtain Mobile Phones and Convert to Islam

“With a hood on, tied up and marked with blows, they kept him gagged in a cave”. This is how state prosecutor Nicolas Feuz describes the fate of one of the youths who resisted the drug gang that called itself “Jamahat”.

From 2008 this radical-islamic drug gang shrank from no means of defending its marijuana monopoly in Le Locle and Neuenburg.

To do this they not only forced their young customers to deal for them, but compelled them to obtain several smartphones. For this purpose, some of the victims even had to take out as many as seven subscription contracts, getting into several thousands francs worth of debt. The perpetrators later sold the mobile phones on the black market.

The gang included youths from Chechnya, Afghanistan and the former Yugoslavia, who devoted themselves to a radical Islam. Some of their intimidated victims even themselves converted to Islam…

— Hat tip: Steen

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Scotland Launches Winter Festival Celebrations

EDINBURGH, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) — Scotland’s Winter Festival celebrations started on Friday St. Andrew’s Day to have a nearly two-month-long holiday season including Christmas and the New Year. At East Princes Street at city center, the highland village attracted crowded people to enjoy steaming hot sausages and battercake, buy toys and art products. At a toy booth, an old gentlemen extended holiday greetings to Xinhua and best wishes to enjoy life in Edinburgh…

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: ‘White Witch Coven’ In Ritual Sexual Abuse of Young Girls

Alleged victims plied with alcohol, given money, sweets to buy their silence

[WARNING: Disturbing content.]

(London Guardian) Members of a “white witch coven” in Cornwall donned ceremonial robes and used daggers in ritualistic sex abuse of young girls, a court has heard.

Peter Petrauske, 72, who allegedly told police he was high priest of the coven, and Jack Kemp, 69, were said to have been involved in criminal “pagan ceremonies” over a 30-year period.

Children were plied with alcohol before being made to undress in front of a crowd of men wearing robes, it was claimed.

The alleged victims, the youngest of whom aged three to five, were then abused by their tormentors before being given money and sweets to buy their silence, Truro crown court was told.

— Hat tip: JD

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UK: Abuse of Elderly Patients by NHS Staff Rises by a Third in One Year With a Shocking 36,000 Offences Reported Last Year Alone

[WARNING: Disturbing Content.]

Thousands of elderly and vulnerable patients are being abused by carers and NHS staff, shocking figures reveal.

Some 36,600 offences were reported last year, mainly involving neglect, physical violence or bullying.

And the number of cases has risen by a third in the last 12 months, according to NHS Information Centre statistics.

This could partly be due to heightened awareness among family members and staff in the wake of recent scandals, such as that of the Winterbourne View care home.

But only this week the Health Secretary admitted that ‘cruelty’ had become ‘normal’ in some health and social care organisations.

In a powerful speech, Jeremy Hunt highlighted shocking examples of abuse including the case of a dementia patient being slapped and punched by her supposed carer.

— Hat tip: JD

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UK: Ex-BBC Man Appears in Court on Sex Abuse Charges

Michael Souter, 59, of Low Bungay Road, Loddon, Norfolk, has been charged with 18 offences relating to boys, plus an offence against a man and one against a woman.

The charges relate to six different boys, including under-14s, and two adults and include serious sexual offences and indecent assault.

The alleged offences date between 1979 and 1999 and happened in Norfolk.

The earlier charges overlap with Souter’s career at the BBC in the 1980s, during which he helped launch Radio Norfolk including a stint presenting the breakfast show.

— Hat tip: Kitman

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UK: In Mosques and Pubs, People Are More Worried by the Cuts Than Ethnic Tension

by Giles Fraser

Those who paint Tower Hamlets as a balkanised community fail to notice the social solidarity that exists in the community

I have often stood outside Indo, one of my favourite little London boozers, sipped a glass of wine, pulled on a fag and pondered to myself what goes on inside the mosque immediately opposite. Even from the Indo side of Whitechapel Road you can tell the mosque is always busy. Four thousand people turn up for prayers every day, and double that on a Friday. During Ramadan, it’s even more packed — with a radio station on the roof, as well as the muezzin, calling the faithful to worship. In terms of weekly attendance, this must surely make the East London mosque the busiest place of worship in the whole country…

[Reader comment by libbymc on 30 November 2012 at 7:59 pm.]

Ethnic tensions will rise as the economic situation worsens. It’s naive to think otherwise.

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: Muslims Fear EDL Demo

WORRIED Muslims are expected to flee the village they have made their home when far-right extremists stage a protest tomorrow. Members of the English Defence League (EDL) are due to hold a demonstration in Shotton Colliery tomorrow from 2pm. The march is in protest at Durham County Council’s approval of local businessman Kaiser Choudry’s plans to turn the former Melrose Arms pub, in the village’s Front Street, into a Muslim education centre…

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: Man Who Stabbed and Raped a Woman at Knifepoint in Peckham is Sentenced

A MAN who stabbed and raped a woman at knifepoint has today, Friday 30 November, been jailed for six years and will be placed on the sex offenders register for life.

Dimeck Amoura, 19 (18.5.93) of Peckham SE15, also threatened a police officer with a knife as he tried to flee the scene.

On Sunday 6 June 2010, the victim, a 25-year-old woman, was walking along Consort Road SE15 at around 03:15hrs after a night out with friends.

As she moved down a narrow walkway between a building and temporary railings installed for roadworks, Amoura grabbed her from behind and kicked her legs to wrestle her to the ground.

Amoura demanded sex with her and told her if she did as he asked he would leave her alone.

He started to touch her sexually, smashed her head on the concrete pavement and began cutting her neck and face with the knife before stabbing her all over her body.

Amoura ripped off the victim’s clothes and then raped her, saying if she tried to get up he would kill her.

— Hat tip: Kitman

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UK: Motorist Who Hit Pensioner, 81, For Driving Too Slowly Has Jail Sentence Overturned

An aggressive male motorist who hit an 81-year-old woman in a road rage attack because she was driving at five mph has had his jail sentence quashed.

Pensioner Patricia Pearson was left with deep cuts on her head and face after Usman Yasin overtook and blocked the road before smacking her in the face.

She had been driving to visit her husband in his care home.

Magistrates at Burton upon Trent jailed him for 16 weeks last month, but an appeal judge at Stafford Crown Court has now changed his sentence.

Instead, the father of two was ordered to do 150 hours unpaid community work, banned from driving for two weeks and ordered to pay Mrs Pearson £100 compensation.

— Hat tip: Kitman

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UK: Man Charged With Kidnap and Rape of Teenager

A MAN has been charged following the rape of a teenager in a park.

Arshad Arif, aged 28, from Belfast Avenue, Slough, has been charged with kidnap and two counts of rape after a 17-year-old female, who had travelled from Watford in a taxi with a male passenger, was attacked in Salt Hill Park on Sunday morning (25).

He has been remanded in custody to appear at Slough Magistrates’ Court today (Thursday ).

— Hat tip: Kitman

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UK: Mother and Son Terrorised by Hooded Gang Armed With Knives Who Burst Into Their £1m Home and Demanded Cash

A frail 91-year-old woman and her bachelor son were threatened at knifepoint by a gang of hooded robbers who burst into their isolated country home.

The shaken son, 55, told how one of the men punched him in the face before the gang knocked his elderly mother to the ground after forcing their way into the £1million property in Puttenham, Surrey.

The trio demanded cash from the petrified pair then tore through the house in search of valuables, eventually fleeing the scene of their ‘despicable’ attack with money and jewellery.

They said the first suspect was black and of a stocky build. The second was white and of medium build. A third suspect was also white.Two of the three men were wearing hooded tops which covered their faces.

— Hat tip: JD

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UK: Now Gloating Thugs Cleared of Robbing Malaysian Student During London Riots Want Payout

Two thugs convicted but then cleared of robbing a student in a defining moment of last summer’s riots demanded compensation last night.

John Kafunda and Reece Donovan want cash and an apology following the quashing of their convictions.

They thanked ‘British justice’ as they walked free from the Court of Appeal on Thursday, showered in champagne. They said it was ‘the best time of their lives’.

The pair, who both have criminal records, were dubbed the ‘Bad Samaritans’ when they were jailed for attacking Ashraf Rossli, a 21-year-old from Malaysia.

Mobile phone footage of two men rifling through the rucksack of the badly injured and disorientated student at the height of the disorder shocked the world.

Kafunda and Donovan, both 23, were identified by anonymous witnesses, gave false alibis and were placed at the scene of the crime by mobile phone data.

But they were sensationally freed after a secret hearing by a panel of judges found the witnesses could not be relied upon.

— Hat tip: JD

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UK: Paedophile Who Said a Seven-Year-Old Girl Seduced Him is Finally Jailed Weeks After Judge Set Him Free

A vile paedophile who blamed a girl of seven for seducing him was finally locked up yesterday — weeks after a judge let him walk free.

John Thompson escaped a prison sentence in July despite pleading guilty to sexually assaulting his victim.

Incredibly, he accused the schoolgirl of pinning him down on a bed after ‘flirting’ with him.

Thompson narrowly avoided jail and was instead ordered to undergo a sex offender treatment programme.

The lenient sentence imposed by Judge Gillian Matthews QC sparked fury among child protection charities who branded it ‘despicable’.

Despite his remarkable let-off, Thompson was back in the dock last month for failing to comply with the same order — and yet again was given a second chance to change his ‘appalling attitude’.

Now, having again failed to attend the sex offender treatment programme, he has been sent to prison.

— Hat tip: JD

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UK: Tory MP Attacks Cameron for Allowing Party to Become ‘Emaciated’

Brian Binley is fond of giving journalists new ideas for illustrations featuring David Cameron’s head superimposed onto a new and unusual get-up: his ‘chambermaid’ allusion caused quite a stir back in August. Today he’s written another one of his angry blog posts, which takes his criticism of the Prime Minister on a little further. Today the Prime Minister is a caretaker, apparently, and one who isn’t taking great care of his party…

[Reader comment from Vulture on 30 November 2012 at about 4 pm.]

Wishful thinking from dear old Binbag. A few facts:

1) Cameron is a sure-fire vote loser. The Tories had already lost Scotland. Now they are losing the north too. The posh-boy Lord Snooty image of Dave, Oiky Osborne and their wretched little clique as the rich friends of the wealthy is toxic to ordinary people.

2) Tory MPs are too gutless and/or too stupid to get rid of the current leadership.

3) Ukip is the natural repository for ex-traditional Tories, ex-working class Tories and now ex-Labour people too. ~Their support will increase rather than diminish in the run-up to 2015 — especially in the Euro-elections of 2014.

4) barring a sudden economic miracle even with the black magic of Crosby the Tories under Dave cannot win in 2015. If you really want to have any chance of wining, Brian, you must depose Dave.

[Reply by ButcombeMan on 30 November 2012 at about 10 pm.]

I agree again. Common Purpose Cameron is absolutely hopeless […]

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: The Vichy Evening News …

Every now and then the great and the good take decisions that throw our world into flux. Mass disruption doesn’t result, but there is a strange sense that we have broken the pane of an invisible looking glass. And so it was this morning…

The Guardian leader is one of the most craven pieces of writing ever to appear on its pages. Undermined by its own self-righteousness and sense of moral superiority, a once-great paper has this morning become everything it once professed to hate. It has ceased to be the Guardian and formally relaunched itself as the Vichy Evening News…

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: The Labour of the Negative

by Roger Scruton

The case of the children removed from foster parents by Rotherham Social Services, on the grounds that the parents are supporters of UKIP, is now notorious. I doubt that any reader of this blog will be surprised by the facts of the case, or by the conduct of the social workers involved. But there are lessons to be drawn by conservatives that are not publicly referred to, even though publicly felt. The head of Children’s Services at Rotherham, Joyce Thacker, made it quite clear that she was acting on her own principles as well as the advice of colleagues, in making all of the following judgements: UKIP is a racist party because it is opposed to multiculturalism and urges a strict policy on immigration; councils looking for foster parents for the children that are dumped on them (especially when dumped by foreigners) should look for an appropriate ‘cultural match’, which means choosing foster parents who do not belong to the majority culture; a party like UKIP, which emphasizes national independence as its central idea, is some kind of threat to the new order of things, in which all people are to be treated equally, without preference for the inherited national life-style.

Those judgements are not the arbitrary prejudices of a particular bigot. They are the norms inculcated over decades by academic sociology, by the training in social work, by the quangocracy that has been fed from our social problems, and by the Labour Party and its ideologists. Their meaning is not to be found in such positive actions as seem to flow from them — for as we know, little flows from them of a positive kind at all, as the Rotherham case amply illustrates. Here were abandoned children being offered not just a home but a way into the surrounding society, a way of being normal and protected members of a successful historical community, the very community that granted protection in our formative years to you and me. It is precisely that positive result that horrified the social workers, and caused them to fall back on their fundamental axioms, which are not positive but negative.

This is how we should understand the leftist orthodoxies that dominate social thinking and social policy: they stem from what Engels praised as ‘the labour of the negative’ — the moment in the dialectical process in which all that is cherished is destroyed. We should understand the term ‘labour’ as it occurs in New Labour, in the terms expressed by Engels. We have seen a systematic turning against all that can be identified as ‘ours’ — our country, our values, our history, our community, our sense of identity, our system of laws, sovereignty and government. How we explain this is a matter for deep psychology — though I cannot think that Nietzsche and Scheler are too wide of the mark in identifying resentment as a major factor. However we explain the matter, the labour of the negative has been the principal occupation of sociology and social work in our time. They have devoted themselves to the destruction of an inherited community and of the loyalties that enable that community to reproduce itself. The fact that nothing will come in the place of that community besides anarchy and fragmentation is of no concern to those who have built their lives on the ethic of negation. The tragedy is that it has been left to UKIP to articulate the needed ‘Conservatism of the Positive’ with which to rectify the balance.

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: Taxi Driver Liaqat Ali Jailed for Raping Teenage Passenger

A TAXI driver was yesterday jailed for seven years for raping a teenage passenger after driving her to a secluded spot as she dozed off drunk in his car.

Liaqat Ali was told by a judge at Teesside Crown Court that he will also be banned from being a cabbie under a lifetime Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

Married Ali, of Abingdon Road, Middlesbrough, denied the attack during a trial last month and claimed the 16-year-old had forced herself upon him.

A jury of six men and six women rejected his account and believed the girl who said Ali had made her perform oral sex on him in the front of his cab.

— Hat tip: Kitman

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UKIP Row: Multiple Reasons Children Taken From Rotherham Foster Parents

Children’s Roma parents deny allegations of abuse in background to case that has raised community tensions

Fresh details have emerged about the removal of three eastern European children from their foster parents that cast doubt on claims the decision was politically motivated and taken purely because the couple were members of Ukip. The removal of the children from the Ukip-supporting foster couple in Rotherham caused outrage across the political divide, prompting questions in parliament and providing Ukip with a boost before Thursday’s byelections. The Rotherham foster parents say the only reason they have been given for the abrupt removal of the children two weeks ago was their membership of Ukip. But sources close to the case have told the Guardian there were multiple legal and social reasons why the council wanted to ensure the children be placed with foster parents who spoke their own eastern European language…

— Hat tip: JP

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Serbian Village Council Issues Vampire Alert

A municipal council in rural Serbia has reportedly issued a public health warning claiming that a vampire is on the loose.

Sales of garlic are booming in western Serbia after the council advised all villagers to place garlic on their doors and windows to ward off the legendary vampire, Sava Savanovic.

Savanovic is believed to have been reawakened after an old mill in which he was said to have lived collapsed recently, the Romanian Times reports. Villagers are now terrified that the vampire, one of the country’s most feared and most famous, is roaming the countryside looking for fresh blood…

— Hat tip: JP

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Algerian Ruling Party FLN Wins Local Elections

ALGIERS, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) — Algerian ruling party National Liberation Front (FLN) won the local elections, Algerian Interior Minister Daho Ould Kablia said Friday upon the end of the elections. Algerians on Thursday went to elect their local representatives at 1,541 People’s Communal Assemblies (APC) and 48 Provincial Assemblies (APW) across the country as part of the local elections in which 52 political parties and hundreds of independent candidates are contesting. There are 1,541 municipalities and 48 provinces in Algeria…

— Hat tip: JP

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Andrew Bostom: Sharia is Morsi’s Totalitarian Mandate

Al-Ahram headline: Huge pro-Morsi rally challenges opponents to ballot-box test

Theodore Roosevelt penned these remarkably prescient words in a 1911 letter to his longtime correspondent and friend, Sir George Otto Trevelyan, reflecting upon Roosevelt’s post-presidency visit to Cairo, Egypt, the previous year.

The real strength of the Nationalist movement in Egypt…lay not with these Levantines of the café but with the mass of practically unchanged bigoted Moslems to whom the movement meant driving out the foreigner, plundering and slaying the local Christian, and a return to all the violence and corruption which festered under the old-style Moslem rule, whether Asiatic or African.

Roosevelt’s concerns about the recrudescence of “old-style Moslem rule,” that is, a totalitarian Sharia (Islamic law) not reshaped or constrained by Western law, may now be fully realized a century later.

Less than two years after the forced abdication of Egyptian President Mubarak, we appear to be witnessing the ultimate triumph of the electoral ascendancy of vox populi, mainstream Egyptian Islamic parties, most prominently, the Muslim Brotherhood. Muhammad Morsi, the Brotherhood’s freely-elected Presidential candidate, has successfully outmaneuvered a minority coalition of secular-leaning Muslims, and Christians, to orchestrate the passage of a more robustly Sharia-complaint Egyptian constitution.

Given President Obama’s repeated admonitions (as reported here, and here) that Mubarak relinquish power, immediately, during early, February, 2011, this prior, Tuesday, May 19, 2009, confidential assessment of Mubarak by then US Ambassador to Egypt Margaret Scobey, raises profound questions about US actions which facilitated his removal, and the subsequent triumph of Egypt’s Sharia supremacists…

— Hat tip: Andy Bostom

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Egypt: Mohammed Morsi Criticised by UN

Outrage at Egypt’s mounting constitutional crisis spread abroad, with the United Nations human rights chief and international bodies joining the opposition in criticising its restrictions on basic freedoms.

Tens of thousands of people gathered in Tahrir Square for the third time in a week to protest President Mohammed Morsi’s new constitutional declarations. At the front were a new coalition of opposition leaders, including Mohammed ElBaradei, the former UN atomic energy agency head, who has now become the liberal and secular movement’s unofficial spokesman…

— Hat tip: JP

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Tunisian President Calls for Gov’t Reshuffle After Clashes

TUNIS, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) — Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki said late Friday that Tunisia needs a government reshuffle through the appointment of competent technocrat ministers in key areas. Marzouki made the remarks Friday night on the state TV when commenting on the recent clashes between police and protesters in Siliana town, some 120 km from Tunisian capital Tunis…

— Hat tip: JP

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Abbas and the Death of the Two-State Solution

by Douglas Murray

If anybody still wonders why there has not been a two-state solution long ago to the most famous — albeit least bloody — Middle East conflict, tonight’s UN speech by Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas is a good learning-curve. Abbas says that his act of unilateralism is the ‘last chance to save the two state solution.’ But of course what he means is that he thinks it is the last chance to save Mahmoud Abbas…

— Hat tip: JP

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Deciphering Muslim Taqiyyah

Dr. Harold Reisman, holds a PhD from Columbia. In his retirement he has become an auto didact on Qur’anic doctrine. He also numbers in his wide circle of acquaintances , Dr. David Bukay a noted Israeli academic and expert in the subject . David Bukay (Ph.D.) teaches in the School of Political Sciences, at the University of Haifa. His research/academic courses fields are: Arab-Islamic Political Culture; World Jihad and al-Qaeda; Contemporary Political Islam; International Terrorism and Islamic fanaticism; Inter-Arab relations and the Palestinian issue; and the Arab-Israeli Conflict. Among his publications are: Total Terrorism in the name of Allah, Ariel Center for Policy Research, 2002; Arab-Islamic Political Culture, Ariel Center for Policy Research, 2003; Muhammad’s Monsters, Balfour Press, 2004; Arafat: the Politics of Paranoia, Edwin Mellen Press, 2005; From Muhammad to Bin Laden, Transaction Publishers, 2007; Crossovers (With Shlomo Sharan), Transaction Publishers, 2010. In Preparation: Islamic Myths and Palestinian Myths. Dr. Bukay has a principle: never engage in Jewish Muslim dialog as he noted to Dr. Reisman and others, including Rabbi Jonathan Hausman, one of the few American rabbis trained in Arabic and knowledgeable about Qur’anic doctrine: . . . never ever participate in so-called “Abrahamic interfaith dialogues,” as the Muslims will always win over, just by claiming great words, like: “we, the representative of the three monotheist religions have a great mission: to stop violence in the world…” “let’s act together to show the world it is possible to live in a peaceful world…”. Moreover, immediately they will begin with a long list as to exhibit how Islam has contributed to the world all the best and great inventions from science to politics; that Islam is indeed so liberal and open minded; that Islam means peace, and has always brought only peace and harmony…

— Hat tip: Jerry Gordon

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Israel Hits Back After Palestinian UN Vote With 3,000 New Settler Homes

Israel on Friday retaliated against the United Nations’ de facto recognition of Palestinian by approving the construction of 3,000 new settler homes, dealing a heavy blow to the prospects of resumed peace talks.

The units will be built in the West Bank and east Jerusalem on land Palestinians hope will form part of a future state. Israel is also accelerating the processing of 1,000 extra planning permissions. The move appeared to be a punishment to Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president, for applying to become a “non-member observer state”, which was resoundingly accepted by the UN general assembly on Thursday night. Hanan Ashrawi, a senior Palestine Liberation Organisation official, denounced the decision as “an act of Israeli aggression against a state”…

— Hat tip: JP

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Muslim Swedes Told to Join Syrian War Effort

Swedish security service Säpo has expressed concerns that Swedes fighting in Syria may commit war crimes after a militant group’s recent YouTube recruitment video called on Swedes to join the war effort in Syria.

Säpo told the TT news agency that a few Swedes are already fighting in the Syrian civil war.

The new video clip was posted on YouTube on November 21st by a group calling itself the Swedish holy warriors in Syria (Svenska Mujahideen Fi Ash Sham). The group also emailed a link to the video to TT.

“Jihad is obligatory for any and all who believe in Allah, his prophet and doomsday. It is obligatory in Sweden and in the rest of the world,” a man speaking in fluent but slightly accented Swedish says in the clip.

“It is heart-wrenching when Muslims turn their back on their sisters and brothers,” one of the masked men adds.

“The aim is to raise awareness and recruit people to the conflict in Syria,” terror expert Linus Gustafsson of the Swedish National Defence College (Försvarshögskolan) told TT.

The video shows several persons holding automatic weapons assembling outdoors. The landscape appears to be Mediterranean.

However, experts at Säpo explained they were unable to confirm that the video is recorded in Syria.

It also remains unclear why the group has chosen to use an older Arabic name for Syria — Sham.

Nor is there information on whether the men in the video have any ties to larger militant networks or have acted alone in producing the amateur clip.

Other experts also questioned the extent of the Swedish connections of those behind the video.

“You see one person who speaks Swedish, so it’s hard to say anything about how many who are behind the film have ties to Sweden,” terror expert Lars Nicander from the Swedish National Defence College told Expressen.

The new recruitment video is not the first time Swedes have been called to arms by groups claiming it is a religious obligation.

“(Somali Islamists) al-Shabaab did something similar two years ago and filmed it in the sports arena in Mogadishu,” terror expert Lars Nicander at the Defence College (Försvarshögskolan) told Expressen.

— Hat tip: Nick

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New Documentary Portrays Islam as Path to Women’s Empowerment

NEW YORK — A growing number of women in Islamic countries have turned in recent years to serious study of their religion: memorizing the Quran, learning to recite it properly, and studying hadith and other aspects of Islam. An American-made documentary, The Light in Her Eyes, shows how this religious movement can also foster greater freedom for women in traditional societies.

The focus of the film, Syrian preacher Houda al-Habash, established her summer Quran school for girls in 1982, when she was just 17. Until the spring of 2012, she held classes on the women’s side of a Damascus mosque, where girls memorized the Quran, practiced reciting it, and studied other Islamic teachings. She also supervised religious study classes for girls and women in other parts of the city. American filmmaker Julia Meltzer, who was teaching journalism at the University of Damascus in 2005, happened to meet al-Habash through a colleague who was studying with her…

[JP note: Doubleplusgood.]

— Hat tip: JP

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Six Injured in Explosion at Arms Depot in Yemeni Capital: Police

SANAA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) — A weapon depot of an arms dealer in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa exploded on Friday evening, injuring at least six people, a police official said.

At least six were injured by the explosion and have been taken to hospital, the official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. The explosion took place in a crowded neighborhood in southwestern the capital. Firefighters have rushed to the scene as huge fire broke out in the area where several houses were damaged. The owner of the arms depot is a well-known businessman from the northern province of Saada, and his bodyguards prevented security personnel from entering the area for investigation, according to policemen on the scene.

— Hat tip: JP

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Turkey: Not Enough Recycling Plants for E-Waste

(ANSAmed) — ISTANBUL, NOVEMBER 27 — Turkey produces 539,000 tons of electronic waste every year and the country needs more facilities to process these materials, particularly refrigerators, a sector professional said at a recent panel as Hurriyet daily reports.

Television sets, computer monitors and cellular phones make up the majority of the 539,000 tons of total electronic waste in the country, said Exitcom General Manager Murat Ilgar, at the Electronic Waste Management panel.

“The cities that produce the most waste are Istanbul, Kocaeli and Ankara. On average seven kilograms and 21 grams of electronic waste are generated per person in Turkey. This waste is processed at 21 facilities based in Turkey,” he said. There are no recycling facilities for waste refrigerators in the country, he said, adding that new recycling plants should be established for electronic waste. Exitcom provides services in the field of waste electric and electronic equipment recovery and provides its services in Hanover and the northwestern province of Kocaeli in Turkey. Disposal of data on recycled computer hard disks is important for data security, Ilgar also said.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Afghan Taliban Commander Killed

TRINKOT, Afghanistan, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) — Afghan security forces raided a Taliban hideout in southern province of Uruzgan on Saturday, killing a key commander Mullah Nasir and arresting another commander Mullah Ghazi, police said. “Afghan forces backed by the NATO-led coalition stormed a Taliban hideout in Charchino district at around 1:00 a.m. local time today, killing Taliban commander Mullah Nasir on the spot and arrested another commander Mullah Ghazi,” provincial police spokesman Ayel Farid told Xinhua. During the operation, two more Taliban militants were killed and two others arrested, he added.

— Hat tip: JP

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Bangkok Exceeds Delhi, Thailand Becomes the World’s Leading Rice Exporter

The government accelerates the release of the product on the market to make way for the next harvest. In 2013, Thailand should export 8.5 million tonnes, India instead will fall below 7 million. The Shinawatra government has promoted policies that support farmers, the electoral base that has enabled it to win in politics last year.

Bangkok (AsiaNews/Agencies) — Bangkok is set to overtake Delhi as the world’s largest exporter of rice, meanwhile, the Thai government has given a boost to the sale of inventory in crammed state warehouses. This is what experts say from the International Rice Research Institute, according to whom the shipments departing from India are likely to fall below 7 million tonnes next year. In contrast, Thailand in 2013 plans to place on foreign markets at least 8.5 million tonnes of the precious grain.

The increasing introduction of rice from Thailand onto the markets could augment competition among Asian countries, the world’s largest producers; at the same time, it will scale down prices, which have seen a 1.2 % increase this year. Meanwhile, global inventories for the 2012-2013 fiscal period are destined to reach “the highest point” in the last ten years.

Concepcion Calpe, an economist at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), explained to the Bloomberg agency that “Thailand has no choice but to get rid of its stock.” This situation, the expert predicts, will “most likely” lead to a “drop in prices” and the “increasing competitiveness” of other nations previously considered of secondary importance in production, such as Brazil, Russia, Australia and Egypt.

In addition, by the end of 2013 the stocks of Thai rice should reach 12.1 million tonnes, compared with 9.8 million last year. The country will also be forced to sell part of the product purchased from farmers, to make room for the new harvest.

The massive production of the grain is also the result of the policies promoted by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who favored the strengthening of farmers’ income. Thai analysts and policy experts point out that the vote of the peasants was key to the victory of the Pheu Thai Party policies last year, and now the Prime Minister wants to reciprocate the support of its constituency.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

[Return to headlines]

Chinese Arrested for Denouncing Extravagant Leader

(AGI) Beijing, Nov. 29 — A man from Shenzhen reported a local leader for being the owner of over 80 houses and 20 luxury cars. The man was arrested just before meeting with the press.

The South China Morning Post reports that Zhou Zujie, 41, was detained on Tuesday just before a meeting with journalists, where he intended to reveal details of his public letter of accusations, signed by himself and by other inhabitants of Shenzhen.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

[Return to headlines]

Nine Sentenced in Chinese Kidney-for-iPad Scheme

If anyone approaches you with an offer to fund your iOS addiction in exchange for your internal organs, that person might be a criminal.

So says the shocking verdict from the Chenzhou Intermediate People’s Court in Hunan province, China, which on Thursday found nine people guilty of illegally purchasing a kidney from a 17-year-old, who promptly used the money to buy a new iPhone and iPad.

The teenaged victim, patronymic Wang, reportedly received 22,000 yuan ($3,532, £2,205) for the organ, while the defendants pocketed a total of 198,000 yuan ($31,790, £19,867) in payment for the illegal transplant.

The deal went south, however, when young Wang’s mother found her son in poor health and became suspicious. Legal charges soon followed.

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

North Korean Historical Institute ‘Declares it Has Discovered Unicorn Lair Belonging to Founder of Ancient Kingdom’

In yet another outlandish claim to come out of North Korea historians have allegedly announced that they have unearthed a unicorn lair.

A report released by the History Institute of the DPRK Academy of Social Sciences claims that archaeologists discovered the lair of the mythical animal just outside a temple in the capital Pyongyang.

And, unsurprisingly, the lair — according to the report — means that Pyongyang was the focal point of an ancient, united Korea.

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

British Family Facing Deportation From New Zealand Because the Father Has a Brain Tumour

A British family are facing deportation from New Zealand because the father has a brain tumour, it has emerged.

Paul and Sarah Crystal have lived in New Zealand for seven years with their three children, setting up and running two successful businesses.

But their application for residence was rejected because Mr Crystal’s tumour means he can no longer work.

According to the New Zealand Herald, Bruce Burrows, from Immigration New Zealand, said the family’s application for residence was rejected because Mr Crystal was ‘likely to impose significant cost or demands on New Zealand’s health services’.

Because the family — who have been left financially ruined because of Mr Crystal’s illness — do not have a permanent residence they also been refused welfare assistance.

They also can’t afford air tickets back to Britain and, even if they could, they would face a six-month period without benefits because they have been away from the country for more than two years.

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

House Passes, Obama Disses 55,000 Visas for Educated Immigrants

Analysis The US House of Representatives has passed a bill to provide 55,000 visas per year to non-citizens who graduate from US universities with advanced degrees in STEM subjects — science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

The legislation, however, is opposed by President Obama and has a snowball’s chance in hell of being approved by the Democratic-controlled US Senate. As might have been expected, Obama’s opposition to the bill has earned him brickbats from right-leaning media.

[…]

The administration has also issued a statement saying that “President Obama supports Congressional action to create a ‘startup visa’ designed specifically for immigrant entrepreneurs, as part of his vision for a 21st century immigration system.”

It’s that last comment about “part of his vision” that’s key to understanding Obama’s objection to H.R. 6429. Much as Republican leaders are chary of passing Obama’s proposed extension of the Bush tax credits for Americans making under $250,000 per year because doing so would weaken their leverage in more-comprehensive budget negotiations, Obama wants to bundle all immigration and visa matters into a comprehensive “21st century immigration system” rather than slice and dice it into bipartisan goals such as visas for highly educated immigrants and more-contentious matters such as the immigration status of what the left calls undocumented workers and what the right dubs illegal aliens.

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

UK: Leveson on Media Misrepresentation of Muslims and Migrants

The Leveson report into press standards includes a section on “Ethnic minorities, immigrants and asylum seekers”, which draws on evidence presented by ENGAGE, former Daily Star journalist Richard Peppiatt, Peter Oborne of the Daily Telegraph and others about the atrocious treatment of Muslims by the tabloid press. Leveson writes that “the identification of Muslims, migrants, asylum seekers and gypsies/travellers as the targets of press hostility and/or xenophobia in the press, was supported by the evidence seen by the Inquiry”…

— Hat tip: JP

[Return to headlines]

Doomsday for the Greedy Freeloaders of the Left

by Damian Thompson

I’ve been reading an achingly fashionable Marxist philosopher called Slavoj Zizek who espouses nihilistic violence in order to demolish global capitalism. I checked him out after our blogger Alan Johnson denounced his “savage madness”- and Alan’s right: Zizek’s vision of a brutal new Communism is morally repugnant. Also, not to be rude, but the Slovenian guru is constructed of the same grey jelly as the American filmmaker Michael Moore — remember him? — whose cast-off T-shirts he sports in front of the camera.

But where Moore is just plain nuts, Zizek is brilliant as well. If you ignore the fantasies of “divine terror” that suggest he plays World of Warcraft while inhaling KFC bargain buckets, you’ll find an analysis of capitalism that hones in on a juicy target: the parasitical multicultural Left. And, boy, has Zizek got them skewered…

— Hat tip: JP

[Return to headlines]

NASA’s Messenger Finds Water Ice and Organic Molecules on Mercury

Nasa announced on Thursday that three scientific lines of enquiry have led them to conclude that water ice and organic molecules are present on Mercury, the closest planet to the sun, and the smallest planet in the solar system.

As I cautioned just last week when writing about Nasa’s supposedly “historic” find with the Curiosity rover, “organic” should not be confused with “biological”. Organic chemicals are those made from carbon bonded to hydrogen. They are essential for life, but not necessarily evidence of life because such molecules can be built from simple chemical reactions.

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

	Financial Crisis
»	France’s Elites Are in Denial
»	San Bernardino: Official Tells Residents, ‘Lock Doors, Load Guns’
»	Spain: Number of Unemployed Foreigners Tripled
»	UK: 24,000 ‘Died Because of Cold Homes’ Last Winter: Fears Grow That Figure Could be Higher This Year Because of Spiralling Bills
»	UK: Banks Are Accused of Hiding £60bn Black Hole From Investors
	USA
»	Bernards Board Reviews Proposed Liberty Corner Mosque
»	Book Review: ‘50 Things Liberals Love to Hate’
»	Book Review: Psychiatrist: Leftists Are Mentally Ill
»	Censorship of Web Sites Increasing
»	Former New York City ACORN Office Working to Unionize Fast Food Workers
»	Grand Canyon ‘64 Million Years Older Than Previously Thought’
»	Legislators Must Oppose a Carbon Tax
»	Minnesota Developing GPS-Based Vehicle Tracking System Intended to Introduce a Vehicle Tax
»	Ohio-Based TriHealth Company Fires 150 Employees for Refusing Deadly Flu Shots
»	Sex Offenders Free to Father Children From Behind Bars
»	Status of Lesser Prairie Chicken Species May Hinder Wind Energy Industry
»	TSA Claims Congress Has No Jurisdiction Over it; Refuses to Attend Hearings
»	Why the GOP Won’t Challenge Vote Fraud
	Europe and the EU
»	‘Blind Man’ Caught Playing Cards, Risks Jail Time in Italy
»	French Socialist in Mittal Row: We’re Just Doing What Obama Does
»	French Women Are Different
»	In Italy 69.1% in Favour of Medically Assisted Procreation
»	Italy: Rai Journalist Sacked for Anti-Neapolitan ‘Racism’
»	Italy: Centre-Left PD Stretches Lead in New Poll
»	Poland Court Bans Kosher, Halal Slaughtering
»	Revamped Forza Italia Would Poll 9.3%, Says Opinion Poll
»	The Norwegian Labor Party’s Holocaust Fan
»	UK: Attacks on Bristol Teachers Increase by More Than 40%
»	UK: Anti-EU Party Beats Ruling Conservatives in UK Polls
»	UK: Crewe SAS Soldier Danny Nightingale Speaks of Relief After Being Freed
»	UK: Danny Nightingale ‘Justice Fight Goes on’
»	UK: Father Died ‘In Road Rage Attack After Being Punched and Kicked by Gang in Front of Son’
»	UK: Fake Police Warning After Bogus Officers Turned Up at Rural Home and Tried to Arrest Homeowner
»	UK: Leveson’s Board of the Great and the Good Would be Bad for Local Press, Too
»	UK: Man Charged With Terror Offences
»	UK: Shropshire Paedophile Jailed for Seven Years
»	UK: So Fantastic to be Free for Christmas! SAS Sniper Hero Describes ‘Awesome’ Reunion With Wife and Daughters
»	UK: War Hero Freed: SAS Sniper Jailed for Possessing ‘Trophy’ Gun Has Sentence Suspended After Winning Appeal
»	UKIP is Now the ‘Second Party of the North’: Farage Declare Victory as Panicked Tories Hire New Guru Who Warns Northern Voters Feel ‘Ignored’
	North Africa
»	Diana West: Susan Rice, Distraction: The Real Benghazi Questions
	Israel and the Palestinians
»	Caroline Glick: A Few Notable Anniversaries on the Palestinians’ Big Day
»	The UN General Assembly Voted for the “New Nazi State”
	Middle East
»	Shock Video: Syrian Rebel Massacres 10 Unarmed Prisoners
»	Turkey: Pianist Fazil Say Under Investigation Again
	South Asia
»	Afghanistan Wants Pakistan to Release More Taliban Detainees to Jumpstart the Peace Process
»	At Least 12 People Killed by Bombs in Afghanistan
»	Osama Bin Laden Doctor Goes on Hunger Strike in Pakistan
	Sub-Saharan Africa
»	In Ethiopia, Trial of Muslim Leaders Reveals Simmering Unrest
»	Nigeria: Obasanjo’s Mosque — The Mysteries, Mission and His Men
»	Rwandan Ghosts: Benghazi Isn’t the Biggest Blight on Susan Rice’s Record.
	Immigration
»	Obama’s Administrative Amnesty Not Applicable to White, Legal, English Girl. And While We’re on the Subject, Aren’t British Immigrants Preferable to Mexican Immigrants Anyway?
»	Suppose You Were an Idiot
	Culture Wars
»	Feminist Scholar’s Book on Hijab’s Rise Earns Grawemeyer Religion Award
»	Scotland: Pro-Abortion Students Attempt to Shut Down Pro-Life Meeting in Edinburgh
»	UK: Flower Society Ordered to Pay £7,000 Damages to Male Heterosexual Employee, 22, After He Was Sacked for Complaining About Treasurer ‘Who Groped Him and Insisted That He Must be Gay’

France’s Elites Are in Denial

Die Welt Berlin

Accused of sticking its head in the sand over the crisis, France has been downgraded by Moody’s and become the biggest problem child in Europe. To the political elite in Paris, though, all that doesn’t matter, writes an author from Berlin in the conservative Welt.

Marko Martin

It is rather bizarre: experts on the economy and scientists researching human mentality have been shaking their heads over the countries of southern Europe hit by the crisis for years now, just to share with us their bad news — and each snippet is more troubling than the last. And all the while, the talk doesn’t stop about “core Europe”, kept running by the “Franco-German motor”, which must not be allowed to “splutter”.

Meanwhile, in view of France’s steadily declining competitiveness and its horrendous national debt (currently at ninety percent of its GDP), a question comes up: are we dealing here with a naive blindness all round — or with the perhaps final Pyrrhic victory in the French art of throwing smoke?

Why did no one look any closer? One explanation, implicit and given unintentionally, was a statement two weeks ago by the former EADS CEO Louis Gallois, who gave a damming verdict on the French economy and demanded radical reforms. A “confidence shock” is needed, said the man who had made a career for himself out of lucrative government contracts. The tremolo to his voice, afflicted by crisis, was once again half-Bolshevik and half gold-plated, perfectly matching the working range of the declared enemy of globalisation, Arnaud Montebourg, who marches under the banner “Minister for the Restoration of Production.”…

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

[Return to headlines]

San Bernardino: Official Tells Residents, ‘Lock Doors, Load Guns’

The city attorney of San Bernardino is under scrutiny for telling residents to “lock their doors and load their guns” during a city council meeting.

The official explained that because the city is bankrupt and slashing public safety budgets people will need to start protecting themselves.

City Attorney Jim Penman said he doesn’t regret what he said.

“You should say what you mean and mean what you say,” Penman said.

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

Spain: Number of Unemployed Foreigners Tripled

Over 1.1 million, 20% of total

(ANSAmed) — Madrid, November 29 — The number of unemployed foreigners has tripled in Spain during the economic crisis, from 380,000 in the third trimester of 2007 to the current 1.1 million, totalling 20% of the country’s unemployed workforce, according to a report issued Thursday by the association of employment agencies Agettes.

The current situation however, according to the report, his not the worst since the beginning of the crisis. In the first trimester of 2009 foreign unemployed workers were over one million.

Most foreign unemployed workers are male, aged between 25 and 44, with a lower education; 57.6% are illiterate. Only 15% of foreigners with a university education are unemployed.

— Hat tip: Insubria

[Return to headlines]

UK: 24,000 ‘Died Because of Cold Homes’ Last Winter: Fears Grow That Figure Could be Higher This Year Because of Spiralling Bills

Spiralling energy bills contributed to 24,000 deaths last winter, as many elderly people cut back on their heating.

The shocking toll will increase fears that the number will be even higher this year because of further increases in energy bills and warnings of a particularly cold winter.

The figures for ‘excess winter deaths’, published yesterday by the Office for National Statistics, reveal the majority of victims were over 75.

— Hat tip: Kitman

[Return to headlines]

UK: Banks Are Accused of Hiding £60bn Black Hole From Investors

British banks are not as strong as they claim and could need to raise as much as £60billion of emergency funds to protect against future losses, the Bank of England warned yesterday.

Its governor, Sir Mervyn King, said the black hole at the heart of the banking system was ‘holding back our recovery’ and must be tackled ‘head on’.

— Hat tip: Kitman

[Return to headlines]

Bernards Board Reviews Proposed Liberty Corner Mosque

Discussion before Planning Board also leads back to whether parking is adequate for planned mosque in Liberty Corner.

The architect for a proposed 4,250-square-foot mosque in Liberty Corner village described the exterior of the gray building as fitting in with other structures in the neighborhood — but when it came to the interior, the discussion before the Planning Board on Wednesday once again led to maximum capacity and adequate parking. “I don’t want anyone to think this building is out of scale,” local architect Dan Lincoln said in describing the proposed mosque that the Islamic Society of Basking Ridge plans to build in place of a 1950s modified ranch at 124 Church St…

— Hat tip: JP

[Return to headlines]

Book Review: ‘50 Things Liberals Love to Hate’

Taken page by page, this book is a fun read. Taken as a whole, it remains entertaining but acquires a deeper meaning. One must add up all “50 Things Liberals Love to Hate” to appreciate fully the huge canyons that have divided us into two nations in terms of worldview.

It is now common-sense Americans (of whatever ethnic, racial or religious background) versus a segment of the population that has bought into a strain of thought that constitutes an intellectual “foreign object” in our midst.

The latter is a disruption to — and arguably, an attempted destruction of — the free exceptional nation we have come to know and love and for which our Founding Fathers sacrificed that we may enjoy prosperity and happiness as rewards for hard work and initiative.

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

Book Review: Psychiatrist: Leftists Are Mentally Ill

With Nancy Pelosi repeatedly telling audiences about hearing voices of deceased women, and Barack Obama regarded by many as dangerously narcissistic, here comes a veteran psychiatrist making the case that the mental-emotional world of leftists is actually tantamount to a mental disorder.

For more than 40 years, Rossiter has diagnosed and treated over 1,500 patients as a board-certified clinical psychiatrist and examined more than 2,700 civil and criminal cases, both state and federal, as a forensic psychiatrist retained by numerous public offices, courts and private attorneys. He received his medical and psychiatric training at the University of Chicago.

Rossiter explains with great clarity why the kind of liberalism displayed by Barack Obama during his presidency can only be understood as a psychological disorder.

“Based on strikingly irrational beliefs and emotions, modern liberals relentlessly undermine the most important principles on which our freedoms were founded,” says Rossiter. “Like spoiled, angry children, they rebel against the normal responsibilities of adulthood and demand that a parental government meet their needs from cradle to grave.”

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

Censorship of Web Sites Increasing

Every week I get a half dozen email from individuals who can’t access my web site. Used to be one a week. Newswithviews and other web sites are now being routinely blocked by Google and AOL. No question local Internet carriers are doing the same thing as I respond to individuals who send me mail who can’t access my site. It’s up and running, but try as they might in FireFox or Explorer, all that comes up is: Access Denied or 404 Can’t Locate. If you are having trouble bringing up my site, you can go directly to NewsWithViews.com to read my columns and all the other excellent columns posted everyday.

[…]

Google routinely blocks blogs and web sites that would be considered “right wing” or conservative. No explanation, no due process. They just pull the plug. They also tag sites as containing harmful viruses when that is flat out a lie. Google is probably the worst for censoring columns by writers, including me. They simply don’t show up on Google. Maybe a week or so later, there’s the column at the bottom of the search page. I know because I’ve tracked this kind of censorship for years.

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

Former New York City ACORN Office Working to Unionize Fast Food Workers

The New York Times reports that union organizers are trying to convince fast food workers to unionize.

The effort is being led by New York Communities for Change which is the name of the reorganized and rebranded former ACORN office in Brooklyn.

“I feel I deserve $15 an hour,” said Linda Archer, 59 a McDonalds cashier. “I work very hard.” Archer currently earns $8 an hour and averages 24 hours a week.

[Return to headlines]

Grand Canyon ‘64 Million Years Older Than Previously Thought’

New dating methods have shown that the Grand Canyon could be as old as the dinosaurs.

Scientists have long argued over the age of the vast canyon, which is more than a mile deep as many as 18 miles wide and 280 miles long. Most believe it was carved out about five or six million years ago, based on the age of gravel washed downstream by the ancestral Colorado River. But new dating methods which harness the radioactive decay of uranium showed it is far, far older, according to a study published in the journal Science. “Our research implies that the Grand Canyon was directly carved to within a few hundred meters of its modern depth by about 70 million years ago,” said co-author Rebecca Flowers of the University of Colorado Boulder. Researchers believe the canyon was probably carved at different times and paces…

— Hat tip: JP

[Return to headlines]

Legislators Must Oppose a Carbon Tax

Carbon dioxide plays NO role whatever in the increase or decrease of the Earth’s overall temperature. The single determining factor was and is the SUN. The seasons reflect the Earth’s circumnavigation of the Sun, warming in the spring and getting colder in the winter.

Carbon dioxide represents 0.033 to 0.038 percent of the Earth’s atmosphere. By contrast, nitrogen represents 78.084 percent, oxygen is 20.94 percent, argon is 0.934 percent, and trace elements represent 0.002 percent.

Carbon dioxide is not a warming gas. It is a cooling gas.

There is no “consensus” among scientists that the Earth is warming or that CO2 plays a role in this alleged, utterly false claim.

There has been no warming for some sixteen years since the Earth entered a natural cooling cycle.

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

Minnesota Developing GPS-Based Vehicle Tracking System Intended to Introduce a Vehicle Tax

After a long wait, on Nov 28 2012, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) released ~2.97 gigabytes of data from inside the development of a GPS-based vehicle tracking system intended to introduce a vehicle tax — which would entail a great deal of data constantly collected by the government on the whereabouts and everyday patterns of the taxed vehicles. The source URL posted yesterday is:

[…]

There are a few important angles: comprehensive vehicle tracking data would be great for law enforcement, lawyers and big corporations to investigate everything in one’s life, including ‘retroactive surveillance’ of previous activities. However, the “fees” that would be imposed on rural Minnesotans who have to drive around a lot would be quite burdensome.

From a quick look at the PDFs we find internal discussion points about such impending scams as ‘carbon credit’ trading (a greenwashing Goldman Sachs sponsored futures bubble, as Matt Taibbi reported). Additionally Raytheon and SAIC have both been involved in this “Intellidrive” national-scale super-project. Also, just because the user data is processed behind Battelle’s firewall in no way signifies any level of security of personal information.

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

Ohio-Based TriHealth Company Fires 150 Employees for Refusing Deadly Flu Shots

(NaturalNews) Health freedom is under attack in Ohio, where a major Cincinnati-based healthcare conglomerate is forcing all of its 10,800 employees to take a “free” flu shot or else face termination. According to WLWT News 5 in Cincinnati, the 150 objectors who have thus far refused the shot have until December 3 to either comply with the company’s demands, provide a valid reason why they cannot take the vaccine, or else get fired.

The non-profit group TriHealth reportedly sent out letters to all of its employees several months ago notifying them that vaccination for the flu was mandatory this year, and that all healthcare workers would have to get jabbed by November 16 in order to be in compliance with company policy. And on November 27, WLWT reported that 150 TriHealth employees had refused the shot, and that they were being immediately terminated from their positions.

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

Sex Offenders Free to Father Children From Behind Bars

Imprisoned sex offenders are free to have conjugal visits in a handful of states, including New York and New Mexico, where one convicted killer and rapist has married twice and fathered four children from behind bars.

Exasperated lawmakers told FoxNews.com that letting sex offenders, including violent rapists and child predators, have intimate contact with visitors while serving their sentences sends the wrong message. But they said they doubt anything can be done about it.

“I think it’s ridiculous that this is done on public property, why should there be a reward system like this,” New York State Sen. Martin Golden, a former police officer, said. Golden said he any attempt to repeal this program would likely pass the New York Senate but fail in the assembly.

“The assembly would never vote on something they feel would hurt an inmate,” he said.

— Hat tip: Kitman

[Return to headlines]

Status of Lesser Prairie Chicken Species May Hinder Wind Energy Industry

OKLAHOMA CITY — A species of chicken in Oklahoma may officially be listed as “threatened” by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“Threatened” is one level below “endangered,” and it could hinder the future of wind energy development.

Wind turbines are often built in the same areas of land where prairie chickens live and reproduce.

The chickens naturally avoid tall structures, further shrinking their available mating grounds.

It will be another year before a decision is made, but a “threatened” listing might increase federal regulations and hurt the wind farm industry.

— Hat tip: Lurker from Tulsa

[Return to headlines]

TSA Claims Congress Has No Jurisdiction Over it; Refuses to Attend Hearings

(NaturalNews) When officials who head up a federal agency created and funded by Congress no longer feel obligated to appear before the congressional committee charged with overseeing the function of that agency, a situation of genuine tyranny exists.

Enter John Pistole, the Obama Administration’s head of the notorious Transportation Security Agency. He is not only refusing to appear before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, but he’s even gone so far as to declare that said congressional committee possesses “no jurisdiction over the TSA.”

That’s more than just arrogance; that’s a dangerous precedent to set.

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

Why the GOP Won’t Challenge Vote Fraud

The Republican Party made an agreement 30 years ago with the Democrat Party NOT to ensure voting integrity and NOT to pursue suspected vote fraud.

Yes. You read it correctly.

In fact, legally the GOP cannot ensure voting integrity, nor can it prevent vote fraud.

Here’s the astounding reason, which is kept from the American people.

[…]

The RNC and DNC made their Consent Decree 30 years ago, in 1982. The agreement in effect gives a carte blanche to the Democrat Party to commit vote fraud in every voting district across America that has, in the language of the Consent Decree, “a substantial proportion of racial or ethnic populations.” The term “substantial proportion” is not defined.

The Democrat Party knew this 30 years ago, more than enough time to put a plan in place to identify and groom their “perfect candidate” — in the words of Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) in 2008, a “light-skinned” black Democrat who has “no Negro dialect unless he wanted to have one.”

Since 1982, that Consent Decree has been renewed every year by the original judge, Carter appointee District Judge Dickinson R. Debevoise, now 88 years old. Long retired, Debevoise comes back yearly for the sole purpose of renewing his 1982 order for another year.

[…]

Now, we understand the significance of the account Tom Fife wrote during the 2008 presidential campaign. Fife, a U.S. government contractor, claims that in 1992 while he was visiting Moscow, a woman with undying allegiance to Soviet Communism (the Soviet Union had recently collapsed, on December 31, 1991) told him that a black man named Barack, born of a white American woman and an African male, was being groomed by communists to be, and would be elected, President of the United States.

Now, we finally understand the cryptic remark made in May 2010, by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan: “Obama was selected before he was elected.”

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

‘Blind Man’ Caught Playing Cards, Risks Jail Time in Italy

Pensioner claiming thousands in disability benefits

(ANSA) — Modena, November 29 — A fake blind man in Italy faces jail time for falsely claiming disability benefits after he was caught playing cards on camera.

The pensioner, from the northern town of Vignola, has claimed 1,000 euros a month for his fake condition since 2005, police said.

Police also caught him walking about town without a cane or seeing-eye dog. Prosecutors seized a total of 92,000 euros from the man’s bank accounts.

He faces up to five years in jail if convicted.

— Hat tip: Insubria

[Return to headlines]

French Socialist in Mittal Row: We’re Just Doing What Obama Does

The French politician who said Indian steel company ArcelorMittal should leave the country has told CNBC that his government is only acting like U.S. President Barack Obama.

Industry Minister Arnaud Montebourg, a member of the governing Socialist party, caused controversy last week when he said that the Indian company, which employs close to 20,000 people in France, should leave after it said it would have to close down a factory.

The French government announced on Thursday that it could nationalize the factory in question, with backing from an unnamed businessman.

— Hat tip: JD

[Return to headlines]

French Women Are Different

by Alice Wright

As a new guide offers advice on Gallic etiquette to British newcomers, Alice Wright recalls her own brusque welcome to La France profonde

I didn’t expect living in France to be easy when I moved to an isolated smallholding in the Limousin from London via Baltimore, six years ago. I didn’t speak a word of French. My cultural experience of the country amounted to just one week’s skiing and a day-trip to Dieppe. I was a city girl adrift in the countryside, without so much as a pair of wellies to my name. That said, some of the difficulties I encountered took me by surprise, most of which could be summed up in just two words: French women…

— Hat tip: JP

[Return to headlines]

In Italy 69.1% in Favour of Medically Assisted Procreation

(AGI) Rome, Nov. 27 — A total of 69.1% of Italians are in favour of the possibility of medically assisted procreation (MAP). MAP includes a mixture of hormone, pharmacological and surgical techniques available to those suffering from fertility or sterility problems. According to 17.2% of respondents, those techniques should be banned, while 13.7% of respondents claimed they did not have an opinion on the subject. Despite the widespread approval of homologous fertilization, the notion of heterologous fertilization (a technique in which the artificially joined gametes belong to a donor) only met with 50.5% of respondents in favour, whereas 30.2% did not approve of this type of assisted reproductive technology.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

[Return to headlines]

Italy: Rai Journalist Sacked for Anti-Neapolitan ‘Racism’

Giampiero Amandola spoke about ‘stink’ of Naples residents

(ANSA) — Turin, November 29 — State broadcaster RAI on Thursday fired a journalist from its regional news service in Piedmont for a report judged offensive to Neapolitans before last month’s top-of-the-table Serie A match between Juventus and Napoli.

In the report that sparked a wave of complaints, Giampiero Amandola spoke about the “stink” of Neapolitans in an interview with a Juve fan.

The report also featured a clip of Juve supporters singing a chant telling Neapolitans to “wash”. Juventus are based in Turin, the capital of Piedmont.

Naples is the capital of the southern region of Campania.

RAI apologised to Naples Mayor Luigi de Magistris on October 22 for what it described as an “undignified, shameful” report, and suspended Amandola pending disciplinary proceedings.

“RAI has always been in the front line in the fight against every form of racism and the stupidity that accompanies it,” Director-General Luigi Gubitosi said.

Juventus lead Napoli by two points at the top of Serie A.

— Hat tip: Insubria

[Return to headlines]

Italy: Centre-Left PD Stretches Lead in New Poll

Grillo’s M5S and centre-right PdL both show decline

(ANSA) — Rome, November 30 — The centre-left Democratic Party (PD) showed a rise in popularity as the rival Five Star Movement (M5S) led by gadfly comedian Beppe Grillo and the centre-right People of Freedom (PdL) party of ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi lost ground, according to a new opinion poll published Friday.

The PD was polling 30%, up 3.3% over the same day last week, as party secretary Pier Luigi Bersani and Florence mayor Matteo Renzi prepared to face off in a second-round ballot on December 2 to choose the centre-left’s candidate for the premiership in national elections next spring. M5S, the second biggest party, lost 1.6% to stand at 19.5%, falling below the 20% mark for the first time in months.

Likewise the PdL, in disarray as a result of recent local government scandals and confusion over December primaries, fell by 1% to 14.3%. The centrist UDC showed a slight improvement, rising by 0.4% to stand at 4.1%, trailed closely by a list headed by Ferrari Chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo at 3.8%.

Italy of Values (IDV) headed by former anti-graft magistrate Antonio di Pietro fell by 0.3% to 2.4% in the wake of recent corruption allegations involving its leader and high-profile defections from the party. The Left Ecology Freedom (SEL) party of southern Puglia governor Nichi Vendola — considered the PD’s principal ally — stood at 6%.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Poland Court Bans Kosher, Halal Slaughtering

The top court in Poland ruled Wednesday that the kosher and halal slaughtering of animals contravenes the country’s laws, prompting criticism from religious associations, who said the move would hurt their way of life.

The ritual slaughter of animals, which is practiced by a small minority of Muslims and Jews living in Poland, will be banned after Dec. 31, reported Poland’s The News radio broadcaster.

The ruling, however, goes in opposition to the European Union’s mandate that allows ritual slaughter out of religious freedom.

Muslim and Jewish slaughtering methods are mainly used for meat exports, including for kosher products, but animal rights groups petitioned Attorney General Andrzej Seremet to look into the practice.

On Tuesday, Seremet claimed that a 2004 amendment that allowed ritual slaughter was actually unconstitutional because it goes in opposition to the country’s animal rights legislation that was passed in 1997. In Poland, animals can only be slaughtered “following the loss of consciousness,” the earlier law states, according to the broadcaster.

— Hat tip: Kitman

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Revamped Forza Italia Would Poll 9.3%, Says Opinion Poll

PdL in turmoil over scandals, primaries

(ANSA) — Rome, November 30 — A revived Forza Italia, the party founded by ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi in 1994 and replaced by the larger People of Freedom (PdL) party in 2009, would poll 9.3% in upcoming general elections according to a survey conducted by statistics institute SWG and published Friday.

“The votes for ‘Forza Italia 2.0’ would all come from the PdL, which would therefore fall to around 4%,” said SWG President Roberto Weber. The PdL is currently in turmoil over recent local-government scandals and confusion over whether to hold a primary ahead of general elections next spring.

Earlier this month there was speculation that Berlusconi was considering relaunching Forza Italia and abandoning its successor, which he co-founded with the then leader of right-wing National Alliance (AN) and current House Speaker Gianfranco Fini, although it is reported that this plan has now been dropped. Party secretary Angelino Alfano was opposed to the idea, instead pressing for a revamp of the PdL. However the party may split anyway because many former members of AN are unhappy about the direction it is taking.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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The Norwegian Labor Party’s Holocaust Fan

by Bruce Bawer

If you haven’t noticed, Norway has been undergoing a bit of bad publicity of late apropos of what has been described as its unparalleled levels of anti-Semitism. One of the country’s few highly placed truth-tellers, Hanne Nabintu Herland, a religious scholar at the University of Oslo, recently put it this way: “How could a country that was once a loyal friend of Israel be transformed into a nation with a government that refuses to distance itself from Hamas as a terrorist organization? Norway is the most anti-Semitic country in the West, because of the left-wing elite.” Alan Dershowitz said the same thing here at Front Page last year after a series of unpleasant personal experiences in the land of the fjords: “Norway is the most anti-Semitic and anti-Israel country in Europe today.”

[…]

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: Attacks on Bristol Teachers Increase by More Than 40%

The number of attacks against teachers in Bristol has risen by more than 40% in three years.

A Freedom of Information request by BBC Points West found there were 246 reports of physical or verbal violence between January 2006 and December 2008.

That rose to 351 cases in January 2009 to December 2011. More than 300 of those cases involved physical violence.

Lynn Chamberlain from Bristol City Council said it was “not complacent” and took the figures “very seriously”.

“Sometimes things do get worse before they get better,” she added.

— Hat tip: Kitman

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UK: Anti-EU Party Beats Ruling Conservatives in UK Polls

(Reuters) — A British anti-EU party has polled more votes than the ruling Conservatives in two elections for parliamentary seats, in the latest sign that Prime Minister David Cameron’s party faces a threat from the right.

The UK Independence Party, or UKIP, is enjoying a surge in popularity as some right-leaning voters become disillusioned with the ruling Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition against a backdrop of persistent economic problems. Results showed on Friday that, as expected, the main opposition Labour Party had comfortably won the three seats, Croydon North, Middlesbrough and Rotherham, that were up for grabs in by-elections on Thursday…

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: Crewe SAS Soldier Danny Nightingale Speaks of Relief After Being Freed

AN SAS sniper has been released after his 18 month sentence for illegally possessing a pistol was cut and suspended by the Court of Appeal. Sergeant Danny Nightingale, from Crewe, admitted possessing the 9mm Glock pistol and 338 rounds of ammunition at a court martial earlier this month…

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: Danny Nightingale ‘Justice Fight Goes on’

The father of an SAS soldier released from military detention after an appeal says the family is now determined to get the conviction overturned.

Sgt Danny Nightingale, from Crewe, was sentenced to 18 months after admitting possessing a 9mm Glock pistol and 338 rounds of live ammunition. At Thursday’s appeal, judges reduced it to a 12-month suspended sentence. Humphrey Nightingale said the family was now meeting their lawyers to press ahead with clearing his son’s name. The soldier was detained earlier this month after pleading guilty to the charges at a court martial. West Mercia Police had found the gun and the ammunition in the soldier’s Hereford accommodation — but his supporters said he had forgotten he had them after suffering a brain injury…

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: Father Died ‘In Road Rage Attack After Being Punched and Kicked by Gang in Front of Son’

A motorist died of his injuries after he was punched and kicked by a gang of men in front of his teenage son.

Johnny Assani, 43, died of his injuries in hospital after he was left lying bleeding and unconscious in a road in Derby.

His 16-year-old son Mukhaila Assani, was also allegedly punched by some of the men when he tried to drag the attackers off his father.

Two brothers, Mohammed Shahid and Mohammed Rafiq have already been convicted of killing Mr Assani.

A third brother, Mohammed Tariq, is now standing trial, accused of being one of a nine-strong gang that attacked Mr Assani.

Tariq was not tried with his brothers because ‘he went to ground’ after the attack, hiding in Birmingham and then Bradford, Nottingham Crown Court heard.

The 26-year-old, from Derby, who denies manslaughter, was arrested almost six months after the attack, in February.

Mr Assani was attacked at around 3pm on Sunday, August 14 last year, after an incident involving his and Shahid’s car as they were driving.

The two men started arguing and Shahid shouted towards his house, calling for back-up.

A man came out of the house, jogged over to Mr Assani and punched him, knocking him to the ground.

Mr Joyce said: ‘Both men set about repeatedly hitting Mr Assani, using fists and feet, to punch and kick him to the head and body.

‘And the only thing that Johnny Assani could do at that stage was to shield himself from the blows as he tried to get back up. He failed.’

The court heard that at that point between seven and nine more men came out of the house and joined in kicking and punching Mr Assani as he lay on the ground.

One man hung back and delivered a final kick to Mr Assani’s head and walked off smiling, said Mr Joyce.

M Joyce told a jury that as Mr Assani’s attackers left him lying unconscious on the road, one shouted out: ‘You don’t mess with the Khans.’

— Hat tip: Kitman

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UK: Fake Police Warning After Bogus Officers Turned Up at Rural Home and Tried to Arrest Homeowner

Police are warning residents to be vigilant after three bogus officers tried to arrest a homeowner at a rural property while dressed in police uniform.

Two of the would-be abductors were wearing police uniforms while a third claimed to be a plain-clothed officer when they targeted the man at a house in Faversham, Kent.

Today police would not speculate on a motive for the attempted abduction but urged residents to ask for identification if approached by people claiming to be from Kent Police.

— Hat tip: JD

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UK: Leveson’s Board of the Great and the Good Would be Bad for Local Press, Too

Peter Cuthbertson says Leveson’s proposals would be great news for corrupt, overspending, underperforming councils

Many thoughtful conservatives will be instinctively wary of Lord Leveson’s call for a new “independent Board [appointed] without any influence from industry or Government” to decide and enforce the Code for newspapers. The pressures of market forces and democratic legitimacy prevent organisations straying too far to the left. By contrast, organisations isolated from either, and governed by the Great and the Good of establishment opinion, can and do drift with prevailing elite opinion. Depending on who sits on this Board, one can imagine a range of long-standing left-liberal fantasies entering the Code over time. They could prevent exposes of celebrity misbehaviour while maintaining that exposing social conservative ‘hypocrites’ is nonetheless in the public interest…

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: Man Charged With Terror Offences

A 26-year-old man from east London has been charged with possessing terrorist material following an investigation by Met Police officers.

Afsor Ali, of Scott Street, east London, faces four counts of possessing documents or records likely to be useful to someone planning or committing an act of terrorism.

Police say he has been released on conditional bail.

— Hat tip: Kitman

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UK: Shropshire Paedophile Jailed for Seven Years

Jailed paedophile Mohammed Ali Sultan had sex with a 13-year-old girl in his car after taking her to a lay-by and slapping her, a court was told.

The 26-year-old married man had first asked the girl to perform a sex act when she was just 12 years old, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

Sultan, of Victoria Avenue in Wellington, was yesterday jailed for seven years after the court was told of a string of sex-related offences with children and youngsters.

He was told he would have to serve an extended period on licence and banned from working with children for life.

Sultan admitted having illegal sex with two teenage girls — including the 13-year-old.

He was also sentenced for taking a third teenager from Telford to have sex with workers at a fish and chip shop.

— Hat tip: Kitman

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UK: So Fantastic to be Free for Christmas! SAS Sniper Hero Describes ‘Awesome’ Reunion With Wife and Daughters

An SAS hero jailed for keeping an Iraqi pistol as a war trophy today described his ‘awesome’ reunion with his family.

Danny Nightingale, whose 18-month prison sentence was quashed by senior judges after a three-week newspaper campaign, said it felt ‘fantastic to be free’.

But wife Sally said he had been made a ‘scapegoat’ and that the family would keep fighting the conviction.

Their five-year-old daughter Mara today shyly announced that she was ‘happy’ to have her daddy home for Christmas, before becoming so overwhelmed that her eyes filled with tears.

— Hat tip: JD

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UK: War Hero Freed: SAS Sniper Jailed for Possessing ‘Trophy’ Gun Has Sentence Suspended After Winning Appeal

Sgt Danny Nightingale, who has been locked up for three months, “humbly” thanked his family and lawyers for their “trust and support”

SAS sniper Danny Nightingale was freed by Appeal Court judges today and immediately sent a message of thanks to those who campaigned against his 18-month sentence for possessing a pistol. Sergeant Nightingale broke down on the steps of the Royal Courts of Justice, before passionately hugging his wife Sally and declaring: “Thank you to the world for being so kind.” Sgt Nightingale, who has been locked up for three months, also “humbly” thanked his family and lawyers for their “trust and support”. The campaign for his release was led by Sally, who gathered more than 100,000 signatures on a petition and got support from Downing Street, MPs and celebrities. After the decision, she said: “We got justice today. I did not dream that this would be the outcome. It is great.”

[…]

— Hat tip: JP

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UKIP is Now the ‘Second Party of the North’: Farage Declare Victory as Panicked Tories Hire New Guru Who Warns Northern Voters Feel ‘Ignored’

The UK Independence Party is now the main challenger to Labour in the North of England, leader Nigel Farage declared after his party surged in three by-elections.

Mr Farage hailed UKIP’s ‘best-ever by-election result’ after coming second in votes in Rotherham and Middlesborough, humiliating the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats who saw support collapse to suffer their worst by-election result since 1945.

Former Labour minister John Healey also admitted UKIP was now his party’s rival in the North, claiming ‘the coalition parties are absolutely nowhere to be seen’.

In a sign of the growing unease in Tory ranks about his poor performance in northern England, the party has hired a new advisor who this week warned too many northern voters feel ignored by Westminster.

— Hat tip: JD

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Diana West: Susan Rice, Distraction: The Real Benghazi Questions

It is neither “racist” nor “sexist” to question U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice’s role in the Benghazi scandal. It is, however, almost entirely beside the point.

Rice wasn’t making life-and-death decisions on Sept. 11, 2012, when the U.S. compound in the Libyan city of Benghazi came under attack; President Obama was. Rice, therefore, is unable to answer the all-important question about what order President Obama issued upon hearing that U.S. diplomats in Benghazi were under fire. She can’t look America in the eye and answer whether the U.S. military was ordered not to rescue Americans fighting for their lives.

Nor is Rice likely to be the Obama administration official who first concocted the false narrative blaming a YouTube video for a (nonexistent) protest in Benghazi, which, the false narrative continues, “spontaneously” erupted into “unplanned” violence — the whopper President Obama told for two full weeks.

Another key piece of the puzzle Rice is unlikely to possess is why Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, three days after the Benghazi attack, was out there flogging that same concocted story, as when Clinton tried to console the father of slain ex-SEAL Tyrone Wood by promising him the video’s producer would be arrested and prosecuted. Further, it is unlikely Susan Rice can explain why CIA Director David Petraeus went before the House Intelligence Committee, also on Sept. 14, in a closed session and similarly lied, deceiving members into believing that an “unplanned” attack left four Americans, including an American ambassador, dead.

These are just some of the red flags over Benghazi that can never be checked if GOP Sens. John McCain of Arizona, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire continue to monopolize the issue and focus solely on Rice and those not-all-that-interesting talking points. It’s almost as if they wish to tighten the lens over Benghazi so closely that we never notice that what’s really needed is a review of the administration’s Arab Spring policies. It is these policies, which, thanks in large part to Hillary Clinton, Susan Rice and White House adviser Samantha Power, actually put Uncle Sam on the path to jihad in Libya by supporting al-Qaida and other jihad terrorists in their bid for power. Maybe that’s because the GOP largely supported these same disastrous policies, too.

Here are some of the Benghazi questions that still demand answers:…

— Hat tip: Diana West

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Caroline Glick: A Few Notable Anniversaries on the Palestinians’ Big Day

With the nations of Europe and the rest of the world lining up to support the PLO bid to receive non-member state status at the UN General Assembly, it is worth noting two anniversaries of related but forgotten events.

Of course, everyone knows the obvious anniversary — Nov. 29, 1947 was the day the UN General Assembly passed the plan to recommend the partition the British Mandate of Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state. The Jews accepted the plan. The Arabs — both local and regional — rejected it. The local Arabs who 25 years later became known as “Palestinians,” responded to the passage of UNGA resolution 181 by launching a terror war against the Jews. Their war was commanded by Iraqi and Lebanese terror masters and supported by the British military and its Arab Legion from Transjordan.

On May 15, 1948 five foreign Arab armies invaded the just-declared Jewish state with the declared aim of annihilating all the Jews.

Now for a couple less known anniversaries

On November 28, 1941 the religious and political leader of the Palestinian Arabs and one of the most influential leaders of the Arab world Haj Amin el Husseini met with Adolf Hitler in Berlin. Husseini had courted the Nazis since just after the Nazis rose to power in 1933. Husseini was forced to flee the British Mandate in 1937 when he expanded his fourth terror war against the Jews, that he began in 1936 to include the British as well.

He fled to Lebanon, and then in October 1939 he fled to Iraq. In April 1941 he fomented a pro-Nazi coup in Iraq. As the British — with massive unheralded assistance from the Jews from the land of Israel — were poised to enter Baghdad and restore the pro-British government, Husseini incited the Farhud, a 3-day pogrom against the Jews of Baghdad that took place over the festival of Shavuot. 150 Jews were murdered.. A thousand were wounded and 900 Jewish homes were destroyed.

With the coup defeated and the Jews murdered, Husseini escaped to then pro-Nazi Iran and then in October to Germany by way of Italy. (He was flown out of Iran on an Italian Air Force plane, and feted by Mussolini when he landed in Rome).

He arrived in Berlin and two and a half weeks later he had a prolonged private meeting with Hitler. There, on November 28, 1941, two months before the Wannssee Conference, where the German high command received its first orders to annihilate European Jewry, Hitler told Husseini that he intended to eradicate the Jewish people from the face of Europe…

— Hat tip: Caroline Glick

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The UN General Assembly Voted for the “New Nazi State”

The PA may use its new found UN observer status to launch legal action against Israel in the International Courts at the Hague. However, it may well jeopardize tax remittances from Israel. A bi-partisan resolution in Congress was proposed by a number of US Senators suggesting cutting US aid to the PA as a result of this change in non-state status resulting from yesterday’s UNGA vote. They could start with ceasing voluntary donations to the UNWRA system that funds fully a third of the half billion in annual operations of refugee camps in the West Bank, Gaza and several surrounding Arab countries maintaining 4.0 million plus in poverty and squalor awaiting ‘returns to their ancestral’ lands in what is now Israel. Jonathan Tobin writing in Commentary expressed the views of many when he wrote: So long as Palestinian nationalism is based on the negation of Israel rather than a positive vision for themselves, peace is impossible. While the UN vote won’t change much of anything on the ground, there should be no mistake about the basic continuity between the Arab positions of 1947 and today…

— Hat tip: Jerry Gordon

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Shock Video: Syrian Rebel Massacres 10 Unarmed Prisoners

[WARNING: Disturbing content.]

With the Obama administration preparing to green light direct U.S. intervention in Syria, this is another reminder of where Americans’ tax dollars will be heading — to support gangs of brutal extremist Muslim terrorists whose behavior is no better than the often vilified Bashar al-Assad.

“New footage posted on the Internet appears to have been filmed by a Syrian rebel who points the camera along the barrel of his gun as he shoots 10 unarmed prisoners,” reports Reuters.

The graphic clip shows prisoners lying on the ground begging for their lives before they are gunned down. One pleads, “I swear to God that we are peaceful,” before being slaughtered.

After the massacre, the gunman shouts “Allah Akbar, Jabhat al-Nusra,” referring to the Nusra Front, an Al-Qaeda offshoot that has claimed responsibility for innumerable suicide bombings in Syria that have killed hundreds of innocent people.

— Hat tip: JD

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Turkey: Pianist Fazil Say Under Investigation Again

Musician already risks 18-month sentence for blasphemous tweets

(ANSAmed) — ANKARA, NOVEMBER — Turkish pianist of world renown Fazil Say has once again run into legal problems. Say is already on trial for blasphemy and risks an 18-month sentence for ironic tweets on Islam, while Turkish daily Sabah reports that an Istanbul prosecutor has begun further judicial proceedings against him for allegedly insulting judicial bodies. The crime he is said to have committed is in relation to a number of statements made during the trial underway, which he called “ridiculous” in a televised interview. Say also called those who reported him to the judicial authorities over his comments on Islam “the dregs of the earth”, reports Sabah. If the latest judicial proceedings begun by an Uskudar prosecutor lead to a trial, Say risks a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison. In the trial that began on October 18 against him in a Istanbul tribunal, the 42-year-old Say — a self-professed atheist and leftist — is charged with “insulting religious values” and may be sentenced to up to 18 months in prison. Say, a leading pianist called the “Turkish Mozart” by the German press and who has played with the most important orchestras in the world, was charged after being reported by three conservative religious citizens who were “shocked” by his sarcastic messages. In one of these messages he commented on the call to prayer of an Istanbul muezzin which lasted only 22 seconds. “Why such haste?” he tweeted. “Perhaps a woman? Raki (ed. the Turkish national alcoholic drink)?”. Another was inspired by the famous Persian poet Omar Khayyam, and pokes fun at the rivers of wine and the myriad virgins said to fill heaven. “ Does that mean it’s a heavenly pub? You say that virgins will be given to every believer? Does this mean that it’s a heavenly house of prostitution?”

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Afghanistan Wants Pakistan to Release More Taliban Detainees to Jumpstart the Peace Process

KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghanistan’s top diplomat will press Pakistan Friday to free more Taliban detainees to help coax the militant group into peace negotiations to end the 11-year-old war, an official said. Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmay Rasoul will make the request during a one-day visit to Islamabad, according to an Afghan official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss Rasoul’s agenda ahead of the minister’s talks with high-ranking Pakistani officials…

— Hat tip: JP

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At Least 12 People Killed by Bombs in Afghanistan

Two roadside bombs exploded Thursday in eastern and southern Afghanistan, killing at least 12 people and wounding 16 others, officials said. One blast killed two civilians at a park in Khost, about 90 miles south of the capital, Kabul, said Jabar Nahimi, governor of Khost Province in eastern Afghanistan. Eight others were wounded in the blast, including four women and a child, he said. Earlier, a minivan traveling in a remote part of Oruzgan Province in southern Afghanistan struck a roadside bomb, killing at least 10 people and wounding eight others, said Nayamatullah Khaliqi, the top government official in the Dehra Wood district. He said most of the dead were women and children.

— Hat tip: JP

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Osama Bin Laden Doctor Goes on Hunger Strike in Pakistan

The Pakistani doctor jailed for his role in hunting down Osama bin Laden has gone on hunger strike after being put in solitary confinement and denied meetings with relatives, according to his lawyer.

Shakil Afridi was detained days after the American raid to kill the al-Qaeda leader when it emerged he ran a vaccination programme for the CIA in an attempt to obtain DNA evidence from members of the bin Laden family. His lawyer, Samiullah Afridi, said he was concerned for his client’s well-being after being informed of the hunger strike earlier this week. “I am still trying to meet prison officials and Dr Afridi to find out exactly what has happened but his relatives and the local media reports tell me this has happened,” he said. “He has been sentenced to 33 years in prison and this is not how to treat a prisoner. He is entitled to see his family. This is not a security issue.” The discovery that bin Laden had lived in the city of Abbottabad, barely 30 miles from the capital Islamabad, was deeply embarrassing for Pakistan’s security forces…

— Hat tip: JP

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In Ethiopia, Trial of Muslim Leaders Reveals Simmering Unrest

Last month, in a courtroom in Addis Ababa, 29 defendants listened intently as the prosecution summarised charges. The accused were Muslim men in their thirties, elderly sheikhs in religious attire, and Habiba Mohammed, the wife of Junedin Sado, Ethiopia’s Minister for the Civil Service and Chairman of the Board of Addis Ababa University. The crime? Organising protests against the government and participating in a far-reaching conspiracy to dismantle the constitution and establish an Islamic state in Ethiopia. The trial has exacerbated existing tensions between Ethiopia’s Muslim community who make up about 34 per cent of the population and the national government; has claimed high-profile victims like Mr. Junedin, a once-powerful regional politician who has disappeared from the public eye; and revealed the tangled nexus between religion, politics and public life in Ethiopia…

— Hat tip: JP

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Nigeria: Obasanjo’s Mosque — The Mysteries, Mission and His Men

By Emmanuel Aziken and Daud Olatunji

When the sharia legal system was launched in 1999, former President Olusegun Obasanjo had described it as Political Sharia which he said would fizzle away. Having gone into what he claimed to be retirement, President Obasanjo last Friday caused a stir when he gathered Muslim associates of his to raise funds for a mosque project within his presidential library. Will it fizzle away like political sharia?

[…]

— Hat tip: JP

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Rwandan Ghosts: Benghazi Isn’t the Biggest Blight on Susan Rice’s Record.

By Jason K. Stearns

GOMA, Democratic Republic of the Congo — Televised comments made by Amb. Susan Rice shortly after the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi have dominated the debate over her probable nomination for secretary of state. This is a bit surprising, since it’s clear that she played only a marginal role in the affair and appears to have just been reading from the briefing notes provided. It’s also unfortunate that the “scandal” has crowded out a healthy discussion of her two-decade record as U.S. diplomat and policymaker prior to Sept. 2012 — and drawn attention away from actions for which she bears far greater responsibility than Benghazi.

Her role in shaping U.S. policy toward Central Africa should feature high on this list. Between 1993 and 2001, she helped form U.S. responses to the Rwandan genocide, events in post-genocide Rwanda, mass violence in Burundi, and two ruinous wars in the Democratic Republic of the Congo…

— Hat tip: DS

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Obama’s Administrative Amnesty Not Applicable to White, Legal, English Girl. And While We’re on the Subject, Aren’t British Immigrants Preferable to Mexican Immigrants Anyway?

English immigrant Lauren Bell, currently residing in Madison, Georgia, has received a deportation order, effective on her 21st birthday, on January 28th, 2013.

Lauren was brought to the U.S. nine years ago by her parents. She has resided in Madison since 2003. She has graduated from high school and is now a junior in college.

Wait a minute—isn’t Lauren covered by President Obama’s unilaterally-declared, unconstitutional, Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals (DACA)?

After all, DACA was designed for young people who

Were “under the age of 31 on June 15, 2012”. Lauren qualifies.

“Came to the United States before their 16th birthday.” Lauren qualifies.

“Have continuously resided in the United States between June 15th, 2007, and the present.” Lauren has been in the U.S. since 2003.

“Are currently in school, graduated from high school…” Check.

“Have not been convicted of a felony, a ‘significant’ misdemeanor, or three or more other misdemeanors, and do not otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety.” Check again.

So what’s the problem? Why isn’t Lauren Bell covered by DACA?

Well, here’s the ridiculous reason: DACA is for young people who

“…had no valid immigration status on June 15, 2012.”

In plain English, that means they must be illegal aliens.

— Hat tip: Kitman

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Suppose You Were an Idiot

“Suppose you were an idiot and suppose you were a member of Congress, ah, but I repeat myself,” said Mark Twain.

This past Tuesday night, I spoke to a large “Town Hall Meeting” audience in Cheyenne, Wyoming as to the greatest danger facing America in the 21st century: endless immigration overwhelming the United States by adding 100 million within 25 years. I informed the audience the audience that our U.S. Congress continues importing 100,000 legal green card-holding immigrants every 30 days.

Most of the audience gasped at the numbers. One lady said, “Could you please repeat that figure.” When I did, she said, “I had no idea.”

— Hat tip: JD

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Feminist Scholar’s Book on Hijab’s Rise Earns Grawemeyer Religion Award

At first, feminist religion scholar Leila Ahmed was alarmed by the growing visibility of young American Muslim women wearing headscarves. She feared that a politicized, male-dominated fundamentalism had migrated from her native Egypt to her adopted United States. Instead, Ahmed reached what she admits was an “astonishing” conclusion:

“Islamists and the children of Islamists …. were now in the vanguard of those who were most fully and rapidly assimilating into the distinctively American tradition of activism in pursuit of justice,” Ahmed wrote in her book, “A Quiet Revolution: The Veil’s Resurgence, from the Middle East to America.”

[…]

— Hat tip: JP

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Scotland: Pro-Abortion Students Attempt to Shut Down Pro-Life Meeting in Edinburgh

EDINBURGH, November 29, 2012, (LifeSiteNews.com) — According to the National Union of Students, university students are supposed to be left-wing, radical feminist, pro-gay and, perhaps most importantly, “pro-choice”—and anyone stepping outside that hardline leftist political template will hear about it. This was the message directed at a new pro-life students’ group, the Alliance of Pro-life Students, at their launch fundraiser at Merchant’s Hall in Edinburgh earlier this month.

An NUS feminist group, outraged that any British students might disagree with their official “pro-choice” position, organised a noisy demonstration outside the Edinburgh venue, shouting slogans from behind a barricade as APS students and their supporters went in. They made it clear that the pro-life students’ alternative political opinions on abortion and the nature of “women’s rights” were not welcome by the UK’s largest student umbrella organisation.

— Hat tip: Kitman

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UK: Flower Society Ordered to Pay £7,000 Damages to Male Heterosexual Employee, 22, After He Was Sacked for Complaining About Treasurer ‘Who Groped Him and Insisted That He Must be Gay’

Officials of a flower society have been sued by a 22-year-old man after they suggested he was gay.

The chairman, treasurer and secretary of the organisation, which is a member of the Royal Horticultural Society, now face a bill of more than £7,000 in damages.

An employment tribunal panel heard how the young employee had been groped by the gardening club’s treasurer and was sacked by the secretary when he tried to complain about gay slurs.

The committee has strenuously denied the allegations made by the employee, who says he needs ‘counselling’ after the incident.

The worker told how he was molested by the treasurer who plagued him for six months and insisted he must be homosexual.

— Hat tip: JD

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