A 90-year-old man who had been feeding homeless people in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was arrested on Tuesday along with other members of his church after the city passed an ordinance forbidding private organizations from engaging in such activities. Yesterday he was back on the job again, feeding people, and was once more arrested.
In other news, it has been revealed that the new Swedish defense minister, who has proposed reinstituting conscription in Sweden, was a conscientious objector in his youth.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Apollon Zamp, C. Cantoni, Fjordman, Insubria, Jerry Gordon, Steen, Vlad Tepes, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.
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Cyprus: 240,000 People (1 in 4) At Risk of Poverty
Soup kitchens for the poor are increasing on the island
NOVEMBER 6 — The number of Cypriots at risk of poverty last year rose to 27.8% of the population, or 240,000 people, with the number of materially deprived also rising compared to five years earlier as Cyprus Mail online reports quoting data from Eurostat released yesterday. Charting social trends throughout the European Union last year, Eurostat said more than 120 million persons, or 24.5% of the EU population, were at risk of poverty or social exclusion. In the case of Cyprus, Eurostat said, 27.8% of the population were at risk of either poverty, were severely materially deprived, or lived in households where adults worked less than 20% of their total work potential. In the severely materially deprived category, Cyprus registered a 7 point increase to 16.1% as those whose living conditions were constrained by lack of resources, such as not being able to pay their bills or keep their home warm. In that category, the EU average was 9.6%. At 7.9%, Cyprus was lower in the “low work density” category of persons working below potential compared to the EU average of 10.7%. Greece ranked the highest with an 18.2% rate of households where adults worked less. The survey showed that those facing the highest risk of poverty were Bulgarians, at 48%, followed by Romania at 40.4% and Greece, at 35.7%.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Why the Current “Oil Glut” Could Lead to a Price Spike
Back in March 1999 “The Economist” magazine carried a cover photo of two men drenched in oil as they attempted to close a faulty valve that was spraying a huge stream of crude skyward. Over the photo was the headline: “Drowning in oil.” At the time it really did seem as if the world were drowning in oil.
The previous December crude oil on the New York Mercantile Exchange touched $10.72 per barrel. That month U.S. gasoline prices averaged 95 cents per gallon. “The Economist” opined that oil might go down to $5 per barrel.
But, of course, in retrospect the magazine’s cover proved to be the perfect contrarian indicator, for oil had already begun its historic ascent toward $147 per barrel. The 2008 price spike was the culmination of a 10-year bull market that had begun in December 1998.
After dipping briefly to around $35 per barrel at the end of 2008 in the wake of the financial crisis, the new oil bull market sent world benchmark Brent Crude to a daily average of more than $100 per barrel for all of 2011, 2012 and 2013. Through October 27 the average daily price for this year has been $104.86, not all that different from the last three years.
The swift price decline of Brent Crude from $110 on July 1 to about $85 today has the media buzzing about a glut. But can oil which now trades at eight times its price in 1998—when there really was a glut—be said to be experiencing a glut now?
Certainly, there is more oil available than people are willing to pay $100 per barrel for. While there have been many explanations for the downward move in price, all we can say for sure is that recently there were more sellers than buyers; and so, the price slid as the buyers stepped away, waiting for the price to come down.
But, is this really a glut? In 1998, even what poor people were paying for oil and oil products was relatively affordable, making it easier for them to enjoy the power and comforts that cheap oil and cheap energy in general make available to individuals.
Now, the price of energy and oil, in particular, is leading some of the newly poor in Greece (made so by that country’s ongoing economic depression) to seek out firewood—both legally and illegally obtained—to heat their homes instead of heating oil. The drop in vehicle miles traveled in the United States in recent years suggests that high gasoline prices are in part responsible for fewer miles traveled.
When it comes to total U.S. petroleum consumption, the top 10 weeks for consumption occurred from 2005 to 2007. The most recent consumption number (week ending October 24) remains 2 million barrels per day below the peak reading in 2005. European petroleum consumption remains in a downward trend as well. All this suggests a decline in the standard of living for most Americans and Europeans, at least, when it comes to oil and its benefits. (One colleague of mine now speaks of peak benefits from oil rather than peak oil.)
Yes, the price drop has only just occurred, and, of course, we can’t expect that it will have an immediate effect on consumption. But, increased consumption would likely take the oil markets back above $100 per barrel since small changes in supply and demand tend to move the oil price sharply. At the $100 level no one would be calling the situation a glut.
The oil industry has been using the term “abundance” for years as a public relations ploy to prevent people from realizing that oil is neither cheap nor abundant anymore. But the word “glut” has produced night terrors in the minds of oil executives. “Glut” implies that investors should stay away from a market that cannot make them any money. “Abundance” is okay for industry television ads aimed at lulling the public and policymakers to sleep. But, “glut” is bad for business.
The real problem is that it is costing more and more to get the oil that remains out of the ground. Consumers will buy oil depending on their ability to pay, not on the price which the oil companies need to charge in order to cover the cost of producing it.
Ironically, the swoon in oil prices could easily lead to renewed price spikes as the price falls below the cost of producing the most expensive barrels of oil. Under such conditions, the industry will stop producing these barrels and supply will decline—leading to another price spike when demand picks up.
It turns out that between consumers who can’t afford to pay higher and higher oil prices and companies which can’t afford to produce the extra oil we’d like at lower prices, we are stuck in an ever-shrinking no man’s land, a price band really—one that will eventually disappear as the average cost of producing the extra barrel of oil the world desires goes beyond what consumers including businesses can and will pay.
That will have us wondering why we allowed ourselves to sleepwalk through the last few years, even as continuing high prices and consumption declines sounded the alarm—one that told us we needed to speed up a transition to a renewable energy economy and reduce our energy use wherever possible instead of falling for talk of “abundance” and “glut.”
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Airbag Maker Saw and Hid Risk in 2004, Former Workers Say
Alarmed by a report a decade ago that one of its airbags had ruptured and spewed metal debris at a driver in Alabama, the Japanese manufacturer Takata secretly conducted tests on 50 airbags it retrieved from scrapyards, according to two former employees involved in the tests, one of whom was a senior member of its testing lab.
The steel inflaters in two of the airbags cracked during the tests, a condition that can lead to rupture, the former employees said. But instead of alerting federal safety regulators to the possible danger, Takata executives discounted the results, and ordered the lab technicians to delete the testing data from their computers and dispose of the airbag inflaters in the trash, they said.
The secret tests, which have not been previously disclosed, were undertaken after normal work hours and on weekends and holidays during summer 2004 at Takata’s American headquarters in Auburn Hills, Mich., the former employees said.
That was four years before Takata, in regulatory filings, says that it first tested the problematic airbags. The results from the later tests led to the first recall over airbag rupture risks in November 2008.
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Apple Products Attacked by Chinese Malware
(AGI) Palo Alto (California), Nov 6 — Apple has again been targeted by hackers. Following a previous breach in iCloud, the data storage system, Chinese hackers have succeeded in developing malware that can affect Macs and iPhones.
Californian company Palo Alto Networks has discovered the WireLurker malware programmed to infect Apple computers and that can infect iPhones and iPads, when connected with the USB cable, said Ryan Olson, director of intelligence informatics at Palo Alto Networks. The virus, according to experts, comes from Mac OS X applications offered on a Chinese third-party application store and has mainly infected Chinese users. Some 400 apps have been downloaded over 350,000 times. “This malware is under active development and its creator’s ultimate goal is not yet clear”, said the information security company. The malware has taken “a variety of information” from the iPhone and iPad, which in particular would enable them to get hold of the phone book data and messages, but even more worrying, the Apple ID to gain access to all the data stored on your smartphone and your computer, and iCloud. The computer security company said it had warned Apple a couple of weeks ago and that this is the first time it has seen an attack of this kind.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
A 90-year-old man who was arrested for feeding the homeless in his Florida city was back at it on Wednesday, despite being apprehended by police on Tuesday.
Arnold Abbott has helped to prepare hundreds of meals a week for countless hungry homeless persons in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, since 1990, but a new ordinance now makes this illegal in the city.
As a result, Abbott and and two ministers from the Sanctuary Church were arrested while dishing out hot food on Tuesday night.
It seems that despite Abbott’s amazing charitable ways, the mayor of the city, Jack Seiler, has nothing but disgust for the selfless old man.
Seiler told Local 10, ‘Mr. Abbott has decided that he doesn’t think these individuals should have to have any interaction with government, that they should be fed in the parks. We disagree.’…
| — Hat tip: Apollon Zamp | [Return to headlines] |
Obama’s October Secret Letter to Ayatollah Khamenei Seeks Help in Fighting ISIS
While President Obama sought “common ground” with the GOP controlled Congress in 2015 at yesterday’s news conference, he was deepening his detente strategy with Iran in a dangerous gambit to secure their aid in the fight against ISIS. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that a secret letter had been sent by the President to Ayatollah Khamenei seeking to enlist Iran’s support in the war against ISIS in exchange for the quid pro quo of the supreme Ruler’s assent to a nuclear deal, “Obama Wrote Secret Letter to Iran’s Khamenei about Fighting Islamic State.” The supposed deadline for a deal between the P5+1 and Iran is less than a month away on November 24, 2014; however that deadline may be moved.. The October letter was the fourth such direct communiqué with Iran’s Supreme Ruler by this Administration. Obama’s letter to the Ayatollah has been acknowledged by Administration “senior officials.”Meanwhile, Ian’s Quds Force Commander, Gen. Qassem Suleymani has been a highly visible ‘item’ in Iraq. He has been advising Iraqi Shiite militia and national security forces in recent operations with Kurdish Peshmerga pushing back ISIS. Both Iraqi Shia militia and Hezbollah veterans of the Syrian civil war conflict and even the 2006 War with Israel have been involved in training and advising this effort. The trigger for their involvement was ISIS’ threat to destroy a revered Iranian Shia pilgrimage Mosque in Samarra in June. The ISIS advance was halted by Shia militia with help from Suleymani’s Quds Force. Al Arabiyya and IRNA reported in August 2014 funerals for Iranian and Hezbollah commanders killed in this not so shadow war by Iran’s Quds Force in Iraq against ISIS. Disclosure of this letter to Ayatollah Khamenei might complicate the President’s announced request for Congressional passage of amended war powers authorization for the fight against ISIS. This raises the question of how can the Administration provide training and equipment to alleged Syrian opposition forces fighting the Assad regime, while simultaneously reaching out to Iran and its proxy Hezbollah both actively involved in Syria fighting those rebel forces. Congress rushed before a mid-July 214 recess to appropriate $500 million diverted from Defense appropriations for overseas covert operations to fund training and equipping of ‘vetted’ Syrian opposition forces. The sponsor of the funding proposal, outgoing Arkansas Senator Mark Pryor, was cited by The Hill at the time saying, “Syria is a kaleidoscope of ever-changing circumstances and loyalties. Our friends today could be our enemies tomorrow”.
| — Hat tip: Jerry Gordon | [Return to headlines] |
The Driving Force Behind the US Oil Boom
The shale revolution’s sweet spot is oilfield services, the lower-risk backbone of the American oil and gas boom that pays off regardless of a play’s economics.
Behind the stardom of the explorers and producers who have put themselves on the revolutionary shale map and absorb most of the risk—are the service providers who make up a highly lucrative market segment.
The US land-based rig count rose 3% over the last quarter, reaching a two-year high of 1,870 active rigs. A major factor in this growth has been an uptick in horizontal drilling in the Permian Basin, Texas’ revived giant, where the rig count was up 21% year-on-year.
And while oil prices slumped in October, drilling activity continues to rise according to Baker Hughes, the third-largest oil services company. Baker Hughes’ rig count is up 3.8% in the fourth quarter of this year, compared to the third quarter.
Oil prices are “no longer the only driver of that bus because continued efficiencies from pad drilling, hydraulic fracturing and increased stages per well continue to increase recoveries and lower costs per unit of oil and gas produced”, Natural Gas Intel quoted analysts as saying.
All the drilling poises the oil and gas services industry for big gains. For potential investors, it’s a good time, too, because the past couple of weeks have seen oil services oversold after West Texas Intermediate and Brent crude prices took a dive coming off their summer highs.
The Q3 conference calls from industry giants Baker Hughes Inc. and Schlumberger Ltd. were very positive—they see no changes in overall spending outlook from their customers.
Baker Hughes’ third-quarter profit rose 10% on higher revenue across all segments.
And even though oil services giants such as Halliburton are low risk and aren’t experiencing any downturn whatsoever as a result of the oil price slump, their stocks have been crushed.
Small cap services stocks have fared even worse. But business continues to boom for these operators as well.
Dave Werklund is Chairman of Calgary-based Aveda Transportation and Energy Services —whose stock has gone from $5.85-$4 in the last two months, despite no downturn in business.
At over $100 million revenue, Aveda is the largest pure-play drill rig mover in the United States. Today its footprint covers over 80% of the rig-moving market, from Alberta all the way down to Texas.
“With over 2,000 active rigs operating across North America today, and an average rig being moved approximately 17 times per year, the rig-moving industry is set for phenomenal gains,” Dave Werklund, Executive Chairman of Calgary-based Aveda Transportation and Energy Services told Oilprice.com.
This little known segment is actually a $2-billion niche in the services sector.
Once horizontal wells are drilled from a pad, the fully constructed rig has to be dismantled, moved to the next location using hydraulic walking or skidding systems, and then put back together.
Producers are demanding this work be done faster and safer than ever before. It’s a service that continues to be in high demand.
The advent of pad drilling, which allows the drilling of multiple wells from a single pad, is also transforming the services industry from equipment design and leasing to the task of moving the larger loads from pad to pad.
“With the conversion to pad drilling in the US, the size and weight of the rigs have increased exponentially,” says Werklund. That was a lucky break for Aveda, as they already had much bigger trucks in their fleet because of the bigger rigs their original Canadian customers used. As soon as they came down to the US, producers began using their services.
The general consensus is that American producers will not stop drilling even with an oil price of $80 per barrel. Instead, they’re digging in.
The lesson for investors? While energy service stocks have seen a crushing six weeks—in tandem with oil prices—activity levels have not slowed.
By: James Stafford of Oilprice.com
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US Army Buys Its First Iron Dome From Israel
US apparently won over by performance of anti-missile system in Gaza war; move may mean Iron Dome to be covered by US defense budget.
Israel had been struggling to sell the Iron Dome anti-missile defense system abroad, but the Israel Defense website revealed on Sunday that a major purchaser has been found: the United States.
Apparently the US Army will acquire one Iron Dome battery, and based on tests it will conduct on the system decide whether or not to purchase more units of the Israeli defense system that reportedly boasted a 90% hit rate in Operation Protective Edge.
Israel Defense notes that at the beginning of Iron Dome’s development the US Army didn’t have much confidence in the system, which is why it was funded with a special budget and not the ordinary annual US defense budget that is allocated for other anti-missile systems such as the Arrow.
Having seen the system proven in war, the US now apparently is considering deploying it to defend military establishments and US soldiers around the world, as its short-range missile defense capability is not in great demand in America.
Recently cooperation was agreed upon between the Israeli defense company Rafael which developed Iron Dome and the American company Raytheon, by which they will develop Iron Dome together on American soil.
By doing so, Iron Dome may be included in the “normal” defense budget for Israel, which requires roughly 75% of Israel’s defense spending to be of American-made military hardware. It also will allow Israel and the US to offer the system for sale to several other countries, such as Poland, Ukraine and South Korea.
India has also reportedly been interested in buying the Israeli-made system, with defense ties between the two countries soaring of late, and with India increasingly buying from Israel rather than the US.
Just last week Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon (Likud) decided to drop Israel’s planned purchase of the US V-22 Osprey aircraft. The decision reportedly stemmed from lessons learned in Operation Protective Edge and the recent conclusion of an agreement to buy a second batch of costly Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighters.
Another reason for the move was raised by Israel Defense, which noted that the purchase of six V-22 aircraft did not justify establishing a new logistical wing in the IAF to utilize the advanced planes.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Danish Bike Culture Even Cooler Than You Thought
Bicycles are everywhere in Denmark, particularly in the capital city of Copenhagen. Alex Berger, aka the Virtual Wayfarer, highlights some of the things the city has done to foster a thriving bicycle culture.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
EU to Probe Luxembourg Over Tax Breaks
Juncker won’t handle probe
(ANSA) — Rome, November 6 — The European Commission said it would probe Luxembourg over new allegations it offered tax breaks for more than 300 global companies but Commission chief and ex-Luxembourg PM Jean-Claude Juncker will not handle the probe.
Pepsi and Ikea are among those accused of making deals with Luxembourg to save billions in tax in other countries.
The revelations were published in a report by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).
Luxembourg is already under investigation by the EU over suspected “sweetheart” tax deals with online retailer Amazon and the financing arm of carmaker Fiat.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
France: Parliamentary Motion to Recognize Palestine
Resolution of Socialist MPs to be voted in coming weeks
(ANSAmed) — PARIS — France’s Socialist deputies headed by ex-Justice Minister Elisabeth Guigou are getting ready to present a resolution at the National Assembly in favor of recognizing a Palestinian State, parliamentary sources were quoted as saying by local media on Wednesday.
The motion should be voted in the coming weeks and, even if approved, would not be binding for the French government but would have a symbolic value and could lead the presidency and cabinet to reconsider their position on the issue.
The resolution, at the center of a meeting of the Socialist group at the Assembly on Tuesday, will also be discussed on Wednesday by Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius in an informal meeting at the Quai d’Orsay to be attended by Socialist senators who are thinking about presenting a similar motion, according to internal sources.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Germany Rail Strike Threatens Berlin Wall Celebrations
‘Longest in country’s history’
(ANSA) — Rome, November 6 — A four-day German rail strike, billed as the longest in history, has hit passenger trains and threatens to disrupt celebrations marking the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall.
The stoppage by the 20,000-member GDL union hit intercity and regional services alike on Thursday and is due to last until early on Monday.
Rail operator Deutsche Bahn sought an injunction to halt the strike.
The union rejected the company’s offer of arbitration late on Wednesday.
As commuters struggled to work, on the roads and on restricted rail services, there was widespread concern that the strike would hit up to two million people travelling to Berlin for the 25th anniversary celebrations of the fall of the wall.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Eggs Thrown at Renzi Staff Car During Alcatel Visit
Premier uses side entrance to avoid demonstrators
(ANSA) Vimercate, (Monza), November 6 — Italian Premier Matteo Renzi slipped into a new Alcatel-Lucent factory by a side door Thursday, avoiding angry demonstrators who pelted his staff car with eggs, witnesses said.
Renzi was unscathed by the protests thanks to being hustled through the side door of the almost new factory while his staff’s car was targeted by protestors concerned at possible job losses at the plant.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: EC Refusal to Fund Trash in Campania Upheld
Waste disposal system endangers health, environment
(ANSA) — Brussels, November 6 — The European Court of Justice said Thursday that it has rejected Italy’s appeal against the European Commission’s refusal to pay financial aid for rubbish management in Campania on grounds the country had not taken all the measures necessary for waste disposal in the southern region.
In 2000 the Commission approved the inclusion of operations concerning the Campania regional waste management and disposal system in the framework for EU structural assistance in Italy.
However in 2007 it opened infraction proceedings against Italy for not guaranteeing the processing of rubbish in the region without endangering human health and harming the environment and for not having created an adequate integrated network of waste disposal facilities.
Following a 2010 judgement of the Court of Justice the Commission asked Italy to deduct all expenditure incurred in respect of the regional waste management and disposal system unless it rectified the situation. This expenditure, amounting to over 18 million euros, was subsequently declared ineligible for EU funding.
Italy brought an action to the General Court against the decision but this was dismissed, prompting Italy to appeal against the judgement to the Court of Justice.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Chi Editor Not Sorry Abt Madia Ice-Cream Pic
Should assume responsibility says minister
(ANSA) — Rome, November 6 — Chi editor Alfonso Signorini said Thursday he was not sorry about running a suggestive picture of Civil Service Minister Marianna Madia eating an icecream earlier this week.
“I’m not sorry, not at all…I’d it again, in a heartbeat.
Chi will continue to do irreverent stories as part of its public-service mission,” Signorini said on one of the TV channels of his owner, ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi.
Madia responded by saying “everyone should assume their responsibility.
She said the incriminated pic “speaks for itself”, declining to comment on the image it projected.
The gossip mag’s photo showed the minister pushing a chocolate cone of gelato into her mouth and then licking her lips.
The caption said: “She knows how to do it with an ice cream”.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Renzi Sank Letta Govt Because ‘Battery Was Flat’
Premier says executive of PD colleague was moribund
(ANSA) — Rome, November 6 — Premier Matteo Renzi has said that he sank the executive of his Democratic Party (PD) colleague Enrico Letta in February because its battery was flat.
Renzi was able to torpedo Letta’s government to become Italy’s youngest premier at 39 after winning a PD leadership primary in December.
The former Florence mayor caused the Letta executive to collapse just weeks after famously telling his PD colleague to “be serene” because he did not want his job. “The Letta government’s battery was flat, the engine had stalled,” Renzi said in an interview for a book by Italian journalist Bruno Vespa, excerpts of which have been released in advance. “We tried to revive it, but it wasn’t possible”.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Generali Posts 1.6 Bln Euro Net Profit in First Nine Months
Insurer increases premiums by 6.4% in same period
(ANSA) — Milan, November 6 — Italian insurance giant Generali reported a net profit of 1.588 billion euros in the January-September period, the company said in a statement Thursday.
This represented a growth of 7.5% excluding discontinued operations, Generali added. Net income in the first nine months of 2013 was 1.591 billion euros.
Total premiums increased by 6.4% to 51.3 billion euros in the first nine months of 2014, driven by business mix and new products, the company said. “The solid nine-month results show that the group’s operating performance and capital position are continuing to develop despite an adverse market scenario,” Financial Director Alberto Minali said.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Renzi Stands by His Reforms as Juncker Row Rolls on
‘The time of ideological safety blankets is over’ says premier
(ANSA) — Rome, November 5 — Premier Matteo Renzi defended himself Wednesday from critics of his Jobs Act labor reform, which would scale back some protections for workers under Article 18 of the 1970 Workers Statute, and went on to outline his hopes for the coming months of his premiership.
“I stand by our choice on Article 18, and I totally deny the charges that we didn’t budget enough to protect the weakest sectors of society,” he told journalist Bruno Vespa in an interview for an upcoming book, excerpts of which are to be published by Panorama magazine on Thursday. “The time of ideological safety blankets is over. We are the first to put real and copious welfare money on the table”. Renzi went on to remind “those who in the 1990s and in 2006 said that reforms must be carried out without allocating a single euro, that we have allocated 1.5 billion euros”.
The premier added that he “expected more solidarity on the battle we are conducting in Europe”, where Italy has been leading calls for more flexibility and a new focus on growth and job creation rather than austerity”.
“Some of those who berate and oppose me today, where key in parliament votes when Fiscal Compact agreements were closed and ratified,” the premier argued.
“If in the coming eight months we do half of what we got done in our first eight months in office we’ll win game, set and match,” Renzi said, and went on to list his government’s reforms, both planned and partially achieved.
“Taxes, justice, public administration, Constitutional and electoral law reform — we will have changed Italy definitively,” the premier said.
“This parliament really has a great opportunity to rewrite the rules of the game over the coming years,” he added. On the issue of snap elections, which some political analysts and pundits say the young premier is aiming for, Renzi denied all rumors. “It would be in my interest to cash in on extremely strong voter consensus…and identify an executive group that is closer and more loyal to me,” he said in an apparent jab at a minority within his party, which has been strenuously opposed to measures contained in his Jobs Act.
“But if we want to respect the interests of the Italian people, then it doesn’t make sense to change 300 MPs when what we need is to change the country. So no, no early elections”.
And while Renzi’s row with new European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker rolled on — with Juncker saying Wednesday he has “no problem” with the Italian premier but wants to defend the Commission from “sabotage” — Renzi invoked the protection of an unlikely European ally, German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
“Merkel loves Italy and summoned me to Berlin for a meeting while Enrico Letta was still premier,” said Renzi. “In order to get the results we want, we must change Italy. The Chancellor and I think alike on this and she recognizes that Italy can aspire to a continental leadership role”.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Renzi Tells EU ‘To Leave Golden Cage of Bureaucracy’
Alcatel-Lucent plant protesters pelt his staff car with eggs
(ANSA) — Rome, November 6 — Premier Matteo Renzi called for more investments in high-tech both within Italy and in Europe, which must release innovation and research from what he called “the chains” of the EU Growth and Stability Pact.
“If they want to leave the golden cage of bureaucracy they should release all investments that create technology, research and innovation from the chains of the Stability Pact,” Renzi said at a new Alcatel-Lucent plant opening near the northern city of Monza.
The premier went on to say that while new OECD data showing weakness in the eurozone is “very sad”, the silver lining is that it “proves if the eurozone changes, the global economy can start growing again. This is why in Italy, we are battling to change Europe”.
Renzi said investing in the high-tech, digital and broadband sectors is crucial for Italy, but right now is being carried out by different ministries in a fragmented way.
“We need to centralize those investments,” Renzi said.
After visiting the plant, Renzi met with a delegation from FIOM, FIM and UILM metalworkers unions. “We need to reform our innovation and digital sectors,” the premier told unions at the 10-minute meeting, which focused on maintaining production in Italy. Renzi said the government believes in the local Silicon Valley, as the Brianza area around Monza is called due to its clusters of high-tech industry. “The Brianza Silicon Valley must have a future,” he told union delegates. “It is important to create a positive climate to find solutions. I hope my presence here helps solve the difficulties you are experiencing”. The premier spoke after angry protesters concerned about layoffs at the telecommunications equipment plant earlier pelted his staff car with eggs. Renzi was hustled through the side door, unscathed.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy FM Gentiloni Says EU Suffering ‘Crisis of Legitimacy’
Calls for common effort against ISIS. Jerusalem tension alarming
(ANSAmed) — ROME — The Italian foreign minister Paolo Gentiloni on Thursday said Europe is going through an unprecedented “crisis of legitimacy”. “Europe is living through a crisis of legitimacy without precedent, but one need only to turn one’s gaze to the tensions on our borders” to understand that the EU is still a magnet for “women, children, victims of conflict, migrants who are looking for a better future”, Gentiloni said, speaking to a parliamentary conference on foreign policy, security and defense held in the Italian Senate.
The minister added that the Islamic State (ISIS) represents “an unprecedented threat and requires a collective effort. A political, military, and even cultural effort”.
Gentiloni also spoke of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying it represented “the oldest and fiercest wound that, even for us, challenges our consciences”. “The two-state solution is the only one possible” for putting an end to the conflict, Gentiloni said.
He also called the situation regarding Jerusalem’s Temple Mount “alarming”. The minister noted that the tension had been “aggravated by the persistent closure of places of worship” and condemned acts of violence against religious figures, security forces and civilians in Jerusalem in recent days. Gentiloni called the acts of violence “unjustifiable actions that contradict the history and vocation of the Holy City for tolerance and civil and religious coexistence”. “All the parties involved,” he said, “must demonstrate a sense of responsibility and avoid acts and statements that may exacerbate an already delicate situation”.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Juncker Says Renzi Wrong to Say EC Run by Bureaucrats
Commission president say politicians in charge
(ANSA) — Brussels, November 5 — European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Wednesday Italian Premier Matteo Renzi was wrong to suggest bureaucrats are responsible for the organization. “To say the Commission is made up of bureaucrats or to say that you do not accept lessons from bureaucrats is not something that I like,” said Juncker. “I’m the head of 27 political commissioners and we are not bureaucrats, we are politicians”. Renzi has said: “Reducing the power of bureaucracy in Europe is of the utmost importance”.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Polish Prosecutors Indict Ex-Priest on Child Sex Abuse
Waldemar Gil allegedly abused kids in Dominican Republic
(ANSA) — Vatican City, November 6 — Polish prosecutors have indicted defrocked priest Wojciech Waldemar Gil on 10 counts of sexual abuse of minors, Dominican authorities said Thursday.
The 37-year-old former parish priest, who was jailed in Poland in February after fleeing the Dominican Republic in May 2013, is accused of pedophilia in both countries.
His case is linked to that of former archbishop Jozef Wesolowski, whom the Vatican arrested in September after Pope Francis gave the green light.
Wesolowski, 66, is accused of paying for sex with children while he was a papal ambassador in the Dominican Republic.
The arrest was the first inside the Vatican for alleged paedophilia.
Wesolowski was defrocked by a Vatican canon law tribunal in June after being found guilty of child abuse.
The ex nuncio, who was recalled to Rome last year, could face up to seven years in prison for possession of child porn and child sexual abuse.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Socialists Say Juncker Credibility at Risk Over Tax Deals
New EC head told ‘pick sides’ on corporations avoiding bills
(See related) (ANSA) — Brussels, November 6 — The credibility of Jean-Claude Juncker as the new president of the European Commission is at stake over the issue of corporations moving to avoid taxes, the leader of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament said Thursday.
Italian Gianni Pittella said in a statement that Juncker, who was prime minister of Luxembourg from 1995 to 2013, “must show where he stands” on what some call legalized tax avoidance that occurs in Luxembourg and was revealed in the so-called “Luxleaks” of corporate tax files.
“Is he on the side of nationalists, or the companies that are tax evaders,” said Pittella, who is a member of Italy’s Democratic Party (PD) from Basilicata.
Almost 30,000 documents were leaked, outlining tax deals reached in Luxembourg with major multinational corporations accused of cross-border tax avoidance.
Finance Minister Pierre Gramegna said Thursday that Luxembourg’s practices are “perfectly compatible with all international conventions” but that authorities there recognize tax rules “can lead to a paltry payment of taxes by business and we believe that is not satisfactory”.
The issue drew scrutiny in September when the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), working with the G20 nations, agreed on draft measures to deal with multinational firms seeking to circumvent taxes by moving some operations to low-tax nations.
The proposed measures were designed to ensure big multinationals shoulder a greater share of the tax burden.
Many corporations currently arrange their affairs to avoid paying taxes in jurisdictions where they earn millions in revenues.
Current international tax rules and treaties among nations have not kept pace with developments in the digital economy and innovations that have allowed tax avoidance, the experts say.
Work on combatting tax avoidance began two years ago and in mid-2013, as part of the OECD project, the Italian government calculated that profitable multinationals including Amazon and Facebook had together paid just one million euros in taxes in 2012.
Google has also been frequently named as an organization that avoids paying taxes through an intricate series of holding companies.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Sweden: Defence Minister Was Conscientious Objector
It’s been revealed that Sweden’s new defence minister, who has floated the idea of reintroducing conscription, was a conscientious objector.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
A council has decided not to name a memorial at the site of Lee Rigby’s death after the murdered fusilier for fear it may offend Islamic fanatics.
Campaigners urged Greenwich Council to build a commemorative site for the man who was murdered by two extremists in the street last year.
But after agreeing to their demands, officials revealed it would not be named after the 25-year-old for fear it could lead to more religious attacks.
Instead, an inscription will read: ‘To commemorate all those servicemen and woman who have served or lived in Woolwich and who gave given their lives.’
Critics blasted the decision as ‘disgusting’ last night, urging officials to ‘stand up’ to violent extremists.
‘It’s disgusting. People outraged by that day need somewhere to go to think about what happened to Lee and his family,’ Cheryl Spruce told the Sun…
| — Hat tip: Steen | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Pro-Israel, Anti-Islamic State Doctor Investigated for “Islamophobia”
A London doctor is being investigated by the General Medical Council (GMC) for alleged Islamophobia after posting criticism of ISIS and support for Israel on his private Facebook page. He was reported to the council by Faisel Alam, who described himself on the complaint form as a “concerned member of the public” but in reality has links to both Islamic and leftist organisations, as well as the Council itself.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
No one should wait years before finding out if their marriage is valid or not. “In the Extraordinary Synod, there was talk about procedures and trials. There was concern for streamlining procedures in the interest of justice.” During “the recent Synod on the family, discussions centred on court proceedings “free of charge.”
Vatican City (AsiaNews) — The Church must not make people wait for years to learn whether their marriage is valid or not. The Church “is so generous that it can provide justice free of charge,” Pope Francis said before today’s general audience in a speech in the Paul VI Hall in the Vatican to participants in a course offered by the tribunal of the Roman Rota (pictured).
The pontiff focused his brief address on justice, charity and care so “that procedures do not become a business,” not some “strange things.” He also mentioned that during the recent Synod on the family, discussions centred on streamlining procedures and offering them free of charge.
“In the Extraordinary Synod [on the Family], there was talk about procedures and trials. There was concern for streamlining procedures in the interest of justice.” This is “justice because decisions are just, and justice because it is what people expect”.
“Justice: how many people wait for years before a ruling [is passed]. For this reason, even before the Synod, I set up a commission to help prepare various paths in this area, a path of justice, and one of charity, because there are so many people who need a word from the Church about their marriage situation — be it a yes or a no — as long as it is just.”
“Some procedures are so lengthy, demanding and unfavourable that people quit. For example, the inter-Diocesan Tribunal of Buenos Aires has [jurisdiction] — I am not sure but I think — 15 dioceses [as a court] of first instance. I think the farthest [point] is 240 kilometres! It is impossible to imagine that ordinary people . . . can go to the Tribunal. They would have to travel, miss days of work.”
“And then, there is also the cost .. . . so many things… They tell themselves: ‘God understands me, and I’ll go on like this, with this weight on my soul.’ And Mother Church must judge and say ‘Yes, it is true, your marriage is null’ or ‘No, your marriage is valid’. But it must rule and tell them, so that it is possible to go forward without this doubt, this darkness in the soul.”
“Mother Church seeks out its children to deliver justice,” he said. “We must also be very careful that procedures do not become a business. And I am not talking of weird things.”
“There have been public scandals,” the Pope explained. “I had to dismiss a person from a tribunal some time ago, who said ‘Give me $10,000 and I’ll take care of both trials, the civil and the ecclesiastical’. Please, not this!”
“During the Synod, some proposals included trials free of charge. We shall have to see . . . . But when you attach economic interests to spiritual interests, that is not from God. Mother Church is so generous that it can provide justice free of charge, as we have been freely justified by Jesus Christ. This is important: separate two things.”
“We must study and always continue to look for the salus animarum, which is not necessarily found outside of justice but is [found] indeed with justice.”
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Libyan Municipal Elections to be Held Amid Political Chaos
Pro-Islamist militias break into Sharara oil facilities
(ANSAmed) — CAIRO, NOVEMBER 6 — With political chaos reigning in Libya after the parliament elected in June was dissolved on Thursday, a date has been set to hold municipal elections. Voters will cast their votes on November 29 in four regions, on December 6 in seven and on December 13 in three others, reported Libyan news agency LANA. A Tuareg militia supporting the Islamist Libya Dawn group reported broke into oil facilities on Wednesday in Sharara (southwestern Libya) belonging to the Akakus Oil company, it was reported on Thursday. The intruders later escaped, say local media. The militants stole about 20 company vehicles as well as computers and documents, Libya Herald quotes the head of the guard staff at the facilities as saying. He added that the attack had taken them by surprise and that thus no clashes had ensued.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Tripoli GNC to ‘Take on Parliamentary Functions’
‘Our unity government is legitimate’, says deputy speaker
La Corte costituzionale di Tripoli presidiata dalle forze di sicurezza
(ANSAmed) — CAIRO — The Libyan General National Congress, the former parliament headquartered in Tripoli, has accepted the Supreme Court decision on Thursday to dissolve the Tobruk House of Representatives and take on parliamentary functions. The announcement was made by the GNC deputy speaker Saleh Al-Makhzoum, reported news agency LANA.
The Libyan Constitutional Court on Thursday cancelled the results of the June 25 general parliament elections, which lead to the formation of the current House of Representives in Tobruk. The decision effectively dissolves the Tobruk Parliament, which is recognized by the international community.
The Tobruk parliament “has been annulled and all of its decisions are null and void. In compliance with the court decision, all the decisions made by the National Congress — including the formation of a national unity government — are legitimate and applicable with immediate effect,” Makhzoum said.
In August after its mandate ended, the GNC had appointed a “parallel” government under Omar Al-Hasi that was never recognized by the international community. Makhzoum added that “the Congress pledges before the Libyan people and all revolutionaries to take on its responsibilities until the conclusion of a final solution” to the crisis, a solution that is “acceptable to all Libyans”.
With political chaos reigning in Libya after the parliament elected in June was dissolved on Thursday, a date has been set to hold municipal elections. Voters will cast their votes on November 29 in four regions, on December 6 in seven and on December 13 in three others, reported Libyan news agency LANA.
In the meantime, a Tuareg militia supporting the Islamist Libya Dawn group broke into oil facilities on Wednesday in Sharara (southwestern Libya) belonging to the Akakus Oil company, it was reported on Thursday. The intruders later escaped, say local media. The militants stole about 20 company vehicles as well as computers and documents, Libya Herald quotes the head of the guard staff at the facilities as saying. He added that the attack had taken them by surprise and that thus no clashes had ensued.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
French Socialists Push for Recognition of Palestinian State
The movement for the recognition of Palestine is gaining momentum in the wake of Sweden’s decision to officially recognise the state. Socalist legislators are preparing a resolution that would see France join 135 other countries in recognising the state of Palestine.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
More Than 600 Reported Chemical Arms Exposure in Iraq, Pentagon Acknowledges
More than 600 American service members since 2003 have reported to military medical staff members that they believe they were exposed to chemical warfare agents in Iraq, but the Pentagon failed to recognize the scope of the reported cases or offer adequate tracking and treatment to those who may have been injured, defense officials say.
The Pentagon’s disclosure abruptly changed the scale and potential costs of the United States’ encounters with abandoned chemical weapons during the occupation of Iraq, episodes the military had for more than a decade kept from view.
This previously untold chapter of the occupation became public after an investigation by The New York Times revealed last month that while troops did not find an active weapons of mass destruction program, they did encounter degraded chemical weapons from the 1980s that had been hidden in caches or used in makeshift bombs.
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Syria: Pentagon Confirms Death of Khorasan Leader
French jihadist Drugeon killed in drone attack
(ANSAmed) — WASHINGTON, NOVEMBER 6 — The Pentagon announced on Thursday that French jihadist, Muslim convert and key member of the ‘Khorasan Group’ David Drugeon had been killed the previous day in a US drone strike in Syria. Reports were found in US media. The Pentagon quoted secret service officials as saying that the airstrikes had been conducted on positions controlled by ‘Khorasan terrorists’ in Idlib province, northwestern Syria. Drugeon is held to be an expert in bomb-making.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Syrian Army Retakes Gas Field From ISIS
(AGI) Damascus, Nov 6 — The Syrian Army regained control of the Al-Shaer gas field, in Syria’s Homs province, which had been overrun by Islamic State militias. According to Syrian state television, military sources stated the loyalists retook the gas field and the surrounding area. The news was confirmed by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. On Wednesday, activists and media officials reported that Assad’s troops has regained partial control of the area.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
West Responsible for Extremism, Says Coptic Patriarch
(AGI) Rome, Nov 5 — Extremist groups, whose large scale offensives are disrupting the Middle Eastern geopolitical scenario are also a product of misconceived Western strategies, said the Coptic Patriarch of Alexandria, Tawdros II. He was interviewed in a programme broadcast by the Al Hayat Arabic television channel on Tuesday Nov. 4, to mark his visit to Russia.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Still ‘Margin for Political Solution’ To Ukraine Crisis, FM
Paolo Gentiloni replaced Federica Mogherini at Farnesina
(ANSA) — Rome, November 6 — There is still a margin for finding a political solution to the crisis in Ukraine, Italy’s new Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said Thursday.
“Italy’s position is clear, namely respect for the territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine,” Gentiloni told the inter-parliamentary conference on common foreign, security and defence policy in the Senate.
“It is for this reason that we did not recognise the elections in Donbas and supported sanctions against Moscow,” continued the minister.
On Sunday the self-proclaimed pro-Russian breakaway eastern Ukraine regions of Donetsk and Luhansk held controversial presidential elections that were supported by Russia, but which Kiev and the West have condemned as illegal. “There is still room for a political solution,” continued Gentiloni, saying however that this was linked to the maintenance of Italy’s “firm” position and to the “willingness to dialogue with countries such as Russia”. Gentiloni was sworn in last Friday as foreign minister to replace Federica Mogherini, who left the post Friday to become the European Union’s new high representative for foreign affairs and security policy.
Gentiloni and Mogherini are both senior members of Premier Matteo Renzi’s centre-left Democratic Party (PD). Gentiloni, 59, served as communications minister in Romano Prodi’s 2006-2008 government.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Russian president says he sees nothing wrong with treaty with Nazi Germany that led to the carve-up of Poland — and blames Britain for destroying any chance of an anti-fascist front.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Malaysia’s Moderate Muslim Face Takes a Beating
When Malaysia’s urbane Prime Minister Najib Razak travels abroad he invariably touts his country’s widely accepted reputation for moderate Islam, but that image is taking a beating at home.
Increasingly strident Islamist pressure, often initiated by Najib’s own government, is causing deepening dismay in the traditionally tolerant, multi-faith country.
The trend is rooted in the decades-old regime’s attempts to strengthen its weakening grip amid repeated electoral setbacks, as a formidable opposition taps into broad sentiment for liberal reform. But the ruling establishment is setting the country on an uncertain path, critics warn.
“The government spends a lot of money promoting the label ‘moderate’. Of course (Malaysia is) not moderate. We are far from that,” said Zaid Ibrahim, a former minister in the regime.
Malaysia has enjoyed uncommon racial and religious harmony, with a politically dominant Muslim ethnic Malay majority largely co-existing with sizeable Chinese and Indian communities. Speech or actions that inflame religious sensitivities can result in jail.
But Islamic pressure has accelerated this year as the ruling United Malays National Organisation falls back on its Muslim base.
In a deeply emotive dispute, government and religious officials have upped pressure on Malay-speaking Christians to cease using the Arabic word “Allah” for the Christian God, as they have done for generations. Authorities have angered Christians by seizing Bibles containing “Allah.”
Official Friday sermons and religious edicts have increasingly warned of creeping liberalism and other threats to Islam, critics say, while prominent moderate-Muslim groups have been branded “deviant” by religious authorities.
An animal activist triggered a frenzy last month with a campaign encouraging his fellow Muslims to touch and been kind to dogs, which are considered unclean by Islam. The activist was sharply denounced and received death threats.
Pressured by powerful conservatives, the mild-mannered Najib, 61, is accused by moderate critics of looking the other way.
His government has charged dozens of regime critics with sedition recently and is attempting to jail opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on much-questioned sodomy charges…
| — Hat tip: Vlad Tepes | [Return to headlines] |
Patriarch of Moscow Writes to Pakistani President “Pardon Asia Bibi”
In a letter to Hussain, Kirill warns: “There is the risk of jeopardizing the dialogue and relations between Christians and Muslims not only in Pakistan but all over the world.”
Moscow (AsiaNews) — Patriarch Kirill of Moscow has sent a letter to the President of Pakistan Himari Hussain asking him to pardon Asia Bibi, a Christian woman sentenced to death for blasphemy.
The primate of the Russian Orthodox Church writes, “it would be an irreparable loss for her family, her near and dear, cause a great damage to the Muslim-Christian dialogue and could also aggravate tension between Christians and Muslims both in Pakistan and in the entire world”.
In the letter, published on the Patriarchate website, Kirill says he is convinced that the political authorities of any modern state “ should be aware of their responsibility for the destiny of representatives of religious minorities entrusted to them”.
“The Russian Orthodox Church — the letter continues — has shown serious concern over the judgment delivered by the court. Our multimillion flock joins their voice to that of the great number of people throughout the world who advocate for saving the life of this Christian woman”.
After years in prison and in solitary confinement “for security reasons”, on October 16th the Lahore High Court upheld the death sentence imposed at first instance on Asia Bibi, a Christian mother of five children. She is accused of blasphemy for insulting the name of Muhammad, but has always claimed innocence and denounced being persecuted for her faith.
In 2011, Islamic extremists killed the governor of Punjab Salman Taseer (Muslim) and the Federal Minister for Minorities Shahbaz Bhatti (Catholic), “guilty” of having defended Bibi. Human rights groups and religious minorities have long upheld that Pakistan’s infamous blasphemy law is often used to persecute purposes.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Five Including Priest Sentenced to Death for Kenya Bishop Murder
Appeal expected on conviction for Italian prelate’s slaying
(ANSA) Rome, November 6- A court in Nairobi Thursday sentenced to death five men including a Roman Catholic priest for the 2005 murder of the Italian apostolic vicar of Isiolo, Monsignor Luigi Locati, the Misna and AFP agencies report.
The convicted men were identified as Father Guyo Waqo Malley, defined by the judge the “planner” of the murder, and four Muslims — Mohammed Molu Bagajo, Adan Ibrahim Mohammed, Mahati Ali Halake and Diqa Wario Mohammed.
Originally from Vercelli, Monsignor Locati was assassinated July 14, 2005.
He arrived in Kenya at the start of the 1960s.
The death sentence for murder is envisaged by the Kenyan criminal code though no execution has been carried out in Kenya since 1987.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Best-Ever View of Alien Planet Birth Caught by Giant Radio Telescope
A huge radio telescope in Chile has captured the best-ever image of planets forming around a distant star, researchers say.
The spectacular view of planet birth, taken by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in northern Chile, shows numerous concentric rings in the disk of dust and gas surrounding HL Tau, a sunlike star found about 450 light-years away from Earth.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Luis Fleischman: Rousseff’s Call for Dialogue and Change: The Contradiction of Promise and Reality
The recent elections in Brazil were very close with the incumbent president Dilma Rousseff from the Workers Party (PT) winning the election by a small margin of 3% against the pro-business candidate Aecio Neves from the Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB).
Although the result did not bring about a change of government, it definitely shook up politics as usual in Brazil.
The vote shows a deep division in the country between the richer South and the poorer North. The North has been the largest recipient of social welfare programs from the Federal government. It is precisely because of these welfare policies that a large majority of people in the North voted for Rousseff, giving her a narrow margin of victory. . The business sector, unhappy with high taxes and other obstacles imposed on them definitely voted against Rousseff. The middle class, that was the key to the protests over the poor quality of health and educational services last year, also voted against Rousseff.
Bottom line, it is populist policies that enabled Rousseff to get reelected.
Yet, as soon as the results were announced, the president stated that she will change her ways and spoke about the need for reform…
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Pope Strips Paedophile Priest of Clerical State
Father José Mercau serving 14 years for child sex abuse
(ANSA) — Buenos Aires, November 6 — Pope Francis has stripped of his clerical state an Argentinian priest convicted of child sex abuse while serving in a church north of Buenos Aires, San Isidro diocese said Thursday.
Father José Mercau is serving a 14-year prison sentence after being found guilty of repeated corruption of minors and aggravated sexual abuse in 2011.
He was reported by several of his victims who lived in a home for destitute children where he worked. In December 2013 the bishop of San Isidro, monsignor Oscar Ojea, apologised publicly for the abuse and called on the diocesan community to “work together to renew the culture of assistance to children and adolescents”.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Boat Driven by 15-Year-Old ‘Captain’ Carrying 11 Afghans Seized in Aegean Sea
Less than a week after a migrant boat disaster off of Istanbul’s coast, the Turkish Coast Guard seized a boat off the shores of the Aegean port of Bodrum carrying 11 Afghan refugees to the Greek island of Kos late on Nov. 5.
The “captain” driving the boat was only a 15-years-old boy, while another young man helping him was 17 years old, officials have said, adding that both were Turkish nationals.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Sweden: 8,000 Unaccompanied Refugee Children Expected Next Year
The Swedish Migration Board is forecasting that one out of 10 asylum seekers here next year will be a child arriving without parents or close relatives. Altogether 8,000 such refugee children are expected to come to Sweden during 2015.
In just a year their number has doubled, from around 3,800 in 2013 to 7,300 this year. Most of the unaccompanied children refugees arriving in Sweden have fled from Eritrea, Syria, Somalia, and Afghanistan.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Court Upholds Four States’ Same-Sex Marriage Bans
By a two-to-one vote, a federal appeals court in Cincinnati upheld the right of states to ban same-sex marriage, overturning lower court decisions in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee that found such restrictions to be unconstitutional.
The long-awaited decision, written by Judge Jeffrey S. Sutton, an appointee of President George W. Bush, ?contradicted rulings by four other federal circuit courts and appeared almost certain to force the Supreme Court to decide the same-sex marriage issue for the nation.
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“after the city passed an ordinance forbidding private organizations from engaging in such activities. ”
I don’t think that’s quite right; sources I read stated the ordinance forbid such feeding in places without adequate sanitation and kitchen facilities. Thus, for example, the churches involved could have quite likely opened their doors and held homeless feedings there.
Amendment would Constitutionally Protect Alabama from Foreign & Sharia law
Hundreds of court cases in the US have used Sharia Law in their judgements. This election day, voters in Alabama will have the chance to approve a constitutional amendment that protects the freedoms of the people of Alabama and even foreigners residing there by prohibiting the application of foreign law in Alabama courts. Act for America
Election results – AL State CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT 1 passed with 72% voting YES! via Montgomery Advertiser 11/5/2014
Congressional Candidate who said “Islam is not a religion, it’s a complete geopolitical structure and, as such, does not deserve First Amendment protection,” wins in Georgia!