Gates of Vienna News Feed 1/19/2018

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi says that he is ready to lead again if the ban on his assuming office is overturned, and his center-right coalition wins the election. Meanwhile, Matteo Salvini of the Lega, who is favored to become the next prime minister, told the EU that it could, ahem, have conjugal relations with itself.

In other news, researchers in Switzerland have found a highly resistant strain of tuberculosis among asylum seekers.

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

Thanks to Dean, Insubria, JD, Reader from Chicago, 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
» Croatia: Fitch Ugrades Rating From BB to BB+
» Economy Beats Forecasts Again: Jobless Claims at 45-Year Low
 
USA
» Boat Explosion in Kentucky Leaves 3 Dead
» CNN Completely Ignores FISA Memo Bombshell
» Congressman Confident Bombshell FISA Abuse Memo Will be Released Soon
» Former Secret Service Agent: FISA Memo Will ‘Destroy Image of Benevolent Obama’
» Iowa Boys Charged in Connection With Deaths of a Half Million Honey Bees
» It’s Time to Bring the Southern Poverty Law Center to Justice
» Muslim Convert Professor Goes on Bizarre Religious Rant in Class, Prompting Police Call
 
Canada
» “Islamophobia Day”? Are You Kidding?
 
Europe and the EU
» “The EU Can Go and F*** Itself!” Italian Politician in Shock Outburst as He Rallies Italy
» Germany: CDU and SPD Agree to Drop 2020 Climate Target
» Italy: Turin Prosecutor Decries National Police Chief’s Words
» Italy: FS, ANAS in 11-Bn Merger
» Italy: Andreotti Lawyer Bongiorno to Run for League
» Italy: Centre Right to Take North, PD Centre, M5S Lazio-Sicily-IPSOS
» Paris Metro Drivers Have to Skip Stations as Crack Dealers Take Over Platforms
» Radicalized Inmate Stabs 2 Guards in French Prison
» Soros Feels ‘More Than Ready’ To Strike Back at His Global Political Opponents
» Sweden: Rape Reports Up 10 Percent in 2017
» When is the Italian Election in 2018? Date, Polls, What to Expect in Italy’s Next Election
 
Latin America
» No Evidence Agst Barros in Karadima Case — Pope
 
Immigration
» Austria: Study: Muslim Migrants Have Medieval Attitudes Toward Jews, Gays, Women, And ‘Infidels’
» Belgium Could Become a Back Door to Britain for Migrants
» Germany: Failed Asylum Seekers Steal Police Sidearm, Take Hostages During Deportation Attempt
» Smuggling Gang Smashed After Years of Bringing Iraqi Migrants to UK in Near-Freezing Trucks
» Swiss Researchers Find Highly Drug-Resistant Strain of Tuberculosis in Asylum Seekers
 

Croatia: Fitch Ugrades Rating From BB to BB+

First time since 2004. Growth, tourism, public accounts are ok

(ANSA) — ZAGREB, JAN 19 — The Fitch rating agency upgraded Croatia’s credit rating of Croatia from BB to BB +, with positive prospects. It is the first time since 2004 that an agency has upgraded the country’s rating. Croatia is a member of the EU since 2013. Fitch said that the decision depends on the strong economic growth recorded in the last three years, the excellent tourist season and the stability of public finances. According to the first data released by the Finance Ministry, 2017 closed with a surplus in public housing, which, along with the GDP growth, estimated at 3%, will reduce the public debt from 82.5 to 78% of the GDP. Croatia’s premier, Andrej Plenkovic, said he is convinced that other rating agencies will soon follow in Fitch’s footsteps.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Economy Beats Forecasts Again: Jobless Claims at 45-Year Low

Economists polled by Reuters expected jobless claims filed during the week ending January 13 to be a little lower than the week before — 250,000 new claims compared to 261,000 new claims filed the first week in January. Once again, the economy surprised to the upside: Jobless claims fell to a 45-year low of 220,000. Any number below 300,000 in an economy as large as the United States’ reflects a healthy economy.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Boat Explosion in Kentucky Leaves 3 Dead

An explosion rocked a tugboat while it was docked for repairs in Kentucky, killing three people and injuring several others Friday, authorities said.

Work was being done on the vessel and dozens of people were either aboard the boat or at the site when the blast occurred shortly after 9 a.m. CST outside Calvert City, Kentucky State Police Detective Jody Cash said.

The explosion appeared to occur inside the boat, resulting in a flash fire, he said. Authorities offered no immediate word about a cause. There was no early indication of foul play, Cash said.

Some of the injuries were serious, he said.

The U.S. Coast Guard responded to the blast, along with numerous local emergency agencies. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration sent an investigator to the scene, Cash said.

The boat was still upright and had not sunk after the blast, the detective said. Several other boats were nearby, but damage appeared limited to the tugboat, he said…

           — Hat tip: Dean [Return to headlines]
 

CNN Completely Ignores FISA Memo Bombshell

Home page doesn’t even have a single story about scandal dubbed “worse than Watergate”

The FISA memo bombshell, a scandal dubbed “worse than Watergate” by one Congressman, is being completely ignored by CNN this morning, with zero coverage on the network’s home page.

The memo, which was viewed by members of the House on Thursday, is said to contain “shocking” evidence of top Department of Justice and FBI officials abusing the the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) in order to illegally spy on the Trump campaign.

“This was essentially deep state political opposition research being conducted inside government for a considerable period of time. The information, gathered on Clinton’s political opposition, was then weaponized against the candidacy of Donald Trump,” summarizes the Conservative Treehouse blog.

Numerous members of Congress expressed their utter shock at the gravity of the revelations contained in the memo and called for its public release.

“The facts contained in this memo are jaw-dropping and demand full transparency. There is no higher priority than the release of this information to preserve our democracy,” said Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), adding that people will “go to jail” over the memo.

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

Congressman Confident Bombshell FISA Abuse Memo Will be Released Soon

Congressman Matt Gaetz told Fox News this morning that the bombshell FISA abuse memo, which some claim could end the Mueller investigation and lead to top officials going to jail, is set to be released soon.

The classified Department of Justice memo is suspected to contain evidence of illegal FBI and DOJ spying on the Trump campaign at the behest of Hillary Clinton.

According to journalist Sara Carter, the memo is so “explosive” that it could lead to “the end of Robert Mueller’s Special Counsel investigation into President Trump and his associates.”

Numerous lawmakers are calling for the document to be publicly released, with Rep. Steve King describing it as “worse than Watergate”.

Appearing on Fox News, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who previously asserted that people will “go to jail” over the memo, suggested that the release of the document is on the horizon.

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

Former Secret Service Agent: FISA Memo Will ‘Destroy Image of Benevolent Obama’

A former Secret Service agent who worked under Obama has declared that the details contained within the reportedly shocking classified FISA abuse memo will completely rewrite the legacy of the former President.

The memo is circulating on Capitol Hill, and is described by those who have seen it as so devastating that it could end special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe instantaneously.

In essence, the memo names and shames those who have sought to deliberately undermine and obstruct Trump’s Presidency, by using underhanded and possibly even illegal tactics.

Former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino has intimated that one of those individuals is Barack Obama.

“Take it to the bank, the FBI/FISA docs are devastating for the Dems. The whole image of a benevolent Barack Obama they’ve disingenuously tried to portray is about to be destroyed. The real Obama, the vengeful narcissist, is going to be exposed for all to see,” Bongino tweeted.

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

Iowa Boys Charged in Connection With Deaths of a Half Million Honey Bees

Two boys have been charged with killing a half-million bees after they allegedly vandalized a honey farm in Sioux City, Iowa, knocking over hives and exposing the bees to deadly winter temperatures.

The suspects are 12 and 13 years old and their names are not being released because of their age.

Police announced Wednesday that the boys had been arrested. They have been charged with criminal mischief, agricultural animal facilities offenses and burglary, all felonies, according to The Sioux City Journal.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

It’s Time to Bring the Southern Poverty Law Center to Justice

by Tom DeWeese

There are many powerful forces operating today across the nation to divide the American people and silence opposing views. One of the most active of these efforts is the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).

There are two very serious reasons why the SPLC is in many ways more dangerous than other organizations that are fueling the flames of the far left radicals who use violence and lies to stop honest political debate.

First, the SPLC has contracts with the federal government, specifically the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), serving as advisors to help define what a domestic terrorist or hate group is, even helping to write official policy for this agency of our government. Here are just a few examples:

  • In 2009, the Department of Homeland Security issued a report entitled “Right-wing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment.” It targeted conservative groups that supported local rule over federal control. And it singled out groups that opposed abortion or illegal immigration.
  • Two weeks later, DHS issued a Domestic Extremism Lexicon to define Right wing extremists = those who are concerned over the economy, had antagonism toward the Obama Administration or oppose the UN.
  • According to these reports and many more, the list of potential terrorists, according to these reports and many more, included anyone who voted for Ron Paul for president, for example.

These reports were basically written by the Southern Poverty Law Center! And they were sent to law enforcement agencies across the nation. Soon after the issuing of these reports police department nationwide could be observed providing bulletins to their officers to be on the watch for dangerous right wing activity.

In 2010 DHS organized a “Countering Violent Extremist Working Group.” Its purpose is to teach local law enforcement how to counter terrorism. It was basically the root of militarizing local police forces.

Serving on this “advisory group” was Mohamed Magid, president of the Islamic Society if North America, who has been accused of funding terrorist organizations. Also serving as an advisor to this group was Richard Cohen, President of the Southern Poverty Law Center. The conclusion of this report is that conservative organizations and spokesmen are possibly bigger domestic terror threats than ISIS!

The SPLC also runs the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center which issues official certification to police groups all over the country for fighting “hate” groups, i.e. Right wing groups. And it is funded by the Department of Homeland Security!

In 2013, Brietbart.com released a report by Judicial Watch confirming a direct connection between the DOJ and SPLC. The report states, “Judicial Watch, a Washington, D.C. based non-partisan educational foundation, released some two dozen pages of emails it obtained revealing connections between the Department of Justice Civil Rights and Tax divisions and the Southern Poverty Law Center.”

The second reason the SPLC is a dangerous threat to American freedom is its so-called “Hate List.” Each year, the SPLC updates its list of “extremist” groups and individuals it declares to be dangerous. Does the list include Black Lives Matter, ICIS, ANTIFA, or any of the forces that have taken credit for opening fire on crowds attending public events? Nope. SPLC’s list of hate groups are those who oppose Obamacare and NAFTA, are concerned about the economy, and perhaps stockpile food to prepare for possible bad economic times. These are “Right Wing Extremists.” The list goes on to include people like Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers and Senator Rand Paul. A few years ago it included Dr. Ben Carson, now HUD Secretary. The list also includes nearly any conservative and Christian organizations that advocate limited government or Christian teachings or government adherence to the Constitution.

There is now a new trend moving across the nation that makes inclusion on this list dangerous to the very existence of those listed on it. Since President Trump’s election, the SPLC has ramped up its attacks on the Right with the clear purpose of destroying conservatives’ ability to speak out and counter SPLC’s assault on free speech and freedom of choice.

Joining SPLC in these attacks on the Right are major corporations and social media giants like Facebook and Goggle. These corporations are, in fact, using the SPLC hate list to deny services to some organizations and individuals who are listed. Here are some examples:

[Comment: Read. It. All.]

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

Muslim Convert Professor Goes on Bizarre Religious Rant in Class, Prompting Police Call

Alarmed students at a community college in Texas called the police on their professor when he entered his astronomy class clad in black with his face covered and began ranting about the Koran.

On Tuesday, adjunct professor and Muslim convert Daniel Mashburn walked into the class 20 minutes late and turned off the lights before beginning his strange lecture. Wearing a baseball hat, a beanie and a scarf to obscure his face, the teacher began a diatribe about Islam.

The students feared that he would resort to violence because he repeatedly put his hand in his right-hand pocket to fiddle with an object, prompting some students to leave and call campus police.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

“Islamophobia Day”? Are You Kidding?

The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, is being asked by the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM, formerly known as CAIR CAN) to designate January 29 as a “National Day of Remembrance and Action on Islamophobia.” If he does, it is an indicator that the Islamists in Canada have succeeded in their program of political expansion and influence to the point of now being able publicly to manipulate the Prime Minister’s Office. In fact, in Canada, “Islamophobia” comes in only fourth behind crimes against Blacks, Gays and Jews. Hate crimes against Muslims have dropped, even as the overall number of hate crimes increase, according to the last Statistics Canada reporting.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

“The EU Can Go and F*** Itself!” Italian Politician in Shock Outburst as He Rallies Italy

The leader of the League party, formerly known as Northern League, Matteo Salvini claimed the European Union should stop interfering with Italian politics as the measures taken by the bloc have crippled the Italian economy for the past 15 years.

Mr Salvini is the frontrunner in the upcoming Italian general election as Italy’s next Prime Minister.

In a fiery interview with Italian TV Channel Rete 4, the Italian politician said: “Europe can go f*** itself!

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Germany: CDU and SPD Agree to Drop 2020 Climate Target

Deal would represent something of a U-turn for Merkel

(ANSA) — BERLIN — CDU and SPD agreed to drop plans to lower carbon dioxide emissions by 40% from 1990 levels by 2020, Reuters reported. Negotiators for Merkel’s conservative bloc and the center-left Social Democrats told the parties had agreed in exploratory talks on forming a government that the targeted cut in emissions could no longer be achieved by 2020. They would aim to hit the 40% target in the early 2020s.

Due to strong economic growth and higher-than-expected immigration, Germany is likely to miss its national emissions target for 2020 without any additional measures. The deal would represent something of a U-turn for Merkel, who has long presented herself as an advocate of climate protection policies on the international stage. Negotiators also agreed to cut the tax on electricity in order to reduce energy costs. The agreement, worked out by energy experts from both sides, must still be approved by party leaders.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Italy: Turin Prosecutor Decries National Police Chief’s Words

‘Unacceptable’ criticism, ‘investigation meticulous’

(ANSA) — Turin, January 18 — The prosecutor general of Turin, Francesco Saluzzo, on Thursday called thinly veiled criticism of the Turin office by Italy’s police chief “unacceptable”.

National police chief Franco Gabrielli, in responding to questions on a circular he has issued on safety and security responsibilities, made clear reference to an incident in a soccer-watching Turin square last summer that had led to the death of one woman and injuring of 1,526 others.

“When serious incidents occur,” he said, “the judge looks for a safe position and often the police chief is the one blamed.

Turin docet (‘teaches’). And thus we have said enough is enough.

We are tired of being the ‘fig leaf’ for responsibilities that are not ours.” Turin Police Chief Angelo Sanna is among those being probed for a stampede that injured the 1,500 in the northern city’s San Carlo Square when a crowd panicked while watching the Champions League final between local team Juventus and Real Madrid.

Several other people including Turin Mayor Chiara Appendino are under investigation in the probe.

Last month Turin Prefect Renato Saccone was also placed under investigation.

In reaction to Gabrielli’s words, Saluzzo said that there was no “will to hastily blame high-ranking representatives of the police” and said that there had been “very meticulous” work done to identify who should be put under investigation.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Italy: FS, ANAS in 11-Bn Merger

Motorway group integrated into rail group

(ANSA) — Rome, January 18 — Italian railway company Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) and motorway company ANAS on Thursday announced a merger creating a group with a turnover of 11 billion euros, cutting costs by 800 million euros. The capital hike is 2.86 billon euros, FS and ANAS chiefs Renato Mazzoncini and Gianni Vittorio Armani said. “With the OK from the European Anti-Trust agency and the signing at the economy ministry the operation of merging the ANAS group into FS has been completed,” they said.

“It is a huge satisfaction to have reached the end of the process,” said Mazzoncini.

He stressed that ANAS’s entry into the FS group “is not a sale, but a transfer of shares”.

The group that has been crated, he said “is not a giant, on the contrary, in Europe we play with stronger players than us.

Our turnover is slightly over 11 billion euros while our French and German competitors turn over respectively 32 and 40 billion”.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Italy: Andreotti Lawyer Bongiorno to Run for League

‘Sign of a League that is growing’ says Salvini

(ANSA) — Rome, January 18 — Giulia Bongiorno, a lawyer who successfully defended late premier Giulio Andreotti from mafia and murder charges, will run with the anti-migrant, anti-euro League in the March 4 general election, leader Matteo Salvini said Thursday. “Giulia Bongiorno is heading the League ticket in various parts of the country,” said Salvini, whose party is running in a centre-right alliance with ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia (FI) party and a smaller rightist party. Salvini was speaking at a press conference with Bongiorno, who was also chair of the Lower House justice committee.

“It is the sign of a League that is growing, involving, banking on professionals from civil society and above all in the field of the defence of security, women’s rights and justice reform,” he said.

Bongiorno said “I am thrilled to restart this road, happy with my continual discourse with Salvini.

“I want an Italy with fewer culprits getting off and more rules that guarantee freedom”.

On a Salvini campaign vow to reopen brothels, Bongiorno said “if it’s a free choice by women, I say Yes”.

Raffaele Sollecito, who Bongiorno helped clear of murder along with Amanda Knox in the Meredith Kercher case, said “I hope (Bongiorno) makes it”.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Italy: Centre Right to Take North, PD Centre, M5S Lazio-Sicily-IPSOS

CSurvey published in Corriere della Sera

(ANSA) — Rome, January 19 — The centre right will take the north in the March 4 general election while the Democratic Party will win central Italy and the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement will gain Lazio and Sicily, the think tank IPSOS said Friday.

Corriere della Sera published the results of a survey on the first-past-the-post seats in the election.

A third fo seats will be decided by this method.

The remaining two thirds will be assigned by proportional representation.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Paris Metro Drivers Have to Skip Stations as Crack Dealers Take Over Platforms

The levels of drug-related crime in parts of the Paris Metro have seemingly spiralled so out-of-control that train drivers are refusing to stop at certain stations.

The Unsa RATP union, which represents the Paris Metro and bus network, has sent a letter to Gerard Collomb, the French Minister of the Interior, as well as Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris and Valerie Pecresse, the President of the Regional Council of Île-de-France, saying that certain metro stations, particularly on lines 12 and 4 in the north-east, were being used by drug dealers as a base and as a result, drug-related crime and violence has been on the rise.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Radicalized Inmate Stabs 2 Guards in French Prison

Two guards at a French prison in Corsica have been attacked and seriously injured by a radicalized inmate, a local prosecutor and a prison union said. The perpetrator reportedly shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ while attacking the guards.

The incident took place in Borgo Prison on Friday morning, Prosecutor of Bastia City Caroline Tharot said, as cited by AFP. The type of weapon used in the attack was not specified.

UFAP-UNSA penitentiary union confirmed in a statement that the inmate was indeed radicalized. It is not clear whether he was radicalized before being jailed or while serving his sentence.

Both guards are in hospital, one with stab wounds to the face and back.

“This is a big attack. One of the two guards was left unconscious and the perpetrator is a prisoner who had already been on a special list for misconduct,” Maxime Coustie, a representative of a local prison union told AFP. The guard who was knocked out has regained consciousness, the union said.

The detainee reportedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” while attacking the guards, Corse Matin newspaper said, citing an official from the prison union. The man was in prison for beating a man to death in a scuffle outside a nightclub.

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

Soros Feels ‘More Than Ready’ To Strike Back at His Global Political Opponents

Billionaire and chairman of the global board of the Open Society Foundations George Soros has signaled that he is ready to strike back at his enemies belonging to the Right side of the world’s political spectrum. Soros has repeatedly come under heavy criticism for interference in the domestic affairs of other countries.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Sweden: Rape Reports Up 10 Percent in 2017

Newly released figures from the Swedish criminal statistics agency Brå have shown that reported rape cases have increased by 10 per cent in 2017 and the country saw some 1.5 million crimes in total.

An average of 20 rape incidents were reported per day in Sweden in 2017 for a total of 7,230 cases according to the newly released statistics. Other sexual crimes also increased last year including sexual abuse and exploitation which went up by seven per cent. Sexual assault was up 3 per cent resulting in a total of 10,300 cases, Expressen reports.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

When is the Italian Election in 2018? Date, Polls, What to Expect in Italy’s Next Election

SILVIO Berlusconi claims to be ready to lead Italy again if his public office ban is overturned and his controversial centre-right coalition wins the Italian election 2018. But when is Italy’s next election and what will happen?

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

No Evidence Agst Barros in Karadima Case — Pope

We’ll see if I see proof says pontiff in Chile

(ANSA) — Santiago, January 18 — Pope Francis said on a trip to Chile Thursday that he had yet to see any evidence against Osorno Bishop Juan Barros who abuse victims accuse of shielding the charismatic cleric who trained him, South American country’s most notorious predator priest Fernando Karadima.

But the pope’s words were rejected by Karadima’s victims and the lay people in Barros’s diocese who are trying to have him removed. “When I see some proof against Bishop Barros then we’ll see, perhaps. So far I haven’t seen any at all,” Francis told journalists.

Shortly before the pope addressed the case for the first time, Barros told the press that Francis had been “very affectionate” with him and had offered “words of support”.

A group of faithful from Osorno, a southern city, have been demanding Barros’s removal for three years.

In February 2011, after several years of a Catholic canonical investigation, the Vatican found Karadima guilty of sexually abusing minors and psychological abuse in Chile.

It sent him to a “life of prayer and penitence” and to “lifelong prohibition from the public exercise of any ministerial act, particularly confession and the spiritual guidance of any category of persons.” But the Chilean Church has yet to fully recover from the scandal.

Many of the local faithful are still furious over a 2015 decision by Pope Francis to appoint Barros, who had been one of Karadima’s proteges.

Barros has always denied he knew that Karadima was Chile’s worst clerical sexual predator.

But many Chileans have shown they are skeptical of Barros’s claims. On Thursday Karadima’s victims and the lay people from the bishop’s diocese harshly criticised the pope’s words in defence of Barros.

Victim Juan Carlos Cruz tweeted: “it’s not as if I could have taken a selfie or photo while Karadima was abusing me with Barros standing beside him, seeing it all!” He added “These people are mad” and said “it all goes on in the same way, the demand for forgiveness remains an empty gesture”.

Juan Carlos Claret, the spokesman for the Osorno lay community, said “the real scandal in Francis’s words lies in the fact that he is giving the lie to the victims and not to the man who abused them”.

He stressed that Cruz was not the only victim who said Barros knew about Karadima.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Austria: Study: Muslim Migrants Have Medieval Attitudes Toward Jews, Gays, Women, And ‘Infidels’

An academic survey of asylum seekers in Graz, Austria, has found increasing religiosity and deeply worrying attitudes towards Jews, gay people, women, and ‘infidels’.

The study was carried out by Ednan Aslan, Professor of Islamic Religious Education at the University of Vienna, on behalf of local authorities responsible for integration, the Kurier reports.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Belgium Could Become a Back Door to Britain for Migrants

Police opened fire after being ambushed by armed migrants trying to head from Belgium to Britain.

The clash puts the spotlight on a potentially major new backdoor into the UK as security is tightened at Calais — the most popular illegal route to the UK.

It came after officers outside Brussels spotted five men trying to enter a lorry at 2am yesterday.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Germany: Failed Asylum Seekers Steal Police Sidearm, Take Hostages During Deportation Attempt

A family of asylum seekers set for deportation in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, took several people hostage during an attempt to deport them.

On Thursday at 3:30 am, two police officers along with a doctor and an employee of the German immigration office visited a migrant camp to process the deportation of a family from Azerbaijan. The scene quickly turned into a hostage situation after one of the family members stole a policeman’s firearm, Die Welt reports.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Smuggling Gang Smashed After Years of Bringing Iraqi Migrants to UK in Near-Freezing Trucks

SPANISH police have smashed an international gang which was smuggling illegal Iraqi immigrants into the UK in the back of refrigerated lorries. Detectives say the ringleaders had been operating for several years, charging people thousands of pounds a time to help them reach Britain via seaports in northern Spain or France.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Swiss Researchers Find Highly Drug-Resistant Strain of Tuberculosis in Asylum Seekers

Swiss medical researchers have announced the discovery of a new strain of tuberculosis that is highly resistant to drugs, found in asylum seekers arrived in Europe from Africa.

University of Zurich scientists detected the pathogen in an asylum seeker who arrived in Switzerland from Somalia in 2016.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

2 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 1/19/2018

  1. The diseases returning to Western civilization…like TB….and the new ones common in the tropics, will kill us just as European diseases killed so many in the New World in the
    16th century and vice versa.

    The CDC stand mute as this pandemic threatens.

  2. “Meanwhile, Matteo Salvini of the Lega, who is favored to become the next prime minister, told the EU that it could, ahem, have conjugal relations with itself.”

    That sounds somewhat less cordial than what they’re normally accustomed to. 🙂

    Gotta love my ethnic roots.

Comments are closed.