Gates of Vienna News Feed 7/22/2014

Pro-Palestinian and anti-Semitic demonstrations continued in Canada, France, Belfast, Washington D.C., and other Western cities. Meanwhile, sixteen people were killed in clashes between the Libyan army and Islamic radicals in Benghazi.

In other news, late last night a man doused himself with a flammable liquid and set himself on fire in front of the Israeli embassy in Berlin. It is not yet clear whether his act had a political motive.

To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.

Thanks to C. Cantoni, Fjordman, Insubria, Jerry Gordon, JP, Kitman, Papa Whiskey, RR, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.

Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.

Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. We check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.

Financial Crisis
» Silver ETFs Are Having a Good Summer
 
USA
» Apple Posts $7.7 Billion in Profit on Strong iPhone Sales
» Federal Appeals Court Deals Setback to Health Care Law
» Health Law Subsidies Upheld, Conflicting With Ruling Hours Earlier
» ‘Moral Idiots’ From Code Pink Disrupt Israeli Ambassador’s at CUFI Gala
» Your Cheeseburger is Leaving a Giant Environmental Footprint
 
Canada
» Pro-Hamas Violence Against Pro-Israel Rally in Calgary
 
Europe and the EU
» Britain Has Let Islamists Run Riot — As Today’s Report Into the ‘Trojan Horse’ Plot Reveals
» ‘First Ever’ Heat Warning Issued for Sweden
» France: Paris Allows Anti-Israel Protests to Resume Despite Violence
» France Arrests 3 Over Suspected Jihadist Links
» France: A Call for Harmony in Riot-Hit ‘Little Jerusalem’ Suburb of Paris
» Germany: Man Sets Himself on Fire at Israeli Embassy
» Has Norway Reclaimed Utoya?
» ‘Hypocrites!’: Hollande Hits Back at Cameron Attacking France Selling Warships to Russia While Oligarchs Seek Refuge in London
» Italy: Grillo Says Renzi and Berlusconi Are ‘Worse Than Mussolini’
» Italy: Ex Berlusconi Party MP Alfonso Papa Under Arrest
» Northern Ireland: Windows Smashed in Belfast Synagogue
» Norway: Breivik ‘Now Opposes Violence’: Lawyer
» Norwegian Citizen Linked to Increased Airport Security Screening, Congressional Sources Say
» Suspected Jihadists Arrested in Southern France
» Swedish Funds to Tackle Female Genital Mutilation
» UK: ‘Trojan Horse’ Teachers Called for ‘Eradication’ of Homosexuality
» UK: ‘Trojan Horse’ Teachers: ‘Rigby Murder Was Staged and Boston Marathon Bomb a Hoax’
» UK: Campaigners and Charities Could be Classed as Terrorists Under Wide Laws
» UK: Halifax Mosque Installs New Dome
» UK: Report Claims ‘Aggressive Islamist Agenda’ Pursued in ‘Trojan Horse’ Schools
» UK: Senior Council Officials ‘Aware of Several Trojan Horse-Type Claims and Failed to Act’
» UK: Trojan Horse: Clear Evidence of Islamist Plot in Some Birmingham Schools
» UK: Trojan Horse Plot Report: ‘Disturbing’ Evidence of Intolerant Islamic Ethos
» UK: Trojan Horse: Teachers May Face Misconduct Hearings, Says Morgan
» UK: Trojan Horse Apologists Fall Silent in Wake of New Report
 
North Africa
» Libya: Benghazi Clashes Between Army, Islamists Leave 16 Dead
» Sixteen Die in Benghazi Clashes
 
Israel and the Palestinians
» Britain’s Hypocrisy Over Israel is Shameful
» F.A.A. Bans U.S. Airline Flights to Tel Aviv for 24 Hours
» Palestinians Urge U.N. Security Council Resolution on Ceasefire
 
Middle East
» Blind Faith: Jihadist Who Cannot See is Pictured Fighting Alongside ISIS Militants in Syria and Urges Others to Join Him, Saying Having a Disability is Not an Excuse
» Gaza: Turks Begin Israeli Boycott, Declare 3-Days Mourning
» Iraq: Islamic State Crushes and Coerces on March Towards Baghdad
» Iraqi Forces Kill 117 Insurgents in Single Day
» Kuwait: Citizenship of Al-Youm Owner, Others Revoked
» More Than a Thousand Indonesian Supporters “Ready to Fight” For ISIS in Syria and Iraq
» Turkey Army, Rebels Clash Kills 8
» Turkish Police Officers Accused of Spying on Government
» UAE: In Abu Dhabi, A Makeshift Mosque But Heartfelt Prayers
» Veil Your Mannequins, ISIS Tells Iraqi Shopkeepers
 
Russia
» MH17 Shootdown May Have Been ‘Mistake’: US Intel Official
» Russia Demands Investigation Into Claims Finns Joined Fighting in Ukraine
 
South Asia
» Afghanistan: Suicide Attack on Military Base ‘Kills Three U.S. Soldiers’
» Joko Widodo Wins Vote Tally in Indonesian Presidential Election
» Taliban Grab Land in Afghan Faryab Province After Fierce Fighting
 
Far East
» China: Government Announces Nation-Wide Investigation in the Wake of “Bad Meat” Scandal
» China Tensions Choke Off Tourism to Vietnam
» China ‘Seals Off’ City After Man Dies of Bubonic Plague
 
Australia — Pacific
» Anger as Australia Dumps Carbon Tax
 
Sub-Saharan Africa
» Kenya: Gun Attack Claims Two More Lives in Mombasa 48 Hours After Likoni Shooting
 
Immigration
» Five Dead in New Sicily Strait Shipwreck
» Italy: Sixty ‘Stabbed to Death’ In Weekend Migrant Disaster
» Italy Wants Bigger Frontex Role in Mediterranean
 

Silver ETFs Are Having a Good Summer

The price of silver has risen 10 percent since the end of May, more than double the gains in gold, bonds and stocks.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Apple Posts $7.7 Billion in Profit on Strong iPhone Sales

For Apple, the iPhone continues to be the gadget that makes the company tick. Sales for the handset grew even in a time of year when smartphone sales are expected slow.

Apple, based in Cupertino, Calif., reported on Tuesday a profit of $7.7 billion, up from $6.9 billion in the same quarter a year earlier. The company also reported revenue of $37.4 billion, up from $35.3 billion compared to the quarter a year ago. Strong sales of iPhones and Macs fueled the growth, the company said.

“We are incredibly excited about the upcoming releases of iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, as well as other new products and services that we can’t wait to introduce,” said Timothy D. Cook, Apple’s chief executive, in a statement.

Apple earlier this year reached a deal to sell iPhones with China Mobile, the largest wireless network in the world. The partnership so far has resulted in healthy growth for the Silicon Valley company in China, an increasingly vital market for the company, especially now that the smartphone markets in the United States and parts of Europe have become saturated.

[Return to headlines]
 

Federal Appeals Court Deals Setback to Health Care Law

In a ruling that could upend President Obama’s health care law, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that the government could not subsidize premiums for people in three dozen states that use the federal insurance exchange. The 2-to-1 ruling could cut off financial assistance for more than 4.5 million people who were found eligible for subsidized insurance in the federal exchange, or marketplace.

Under the Affordable Care Act, the court said, subsidies are available only to people who obtained insurance through exchanges established by states.

The law “does not authorize the Internal Revenue Service to provide tax credits for insurance purchased on federal exchanges,” said the ruling, by a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The law, it said, “plainly makes subsidies available only on exchanges established by states.”

[Return to headlines]
 

Health Law Subsidies Upheld, Conflicting With Ruling Hours Earlier

Two federal appeals court panels issued conflicting rulings Tuesday on whether the government could subsidize health insurance premiums for people in three dozen states that use the federal insurance exchange. The decisions are the latest in a series of legal challenges to central components of President Obama’s health care law.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, in Richmond, upheld the subsidies, saying that a rule issued by the Internal Revenue Service was “a permissible exercise of the agency’s discretion.”

The ruling came within hours of a 2-to-1 ruling by a panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which said that the government could not subsidize insurance for people in states that use the federal exchange.

That decision could cut potentially off financial assistance for more than 4.5 million people who were found eligible for subsidized insurance in the federal exchange, or marketplace.

Under the Affordable Care Act, the appeals court here said, subsidies are available only to people who obtained insurance through exchanges established by states.

[Return to headlines]
 

‘Moral Idiots’ From Code Pink Disrupt Israeli Ambassador’s at CUFI Gala

Last night, Christians United for Israel (CUFI) held their ninth annual Night to Honor Israel gala. This was the kickoff event for the Christian Zionist group’s Washington Summit held at the DC convention Center. More than 5,000 were in the audience, composed of CUFI delegates, honored speakers and guests. Having attended and written about the first CUFI Washington Summit, held in the midst of the Second Lebanon War in 2006, interspersed with Israeli music, dancing in the aisles and waving of American and Israel flags. That inaugural CUFI event was held at the convention center of the Washington Hilton. This year I watched it on-line at GETV reminiscing mentally about the inaugural event I attended. The remarks conveyed by speakers at the CUFI gala were punctuated by references to the war raging in Gaza. A war with IDF ground forces pitted against the fortified terrorist army of Hamas supported by Turkey and Qatar with rockets and engineering experts provided by Iran’s Quds Force and proxy Hezbollah.

Last night, hecklers from Code Pink somehow entered the Convention Center heckling Israeli Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer’s stem winding speech near the close of the two hour event. They shouted “war Criminal!” Dermer, not missing a beat, referred to the hecklers as “moral Idiots.” That led to loud cheers of “Israel, Israel” by the CUFI audience…

           — Hat tip: Jerry Gordon [Return to headlines]
 

Your Cheeseburger is Leaving a Giant Environmental Footprint

Beef production takes a big toll on the environment, according to one of the most comprehensive studies to date on livestock management in the United States.

To make one steak, 28 times more land, 11 times more irrigation water, five times more greenhouse-gas emissions and six times more fertilizer is needed compared to what’s required for other sources of commonly eaten protein, like pork and poultry, the researchers found.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Pro-Hamas Violence Against Pro-Israel Rally in Calgary

Pro-Hamas thugs were captured on video attacking a pro-Israel rally in Calgary, Alberta, last Friday. All while Calgary police stood by. This was an unrestrained act of violence an astonishing development in the hometown of Canada’s pro-Israel PM, Steven Harper. Harper is a Member of Parliament (MP) for the riding of Calgary Southwest in Alberta. Will Calgary’s liberal Ismaili Muslim mayor Naheed Nenshi respond to community and national criticism of what occurred Friday? Nenshi was elected in 2010 as the first Muslim mayor of a major North American city.

B’nai Brith Canada is calling on Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi to conduct a thorough investigation of police conduct after several Israel supporters were assaulted at a rally last Friday, sending five to the hospital. Initial reports from the victims indicate that Calgary police were nowhere to be seen during the violent melee — even though they were informed in advance — and allegedly made racist remarks to the victims when they did eventually arrive on the scene. Calgary resident and lawyer, Bill Narvey who filed this eyewitness report:

Yes, it has happened here in Calgary. The Muslim groups that organized the protest rally at City Hall were Students for Palestinian Human Rights and Justice for Palestinians. The protest rally last Friday evening was the 2nd such protest rally which numbered between 300 — 400 protesters contrasted with the same groups’ protest rally of about 250 people the week before…

           — Hat tip: Jerry Gordon [Return to headlines]
 

Britain Has Let Islamists Run Riot — As Today’s Report Into the ‘Trojan Horse’ Plot Reveals

Peter Clarke, a former counter-terror chief, has published a report today which reveals that an ‘aggressive Islamist agenda’ was pursued in ‘Trojan horse’ schools in Birmingham. He has found evidence of a coordinated plan to impose strict Islamic teaching on pupils. This piece by Douglas Murray was originally published in the print edition of The Spectator magazine, dated 14 June 2014:…

[Reader comment by Hexhamgeezer on 22 July 2014.]

Nice report. I wonder if an ‘aggressive !$lamic agenda’ exists anywhere else?

Grooming gangs, voting fraud, bombings, using machete’s, honour killings, street violence, jihad holidays, a shallow cousin enriched gene pool, are all areas where Mr Clarke’s talents could be directed next to see if there are any common threads. I wonder if any local authorities, Ministries or other institutions have been similarly targeted.

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

‘First Ever’ Heat Warning Issued for Sweden

Swedish weather agency SMHI has issued its first ever warning for high temperatures with the many areas set to bask in plus 30C heat.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

France: Paris Allows Anti-Israel Protests to Resume Despite Violence

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls condemns ‘hatred’ in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, but says protesters have ‘legitimate motives.’

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has blamed extremist groups for violent pro-Palestinian protests that took place last week in and near Paris.

A demonstration in the gritty northern Paris suburb of Sarcelles degenerated into violence Sunday with Jewish shops being looted and police using tear gas and rubber bullets against the crowd…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

France Arrests 3 Over Suspected Jihadist Links

PARIS, July 22 (Xinhua) — French police on Tuesday arrested three people suspected of links with Islamist groups fighting in Syria, after dismantling a cell suspected of preparing “violent acts” in the country, local media reported.

Citing police source, the news channel BFMTV said two men and a woman have been arrested at 06:00 local time (0400 GMT) in Albi, southern France on charges of Syrian jihadist ring…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

France: A Call for Harmony in Riot-Hit ‘Little Jerusalem’ Suburb of Paris

Religious leaders gathered for an interfaith service in the Paris suburb of Sarcelles a day after Jewish-owned businesses and a synagogue were attacked during Sunday’s banned demonstration against the Israeli offensive in Gaza.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Germany: Man Sets Himself on Fire at Israeli Embassy

A man set himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Berlin on Monday night. Police said it was too soon to say whether it was part of a political protest.

Amid tensions in Berlin over pro-Gaza protests and a rise in anti-Semitism, the 46-year-old doused himself in a flammable liquid and then set himself alight with a cigarette lighter at 11.45pm on Monday.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Has Norway Reclaimed Utoya?

Breivik’s murderous intent awakens Norwegians and brings Norway together.

The “Eurabia” conspiracy theory is associated with the so-called counter-jihadi movement, and Breivik had apparently been radicalised in sect-like corners of the web. He wanted to be seen as a political militant, and ostensibly his aims were to foment conflict and to hurt the Labour Party.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

‘Hypocrites!’: Hollande Hits Back at Cameron Attacking France Selling Warships to Russia While Oligarchs Seek Refuge in London

Bitter divisions over the way Europe stands up to Vladimir Putin have spilled into the open, with France branding Britain ‘hypocrites’ for allowing London to be a refuge for Russian oligarchs.

David Cameron has warned it would be ‘unthinkable’ for French President Francois Hollande to go ahead with the £950million sale of Mistral warships to Moscow.

But Mr Hollande has vowed not to ditch the deal, with the head of his ruling Socialist Party warning Mr Cameron he should ‘start by cleaning up his own backyard’.

           — Hat tip: Kitman [Return to headlines]
 

Italy: Grillo Says Renzi and Berlusconi Are ‘Worse Than Mussolini’

‘At least he didn’t hide behind the word ‘reform”

(ANSA) — Rome, July 22 — Firebrand politician Beppe Grillo, the founder of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S), on Tuesday accused Italy’s president, premier and former premier of being worse than former Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini. “Not even Mussolini was as brazen” (as Giorgio Napolitano, Matteo Renzi and Silvio Berlusconi), the comedian-turned-politician railed on his popular blog, which gave rise to the Internet-based M5S in 2009.

“At least he set up a dictatorship without hiding behind the ‘reform’ word”.

The M5S recently claimed the center-left government of Matteo Renzi is trying to steer Italy towards authoritarian rule through electoral and other reforms, to which Reform Minister Maria Elena Boschi replied by telling the Senate Monday that the M5S was “hallucinating”.

“I’ve heard some people talk about an authoritarian change.

This is a hallucination and, as with all hallucinations, it cannot be denied with the power of reason,” she said, prompting howls of disapproval from M5S lawmakers.

“Talk of illiberal change is a lie and lies are good for nothing in politics,” she added.

Tensions between Grillo and the government are high even though Renzi has opened talks with the M5S on his plan for a new election law — a bill that is the result of a deal with former premier Silvio Berlusconi — after Grillo backtracked on his refusal to deal with the traditional parties.

It looked like the dialogue had broken down after the second of two meetings between Renzi and the M5S last week, when Grillo said the “time was up” for new talks.

But Grillo appeared to relent at the weekend, saying on his blog that the movement would go back to the negotiating table when Renzi provided answers on six issues it has raised.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Italy: Ex Berlusconi Party MP Alfonso Papa Under Arrest

On suspicion of aiding and abetting Beforte Camorra clan

(ANSA) — Naples, July 22 — Naples prosecutors on Tuesday placed Alfonso Papa, a former MP in ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi’s now-defunct People of Freedom (PdL) party, and his father Giovanni Papa under house arrest on suspicion of corruption and aiding and abetting the Belforte clan of the Neapolitan Camorra mafia.

The Papas are accused of taking money and other assets in exchange for favors extended to entrepreneurs Angelo and Roberto Grillo, who are thought to be linked to the Belforte clan of the Camorra.

Prosecutors in June charged office-cleaning magnate Angelo Grillo with ordering the September 2006, murder of a mobster who tried to extort protection money from him.

Mobster Angelo Cortese, 41, was gunned down after he asked for protection money from Grillo’s Cesap cleaning firm, which did extensive business with provincial administrations and other public agencies, police sources said.

Grillo has been held in jail since November as part of an inquiry into extortion involving lucrative contracts with the Caserta provincial health authority.

Alfonso Papa is no stranger to the prosecution. In 2011 he was at the center of an influence-peddling case known as the P4 affair. According to prosecutors, he used classified information about ongoing investigations to blackmail businessmen.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Northern Ireland: Windows Smashed in Belfast Synagogue

Upswing of global anti-Semitism continues Monday, after news surfaces that North Ireland synagogue was vandalized twice in 24 hours.

Windows were smashed at a Belfast, Northern Ireland synagogue on Friday night and Saturday, Jewish community leaders told BBC News, as an upswing in anti-Semitic violence worldwide continues.

After a window was smashed Friday night and its replacement smashed again less than 24 hours later, Belfast police are treating the vandalism as a religious hate crime…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Norway: Breivik ‘Now Opposes Violence’: Lawyer

Mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik said he does not support the use of violence anymore, on Tuesday, the third anniversary of the 22nd July massacre in Norway.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Norwegian Citizen Linked to Increased Airport Security Screening, Congressional Sources Say

A Norwegian citizen who trained with a master bomb maker in Yemen and recently was added to the State Department’s list of international terrorists has been linked to the increased security screening of flights coming to the U.S., according to congressional sources familiar with the intelligence.

Anders Dale was believed to be trained by the master bomb maker Ibrahim al Asiri, who was responsible for the underwear device that nearly brought down a jet over Detroit on Christmas Day 2009, the sources said.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Suspected Jihadists Arrested in Southern France

French police special operations arrested Tuesday morning three suspected jihadists in southern France.

France is deeply concerned about muslim radicalisation after hundreds of its citizens joined the ranks of jihadists in Syria.

The French government unveiled in July a new bill aimed at strengthening anti-terrorism laws.

The bill includes a ban on foreign travel for nationals or residents suspected of radicalisation, and authorises that their passports could be confiscated.

800 French nationals or residents had already travelled to Syria, and the French government fears they could be involved in violent terrorism acts upon their return to France.

Last May a French-Algerian man shot dead four people at the Brussels Jewish Museum after his return from Syria.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Swedish Funds to Tackle Female Genital Mutilation

Sweden has earmarked 48 million kronor ($7 million) of its development aid budget to a United Nations programme to tackle female genital mutilation.

The Swedish funds come from existing aid budgets but have been re-allocated to focus specifically on the issue.

“The situation of girls and women is a highly prioritized area within Swedish development aid. Female genital mutilation (FGM) must be eradicated within a generation,” Sweden’s development aid minister Hillevi Engström said via Twitter.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

UK: ‘Trojan Horse’ Teachers Called for ‘Eradication’ of Homosexuality

Teachers at the Park View academy chain set up a secret Whatsapp group in which they revealed their ‘disturbing’ views, official review finds

Teachers in schools at the heart of the ‘Trojan Horse’ plot used a secret social networking group to call for the “eradication” of homosexuality and to claim the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby was staged.

The teachers, at least two of whom are still in post, used a secret social networking group to post thousands of messages which demonstrated extreme “anti-Western, anti-American and anti-Israeli” views.

They said that women’s role is to “serve men”, called for boys and girls to be taught separately and suggested that the British education system is “crooked” and needs more Islamic influence.

The teachers also shared links suggesting that the Boston bombing, in which three people were killed and 264 injured, was a hoax and suggested soldiers who want to become teachers are “killers”.

They also proposed using schoolchildren in political campaigns and posted offensive images of toilet rolls imprinted with the Israeli flag…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

UK: ‘Trojan Horse’ Teachers: ‘Rigby Murder Was Staged and Boston Marathon Bomb a Hoax’

Teachers at the heart of the ‘Trojan Horse’ plot used an instant messaging service to post thousands of comments that demonstrated extreme ‘anti-Western, anti-American and anti-Israeli’ views.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Campaigners and Charities Could be Classed as Terrorists Under Wide Laws

David Anderson QC, terrorism laws watchdog, warns definition of terrorism is too wide and can catch those it didn’t intend

Religious campaigners who oppose public vaccination campaigns, journalist and even charities delivering humanitarian aid could be prosecuted as “terrorists” because UK laws are so broad, a watchdog has warned.

The definition of terrorism in legislation is so wide that anyone accused of “influencing” the Government could be caught in its net, according to the Government’s independent reviewer of terror laws…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Halifax Mosque Installs New Dome

A new dome was installed on a Halifax mosque as part of a multi-million pound refurbishment.

Residents and onlookers lined the streets to watch the installation of the dome on Madni Mosque, Gibbet Street. The new Islam-inspired green dome was lifted by crane onto the roof of the mosque.

The dome, which replaces the former structure, has been moved further back and the new minaret is still to be installed…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Report Claims ‘Aggressive Islamist Agenda’ Pursued in ‘Trojan Horse’ Schools

The Department of Education has published a damning report today which suggests there was an ‘aggressive Islamist agenda’ pursued in a number of the ‘Trojan horse’ schools in Birmingham…

[Reader comment by Denis_Cooper on 22 July 2014.]

‘Left unchecked, it would confine schoolchildren within an intolerant, inward-looking monoculture that would severely inhibit their participation in the life of modern Britain’

Well, of course, the welfare of the kiddies is by far most important consideration, not that some of them may grow up hating us and wanting to kill us or enslave us.

I curse the stupid politicians who casually introduced this vile backward superstition, laughably known as the “religion of peace”, into my country.

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Senior Council Officials ‘Aware of Several Trojan Horse-Type Claims and Failed to Act’

Senior council officials knew about several claims similar to the radical Islamic ‘Trojan Horse’ takeover plot in British schools but repeatedly failed to act, a damning report has concluded.

Officers at Birmingham City Council were discussing the claims at least eight months before the anonymous allegations were leaked to the media, it has emerged.

Senior council education officers did not challenge a head teacher’s decision to leave his post, under allegations he was being bullied by governors, despite him being named in the letter as one of the senior teachers being targeted, it has also been revealed…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Trojan Horse: Clear Evidence of Islamist Plot in Some Birmingham Schools

Former anti-terror chief Peter Clarke says his report found ‘clear evidence’ of a plot to introduce ‘an aggessive Islamist agenda into some schools in Birmingham’

The investigation into the Trojan Horse allegations — led by former anti-terror chief Peter Clarke — found there was “clear evidence” that there are a number of people, associated with each other and in positions of authority within schools who “espouse, endorse or fail to challenge extremist views”.

In his report, Mr Clarke, who served as head of the Metropolitan Police’s counter-terrorism unit, said he “neither specifically looked for, nor found, evidence of terrorism, radicalisation or violent extremism in the schools of concern in Birmingham”.

But he went on to say: “I found clear evidence that there are a number of people, associated with each other and in positions of influence in schools and governing bodies, who espouse, sympathise with or fail to challenge extremist views.”

The inquiry concluded: “There has been co-ordinated, deliberate and sustained action, carried out by a number of associated individuals, to introduce an intolerant and aggressive Islamic ethos into a few schools in Birmingham.”

This had been achieved in some schools by gaining influence on the governing bodies, installing “sympathetic” headteachers and senior staff, appointing “like- minded” people to key positions and removing heads who were not “compliant” with a particular agenda…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Trojan Horse Plot Report: ‘Disturbing’ Evidence of Intolerant Islamic Ethos

Schools in Birmingham subjected to “co-ordinated” action by extremists to impose an “intolerant and aggressive Islamic ethos” on pupils, a report by Peter Clarke, the former anti-terror chief, finds

An official inquiry into allegations of a “Trojan Horse plot” by Islamist extremists shows “disturbing” evidence of attempts by Islamist extremists to infiltrate a number of Birmingham schools, the Education Secretary has said.

Nicky Morgan announced that the Government was taking a series of measures “to put things right” after a review by Peter Clarke, the former anti-terror chief, concluded that there had been “co-ordinated, deliberate and sustained action” by a number of individuals to introduce an “intolerant and aggressive Islamic ethos” into a few schools in the city…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Trojan Horse: Teachers May Face Misconduct Hearings, Says Morgan

New education secretary also says she will look at allowing Ofsted to inspect academies in wake of scandal

Teachers involved in allowing extremism in Birmingham schools will face misconduct hearings after a report found a “disturbing” effort by Islamic hardliners to gain control of some schools in the city, Nicky Morgan, the education secretary, has said.

Describing the report as “upsetting”, the new cabinet minister said she would appoint a new school commissioner for Birmingham and ordered Sir Bob Kerslake, the former head of the civil service, to review governance within the city’s council…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Trojan Horse Apologists Fall Silent in Wake of New Report

by Andrew Gilligan

A report into schools at the centre of the Trojan Horse plot has exposed a culture of lies and bullying

Ever since “Trojan Horse” broke, the apologists have been claiming it’s all a racist fabrication.

The assistant head of Park View, the school at the centre of the plot, said the story was “plain old Islamophobia.” The leader of Birmingham council called the allegations “defamatory,” and attacked the Telegraph for revealing many of the key developments. As recently as last week, the head of one Birmingham think-tank demanded a boycott of this newspaper, comparing its reports to the Sun’s smearing of the Hillsborough dead.

Those voices have fallen silent now. As Peter Clarke’s horrifying report reveals, the real bigotry, bullying and lies were from several of the staff and governors of the Trojan Horse schools. The private messages of Razwan Faraz, deputy head at Nansen and one of the key plot ringleaders, attacking gay people as “satanic animals,” make clear that the media’s only failing was to understate the depth and virulence of the forces involved…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Libya: Benghazi Clashes Between Army, Islamists Leave 16 Dead

Most of the victims are soldiers

(ANSAmed) — BENGHAZI (LIBYA) — Violent clashes between the army and Islamists were registered once again in Benghazi, eastern Libya, leaving 16 dead — mostly soldiers — and 81 others wounded.

“Most of the victims and injured are members of the military”, a hospital source said. “Three civilians, including an Egyptian, were killed by a rocket which hit their home”.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Sixteen Die in Benghazi Clashes

(AGI) Tunis, July 22 — Sixteen people, mostly soldiers, were killed and 81 injured in clashes between the Libyan army and two Islamist groups in Benghazi, military sources reported. The clashes broke out after the Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries, an alliance of Islamist and jihadist militants, attacked a military barracks. The death toll has now risen to 47 while the damages produced during recent clashes at Tripoli’s international airport amount to one billion dollars.

           — Hat tip: C. Cantoni [Return to headlines]
 

Britain’s Hypocrisy Over Israel is Shameful

by Gabriel Sassoon

British liberals accusing Israel of a “war crime” are missing the point: Hamas is the aggressor, and Israel has a right — and a duty — to defend its citizens

Watching the debate in the UK over Gaza is like peering into a parallel universe. I am stunned at the ferociousness of British criticism of Israel, the hypocrisy and double standards. So very un-British, indeed.

As an Australian with deep admiration for Britain, and as an adviser to the peace-seeking Labour Opposition here in Israel for the last couple of years, I can only say that the American Left and far Left has proven more sensible on this issue than has mainstream British public discourse.

You would never tolerate either rockets on your cities nor the kinds of epithets you are bandying about against the Israelis today.

According to the members of your legislature, and across the press for that matter, what is happening in Gaza right now is “disproportionate,” “indiscriminate killing,” and, of course, a “war crime.” As we Australians say: fair dinkum, fellas…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

F.A.A. Bans U.S. Airline Flights to Tel Aviv for 24 Hours

Major American airlines stopped flying to Israel on Tuesday after a rocket fell near Ben-Gurion International Airport outside Tel Aviv, and the Federal Aviation Administration told the carriers not to fly to Tel Aviv for 24 hours.

All three United States carriers with service to Israel — Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and US Airways — said they had temporarily suspended their flights. The move highlighted the impact of the conflict in Gaza on the Israeli economy at the height of the summer tourism season.

It also came at a time when airlines around the globe appeared to be much more sensitive about the risks of flying over conflict areas, following the downing of a Malaysia Airlines jetliner over eastern Ukraine last week.

For the moment, European airlines are still operating their flights. British Airways, for instance, said it “continues to operate as normal” and is monitoring the situation closely.

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Palestinians Urge U.N. Security Council Resolution on Ceasefire

(Reuters) — The Palestinian U.N. envoy appealed on Tuesday for the United Nations Security Council to adopt a resolution calling for a ceasefire in fighting between Israel and Hamas militants as U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon warned that violence had hit alarming levels…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Blind Faith: Jihadist Who Cannot See is Pictured Fighting Alongside ISIS Militants in Syria and Urges Others to Join Him, Saying Having a Disability is Not an Excuse

A blind jihadist pictured fighting alongside ISIS militants in Syria has reportedly urged others to join the Islamist militants, saying having a disability is no excuse.

Taymullah al-Somali, a Dutch national who is believed to have travelled to the Middle East earlier this year, has been photographed numerous times alongside ISIS militants and is believed to be based in the capital of the self-declared caliphate, Raqqa.

The Somalia-born militant has been quoted on known Islamist social media accounts urging Muslims to join ISIS, reportedly saying: ‘Being blind didn’t stop me from coming to #Syria, what’s your excuse?’

[In a sense, of course, they’re ALL blind. — PW]

           — Hat tip: Papa Whiskey [Return to headlines]
 

Gaza: Turks Begin Israeli Boycott, Declare 3-Days Mourning

(ANSAmed) — ISTANBUL, JULY 22 — Municipal authorities in Turkey are backing a boycott of Israeli goods in response to Israel’s military attack on Gaza, which has claimed nearly 600 lives so far, as Anadolu Agency reports. Authorities in Istanbul, Ankara, Bursa and cities and towns across the country are refusing to stock Israeli products in shops, cafes and recreation centers they manage and are calling on residents not to buy them. As well as Israeli goods, many are also banning Coca-Cola in protest at U.S. support for Israel. The boycott expanded across the country through social media with posts listing goods produced in Israel or by companies closely linked to Israel. Meanwhile, Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc has announced three days of mourning beginning on Tuesday to show solidarity with Palestinians against the Israeli campaign on Gaza. Arinc said Turkey condemns Israel’s massacre on Palestinians and he described Israel’s military operation, as an “atrocity that has almost turned into a genocide.” Turkey is conducting diplomatic talks with its neighboring countries as well as the U.S. and the UN Security Council to help to resolve the situation in Gaza, he added. Since July 7, Israel has pounded the embattled coastal enclave with fierce air and naval bombardments with the stated aim of halting Palestinian rocket fire.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Iraq: Islamic State Crushes and Coerces on March Towards Baghdad

(Reuters) — Using its own version of “soft” and “hard” power, the Islamic State is crushing resistance across northern Iraq so successfully that its promise to march on Baghdad may no longer be unrealistic bravado.

While conventional states try to win hearts and minds abroad before necessarily resorting to military force, the jihadist group is also achieving its aims by psychological means — backed up by a reputation for extreme violence.

The Islamic State, which in June captured a vast stretch of territory in the north including the largest city Mosul, used this strategy when its fighters met armed resistance from the town of al-Alam for 13 days running.

They kidnapped 30 local families and rang up the town’s most influential citizens with a simple message about the hostages: “You know their destiny if you don’t let us take over the town.”

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Iraqi Forces Kill 117 Insurgents in Single Day

BAGHDAD, July 22 (Xinhua) — Iraqi security forces killed about 117 insurgents in a series of battles with the Sunni militant groups across Iraq on Tuesday as the government is trying to take back the lands seized by rebel fighters recently, security sources said.

In Salahudin province, the army forces seized four villages after clashes with Sunni militants, including those who are linked to Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL), just north of the provincial capital city of Tikrit, a provincial police source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Kuwait: Citizenship of Al-Youm Owner, Others Revoked

In what appears to be an implementation of a government threat last week, the Cabinet yesterday revoked the citizenship of the owner of the pro-opposition Al-Youm satellite television and Alam Al-Youm newspaper and a former Islamist opposition lawmaker. In a decision described as “dangerous” and unprecedented by activists and former MPs, the Cabinet said it has decided to revoke the citizenship of Ahmad Jabr Al-Shemmari and all members of his family. It also decided to revoke the citizenship of former Islamist opposition MP Abdullah Al-Barghash, two of his brothers and a sister.

No specific reasons and details were given for the government action. The Cabinet statement however said the action on Shemmari was based on article 13 of the nationality law which deals with cases of revoking Kuwaiti citizenship from naturalized people. Among the reasons stipulated in the article is that authorities can withdraw citizenship from people who spread principles that aim at demolishing the economic and social systems of the country, an indirect reference to the media outlets Shemmari owns.

The television channel and the daily have been providing major coverage to the activities of the opposition during the past two years. Both the station and the daily have been closed on several occasions by the judiciary over lawsuits filed by the information ministry. Regarding Barghash, the Cabinet statement said revoking his citizenship was based on article 21 of the nationality law which states that authorities can withdraw the citizenship of people who obtained it on the basis of false information and data.

The Cabinet’s decisions were based on reports submitted by Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Sabah and come a week after the government ordered a revision of citizenship of people who took part in protests that undermine the country’s security and stability. Under Kuwait’s nationality law of 1959, the government can revoke citizenship granted to naturalized Kuwaitis for a number of reasons, especially if they commit crimes within 15 years of obtaining the nationality. During the 1970s and early 1980s, Kuwait is believed to have granted citizenship to tens of thousands of tribal people mostly hailing from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria and also from non-Arab Iran.

Online activists were divided on the government decision with some warmly welcoming the move while others strongly criticizing it as “unfair”. Former Islamist opposition MP Mohammad Hayef said revoking citizenship of political opponents is “a grave mistake” and a “chaotic and adventurist” decision that will enter the country into a grave political era. Bader Al-Dahoum, another former Islamist MP, said the decision is to help the government cover up its corruption and fight reformists. Former Islamist MP Falah Al-Sawwagh described the decision as “oppressive”.

The Cabinet also heard a report from Minister of Social Affairs and Labour Hind Al-Subaih about shutting down “scores of offices and branches” of non-profit organisations that have violated the law. The decisions have been taken following a new string of violent protests early this month after the arrest of prominent opposition leader Musallam Al-Barrak. Dozens were arrested and several hurt in the protests. Since mid-2006, the state has been rocked by a series of political crises, leading to parliament being dissolved six times. Most opposition groups are not represented in parliament after having boycotted July 2013 polls in protest at an amended electoral law.

Separately, Kuwait’s top court yesterday upheld a 10-year jail sentence for a Shiite Twitter user for insulting Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his wife and companions. Hamad Al-Naqi, 24, was also charged with insulting Saudi Arabia and Bahrain and spreading false news that undermined Kuwait’s image abroad, the verdict said. The court’s ruling is final and can only be commuted by the ruler. He has been in prison since his arrest in March 2012. Naqi denied the accusations, saying his Twitter account was hacked. He was first handed the jail term by the lower court in June 2012.

Human Rights Watch strongly criticised the sentence and urged authorities to immediately release him after the appeals court confirmed the sentence in October last year. The New York-based rights watchdog said the ruling was another example of violations of the right to free speech in Kuwait. During the past two years, Kuwaiti courts have given jail sentences to several online activists for various charges, mostly insulting the ruler through social networks.

           — Hat tip: RR [Return to headlines]
 

More Than a Thousand Indonesian Supporters “Ready to Fight” For ISIS in Syria and Iraq

Supporters took part in an “initiation ceremony” to declare their support for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. For now, police cannot do anything but pledge “not to tolerate any religiously motivated violence.”

Jakarta (AsiaNews) — Indonesian security forces “will not remain silent”; they will react to the growing number of supporters for radical Sunni group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), said Brigadier General Boy Rafli Amar, deputy police spokesman, who responded today to the mass “initiation ceremony” organised last week in Solo (Surakarta, Central Java) by about a thousand ISIS supporters.

“In accordance with the law,” General Amar said, “every Indonesian citizen has the right to gather in a public space to express his or her beliefs and opinions, but we shall not tolerate any religiously motivated violence.”

Last week, more than a thousand people met at a mosque in Solo Baru (Sukoharjo Regency) to attend a prayer meeting hosted by the Islamic Daulah Support Forum.

After the prayer, those present declared their public support for ISIS, claiming to be ready to go to Iraq and Syria.

Afif Abdul Majid, who organised the meeting, explained that “not all of them agreed to be ‘initiated’, but at least half have asked to be ‘baptised’ to support the mission.” He added that in the coming weeks such a “baptism” will also be celebrated in Malang (East Java).

Gen Ansyaad Mbai, head of the anti-terrorism desk at the Ministry for Security, Legal and Foreign Affairs, warned that ISIS was drawing sympathisers from Indonesia with scores who have already left the country to fight jihad with Sunni militias in Syria and Iraq for the creation of an Islamic caliphate in the Middle East

Those who came home, the policeman said, founded a similar group in the provinces of Jakarta and East Nusa Tenggara (NTB).

According to officials, at least 30 Indonesians have already left the country to join ISIS, and 56 other people have applied for a visa for Syria.

           — Hat tip: C. Cantoni [Return to headlines]
 

Turkey Army, Rebels Clash Kills 8

ANKARA, July 22 (Xinhua) — At least eight people, including two Turkish soldiers, were killed in clashes between the Turkish government forces and Kurdish rebel fighters in the country’s border areas adjacent to Syria, the army said on Tuesday.

Earlier, a local official said three border guards were wounded, two of whom later died, after they came under attack from around a group of 15 attempting to cross into Turkey from Syria, the Turkish General Staff said in a statement…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Turkish Police Officers Accused of Spying on Government

(AGI) Istanbul, July 22 — Several high ranking Turkish police officers were arrested on Tuesday, accused of spying on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his aides. The arrests were carried out in 22 provinces and those detained include officers involved in an earlier government corruption probe, which led to the resignation of four ministers.

           — Hat tip: C. Cantoni [Return to headlines]
 

UAE: In Abu Dhabi, A Makeshift Mosque But Heartfelt Prayers

ABU DHABI // Those who pass the remnants of Mosque 299, off the back streets of Al Wahda, are met with an assembly of rolled-up carpets and old office furniture that turn the spot into a prayer ground for dozens of residents.

Varicoloured straw mats cover the space that marks the makeshift mosque, their perimeter lined by shoes and slippers. As the time for prayer nears, a bearded man walks to the front of the area…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Veil Your Mannequins, ISIS Tells Iraqi Shopkeepers

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria has reportedly given shopkeepers in the Iraqi city of Mosul strict instructions to cover the faces of mannequins, months after seizing control of the country’s second largest city.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

MH17 Shootdown May Have Been ‘Mistake’: US Intel Official

Washington (AFP) — Malaysian flight MH17 may have been shot down by “mistake” by ill-trained pro-Russian separatists, US intelligence officials said Tuesday, while dismissing Moscow’s accounts of the incident.

Evidence gathered so far suggested the separatists launched the SA-11 surface-to-air missile that blew up the Malaysian airliner but it was still unclear “who pulled the trigger,” said a senior intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Russia Demands Investigation Into Claims Finns Joined Fighting in Ukraine

The Russian foreign ministry has called on Finland to look into claims published in an Italian newspaper that Finnish citizens are among those who have joined an extreme-right armed group to fight alongside the government in east Ukraine. Neither Finland’s secret services nor the foreign ministry say they are aware of any Finns having joined the conflict.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Afghanistan: Suicide Attack on Military Base ‘Kills Three U.S. Soldiers’

Motorbike bomber hits Americans as Taliban ‘own goal’ kills six

(ANSA) — Kabul, July 22 — A suicide bomber aboard a motorbike blew himself up in a military base Tuesday, killing some 10 people including three U.S. soldiers, police and local TV reports said.

Kabul police chief Gen. Zahir Zahir said that “at least four foreign citizens were killed and six wounded.” Tolo tv said the foreigners were three American soldiers and an interpreter.

A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the blast, claiming that as many as 15 foreigners had been killed.

Kabul police spokesman Hashmat Stekzai said “the attack happened in an anti-drugs base bordering with a foreign solders’ base”.

A U.S. Embassy statement did not specifically confirm Americans were killed in the attack, but condemned what it called “the terrorist attack that caused the death of five foreign security guards”.

“Attacks like this will not discourage Afghans and the international community from working together for a further development of Afghanistan,” said the U.S. Embassy statement.

In Pastori in the southwest province of Paktika, meanwhile, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive prematurely, killing himself and five comrades and wounding seven others, the Pajhwok news agency said.

There was no immediate comment from the Taliban on the own-goal blast.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Joko Widodo Wins Vote Tally in Indonesian Presidential Election

JAKARTA, July 22 (Xinhua) — Governor of Indonesia’s capital city Jakarta Joko Widodo was qualified to become the nation’s new president after the General Election Commission (KPU) settled the vote tally on Tuesday, showing Joko’s domination against rival Prabowo Subianto.

Delivering the official announcement on the winner of the vote tally, General Election Commission Chairman Husni Kamil Malik said Joko Widodo and his pairing Jusuf Kalla gained higher vote…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Taliban Grab Land in Afghan Faryab Province After Fierce Fighting

MAIMANA, Afghanistan, July 22 (Xinhua) — Taliban militants after three days of fighting with security personnel have made headway and occupied land in Qaisar district of Faryab province 425 km northwest of Kabul, police said Tuesday.

“Taliban rebels attacked security check points in the western part of Qaisar district three days ago, which triggered heavy battle between the two sides and the militants after three days of fighting were able to occupy Shakh area on Monday night,” deputy provincial police chief Mohammad Naeem Andarabi told reporters here…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

China: Government Announces Nation-Wide Investigation in the Wake of “Bad Meat” Scandal

After undercover report shows the use of bad ingredients in making fast food products, Starbucks also pulls some products from the market. The government says lawbreakers will be “severely punished”, but food scandals seem an incurable plague in the country.

Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) — China’s food safety agency announced a nationwide investigation into processing factories and meat suppliers used by the Shanghai Husi Food Company, which has been accused of selling expired products to large chains.

Violations will be “severely punished,” the agency said. Meanwhile, Starbucks has joined other fast-food giants and pulled the products that contain meat from Shanghai Husi Food Company.

The company is in the eye of the storm after a report by Dragon TV, taped undercover, shows workers recycling green meat, change products’ expiration dates and use discarded food.

Immediately after the broadcast, McDonald’s and other fast food giants — including Yum Brands, Pizza Hut and Kentucky Fried Chicken — stopped selling several products in China.

Husi’s parent company OSI has apologised to customers, saying it has set up an investigation team and was fully cooperating with inspections conducted by the authorities.

“Our … management believes this to be an isolated event, but takes full responsibility for the situation and will take appropriate actions swiftly and comprehensively,” its statement said.

The lack of food safety and other food scandals seem to be an incurable plague in mainland China. In recent years, thanks to the total lack of government controls, the Asian giant has been at the centre of a rash of food-related scandals.

In 2008, six infants died and another 300,000 fell ill from drinking melamine-tainted milk powder, the poisonous add-on was used to raise the nitrogen level in milk to boost its protein content.

Other cases involved toothpaste made with chemical reagents, rat sold as lamb, glue-tainted shrimps, and even pesticide-laden green tea.

           — Hat tip: C. Cantoni [Return to headlines]
 

China Tensions Choke Off Tourism to Vietnam

DA NANG, Vietnam — The year began well for Mai Thanh Trung, newly employed at a travel company here that caters to Chinese tour groups. Mr. Trung said he regularly greeted charter flights from the Chinese mainland and pocketed an average monthly commission of about $600.

But then came May, when a state-owned Chinese company parked an oil rig near Vietnam’s central coast in a part of the South China Sea that both countries claim. Two days of anti-Chinese riots followed in southern and central Vietnam. And, according to hospitality professionals in this central coast city of nearly one million, the inbound Chinese tourism market crashed.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

China ‘Seals Off’ City After Man Dies of Bubonic Plague

A Chinese city has been sealed off and 151 people placed in quarantine since last week after a man died of bubonic plague, state media said Tuesday.

The 30,000 people living in Yumen in the northwestern province of Gansu are not being allowed to leave, and police at roadblocks on the perimeter of the city are telling motorists to find alternative routes, state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) said.

The 38-year-old victim died last Wednesday, the report said, and had been in contact with a dead marmot, a small furry animal which lives on grasslands and is related to the squirrel.

“The city has enough rice, flour and oil to supply all its residents for up to one month,” the report added.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Anger as Australia Dumps Carbon Tax

Climate experts decry demise of emissions-control system.

Australia’s pioneering carbon-pricing mechanism has failed to survive its infancy. In a major victory for Prime Minister Tony Abbott, parliament agreed on 17 July to axe the scheme with immediate effect.

The government says that abolishing it — a key commitment in Abbott’s 2013 election campaign — will reduce the cost of living by an average of Aus$550 per household per year. After the scheme’s demise, Abbott described it as a “useless, destructive tax”.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Kenya: Gun Attack Claims Two More Lives in Mombasa 48 Hours After Likoni Shooting

Two people have been confirmed dead and two others injured following a shooting incident in Sega bar, Majengo area of Mombasa county.

The attackers are said to have been masked and walked into the bar at 4:30am early Tuesday morning and opened fire on patrons who were in the premise at the time…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Five Dead in New Sicily Strait Shipwreck

(ANSAmed) — ROME, JULY 21 — Five migrants have died in a new shipwreck in the Channel of Sicily. Their bodies were found as part of a rescue operation of a sinking dinghy. Overall, 61 immigrants were rescued. The survivors said about 80 people were on board the dinghy.

According to official sources, the updated toll of arrivals is astounding — 85,000 people have landed on Italian shores in 2014, mainly Eritreans (22,000), and Syrians (15,000), as well as migrants from Gambia, Mali and Nigeria. Asylum applications so far have been 25,000. The interior ministry’s migrant holding centers organized by municipalities currently host 40,000 people.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Italy: Sixty ‘Stabbed to Death’ In Weekend Migrant Disaster

Estimated death toll 141, police say

(ANSA) — Rome, July 22 — Italian police on Tuesday were trying to piece together the dynamic of Saturday’s migrant boat disaster off the Sicilian island of Lampedusa and establish an accurate death toll on Tuesday after chilling new details emerged.

Migrants rescued by the Danish petrol tanker Torm Lotte in waters between Libya and Malta and taken to the Sicilian port of Messina told investigators that around 60 people had been stabbed by traffickers indiscriminately and their bodies thrown into the sea.

These deaths come on top of the 29 people known to have died by asphyxiation after the traffickers allegedly prevented dozens of migrants from leaving the hold.

Further, dozens of migrants are feared to have drowned during transfer to the Danish freighter from the rickety fishing boat that is thought to have been carrying between 700 and 750 people.

A child aged two was also found dead on arrival in Messina and a woman died while being transferred to hospital for treatment. Earlier in the day migrants told Repubblica.it that 181 people had died in the tragedy but investigators put a closer estimate at 141. On Tuesday five men presumed to be the traffickers were arrested on charges of multiple homicide. They were Mhamed Morad Al Fallah, 21, from Syria, Youssef Dahman, 21, and Abdrzakc Asbaoui Asbaoui, 25, from Morocco, Saddam Abuhddayed, 25, from the Palestinian territories, and Jamal Rajeb, 32, from Saudi Arabia.

Investigators have also established that a double tariff system applied to the sea voyage, with migrants of Arab origin paying 1,000-2,000 dollars for a place on deck and Africans paying 250-500 dollars for a passage in the hold.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Italy Wants Bigger Frontex Role in Mediterranean

Italy’s minister of interior Angelino Alfano told MEPs in Brussels on Tuesday he wants the EU’s border agency Frontex to expand and take over some of the Italian-led search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea. “We have to combat illegal immigration and manage legal migration,” he said.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

One thought on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 7/22/2014

  1. ” In other news, late last night a man doused himself with a flammable liquid and set himself on fire in front of the Israeli embassy in Berlin. It is not yet clear whether his act had a political motive.”

    After being invited in millions, Muslims have learned how to dictate to the west, how to bend their weak arms, how to defeat them, after perfectly analyzing what hot air, and empty heads the western democracies are. Killing others, burning themselves, whatever they do the west listens. It’s time the west bought some [masculine equipment], take a stand, and show the muslims that the muslims must comply with the west’s iron will and not the other way around. Tell a gazelle not to trust her offspring with the hyena. It will devour the offspring and the mom. Trust not the cat with your milk. Neither a politician with your life. Wake up Europe and have some honor.

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