Grenade attacks and other forms of armed violence have severely taxed the resources of police in Malmö, to the extent that they have requested the assistance of the Swedish national police to help them deal with it. The national police responded by warning Malmö residents to be on the lookout for unexploded grenades.
In other news, more than 1,200 migrants were brought to safety in Sicily. The refugees in distress were picked up by ships from Ireland and Norway.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to C. Cantoni, Caroline Glick, Fjordman, Insubria, JD, RL, Vlad Tepes, 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.
An Increasing Number of Greek Firms Flee to ‘Safe Haven’ Bulgaria
Faced with a deep economic crisis at home, at least 11,000 Greek companies have found a safe haven in neighboring low-wage Bulgaria — the poorest member of the European Union.
“We have stability here: reliable taxation, sound legislation and a positive environment,” said Ioannis Politis, manager of Greek hygiene products company Septona, which established a plant in the northern Bulgarian city of Ruse 10 years ago.
Some 120 large Greek businesses set up in Bulgaria in the 2000s in sectors such as retail, metallurgy, fuel distribution, construction and real estate.
And if the Greek crisis put an end to the big-business migration in 2009, a rising number of small and medium Greek companies have continued moving to Bulgaria to take advantage of its lower taxes.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Did the Canary in the Credit Coalmine Just Croak: Capital One Credit Loss Provisions Soar by 60%
Everyone knows Capital One’s trite soundbite: “What’s in your wallet?”
Overnight, the market found out what’s in Capital One’s balance sheet, and it didn’t like it one bit.
Yesterday, Capital One Financial reported earnings that fell well short of consensus: the $311 billion-company’s Q2 profit was $863 million, down 28% Y/Y. EPS was an ugly $1.50, $0.47 cents below the consensus estimate. Surprisingly this earnings plunge took place even as overall revenue rose 4% to $5.7 billion.
So what gives: a closer read through the numbers reveals that while average wages across the US are barely rising enough to cover inflation, Capital One felt the need to really incentivize its workfore with an increase in salaries and benefits 10 times higher than the national average, up 21%, to $1.4 billion, while marketing costs increased 16%, and professional-services fees grew 13%.
At the same time headcount increased 7%, to 47,500 even though COF concurrently took a $147 million charge for the restructuring its benefits plan “as a result of the realignment of our workforce.” COF did not provide details on the workforce changes that led to the charge.
End result: in moments, the stock wiped out all of its hard-earned gains for the year, and then some:
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Firewalls Can’t Protect Today’s Connected Cars
It’s called operational security, and the auto industry — even the banking industry — has been slow to adopt it, according to Egil Juliussen, a senior analyst and research director for IHS Automotive. “They assume hackers can’t get through their perimeter security, which is not true,” Juliussen said. “That’s a basic principle for security.”
The auto industry got a wake-up call this week when Miller and Chris Valasek showed how they could hack through the perimeter security and into an early model Chrysler Jeep’s UConnect head unit, also known as an infotainment system. Previously, hackers could breach a vehicle’s internal computer bus only by physically connecting to a car’s onboard diagnostics (OBD-II) port.
Miller and Valasek demonstrated that by using the vehicle’s cellular network connection, they could wirelessly talk to the Jeep’s head unit, and then access the Jeep’s control area network (CAN).
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Anonymous Affiliate GhostSec Thwarts ISIS Terror Plots in New York and Tunisia
Online hacktivists affiliated with Anonymous have assisted in preventing terrorist attacks on New York and Tunisia planned by Islamic State (Isis), according to a counter-terrorism expert.
Michael Smith, an adviser to the US Congress and co-founder of national security firm Kronos Advisory, revealed that information regarding potential attacks provided by the group GhostSec was used by law-enforcement agencies to disrupt IS operations.
“It is my understanding that data collected by the group, and presented to law enforcement and intelligence officials by me, was helpful to authorities in Tunisia, who disrupted a suspected Islamic State cell around 4 July,” Smith told IBTimes UK.
“This data was collected pursuant to the group’s efforts in monitoring social media accounts managed by suspected Islamic State supporters. As per their assessment, this plot would have been mobilised soon after the recent attack that occurred at a popular resort in Tunisia.”…
| — Hat tip: Vlad Tepes | [Return to headlines] |
Are Psych Meds Involved With the Latest Lafayette, Louisiana Shootings?
Here we go again. A drifter and lone wolf is somehow off his meds. His anger boils over while he has access to guns. He then goes on a shooting spree killing innocents who just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
How many times will the media avoid the most important questions in these recurring tragedies?
First, was John Russell Houser on or off his meds at the time of the shooting in the movie theater in Lafayette, Louisiana? If he was on them, what exactly was he taking? Was he also drinking at the same time? Was he taking other prescriptions simultaneously? If he was not taking his prescribed psychoactive medications, were there withdrawal effects he may have been experiencing from stopping them? It’s clear from the news report that the family had a difficult time keeping him on his meds…
A Disproportionate Number of Mass Murderers have Been on Psych Meds, or Abruptly Stopped Taking Them
Many unsupervised patients simply stop taking their medication because of how it affects them. In some cases, the physical side effects are too much to bear. In others, the psychological symptoms are intolerable. Hence, they feel there is no way out and simply stop taking the meds out of desperation. This was the case with Batman shooter James Holmes, among others.
What is particularly curious is how the MSM strictly avoids coverage of this critical link to violent behavior. It’s as though their many Big Pharma sponsors demand that the MSM stay away from making any correlations between gun-related deaths and their pharmaceutical medications. The threat of huge losses in advertising revenues is always a looming risk.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Guy’s Attempt to Take Rattlesnake Selfie Ends With $153,000 Bill
This was a misssstake. A San Diego-area man ssssent (OK, we’ll stop) KGTV footage of himself lying in a hospital bed after he said he tried to take a selfie with a rattlesnake.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Nitrogen Glaciers Flow on Pluto
New Horizons data also seem to reveal a hazy atmosphere growing colder and thinner.
Pluto has nitrogen glaciers flowing down from its distinctive, icy heart. And the dwarf planet’s thin atmosphere may have begun to freeze out and drift as snow onto its surface — a change long expected, as Pluto moves farther away from the Sun, but never before seen.
Scientists with NASA’s New Horizons mission unveiled these findings, and a raft of new images, at a press conference on 24 July, just ten days after their spacecraft flew by Pluto.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Obama Deserves Impeachment Over the Iran Deal
By Andrew C. McCarthy
By lying and withholding information about the agreement, he gives aid and comfort to America’s enemy.
The president “must certainly be punishable for giving false information to the Senate.”
One can imagine hearing such counsel from a contemporary United States senator on the receiving end of President Obama’s “full disclosure” of the nuclear deal with Iran. But the admonition actually came from James Iredell, a champion of the Constitution’s ratification, who was later appointed to the Supreme Court by President George Washington.
Iredell was addressing the obligations the new Constitution imposed on the president in the arena of international affairs. Notwithstanding the chief executive’s broad powers to “regulate all intercourse with foreign powers,” it would be the president’s “duty to impart to the Senate every material intelligence he receives.” Indeed, among the most egregious offenses a president could commit would be fraudulently inducing senators “to enter into measures injurious to their country, and which they would not have consented to had the true state of things been disclosed to them.”…
| — Hat tip: RL | [Return to headlines] |
Seattle-Area Deputies Lied About Bus Driver’s Profanity Use During Fight
Two sheriff’s deputies patrolling Seattle’s transit system lied about a bus driver’s use of profanity during a heated argument last November captured by a camera embedded in the driver’s eyeglasses, a police investigation has found.
The incident comes as the public view of police across the nation is “laced with distrust,” Transit Police Major Dave Jutilla wrote in a May 26 memo, obtained through a public-records request, that summarizes the incident.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
It’s not that Donald Trump needed help in his juggernaut campaign across the GOP presidential primary with his lead in the double digits at last check, but moments ago the flamboyant billionaire got an unexpected present from the WSJ which may have just crippled the chances of his biggest democrat competitor as well, Hillary Clinton.
WSJ reports that according to an internal government review Hillary Clinton, as former Secretary of State, “sent at least four emails from her personal account containing classified information during her time heading the State Department.”
This is in reference to the long-standing investigation surrounding whether Clinton i) used bad judgment in opting for a personal, and far less protected, email device as Secretary of State and ii) whether she had — in direct contravention of State Department policies — sent out confidential data on her personal Blackberry.
As a reminder, the Democratic presidential candidate has repeatedly denied sending out confidential emails from her own device, and instead used it purely in a permitted context. She has also repeatedly denied that the emails, which she has since “purged” despite receiving a Congressional subpoena to preserve, contained any sensitive materials, while deleting at least 30,000 emails which she specified were of a personal nature.
“I did not email any classified material to anyone on my email. There is no classified material,” Mrs. Clinton told reporters in March. “I’m certainly aware of the classified requirements and did not send classified material.”
Today’s data confirms that the former first lady lied and has indeed used her email to send out confidential data on at least one occasion, or rather four:
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Veteran Sues Texas Cops Who Beat Him
“The officers took Bates down to the ground and followed with punches and kicks to Bates’s face and head.”
A Texas policeman broke his hand beating an Army veteran senseless, then got the vet jailed for a year on bogus felony assault charges, the veteran claims in court.
Bradford Bates, 52, sued Pasadena police Officers Bryan Kelldorf and Mark Adams in Federal Court Thursday. He seeks punitive damages for the year he lost in jail and for the punches and kicks they delivered while arresting him that broke his nose and concussed him.
Bates’ complaint includes credible evidence that he was beaten: his booking photo with dried blood streaked across his forehead from a huge gash above his blackened left eye, his mouth twisted as if cringing at the rest of his face.
Bates says Kelldorf and Adams entered his apartment without a warrant around 6:30 a.m. on Feb. 26, 2014 in response to a call from a woman who said Bates threw a shoe at her.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
The U.S. National Archives released a series of candid photos taken inside a secure bunker beneath the White House on Sept. 11, 2001.
They show President George W. Bush and key members in his cabinet processing the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil in the nation’s history.
The photo album focuses primarily on Vice President Dick Cheney during meetings in the President’s Emergency Operations Center (PEOC) and traveling to Camp David in Maryland aboard Marine Two.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Foreign Criminals ‘Driving up UK House Prices’
Foreign criminals are laundering billions of pounds through the purchase of expensive properties, which is pushing up house prices in the UK, the National Crime Agency has said.
Its economic crime command director, Donald Toon, told the Times that London prices had been “skewed” as a result.
He said prices were being artificially driven up by criminals “who want to sequester their assets here in the UK”.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
French Not Sore Losers as They Host Two-Day Commemoration of 1415 Battle of Agincourt
France lost the Battle of Agincourt nearly 600 years ago, but they’re not sore losers.
The French are hosting a reenactment of the clash with England this weekend. More than 800 people in Medieval garb are gathering at the site to commemorate the battle, which was a turning point in the Hundred Years’ War.
The two-day event began on Saturday on a field in the northern town of Azincourt, called Agincourt in English, and includes equestrian jousting and archery.
The battle, which left the French crippled on their soil, was fought in October 1415.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Christiane F. Hits a Dog and Bites a Woman
Author of “We Children from Bahnhof Zoo” prosecuted
(ANSA) — BERLIN — She was 14 when she wrote “We Children from Bahnhof Zoo”: a ‘cult book’, appeared in 1978 (later it was made even more famous by a movie in 1981), which told the pitiless story of a girl who is a heroin addict. Today Christiane F. is 54 years, and she is back in the spotlight, as sometimes happens, due to a dismal episode that says a lot about her current conditions: while walking down the streets in the German capital, where she still lives, she first hit her dog with the leash, and then bit a woman, aged 48 , who tried to defend the animal.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Merkel Tops Guest List at Wagner Festival
German Chancellor Angela Merkel topped the guest list Saturday of the gala opening of the Bayreuth Festival, one of the highlights in Germany’s cultural calendar.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Iberian Lynx Returns to Spain From Verge of Extinction
An intense conservation campaign has brought the Iberian lynx back to the south of Spain from the verge of extinction barely 10 years ago, Guy Hedgecoe reports from Spain.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Top Cops Hail Fencing World Championship Golds
Italian women’s foil team wins 3rd consecutive world title
(ANSA) — Rome, July 20 — National Police Chief Alessandro Pansa congratulated Italy’s male and female fencing teams on winning a gold medal each on Sunday at the World Championships in Moscow, sources said Monday.
“My congratulation to the Italian athletes and in particular to police officers Elisa Di Francica, Valentina Vezzali and Luca Curatoli,” he said in a statement.
Carabinieri military police General Commander Tullio del Sette likewise congratulated the Carabinieri members on the nation’s teams, Andrea Cassara and Arianna Errigo.
Champions Martina Batini, Elisa Di Francisca, Arianna Errigo and Valentina Vezzali took home their third consecutive women’s world title after Budapest in 2013 and Kazan last year. The Azzurri, both male and female, took home a total of five gold medals and a bronze between them.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: 25 Indicted for Posts on Far-Right Stormfront Website
Accused of racial hated, threats
(ANSA) — Rome, July 20 — A preliminary hearing judge in Rome on Monday indicted 25 people for alleged writing posts on far-right Stormfront website. They are accused of racial hatred, threats, and violation of Mancino law. That 2013 law prosecutes racism, hate crimes, discrimination and instigation to commit acts inspired by Nazi ideology. Prosecutors said the defendants published in the Italian section of the Stormfront Internet site posts against immigrants, Jews, politicians and public officials.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Carabinieri Prevent Three Sisters’ Suicide
Said they got cheated out of life savings
(ANSA) — Aosta, July 20 — Carabinieri military police on Monday foiled simultaneous suicide attempts by three sisters aged 49, 63 and 72 in the Valle d’Aosta mountain town of Valtournanche.
Officers stopped two of the sisters from throwing themselves off a wall in the village of Maen, while local police found the third trying to gas herself to death in her car.
The first two were taken to a psychiatric ward while the third was hospitalized with carbon monoxide poisoning.
The three left suicide notes saying two lawyers cheated them out of their life savings, leaving them destitute.
Police alerted a fourth sister, aged 66, about the attempted suicides.
The four siblings are from the town of Carmagnola, in Turin province.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Trezzano Sul Naviglio Installs Anti-’Ndrangheta Road Signs
‘Mafia clans not welcome here’ mayor says
(ANSA) — Milan, July 21 — The authorities in Trezzano sul Naviglio near Milan on Tuesday installed traffic signs banning clans operating under Calabria’s powerful ‘Ndrangheta mafia from the area.
“Municipality out of bounds to the ‘Ndrangheta” and “Mafia clans are not welcome here” read the signs in blue on a white background positioned by mayor Fabio Bottero accompanied by the president of the Lombardy chapter of the national association of municipalities (ANCI), Roberto Scanagatti. The initiative came under the auspices of the ANCI campaign ‘100 municipalities against the mafia’. For years Trezzano sul Naviglio was considered one of the municipalities with the largest and most deep-rooted ‘Ndrangheta presence in Lombardy. “Trezzano wants to free itself from the clans,” Bottero said. “Our city hosts companies that are excellent on an international level and it has a healthy social fabric, but we aren’t able to remove the problem,” he continued.
The anti-mafia road signs have been erected on an experimental bais, but proponents hope transport ministry officials will grant them permanent authorization The ‘Ndrangheta has in recent years replaced Sicily’s Cosa Nostra as Italy’s most powerful mafia because of its dominance of the international cocaine trade.
It has a strong presence across the southern Calabria region and in parts of central and northern Italy and operates in conjunction with other criminal organisations abroad.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Two Men Held in Student Murder
Albanians questioned for hours
(ANSA) — Pesaro, July 21 — Two young Albanians were arrested Tuesday after being questioned for hours in the death of Ismaele Lulli, a 17-year-old student found with his throat cut in woods near the Marche port city of Pesaro. The pair, aged 19 and 20, are from nearby towns. Police said earlier they found bloody clothing near the body. Traces of adhesive tape were found on a tree trunk near the body, and police said they were also looking for a weapon. Lulli was last heard from Sunday, when he sent text messages to his family saying he was planning to move to Milan. When he did not return home that night, his mother called police who say they are treating the case as a murder.
An autopsy has been ordered for Wednesday.
The teenager’s cell phone was also found, but police denied earlier reporters that two backpacks had been found.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Google Rents UNESCO Ruins for Top-Secret Event
Google has paid €100,000 to host an exclusive banquet at the famous Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, Sicily, as part of its top-secret annual conference.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
‘Mein Kampf’ Could Return to German Shelves in 2016
In 1925, Adolf Hitler’s nearly 800-page manifesto, “Mein Kampf’,” was published for the first time. With its copyright set to expire, it could be republished in Germany in 2016, creating widespread controversy.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
National MPs Could Block US Trade Deal, Activists Say
Opponents of an EU-US trade agreement hope that national parliaments will shoot down an accord, and their hopes will have been buoyed by a new study suggesting that a deal will likely need a seal of approval from domestic lawmakers.
A study by the Institute of Law at the University of Cologne, commissioned by the Stop TTIP campaign, and published earlier this week, finds that in all member states except for Malta, a parliamentary approval process would be necessary to sign TTIP, and the provisionally-agreed trade deal with Canada — (known as CETA) — into law.
The study also finds that half of the EU’s 28 parliaments would be able to instigate a referendum on the trade deals if they wished, although there is little precedent for plebiscites to be held to approve free trade deals.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Obama Tells ‘Best Partner’ UK to Stay in EU
US president Barack Obama has repeated his call that the UK remain a member of the European Union.
“Having the United Kingdom in the European Union gives us much greater confidence about the strength of the transatlantic union and is part of the cornerstone of institutions built after World War Two that has made the world safer and more prosperous”, Obama said in an interview with the BBC, broadcast on Thursday (23 July).
“We want to make sure that the United Kingdom continues to have that influence,” he added.
His remarks are a repeat of what he said in January 2013, when he said “that the United States values a strong UK in a strong European Union”.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Rare Tornadoes Hit Northern Sweden
On Saturday, residents of Luleå and Piteå in Norrbotten experienced an unusual natural phenomenon generally more associated with the midwest of America — tornadoes.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Saudi King’s Riviera Holiday Sparks Anger in France
King Salman and his entourage are to spend three weeks in the French Riviera. While the local hoteliers and shop owners welcome the wealthy guests, residents have protested.
The 79-year old king was expected to land in Nice on Saturday, and travel to the family seafront villa in Vallauris. He will be followed by an entourage of over 1,000 people, in accordance wth Saudi Arabian traditions.
French authorities closed off a public beach outside the villa early on Saturday, despite a storm of complaints from the locals and a petition against the move signed by more than 100,000 people.
“We recall that this natural zone, like all maritime public estates, is an intrinsic public property that should be available for the benefit of all, residents, tourists, French, foreigners or people passing through,” the petition said.
“We ask the state to guarantee the fundamental principle of the equality of all citizens before the law,” the text added.
Although beach access is normally open in France, the authorities may close off a part of the coast for security reasons.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Sweden: Malmö Police Ask for Help to Stop Violence
Malmö has experienced thirty explosions this year, so worried local police have asked for assistance from the national police for help in staunching the wave of violence.
“I am not surprised anymore,” Erica Eliasson, a mother out with her toddler in central Malmö, told the Swedish news agency, TT.
“Something seems to happen every day. It is worrying because this is obviously escalating. I’m wondering whether the police are doing enough because I do not notice more police now than before.”
Since the New Year, Malmö has suffered, on average, a detonation a week. On Friday night there was another explosion in a residential area, but nobody was injured.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Sweden: Malmö Residents Warned to Watch Out for Hand Grenades
The police’s national unit working with protection against bombs, in Malmö, has advised people to be on the lookout for unexploded hand grenades which are believed to be spread throughout the southern city to some degree, reports news agency TT.
In just a short time, nine hand grenades have been used in Malmö, though not all of them have detonated.
The newspaper Sydsvenskan reports that if someone throws a hand grenade and it doesn’t explode then, it can lie hidden under a car or in a bush, for example.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Swiss Tourists Warned of French Burqa Ban
Police in the French Alps have been forced to hand out notices to tourists wearing the full face veil, many on a day trip from Switzerland, to remind them that France has a total burka ban in public.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
UK: ‘No Doubt Police Meant to Put My Life at Risk’: Tommy Robinson Free From Jail
Former English Defence League (EDL) leader Tommy Robinson has been released from prison, and has accused the police of intentionally endangering his life by putting him in “a wing full of Muslims”. Robinson says has still not been informed as to why he was held for an extra two days.
“Put me on a wing full of Muslims & arrest me for protecting myself. I’m in no doubt they meant to put my life at risk,” wrote the ex-leader of the English Defense League (EDL) on twitter, before tweeting directly to Bedfordshire Police: “Hi guys, I’m back. Any news on any arrests for the people who jumped me on cctv or the Twitter threats to kill my wife & kids.”
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Aircraft ‘Bomb Bag’ Limits on Board Explosion Impact
A new system to resist terrorist bombs smuggled onto aircraft has been tested in dramatic experiments.
A device called FlyBag is designed to absorb the shockwaves and shrapnel caused by explosions.
If security fails and a bomb reaches the luggage hold, the idea is that the blast would be safely contained.
The trials — using old jets at Cotswolds Airport in Gloucestershire — showed that explosions on board caused no damage.
The bag involves a novel mix of four different layers of material including one based on Kevlar, which is used in bullet-proof jackets.
The idea is that the bag is not only lightweight but also strong and flexible enough to handle the energetic effects of a blast without breaking.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
‘One November day in 1998, a group of officials from Lambeth Council found themselves in an upstairs meeting room at Mary Seacole House, a concrete office block in South London.
It was the end of a lengthy business meeting. And they were sitting in stunned silence. The reason? A few moments earlier, a local police inspector had just delivered several pieces of earth-shattering news.
First, he revealed that detectives working on Operation Trawler, an investigation into a paedophile ring suspected of operating in the London borough’s children’s homes, were focusing their inquiries on 12 potential abusers.
Second, he was prepared to name these people. Third, it contained the names of several high-profile members of the Establishment.’
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
[WARNING: Disturbing Content.]
Six members of a child sex ring are facing jail after being convicted of grooming a teenager who was abused by up to 60 men by the age of 16.
The girl and a second victim were repeatedly raped and sexually abused on ‘an almost daily basis’ from the age of 12 or 13 in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
A total of 11 men went on trial for 51 offences between 2006 and 2012 including multiple rape of a child under 13, child prostitution and administering a substance to ‘stupefy’ a girl in order to engage in sexual activity.
Buckinghamshire County Council tonight apologised to the victims of the sex ring for ‘letting them down’, admitting that indications had ‘probably’ been there.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Spanish Takes Off in Croatia Thanks to Telenovelas
‘Esmeralda’ and ‘Topazio’ spur students to study the language
(ANSA) — NAPLES — Spanish is ever more a second language of choice in countries like Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia and Ukraine. However, the choice is not usually based on a desire to study such classics as those by Cervantes and Garcia Marquez in their native tongue, as that to understand South American telenovelas (soap operas) so in vogue in Balkan countries, where they are broadcast in the original language with subtitles.
The discovery was made by a professor of Spanish from the University of Zagreb who, as El Pais reports, “investigated” a recent sharp rise in those signing up for her course, most of whom female: in the university, only one male per 60 females is signed up to the course. Some of the few young men who signed up also say they chose to do so due to telenovelas. “I study Spanish,” said Dominik Rajacic, “because I watch ‘Rubi’, ‘Acorrallada’ and ‘Mariana’ with my mother.” The same motivation was voiced by Ana Krce Ivancic, whose passion for the language is due to episodes from ‘Esmeralda’ and ‘Pasion De Gavilan’, the latter being the telenovela surpassing all competition in Croatian prime time.
Gordana Matic, who teaches at the University of Zagreb and is one of the organizers of the Zagreb Short Film Festival, admits that Spanish language and culture are widespread in Croatia mostly due to telenovelas. “Our students,” she said, “come to us after having been ‘seduced’ by South American heroines. It is then up to us to introduce them to such South American authors as Leopoldo Marechal, Juan José Arreola and Augusto Monterroso.” She added that even she had not missed a single episode of ‘Kassandra’, the most popular telenovela in the world — broadcast in 128 countries — and that even in the 1990s, during the war in the former Yugoslavia, the show gave rise to informal truces since no one wanted to miss an episode.
The university instructors said that the language was studied in the early twentieth century to read Cervantes, Quevado, Lope and Juan de la Cruz, while at the end of the century the attractions were works by Borges, García Márquez, Cortázar and Vargas Llosa, while it is now television that is helping to spread Spanish throughout the world.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Libya: ‘No Progress’ In Search for Kidnapped Italians
Libyan security forces searching for four Italians kidnapped west of the capital this week have so far made no progress in finding them, an official said Friday.
The four, working for the Bonatti construction company, were near a complex of Italian oil giant ENI in the region of Mellitah when they were nabbed on Monday, the Italian foreign ministry said.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Ships Successfully Cross Egypt’s New Suez Canal in First Test-Run
Three cargo ships passed through Egypt’s New Suez Canal on Saturday in a test-run before it is formally inaugurated on August 6, state media reported.
ISMAILIA, Egypt — The first cargo ships passed through Egypt’s New Suez Canal on Saturday in a test-run before it opens next month, state media reported, 11 months after the army began constructing the $8 billion canal alongside the existing 145-year-old Suez Canal.
The new waterway, which President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi hopes will help expand trade along the fastest shipping route between Europe and Asia, will be formally inaugurated on Aug. 6.
Sisi wants the canal to become a symbol of national pride and to help combat Egypt’s double-digit unemployment. The old Suez Canal is already a vital source of hard currency for Egypt, which has seen tourism and foreign investment drain away in the years of turmoil since a 2011 uprising.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Pollard’s Ex-Wife: Israel Should Fund ‘Top-Notch’ Attorney for His Upcoming Parole Hearing
The former wife of Jonathan Pollard, an American convicted of spying for Israel, has called on the Israeli government to pay for an attorney to facilitate his freedom amid international speculation he could be released soon.
Anne Pollard told Channel 2 TV Saturday that Israel needs to provide a budget for a “top-notch attorney” for his upcoming parole hearing.
She said there has been “no official word that Jonathan is being released on any date.” He is eligible for parole in late November.
Pollard, a U.S. Navy analyst, was sentenced to life in 1985 for relaying secret documents to Israel. The case roiled Israel-U.S relations.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
by Caroline Glick
Washington Post columnist David Ignatius is a reasonable man. After hearing back to back interviews with Secretary of State John Kerry and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu about the Obama administration’s pact with Iran’s ayatollahs, he tried to balance them out.
Speaking Sunday on CBS’s Face the Nation, Ignatius equivocated that on the one hand, “My takeaway [from Kerry] is that the details of this deal are pretty solid, that it’s been carefully negotiated, that it will hold up for 10 years or more.”
On the other hand, he said, “Netanyahu is right. Iran is a dangerous destabilizing force in the Middle East. So somehow good policy seems to me to use the deal to cap the nuclear threat that Iran would pose for 10 years but work on that other problem.”
Ignatius’s remarks serve to justify supporting the deal. After all, if Obama’s agreement caps Iran’s nuclear program for ten years, then it’s a good thing. As for the other stuff, it can be dealt with separately.
Unfortunately, while eminently reasonable sounding, Ignatius’s analysis is incorrect.
Kerry’s details of the deal are beside the point. The big picture is the only thing that matters. That picture has two main points.
First, the deal guarantees that Iran will develop nuclear weapons.
Second, it gives $150 billion to the mullahs…
| — Hat tip: Caroline Glick | [Return to headlines] |
ISIS’s notorious executioner Jihadi John has reportedly fled the jihadi group and is on the run in war-torn Syria and may have joined another jihadi group.
Mohammed Emwazi, a British Kuwaiti computer science graduate turned murderer, is believed to have left the jihadi group after becoming fearful he might be killed by ISIS’s chiefs.
The British jihadi has not been seen in a propaganda video for nearly six months after the horrific beheading of Japanese photojournalist Kenji Goto.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
An ISIS jihadi poses for a chilling photo next to holidaymakers on the beach at a resort in Turkey.
Raising fears that that terror group is planning another Tunisia-style beach massacre, jihadist Pasaliasi Isde stood next to unsuspecting holidaymakers at the Black Sea resort of Amasra.
The new photos were posted on Facebook yesterday. Isde also used Facebook to ‘check in’ to a number of beach resorts along the coast in the last fortnight.
One million British holidaymakers visit Turkey every year, the Association of British Travel Agents said today.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Kurdish Militants Call Off Truce With Turkey
Two-year-old truce between Turkey and Kurdish PKK seems to be over after attacks and mass arrests.
Turkey’s military Saturday carried out a new wave of air and artillery strikes against ISIS jihadists in Syria and Kurdish militants in northern Iraq, in an escalating campaign Ankara says is aimed at rooting out terror.
AFP reports that the two-pronged operation against ISIS and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) — two groups who are themselves bitterly opposed — came after a week of deadly violence in Turkey the authorities blamed on both organizations.
The PKK blasted the air raids on its northern Iraq mountain stronghold, saying a fragile ceasefire that had been in place since 2013 with Ankara “no longer has any meaning”.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Kurds March in Paris to Protest Turkish Airstrikes on PKK Camps in Northern Iraq
More than 1,000 Kurds and leftist Turks have marched in Paris to protest airstrikes by Turkey on Kurdish militant camps in northern Iraq.
One banner held high at Saturday’s march read, “To hit the PKK is collaborating with Daesh,” a reference to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party whose affiliates have helped battle the Islamic State group, called “Daesh” in France.
The march was originally called to protest Monday’s Islamic State suicide attack in the southeast Turkish town of Suruc that killed 32 people. But Turkish airstrikes on PKK camps in Iraq changed the agenda of the protest march from the Gare de l’Est train station to the Place de la Republique.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Report: ISIS Executioner ‘Jihadi John’ Is Now Running From ISIS
Mohammad Emwazi, the ISIS terrorist known as “Jihadi John” responsible for multiple beheading executions is on the run, from none other than ISIS itself, the British tabloid The Mirror reported on Friday.
According to the report, Emwazi is terrified by the publicity after he was identified as the murderer of British and American hostages and fears being hunted down.
Emwazi is a Kuwaiti born Londoner who emigrated to Britain in 1988 at the age of six. He has murdered multiple foreign journalists, including two Americans, Steven Sotloff and James Foley.
A source told the British tabloid that Islamic State would drop Emwazi “like a stone or worse if they feel he is no longer of any use to them.” “So it is possible he will end up suffering the same fate as his victims,” the source added.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Saudis Declare a Humanitarian Truce in Yemen
The Saudi-led coalition has announced an upcoming break in fighting Houthi rebels, at the request of Yemen’s exiled president Hadi. The move follows latest coalition strikes that reportedly killed dozens of civilians.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Turkey Plans “ISIL-Free Zone” In Northern Syria
Turkey has revived calls for a “safe zone” in conflict-wracked northern Syria as it takes dramatic action to counter what it claims to be a twin threat of terror attacks from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and Kurdish opposition forces.
Turkish F-16 jets mounted more raids against bases of the PKK, the outlawed Kurdish separatist group, in neighbouring Iraq’s Kurdistan Autonomous Region on Saturday — an unexpected add-on to Friday’s strikes against Isil targets in Syria.
Turkish officials defended the attacks, which threaten to shatter an official ceasefire with the PKK.
The current crisis began on Monday when a suicide bomber, believed to be sent by Isil, blew himself up at a pro-Kurd cultural centre in the Turkish town of Suruc, killing 32 youth activists who were intending to ferry aid to the Syrian Kurdish enclave of Kobane six miles away across the border.
Kurds immediately rounded on the Turkish government, blaming its laxity in patrolling the border with Syria, a policy connected to the Erdogan government’s support for the armed opposition to the Assad regime.
In retaliation, the PKK claimed responsibility for a series of attacks which killed three policemen in separate incidents.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Turkey Launches Airstrikes on ISIS Positions and Kurdish Forces Battling Islamic Extremist Group
Turkey launched airstrikes against both Isis and Kurdish positions on Friday further complicating an already fraught alliance of forces opposing the extremist organisation.
Ankara’s decision to aerially bomb Isis will be welcomed by the ragtag coalition allied against the extremist Islamic terror organisation, but tempered as the country also bombed Kurdish fighters — who have been doggedly battling against the group since last year.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Turkey Continues to Hit ISIL in Syria, Strikes PKK Militants in North Iraq
The Turkish military on July 25 carried out fresh airstrikes and shelling against targets controlled by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) jihadists in Syria and embarked on a new air campaign to bombard camps of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants in northern Iraq.
“We have approved the third wave of airstrikes in Syria (against ISIL) and the second wave in Iraq (against PKK),” Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said in a press conference in Ankara on July 25. Both operations were completed later in the day, according to Turkish media.
“These operations are not ‘one-point operations’ and will continue as long as there is a threat against Turkey,” Davutoglu said, before heading to Istanbul, where he was due to meet with President Tayyip Erdogan and the head of the army later in the day.
The two-pronged operation against ISIL and the PKK — two groups who are themselves bitterly opposed — came after a week of deadly violence in Turkey the authorities blamed on the organisations.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
United Arab Emirates: A New Anti-Discrimination Law is a Step Forward in Terms of Religious Freedom
A well-known Islam expert looks at a new law adopted by the United Arab Emirates that outlaws “all forms of discrimination based on religion, caste, creed, doctrine, race, colour or ethnic origin”. Equality is foreign to Islam. The new law punishes anyone who promotes “religious hate” or funds organisations that spread hatred. In the highly educated UAE, “Christians are treated well.”
Beirut (AsiaNews) — The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has adopted a new law that bans “all forms of discrimination based on religion, caste, creed, doctrine, race, colour or ethnic origin,” Fr Samir Khalil Samir told AsiaNews. This is a “step forward,” according to the Egyptian Jesuit, one that runs counter to what other countries do in the region, many of which are still under the thumb of Islamic totalitarianism.
The UAE’s openness compared to other Muslim nations is further evinced by the presence of 24 churches on its territory, partially built with funds provided by local rulers. As a local bishop once said, “The UAE is the only country where Christians are well treated”. It is no accident that many Christians who live in Saudi Arabia travel to Abu Dhabi for Christmas and Easter celebrations (pictured).
The country’s openness is also rooted in demographics. Foreigners represent about 85 per cent of the resident population, 5 per cent Westerners. Others come from Pakistan, Iran, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines and are employed mostly as labourers or domestic servants.
Christians are said to be 10 per cent, but none of them is an Emirati citizen. Muslims are mostly Sunni, but there are also local Shia communities, which make up 15 per cent of the Muslim population.
For Fr Samir, one of the main features of the country is its high level of literacy, 90 per cent, a very high figure for the Middle East. For females aged 15 to 24, the average is 97 per cent, and 93.6 per cent for young people. What follows are Fr Samir’s thoughts about the new law.
In the Arab and Islamic worlds, where discrimination is commonplace, a law against discrimination is a rare thing. In Arab and Muslim countries, Islam is the state religion and other faiths are at best tolerated. Equality is foreign to Islam. Yet, this anti-discrimination legislation does just that; it provides equality, replacing totalitarian notions.
As Christians living in the Islamic world, we do not ask for toleration; we want full citizenship. We insisted on it at the 2010 Synod on the Middle East. Christians ought to be equal citizens like everybody else. In Islamic countries, the various constitutions make several distinctions between Muslims and non-Muslims; between Muslims and dhimmis (protected people); between men and women; between Arabs and other ethnic groups.
Under the new law, “all forms of discrimination based on religion, caste, creed, doctrine, race, colour or ethnic origin” are outlawed. This means that in the UAE, discrimination based on Islam is banned.
The Sunni-Shia divide has been a fault-line around which many wars have been fought in the Arab world. With the new law, equality will be guaranteed among people, largely inspired by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This is a step forward.
It is important to note that another positive element is the fact that the laws anti-discrimination provisions will also cover written communication, broadcasting (TV) and social medial. UAE leaders are well aware of the ubiquitous presence of such media; hence, they have decided to deem “a criminal act” all forms of discrimination in them or hate spread by them.
No to religious hatred
With the new law, calling someone else ‘infidels’ (takfir) is punishable. Why? Because under Islamic law, someone who is an ‘infidel’ or an ‘unbeliever’ (kafir) could be put to death. Although the same law prohibits the killing of Christians and Jews because they are ‘dhimmi,’ protected, this does not apply to pagans, atheists or members of other religions. Under Islamic rule, infidels enjoy no protection. He or she can either convert to Islam or be killed. The Islamic State group has used this principle, and used it to kill Christians (even if it is against Islamic law).
The new legislation goes furthers and outlaws acts that promote ‘religious hatred’ even if no direct hateful action is undertake. Thus, anyone or any group that promotes hatred can expect heavy punishment.
In the past, hate crimes were not banned under the law. Now this is the case, and this is something a daring step to take. And we in the West might have a thing or two to learn. Consider all the contempt people have for migrants in Europe, or blacks in the United States. In your countries, hate is mostly racial in nature. In our region, in the Middle East, hate is always about religion.
The law also outlaws support for violent foreign groups, especially by making monetary donations. My guess is that this is a finger indirectly pointed at Saudi Arabia and Qatar, who are known to finance radical Islamic groups.
By doing this, the UAE has taken a step forward with regard to religious freedom, still the exception to the rule in Muslim countries. I think we should support them as much as we can. It is crazy to criminalise someone only because he or she is different.
Such progress is just a first step, and it is mostly confined to the religious sphere. There is still a lot of work to do in the realm of political and in the justice system. In the UAE, human rights are upheld unevenly. Freedom of expression is limited (like in every country in the region). Prisoners are really badly treated. The courts are not fully independent.
Foreign workers are not guaranteed any rights. They are often treated like slaves, especially women working as domestics. This is really serious, considering the fact that foreigners represent 85 per cent of the resident population of the UAE.
Still, the new law is very modern. I have the impression that the UAE has decided not to stick to religious legalism, and that this is the result of better education. One of the most positive features of this country is its high literacy level. The average is 90 per cent, a record in the Middle East. Among females between 15 and 24, it is 97 per cent. Among young people, it is 93.6 per cent.
Let us hope that others will follow this first step, and that more Arab and Muslim countries will do the same.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
ISIS Suspects Reportedly Arrested in Moscow Suburb
Arrests took place in a mosque on Pervomayskaya Street, where IS affiliates were allegedly distributing extremist materials.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
By Alina Polyakova
Ukraine’s government has a problem on its hands: A far-right group has tapped into growing frustration among Ukrainians over the declining economy and tepid support from the West.
Right Sector (Pravy Sektor) has a dangerous agenda.
In the most direct challenge to Kyiv’s government, Right Sector announced that it will begin organising a national referendum on the population’s distrust of Ukraine’s parliament, cabinet, and the president.
A call for an illegitimate and unmonitored referendum against the government will neither unite Ukrainians nor help Ukraine’s reformers navigate the country’s difficult economic situation.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Kremlin to Seize Foreign Assets in Response to Frozen Russian Capital
The Russian government’s Commission on Legislative Affairs approved a bill that would allow Russia to seize foreign state assets without consulting them. According to the new bill, Russia will be able to seize foreign state assets from countries that would infringe Russia’s jurisdictional immunity. The Ministry of Justice said the new law is to bring parity on the existing “jurisdictional imbalance” between Russia and other countries. In other words, Russia will now seize the state assets of other countries in proportion to the amount of Russian assets frozen in those countries.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Lithuania Removes Remaining Last Soviet-Era Statues
Following calls prompted by Ukraine crisis
(ANSA-AP) — VILNIUS — Workers in Lithuania have begun dismantling the last Soviet statues in the capital, following calls prompted by the Ukraine crisis that symbols of Soviet occupation be removed.
The statues, which depict Soviet-era heroes including Red Army soldiers with machine guns, have commanded a prominent position on the historic Green Bridge in central Vilnius since 1952.
Officials said that the removal of four sets of statues on the corners of the bridge, which began early Monday, is expected to last several days.
Lithuania began removing hundreds of Soviet-era symbols after it broke away from Moscow in 1990, following nearly five decades of Soviet occupation. Earlier this year, Vilnius Mayor Remigijus Simasius pledged to remove the statues, despite opposition for historical reasons from several politicians and historians.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Oil and Gas Crunch Pushes Russia Closer to Fiscal Crisis
Russia has fallen into full-blown depression and faces a mounting fiscal crisis as oil and gas revenues plummet.
Output from country’s state-owned gas giant Gazprom has collapsed by 19pc over the past year as demand shrivels in Europe, falling to levels not seen since the creation of the company at the end of the Cold War.
A report by Sberbank warned that Gazprom’s revenues are likely to drop by almost a third to $106bn this year from $146bn in 2014, seriously eroding Russia’s economic base.
Gazprom alone generates a tenth of Russian GDP and a fifth of all budget revenues. It will be several years at best before the country benefits from a new pipeline deal with China.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Ceasefire on Agenda for Next Taliban Talks: Afghan Negotiator
An Afghan government delegation due to meet Taliban representatives for a second round of official peace talks next week will press for a ceasefire in the fighting, a negotiator said on Saturday.
Any temporary reduction in attacks would represent a breakthrough and boost the legitimacy of the budding peace process aimed at ending the 13-year-old war that kills hundreds of Afghans each month.
However, it is unclear whether the Taliban, who have been on the offensive in several parts of the country this year and inflicting record casualties, would agree.
It’s also uncertain any ceasefire would be enforceable, since the insurgents’ leaders are divided on negotiating.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Non-Resident Nepalis Complain That the New Constitution Deprives Them of Voting Rights
The draft proposal includes social and economic rights, but not political rights. Dual citizenship and immigration from China and India are major issues. More than 500,000 Nepalis living abroad could provide capital for the development of their country of origin. The Nepali diaspora has the resources, skills and knowhow necessary to help one of the poorest countries in the world.
Kathmandu (AsiaNews) — The Non-Resident Nepali (NRN) Association warns that more than half a million Nepalis might be deprived of their political rights, including their right to vote, under the terms of the new draft constitution presented in late June after years of disagreements and parliamentary tussles.
Several countries around the world allow for dual citizenship, including the United States, Britain, Switzerland, and Israel. However, rights and privileges vary by country.
The provisions in the new constitution of Nepal indicates that non-residents have the right to engage in the economic and social affairs of their country of origin, but will not be allowed to engage in politics, vote for their representatives or be elected.
The draft constitution includes a clause for “Non-Resident Nepali (NRN) citizenship”, which “can be provided” to people of Nepali origin who have acquired citizenship of countries outside the SAARC* region.
It also grants NRNs “economic, social and cultural rights”, in accordance with the laws of the country. However, that does not go far enough because NRN citizens are not given political rights. In fact, the new provision bans both the right to vote and the right to be elected.
According to experts, the new citizenship provision reflects government scepticism towards people from India and China who might obtain Nepali citizenship via marriage. Yet, this could deprive the country of investments from Nepalis living abroad.
“About a half million Nepalis living abroad are helping Nepal,” said Shesh Ghale, a Nepali-born millionaire from Australia who heads the Non-Resident Nepali association.
“They live across the world with Nepal in their hearts,” he explained. “They love Nepal and are ready to bring in capital to invest in various sectors to develop the country. Such people should be granted citizenship with political rights. The current provision may discourage them.”
In fact, although Nepal’s government recognises the importance of these resources, it denies non-residents the right to vote.
“Financial resources are important for the country, which also needs so desperately the knowhow, skills and experience of the Nepali diaspora,” said government spokesperson Minendra Rija.
What is more, “There is also an emotional argument, one that addresses the reality of emigration dynamics for Nepal, in tune with greater labour movement and nature of a globalised economy.”
For Constitutional expert Tika Ram Bhattarai, “As one of the poorest and least developed countries,” Nepal urgently needs “economic development, poverty reduction and improvement in people’s lives. Achieving this requires financial resources as well as knowhow, expertise and ideas. Non-resident Nepalis are a good source for that.”
According to one study, the Nepali diaspora could generate investments to the tune of US$ 20 billion in the real estate sector alone. However, only economic rights associated with citizenship can ensure a safe financial environment for investment.
Protests by non-residents are only the latest in a long line. Last week, lawyers protested against the draft constitution for discriminating against women and their property rights.
Two days ago, more than 100 people were arrested demonstrating against provisions that would punish “religious conversion”.
* SAARC refers to the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, which includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Chinese Are Quaffing More Italian Wine
A toast to Italian winemakers! According to data published by the market intelligence group, Wine Monitor, Italian wines are enjoying a boom in China.
European wine exports to China have experienced an exponential growth since the turn of the millennium, spurred on by a growing urban middle-class who view drinking European wine as a status symbol.
European red wines are especially popular.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
East China Sea: Tokyo Publishes Photos of Chinese Platforms in Disputed Waters
The photos show 14 structures with heliports and two jetties. Japanese officials fear Beijing might use them for military purposes. The structures were built in an area of disputed maritime boundaries between two nations.
Tokyo (AsiaNews/Agencies) — Japan yesterday posted 14 photos of Chinese offshore platforms on the foreign ministry’s website to protest China’s “deplorable unilateral development” of natural gas fields in the East China Sea.
The photos show 14 platforms and 2 jetties. Most of the platforms are equipped with heliports and some emit flames, apparently from burning gas.
The platforms have appeared despite a June 2008 agreement in which the two countries said they would jointly develop the area in the wake of friction over who had the rights to exploit the resources.
Some Japanese officials have warned China might use some of the platforms for military purposes, to monitor activities of Japan’s army and US forces in the East China Sea.
China is embroiled in a row with Japan over the Tokyo-controlled Senkaku islands — which Beijing calls the Diaoyu — as Chinese ships and aircraft regularly test Japanese forces in the area.
“Japan has repeatedly lodged protests against China’s unilateral development,” said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga. “However, China has been negative on resuming talks over implementing the June 2008 agreement, even though its activities appear to be continuing.”
The development agreement concerns an area where the two countries’ claimed exclusive economic zones (EEZ) overlap.
“The Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the continental shelf in the East China Sea has not yet been delimited,” the Japanese government wrote on its Foreign Ministry website,” and Japan takes a position that maritime delimitation should be conducted based on the geographical equidistance line between Japan and China”.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said, “China’s oil and gas exploration in undisputed waters of the East China Sea under China’s jurisdiction is justified, reasonable and legitimate.”
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Photo: These Deformed Daisies From Fukushima Are Blowing up the Internet
A small patch of deformed daisies near the 2011 Fukushima disaster site have attracted global intrigue, after Japanese Twitter user @san_kaido posted a photo of the plant mutation in May.
The discovery of the freaky-looking flowers comes four years after the Fukushima Daichii Nuclear Power Plant meltdown in 2011. The plant went into a meltdown after a magnitude-9 earthquake shook northeastern Japan, unleashing a savage tsunami.
The daisies aren’t the first thing in Japan which people think may have been affected by the nuclear power plant’s failure. Mutant rabbits and twisted vegetables have all had their moment in the social media spotlight.
What has been confirmed, in July 2013, was that about 300 tons of radioactive water continues to leak from the plant every day into the Pacific Ocean.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Thirty 30 Students Arrested in Taipei for Protesting China-Centric Education
Those arrested apparently raided the Ministry of Education overnight. They want changes in the school curriculum with regards to the island’s history and its relationship to the mainland dropped.
Taipei (AsiaNews/Agencies) — Police arrested 30 student in Taiwan early today after they broke into the Education Ministry in the capital Taipei overnight protesting against “China-centric” changes to the school curriculum.
“Thirty people were arrested and are being questioned on charges of breaching the government office and causing damage by breaking down the door”, a police spokesman said.
The protests came after the failure of talks on Thursday evening with an education official over the proposed changes to the curriculum, due to be introduced in September.
Curriculum changes disputed by protesters include a reference to Taiwan being “recovered by China” instead of “given to China” after the end of Japanese occupation in 1945.
The 50-year period of Japanese rule is also referred to as an era when “Japan occupied” the island, replacing the previous phrase “Japan governed”.
Formosa TV reported that 40 protesters had broken in to the building using ladders, with some of them locking themselves into the Education minister’s office.
About 200 protesters had also gathered outside the ministry earlier in the week to protest against the new curriculum.
The students say changes to the high school curriculum undermine the island’s sovereignty and have been introduced without proper consultation.
Increasing fears in Taiwan over Beijing’s influence sparked a three-week occupation of parliament last year by student-led protesters opposing a trade pact with mainland China.
Taiwan split from mainland China in 1949 after a civil war and is self-governed, but Beijing sees the island as part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary.
Relations have improved under current president Ma Ying-jeou of the Beijing-friendly Kuomintang party, leading to a number of trade deals but triggering growing public unease.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Australian Islamic State Nurse Arrested on Return Home
An Australian nurse who says he was forced by Islamic State militants to work as a medic in Syria was arrested after returning home and faces terrorism-related charges of supporting the movement.
Adam Brookman, 39, was arrested at Sydney International Airport on Friday night on a Victoria state warrant relating to his alleged involvement in the conflict in Syria, Australian Federal Police said in a statement on Saturday.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Shark Killed Tas Man in Front of Daughter
A police liaison officer and counsellors are working closely with the family of a man who was taken by a shark off Tasmania’s Maria Island. A Hobart woman diving with her father watched in horror as the shark attacked him around 7am yesterday.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Obama Spends First Evening in Kenya With Extended Family
US President Barack Obama has reunited with his extended family on the first evening of his trip to Kenya. In his first visit as US president, Obama is expected to discuss trade and counterterrorism strategies.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
D.E.A. In Disguise: Who Really Arrested El Chapo Back in 2014?
In the wake of drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán’s sensational escape from Mexican prison on July 11, explosive new allegations have emerged about the circumstances of the February 2014 arrest in the resort town of Mazatlán that landed him behind bars. For more than a year, the official story of El Chapo’s arrest has placed elite Mexican marines at the head of the operation, with U.S. federal agencies playing a crucial intelligence support role. However, a new report citing U.S. government sources claims that account is false.
According to leading Mexican investigative newsmagazine Proceso, the agents who arrested Guzmán weren’t Mexican at all — they were Americans, members of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Marshals Service, dressed as Mexican marines, working alongside one or more unidentified U.S. intelligence agencies.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
A Smugglers’ Haven in the Sahara
The route to Europe for many African migrants passes through the underworld of Agadez, Niger
Since the 15th century, Agadez has been one of the continent’s most important trading hubs, the gateway between West and North Africa. Now, it is a city run by human smugglers.
Across the developing world, migrants and refugees are leaving home in historic numbers. Increasingly, they are turning to smugglers, who load them onto flimsy ships or overcrowded trucks for treacherous journeys that kill thousands each year. Authorities in Europe and Asia have vowed to crack down on the multibillion-dollar industry. But the business of human cargo is thriving.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Donald Trump Warns of ‘Tremendous Danger’ of Illegal Immigrants During Visit to Mexican Border
Real estate magnate Donald Trump brought his unorthodox presidential campaign to the U.S.-Mexican border yesterday and stood by his controversial comments on Mexican immigrants causing crime.
Visiting the Texas town of Laredo for a “boots on the ground” trip, the Republican hopeful said the United States faces “a tremendous danger on the border with the illegals coming in”.
Asked whether he had evidence for his claim that Mexico sends rapists and other criminals across the border, he replied, “Yes, I have, and I’ve heard it from a lot of different people.”
Trump is at, or near, the top of many opinion polls among the 16 candidates in the race for the Republican nomination for the 2016 presidential election, worrying leaders in the party establishment who fear he could turn off moderate voters.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Europe’s Existence Threatened by Influx of Migrants, Says Hungary’s Orban
But granting Brussels more power won’t solve the bloc’s problems, prime minister adds
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Saturday that Europe’s existence is under threat from the huge influx of migrants to the region, but that granting Brussels more power isn’t the way to solve the bloc’s problems.
Escalating political unrest in the Middle East and North Africa has led to a surge of migrants to the European Union this year. In the first half of 2015, 137,000 migrants reached Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain—an 83% increase compared with the same period last year, according to the United Nations.
“For us, Europe is at stake today; Europeans’ way of life; European values; the survival or demise of European nations, or rather, their transformation beyond recognition,” Mr. Orban said in a speech in Baile Tusnad, which is part of neighboring Romania and has a large number of ethnic Hungarians.
Hungary has become a major transit country for migrants this year with some 71,200 entering the country in the first six months, almost double the amount for the whole of 2014, Hungarian police data showed. After crossing the Balkans, migrants, mostly from Syria and Afghanistan, enter Hungary to seek registration for EU asylum before heading to the bloc’s more developed western and northern countries.
“The question is not what sort of a Europe we Hungarians would like to live in but whether what we call Europe today will continue to exist. We would like Europe to continue to belong to Europeans,” Mr. Orban added.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Residents Wake Up to Find Overnight, City Park Has Been Turned Into Migrant Camp for 2,000
The German city which dared to stand-up to their government’s policy of accepting Islamisation and mass migration appears to have been punished for dissent by the zero-notice imposition of a migrant camp.
Government employees stood by the entrance of a city park in Dresden, Saxony on Thursday night handing out fliers to passers-by informing them the next day the green space, which lies a short walk behind the city’s famous Semper Opera house was to be transformed into a ‘tent city’. In reality, a Breitbart source in the city said, the first most people knew about the plan was when a convoy of lorries and construction equipment rolled in to begin work hours later.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Gov’t Prepares Campaign to Dispel Czechs’ Refugee Fears
Prague, July 21 (CTK) — The government is preparing a campaign to persuade Czechs that they need not be afraid of refugees, its Secretary for European Affairs Tomas Prouza told today’s issue of daily Hospodatské noviny (HN), adding that it will focus on places where the immigrants will find a new home.
Czechs are afraid of radical Islamists, who they say might be among the refugees. According to the latest CVVM poll, more Czechs are afraid of Islamic State (72 percent) than of the developments in the relatively close Ukraine (64 percent).
Since the campaign in support of refugees will not proceed on the national level, the main role on the local level will be played by mayors and priests who will stage meetings and lectures in the municipalities where an immigrant family will move at which the newcomers will be free to tell their story to the locals, Prouza said.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Greece: Official Calls for Crisis Talks Over Athens Park Migrant Camp
A senior official in the Attica Regional Authority on Friday sent a letter to several ministries, Athens City Hall and other state services, requesting an emergency meeting next week to address how to deal with a burgeoning migrant camp in one of the capital’s biggest parks.
In her letter, Attica Vice Regional Governor Ermina Kyprianidou called for crisis talks on the situation at Pedion tou Areos, where around 250 migrants have set up camp over the past 10 days, and in other central squares.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Italian General: EU Anti-Migrant Operation Likely to Fail
Italy’s former defence chief has said the EU’s anti-migrant smuggling operation is likely to bring more, rather than fewer, migrants to Europe.
General Vincenzo Camporini, Italy’s chief of defence from 2008 to 2011, told EUobserver in an interview that the operation, EUnavformed, will encourage smugglers to set adrift more people in the Mediterranean Sea because there’ll be more EU ships which are obliged, under international law, to rescue them.
“In essence, it’s helping the smuggling operation because it provides people with more means to reach their desired objective, which is to land in Europe”, he said.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
More Than 1,200 Migrants Brought to Sicily (2)
More than 1,200 migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa and Syria, arrived in Sicily on Saturday, after having been picked up in the Mediterranean, the Italian coastguard said.
Most of the migrants — including 133 women and 27 children — arrived in Palermo after being picked up off the Libyan coast by the Norwegian cargo ship Siem Pilot, which is part of a voluntary EU border security operation.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
More Than 1,200 Migrants Brought to Sicily (1)
More than 1,200 migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa and Syria, arrived in Sicily on Saturday, after having been picked up in the Mediterranean, the Italian coastguard said.
Most of the migrants — including 133 women and 27 children — arrived in Palermo after being picked up off the Libyan coast by the Norwegian cargo ship Siem Pilot, which is part of a voluntary EU border security operation.
Another 468 were taken to the southeastern Sicilian town of Pozzallo aboard the Irish navy patrol ship Le Niamh…
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Paperback Release: The Red-Green Axis
Washington, D.C.: The Center for Security Policy today released a new paperback version of the monograph by investigative journalist James Simpson: The Red-Green Axis: Refugees, Immigration and the Agenda to Erase America.
This report extensively details the networks of radical left non-profits, foundations, government agencies and the personalities behind them. Unbeknownst to most Americans they are using refugee resettlement as a pretext to import waves of immigrants from third-world nations as a key front in Obama’s strategy of “fundamentally transforming” America. These refugees have little interest in assimilating. Many are from Muslim countries, view immigration as “Hijra” i.e. a subversive means to invade a foreign nation, and have demonstrated a willingness to either support or engage in terrorism both in America and abroad.
These groups are coached by leftist non-profits to capitalize on our generous welfare programs and shown how to maneuver around legal impediments — all at our expense — but are not being taught how to assimilate. The report conservatively estimates welfare costs at $10 billion per year. Additionally, government resettlement contractors receive $1 billion annually in federal tax dollars and non-profits supporting the agenda are provided billions of dollars from non-profits like George Soros’ Open Society Institute.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Sweden: Afghan Migrants Abducted Woman and Gang Raped Her for a Week
Swedish police have arrested two Afghan men after they locked a local woman in an apartment for seven days over March this year.
The Swedish Free Press (Fria Tider) reports the arrests, in ethnic-conflict city Malmo, took place this week in relation to the ordeal which took place between March 15 and 22. The two men arrested so far, aged 40 and 38, are unable to speak Swedish and required a Pashto interpreter in court — this was despite at least one of the men having lived in Sweden for a year or more, as evidenced by a past conviction for drug offences in 2014.
The men have been charged aggravated rape “jointly and in concert with others” — investigators are still looking into suspicions of other kidnappers. The investigation is still at an “early stage” and as of yet no more details have been released by police.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
The Religious Origins of the Sanctuary Movement
Thanks to Donald Trump, the major media are being forced to cover the illegal immigration movement, such as the proliferation of “sanctuary cities” across the U.S. that attract criminal aliens, give them legal protection, and let them back out on the streets to commit more crimes. But the really taboo topic is how these sanctuary cities grew out of a movement started by the Catholic Church and other churches.
Over 200 cities, counties and states provide safe-haven to illegal aliens as sanctuary cities, the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) reports. What has not yet been reported is that the Catholic Church, which gave President Obama his start in “community organizing” in Chicago, has been promoting the sanctuary movement for more than two decades.
What’s more, in April, a delegation of U.S. Catholic bishops staged a church service along the U.S.-Mexico border and distributed Communion through the border fence. At the same time, Pope Francis said a “racist and xenophobic” attitude was keeping immigrants out of the United States.
No wonder the pope’s approval ratings have been falling in the United States. Overall, Gallup reports that it’s now at 59 percent, down from 76 percent in early 2014. Among conservatives, it’s fallen from 72 percent approval to 45 percent (a drop of 27 points).
“Few people are aware that this extreme left branch of the Catholic Church played a large part in birthing the sanctuary movement,” says James Simpson, author of the new book, The Red-Green Axis: Refugees, Immigration and the Agenda to Erase America.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Three Injured in Dresden Anti-Immigrant Demo
Three people were injured Friday when clashes erupted between far-right demonstrators and pro-refugee protesters in the eastern German city of Dresden, where hundreds of asylum seekers are due to be given shelter.
Some 200 members of the far-right NPD had gathered in protest against the arrival this weekend of 800 refugees, the majority from Syria, German news agency DPA reported.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Two Refugees Die During Attempt to Cross Channel Tunnel to Britain
An Eritrean woman has died while trying to illegally cross the Channel Tunnel from France to the United Kingdom, a day after another migrant was found dead at the British end of the tunnel.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Warsaw Hosts Rival Pro- And Anti-Migrant Protests
Two demonstrations were held in Warsaw Saturday, with participants in one welcoming migrants into their country while rival protesters chanted “no to migrants.”
“Today it’s migrants, tomorrow it’s terrorists,” some 300 far-right protesters chanted, waving banners that read: “Poland does not have the means to welcome migrants.”
Meanwhile some 100 people carrying bread and salt — a Polish tradition symbolising hospitality — stood near Warsaw’s central train station to welcome asylum seekers into the eastern European country.
Poland has said it is ready to welcome 2,000 migrants as Europe seeks to share the burden on Italy and Greece, on whose Mediterranean coastlines scores of thousands of migrants have arrived in recent months…
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
For breaking through the thick congressional wall on behalf of gay rights, President Obama was dubbed the nation’s “first gay president.” Indeed, he hosted Gay Pride events at the White House, helped bring an end to Don’t Ask-Don’t Tell, signed hate crimes legislation, and mandated visitation rights for partners of LGBT patients. Obama went so far as to appoint the first transgender in an American presidential administration — Amanda Simpson, Senior Technical Advisor to the Department of Commerce.
Although the California Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of an amendment which says, “only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California,” gays continued to demand extraordinarily large representation in public and even private arenas. A Zogby-GLCensus Partners poll of over 1500 participants identified legal recognition of same-sex marriage as a primary goal. Accordingly, in reversing his previously held position on marriage, President Obama lent unbridled support for same-sex marriage, likely the most socially fundamental issue of the twenty-first century.
The US Supreme Court unanimously approved a Wisconsin hate-crimes statute (Wisconsin v Mitchell, 2000), and its Lawrence ruling overturned Texas’ same-sex, anti-sodomy law. The Lawrence decision also rendered unenforceable what thirteen other state laws prohibited. In 2003 when the Massachusetts Supreme Court advanced the notion that gay marriage extended civil rights to disadvantaged groups (Goodrich v the Massachusetts Department of Public Health), even authentic advocates of the civil rights movement (Alveda King, for one) were incensed. The growing number of ex-gays proved that homosexuals likely possess no unchangeable characteristics. What’s more, far from disadvantaged, the gay community boasted incomes forty-one percent above the national average. Not robed judges, but God alone grants natural, unalienable rights.
A fair-minded person’s exercise of freedom of conscience is not hatred, bigotry, discrimination, or extremism, yet Senator Ted Kennedy likened said vitriol to “terrorism.” Fact is, San Francisco documented fewer cases of anti-gay violence than gay-to-gay domestic violence; but media spokesperson Paul Begala fingered “extremist, hate mongering conservative” groups — you know, the American Family Association and the Family Research Council — as brutal murderers.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Obama “Unequivocal” On Gay Rights in Kenya
President Obama defended gay rights in Kenya Saturday, calling for “equal protection under the law” for LGBT citizens of the African country — a position that Kenyan President Uruhu Kenyatta fired back against during their joint press conference.
“I believe in the principle of treating people equally under the law. And that they are deserving of equal protection under the law and that the state should not discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation,” Mr. Obama, standing next to President Kenyatta, said to reporters. “I’m unequivocal on this.”
The president added that as an African American living in the United States he was “painfully aware” of what happens when people are institutionally discriminated against, citing the U.S. history of segregation, Jim Crow laws, and slavery.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Obama Calls for Equal Rights for Gays in Africa
US President Barack Obama on Saturday called for equal rights for gays in Africa, comparing homophobia to racial discrimination he had encountered in the United States.
“I’ve been consistent all across Africa on this. I believe in the principle of treating people equally under the law… and the state should not discriminate on people based on their sexual orientation,” Obama said during a joint news conference with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.
“When you start treating people differently, that is the path whereby freedoms begin to erode and bad things happen.”
“As a African-American in the United States I am painfully aware” of the consequences of discrimination, he told reporters…
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Do Guns Kill? No, Antidepressants Do.
Public is being fooled into believing that it is guns that kill.
The average citizen is told that when a person is depressed the best thing to do is talk to your doctor and get a prescription for an antidepressant. This is to make you feel better and better able to function in this society. It is also told to us that antidepressants are good for managing ADHD, ADD and a myriad of behavior problems in children and adults.
What I want to do first is show you what the medical professionals have to say about antidepressants. The consensus is that the benefits outweigh the side-effects. They could be right. You have to make the decision. Here is an excerpt from a Reuter’s article…
What I am going to do now is show you the real story behind antidepressants. Many people have gone to a lot of trouble to create websites that document what the truth is. I was surprised at my findings.
The little known truths that I am going to present to you I found while doing research into the FDA. This topic about antidepressants is more important to the United States citizen and it will, in a round about manner, prove that the FDA needs a complete overhaul if not charges brought against it for “violating the public trust” and as an “accessory to assault.” That is my opinion. You must decide for yourself.
What I am going to show you is why guns do not kill people. It is the person holding the gun that kills because that person is in a frame of mind that is drug induced.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Fiat Chrysler Recalls 1.4 Million Vehicles to Defend Against Hacks
The recall covers about a million more cars and trucks than those initially identified as needing a software patch. The action includes 2015 versions of Ram pickups, Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee SUVs, Dodge Challenger sports coupes and Viper supercars…
This isn’t the first time automobiles have been shown to be vulnerable to hacking. What elevates this instance is that researchers were able to find and disable vehicles from miles away over the cellular network that connects to the vehicles’ entertainment and navigation systems.
That capability makes the possibility of remote hacking of cars a reality. Earlier hacks have mostly been achieved by jacking the researchers’ laptops into diagnostic ports inside the cars.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
London Rickshaw Driver Attempting to Charge £206 for ‘Three-Minute Ride’
The shocking moment a London rickshaw driver attempted to charge tourists £206 for a mile-long journey from Oxford Circus to Marble Arch was captured on camera.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
“look out for unexploded grenades”. Wow what stupidity, chances are if you see a grenade thrown your way, you’re gonna be dead or wounded in a few seconds.
I just wonder how the Swedish elite will rationalize it when the Muslims turn their wrath on the Swedes and start blowing up schools and shopping centers full of Swedes. Because you know that’s next once they settle their internal issues.
Such is the wisdom of those we vote to represent us when we no longer care about who it is, or what they stand for, when we give them our vote. .
1) tell people to look out for and report unexploded grenades
2) nobody reports any unexploded grenades
3) obviously the problem is solved!
4) congratulate the police for a job well done
Please Baron ,
Dont use the word “refugees” since they are not . Instead , economic migrants , illegal migrants , infiltrators etc .
The term refugee is only applicable (by the UN definition) to those who claim assistance from a neighbouring state of the one at war eg. the Syrians entering Jordan . Then , if that state cannot afford assistance to all then the UN has to intervene with finance and supplies etc to see to the welfare of those who have fled.
By using that word we are indirectly acknowledging them rights in countries further afield which we shouldnt .
Deportation is an obligation unless they come from a neighbouring state.
I suppose you couldn’t detect the heavy hand of irony, which often appears in my introductions to the news feed. Perhaps I should have employed an irony mark…
From the ‘News feed;
1. I don’t believe that Tommy Robinson’ has been cowered.
2. The veto of the police investigation into organized pedophilia within Britain by the Blair government demonstrates just how morally corrupt to the point of criminality the British Government, before and after the Blair Government, to those who elected it has become!
3. UAE, as in the United Arab Emerites, now boasting anti-discrimination laws? Spin me another one!
4. Shark attacks around Australia have increased dramatically over the past ten years. Once upon a time we used to mesh our most favored beaches against these killing machines who, to those who had some knowledge of shark behaviour, knew that the most easiest to obtain food (swimming humans) would of course attract the most laziest of sharks – the Great White.
I try to envisage the Swedish National Police and all I can come up with is a gunless social worker with a clipboard looking for grievance mongerers.
In light of what has happened in recent years to transform Malmö from the drunk capitol of Sweden to a leading center of Islamization in Europe, I have to wonder how the people of Denmark, especially Copenhagen, feel about that engineering marvel the Øresund Bridge, connecting the two cities.
>> Grenade attacks and other forms of armed violence have severely taxed . . . . <<
The solution is obvious. More Muslims must be encouraged to come diversify Sweden.
More, more, more, more, more, more, more Moslems. There can never be enough parasitism, savagery, ignorance, and hostility.
What a dull, bucolic place it was without hand grenades. Swedish bumpkins.
Well at least now they don’t have to go to Norway to get away from the boredom. Sweden has cured its own boredom!