An Iraqi “refugee” was crushed to death by pallets in the back of a lorry near Calais as he was attempting to smuggle himself into Britain. Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration reported that more than 522,000 migrants have crossed the Mediterranean to Europe so far this year.
In other news, Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic referred to the Serbs as “barbarians” when discussing an alleged deal between Hungary and Serbia to funnel the refugees into Croatia.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to C. Cantoni, Fjordman, Insubria, JD, JLH, Nick, Srdja Trifkovic, Yonit, 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.
“Looming Catastrophe From Diseased Rates”: Billionaire Icahn Warns of Danger Ahead
Billionaire investor Carl Icahn, who is something of an economic rock star, is releasing a video Tuesday that warning of potential looming financial catastrophe.
Carl Icahn has drawn attention recently after reportedly endorsing Donald Trump’s candidacy for president, and apparently being recruited by Trump as his potential Treasury Secretary.
But now he is warning in “danger ahead” that the plague and “disease” from prolonged interest rates from the Federal Reserve, which has in turn forced people into risky high yield markets — where investors are seeking return on their investment — is doomed to a fail, and poses a risk to that is system wide in its scope.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Bank of Italy Says Property Tax Cuts Will Only Give Economic Boost if Seen as Permanent
Renzi govt plans to abolish IMU, TASI
(ANSA) — Rome, September 29 — Luigi Federico Signorini, the deputy director of the Bank of Italy, said Tuesday that the government’s plans to cut property taxes will only provide a boost for the economy if taxpayers are confident the move is permanent. Premier Matteo Renzi has pledged to abolish property tax IMU and local-services tax TASI on people’s primary homes in the 2016 budget. “Household consumption could benefit (from cuts on taxes on primary homes) but it depends on the degree to which these are perceived as permanent,” Signorini told a parliamentary hearing on the government’s economic blueprint, the economic and financial document (DEF).
He added that Renzi’s plans were the “fifth intervention in the last seven years” on property taxes. On Monday a European Union report suggested Italy move in a different direction and shift taxes from labour to consumer spending, property and the environment. The report said that, like other EU States, Italy has “a relatively high tax burden on labour” adding that there is space to “move the fiscal burden to less distorting taxes, like those on consumption, on recurrent taxes on property and those on the environment”. The report added that, while taxes on sales of property were high in Italy, annual taxes on real-estate ownership were relatively low. Italy’s high labour taxes have been blamed for contributing to relatively low net salaries and high unemployment. The report prompted an irate response from Renzi.
“We decide which taxes to cut, not eurobureaucrats in Brussels,” he said in New York, where he is set to address the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.
“The EU’s job is not to put its oar in on a State’s ultimate choices. It must not make decisions in place of single governments”.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Commodity Collapse May Have Longer Term Effect on Exporters: IMF
Countries dependent on exports of commodities like metals or oil could face long-term growth challenges from the collapse in prices, the International Monetary Fund warned Monday.
The IMF said that the broad decline in commodity prices after the boom of the 2000s is mainly a cyclical pain for producers, their incomes soaring and now falling in tandem with prices.
But the IMF said, in its new World Economic Outlook report, that the price slump could also result in lower investment in future production in these countries, limiting their growth potential.
The Fund said many exporting countries have been better prepared for the current slump, saving more of their earnings in preparation for an industry slowdown, and letting their currencies adjust to the market, resulting in less violent swings…
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: 5-Yr: 10-Yr Bond Rates Fall at Treasury Auction
Treasury sells some eight billion euros in bonds
(ANSA) — Rome, September 29 — The Treasury said Tuesday that it sold over five billion euros in five-year and 10-year BTP State bonds, with interest rates falling. It sold three billion euros’ worth of BTPs maturing in 2025 at an average interest rate of 1.82%. It also sold two billion euros’ worth of bonds maturing in 2020 at a rate of 0.71%. The Treasury also sold three billion euros of seven-year CCTEU bonds at an average interest rate of 0.76%.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: New Mortgages Rose by 89.1% in First 8 Months of 2015 Says ABI
Borrowing by families totals 28.92 billion euros
(ANSA) — Rome, September 29 — The value of new family home mortgages rose by 86.1% in the first eight months of the year over the same period in 2014, the Italian banking association ABI said Tuesday. The figure is based on a sample of 78 banks corresponding to approximately 80% of the market. New mortgage loans totalled 28.92 billion euros in the period January-August 2015, compared to 15.543 billion euros in the same period last year. Borrowing by families in the first eight months of the year also exceeds that in the same period in 2013 and 2012, which stood at 12.089 billion euros and 13.924 billion euros respectively.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
2016 GOP Contenders: Carly Fiorina
There is a reason Fiorina shows up on lists of the “Worst CEOs Of All Time,” (See here, here, here, here, and here among others) and it’s not because the whole business world is engaged in some kind of conspiracy to portray her as an incompetent. Was HP better off after Carly left than when she arrived? The answer is no. [Link] Despite the spin she tries to put on it, Carly Fiorina was a disaster for Hewlett Packard, and they’re still suffering from her so-called leadership. [Link] Fiorina left HP with one of the largest golden parachutes, really unheard of! [Link]
Don’t forget about her trading with Iran in violation of U.S. trade sanctions by using a foreign entity. [Link] According to a column by Josh Rogin: “Under Fiorina’s leadership, Hewlett-Packard sold hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of products to Iran through a foreign subsidiary, despite strict U.S. export sanctions.” [Link]
When Carly was forced out of HP, the very next day, HP stock jumped over 10%. [Link]
Remember too, Carly openly stated in a speech that she uses the Marxist Hegelian Dialectic every day. Check out this amazing article on Carly and Hegel.
Don’t forget Carly’s love of the Islamists, and her speeches extolling Islamic history only nine days after 9/11. On Monday, 21 September 15, Fiorina appeared on the Jimmy Fallon show. Besides her singing about a dog, she stated she would not have a problem with a Muslim being president of the United States. Skip to 1:48 in this video and listen to what she says…
On Fox News, Fiorina said that it’s “absolutely crystal clear” that Clinton broke the rules and that she’s trying to cover it up. She pointed out that Clinton had a “server in her basement” for years, then decided to “wipe it clean” two years after leaving the State Department and before her presidential run.
Well Carly, what about your destruction of five hard drives prior to the ousting of Walter Hewlett and the HP board, and your massive takeover which gained you millions? [Link] Here are the facts from the man who was told to destroy Carly’s hard drives. I’ve spoken to him personally.
My name is Charles Nielsen, and I was an employee with HP from 1/2000 until 8/2001. I worked in the Boise, Idaho Data Center. I was the sole Customer Engineer allowed to work on Carly’s Private Server. It was kept under lock and key, and I was the only engineer allowed to work on it under the direct supervision of the Data Center Manager; I was new to the company and was used as a dupe. In March of 2001, just before Carly Fiorina had taken control of HP from Walter Hewlett, I was asked to remove the 5 hard drives from her personal server and physically destroy them with a hammer. I asked why I would destroy hard drives that at the time were worth over $15k apiece and I was told because she said so.
Shortly after destroying all evidence of her conspiracy to take over the company, she removed Walter Hewlett from the board of directors and made off with approximately $500 million dollars from the company with the rest of the board of directors ($100 million for Carly personally). All of her emails and all working documents were destroyed. I have kept my silence until now, when I find it highly offensive that after laying off close to 33k workers and sending stock prices into the gutter ( $55 a share when Fiorina took over to a little less than $20 a share under her leadership) she is pretending she would never behave like Hillary has. Carly Fiorina is as corrupt as they come.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
DOJ Drops Charges Against Syrian Woman Arrested at Texas Border With Mexico
A federal court in this border city dropped all charges against a Syrian woman and her brother in law, a U.S. Citizen, who were arrested as they attempted to enter the U.S. from Mexico.
As reported by Breitbart Texas, U.S. Customs and Border Protection arrested 27-year-old Walaa Alrehawi and her brother-in-law 46-year-old Mohammad Ziad Alzalam last week in the border city of Hidalgo on the charge of misusing a U.S. passport.
Court records obtained by Breitbart Texas revealed that Ziad traveled to Beirut, Lebanon, to pick up Alrehawi and the two allegedly used a U.S. passport belonging to Ziad’s wife to fly to Frankfurt, Germany. From there, the two flew to the Mexican resort town of Cancun and then made their way to the Mexican city of Reynosa, where they arrived at the international bridge and split up as Ziad tried to enter as a citizen while Alrehawi arrived trying to request asylum.
CBP officers had charged the two with misuse of a U.S. Passport, however, the very next day the U.S Attorney’s Office filed a motion to dismiss all charges “with prejudice” stating that the move came “in the interest of justice.”
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Flags of Latino Pride Wave Off Pope Francis From United States
On top of the tight security, one of the most notable sights were the scores of Latin American flags waving across Benjamin Franklin Avenue where Jorge Mario Bergoglio celebrated Mass on Sunday and had attended a religious music festival on Saturday night.
“The pope makes all of South America proud — our extended family, as we like to call it,” said Pintar, who is also Argentinean and has been living in the United States for more than 10 years.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Lawmakers: U.S. Plan for Internet May be Unconstitutional
President Obama’s plan to “internationalize” the Internet may be unconstitutional, key members of Congress are claiming.
The group of lawmakers sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office last week, saying the plan to relinquish oversight of Internet domain name functions to a global, multi-stakeholder body raised questions about the administration’s “authority to transfer possession and control of critical components of the Internet’s infrastructure to a third party.”
The letter was signed by the chairmen of both congressional judiciary committees, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va; presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif. Issa is also a former chairman of the House Oversight Committee.
The lawmakers point out that the Constitution says “Congress has the exclusive power ‘to dispose of and make all needful rules and regulations respecting the territory or other property belonging to the United States.’“
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Leave it to Obama to Turn Iran ‘Death to America’ Chants Into an Economics Lecture
The quality of life for every member of the human race present and future could be improved by a handful of world leaders. Too bad not a single one of those people were at the United Nations General Assembly in NYC on Thursday.
Among them, President Obama, who tried to let the Iran’s leaders know that “death to America” chants in that country are destined to be nothing more than the job-creation equivalent of Solyndra:…
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Note to Pinnochio Post: Lying is Permissable, Even “Obligatory” Under Islamic Law
by Diana West
Dear Glenn Kessler,
First of all, how come your “Fact Checker” column of 9/22 awarding Dr. Ben Carson “Four Pinnochios” for his statement regarding “taqiyya” is running for a second time? It first appeared last week, but there it is again in today’s paper, 9/27, on p. A5.
Oh well, I missed it the first time. It’s definitely worth revisiting.
Dr. Carson said the following: “‘Taqiyya’ is a component of sharia that allows, and even encourages you to lie to achieve your goals.”
You then write: “In other words, he appeared to be saying that this tenet of Islam offered some kind of loophole that would allow the Muslim to lie about his or her religious beliefs to pursue other objectives. Is this the case?” (Emphasis added.)
For the record, your paraphrase is not what Carson said. He invoked “taqiyya” to describe a concept in sharia, or Islamic law, that, as he put it, “allows and even encourages [a Muslim] to lie to achieve [his] goals.”
I note that you have chosen to frame Dr. Carson’s very broad claim about sharia-approved lying by focusing on a literal definition of “taqiyya,” as if Carson were discussing only whether Muslims were specifically permitted to lie about “religious beliefs.”
You then go on to “fact-check” this concept of lying about religion in Islam.
Note that I put “fact-check” in quotation marks. This is because you did not, in fact, check the facts. You just contacted sharia-apologists and “taqiyya”-artists for comment.
As a reporter, you really ought to check the authoritative Islamic sources yourself, even if just for “balance.”
Such sources include Reliance of the Traveller: A Classic Manual of Islamic Sacred Law. It is available on Amazon, which should please the boss. Even at $29.95, it is a bargain, and I cannot recommend it highly enough as a means of quick access to “sharia,” or Islamic law, as authorized by Sunni Islamic authorities, including certification by Al Azhar.
Turn to the detailed subject index of Reliance of the Traveller where you will find a section on “Lying.”…
| — Hat tip: JLH | [Return to headlines] |
President Obama Repeats His Failed Foreign Policy Mantra at the UN
President Obama delivered his annual speech to the United Nations General Assembly on September 28th. He spoke mostly in generalities, with his usual platitudes extolling the benefits of multilateral cooperation, diplomacy and international law rooted in what he called “universal,” “self-evident” truths. He condemned “the belief that power is a zero-sum game; that might makes right; that strong states must impose their will on weaker ones; that the rights of individuals don’t matter; and that in a time of rapid change, order must be imposed by force.”
President Obama’s main examples in his speech of countries that “assert themselves in ways that contravene international law” were Russia and Syria. In both cases, unfortunately, Obama’s feckless foreign policy has made matters worse.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Prosecutor Bans Staff From Owning Guns
The Nassau County acting district attorney on Long Island in New York is under fire after issuing a directive to prosecutors under her jurisdiction banning them from owning handguns.
Only those prosecutors who receive a special exception from the acting district attorney, Madeline Singas, are exempted from the order, Fox News reported.
The directive states: “[A]ssistant district attorneys are not permitted to apply for a handgun permit nor own or possess a handgun while employed by the Nassau County district attorney. Any exception to this policy must be in writing and approved by the district attorney.”
But the office is already facing backlash.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Republicans Help MSNBC Create “Global Citizens”
Stephen Colbert, Facebook Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), the Chair of the Democratic National Committee, were among those appearing at the Global Citizen Festival on September 26, broadcast by cable channel MSNBC.
Incredibly, despite the left-wing slant of the event, Republican Senators Thad Cochran (MS) and Bob Corker (TN) lent their names to the Honorary Congressional Host Committee for the gathering, while Republican Rep. Charlie Dent (PA) was listed as a participant.
Labeled as an effort to eradicate poverty by 2030, the movement to create “global citizens” is actually designed to make the U.N. into a world government to manage a transition to a new worldwide economic system. It’s being called “sustainable development” but amounts to a system of global socialism—redistributing wealth from the United States to the rest of the world.
By the standards of this group, ordinary American citizens are considered greedy consumers, who, according to socialist presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), have too many choices of deodorant and sneakers. He believes a central government should decide on what should be produced and for whom.
The Global Citizen Festival takes this theory of centralized planning to the international level.
In an Orwellian version of “Uncle Sam Wants You,” MSNBC had announced that “MSNBC wants YOU to become a Global Citizen.” Their live coverage of the event, which was held in New York City’s Central Park, was hosted by Alex Wagner, Willie Geist and Janet Mock, and included performances by Pearl Jam and Beyoncé.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Speaker John Boehner: “I Did a Good Job” Not So!
Last week, longtime House Speaker John Boehner resigned his position with a parting shot, “I did a good job!”
Boehner spoke with a forked-tongue. In reality, he proved himself one of the biggest failures as Speaker of the House in current U.S. history. Let’s examine the facts.
Boehner, knowing millions of American workers faced layoffs, unemployment, losing their homes and depressing their communities—repeatedly squashed any chance for “E-Verify” to become law. E-Verify would have required all employers to check for citizenship and legality for employment. He worked with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, run by big business and supports illegal immigration and all forms of mass immigration that depress American’s chances for employment. Boehner supported corporations and big business to make sure the flow of illegal aliens continued to keep Americans in welfare lines. Reality check: 48 million Americans subsist on food stamps.
With that certainty, additionally, in all his years in such a powerful leadership position, he never moved to enforce immigration laws at the border or internally. Thus, an average of 500,000 to 700,000 illegal aliens crossed America’s borders annually. They remain in America today in defiance of our laws—somewhere between 12 to 31 million living, working and cheating Americans out of jobs. Boehner remains instrumental in making sure that “secret” continues undermining American workers. If ever a rat prowled the corridors of Congress, John Boehner takes the cheese…
As to his representing the American people, millions of American workers stand in unemployment lines while John Boehner outsourced, offshored and insourced jobs to China, India, Mexico and other countries. Boehner watched our “Free Trade” debt to China reach $1.3 trillion. He never raised a hand to create “Fair Trade” which would have brought millions of jobs back to Americans. Instead, we owe our rear-ends to China and Japan for years in debt and interest payments.
[Comment: Boehner did do a good job…for the banksters that is…he never worked for the average American Joe. Parties are two wings of the same bird of prey. Democrat Party == Communist Party, Republican party almost gone, some hope though as there still some that believe in the Constitution.]
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Ted Cruz Says Boehner Will ‘Join With Democrats’
Cruz said it was pure political strategy, aimed at saving face and funding all of President Obama’s most controversial items through the end of the year.
And his tip-off: the Senate has already passed a funding bill to do just that.
“In this instance, there were too many ‘Republicans lead the Democrats’ than lead the Republican party,” he said. “I believe if Speaker Boehner had done that … that he would have lost his speakership. A member of the House had introduced a motion to vacate the chair. Because House Republicans were fed up with their leader not leading.”
Cruz went on, asserting Boehner cut a deal.
“So Speaker Boehner faced a conundrum,” he said. “If he does what he and [Senate] Leader [Mitch] McConnell promised, he would have lost his job. And so what did he do? He announced that he is resigning as speaker and resigning as a member of Congress. That is unsurprising. But it also telegraphs the deal he just cut. It’s a deal to surrender and join with the Democrats. Notice he said he’s going to stay a month. He’s going to stay a month in order to join with the Democrats and fund Barack Obama’s priorities.“
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Quebec to Strike the N-Word Off the Map
Canadian officials have ordered that 11 places in the French-speaking province containing the N-word, or its French equivalent “nègre”, undergo a name change.
Nearly a dozen sites — including a hill known as “Rocher Nigger” and “Nigger Rapids” — were deemed insulting and must be renamed, Canadian officials said over the weekend.
“Even if the words ‘nigger’ or nègre are of ancient usage, they can undermine the dignity of the black community,” Quebec’s Toponymy Commission said in a statement…
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Archaeological Discovery in Sweden Reveals Site of Stone Age Rituals
Archaeologists unearth a 9,000-year-old ritual site in a Swedish cave on an island with a long history of superstition and witchcraft.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Italy Says No to Cheese From Powdered Milk
Tells EU this is still fair to the competition
(ANSA) — Rome, September 29 — Italy told the European Commission on Tuesday that it opposes the production of cheese with powdered instead of fresh milk within its borders, ANSA has learned.
Italy wishes to uphold current laws, banning the manufacture of cheese from powdered milk.
The law is not unfair to the competition because it doesn’t limit circulation of cheeses made from powdered milk produced in other member nations, Italy said.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy Expels Pakistani Terror Suspect
Put on flight to Islamabad
(ANSA) — Macerata, September 29 — Anti-terror police in the Marche city of Macerata on Tuesday expelled a 32-year-old Pakistani citizen on suspicion of ties to Islamic extremism.
The man lived in the town of Civitanova Marche.
He as taken to Rome’s Fiumicino airport and placed on a flight to Islamabad.
The police did not release any further details about the case.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Moroccan Gets 30 Years for David Raggi Murder
Amine Assaoul had been expelled in 2007, returned in 2014
(ANSA) — Terni, September 29 — A court in the Umbrian city of Terni on Tuesday sentenced a Moroccan national to 30 years in prison for murder.
Amine Aassoul, 29, was found guilty of slashing the throat of David Raggi, 27, with a broken bottle outside a bar on the night of March 12 this year. The defendant did not know the victim and was drunk at the time of what police who witnessed the incident said was a random attack on a passerby.
He had been deported in 2007, only to return to claim political asylum in 2014.
That claim had been turned down twice, but the second rejection came only after he had committed murder.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn Loves Britain Because of Its Left-Wing Values
Mr Corbyn also supports a united Ireland, wants to hand sovereignty of the Falklands to Argentina, and has given only muted support for Scotland remaining in the UK.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Media Rights Group Says EU is Too Soft on Hungary
Committee to Protect Journalists said in report ‘Balancing Act’
(ANSA-AP) — BRUSSELS — An international press freedom group says the European Union has been too lenient in its treatment of media abuses in member state Hungary.
The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said in Tuesday’s report “Balancing Act” that the 28-nation bloc was struggling to match its lofty human rights standards with its day-to-day actions in protecting journalists within the EU and around the world.
“There are significant challenges that undermine press freedom and new threats are emerging,” the report concluded.
Hungary has come under intense scrutiny since Prime Minister Viktor Orban came to power and professed he wanted to turn Hungary into an “illiberal state” like Russia and China, where press freedoms are also under intense pressure.
Even though EU institutions, including its legislature, have criticized Orban, firm action has yet to be pushed through.
“By not holding member states to account, the EU has failed to forcefully and consistently defend press freedom,” the CPJ said.
Under Orban, “the state media have been turned into pro-government mouthpieces, state advertising has been used to reward friends and punish dissenters, independent journalists have been marginalized, and limits have been imposed on its Freedom of Information Act law,” the report said.
There also have been incidents during the migrant crisis in Hungary earlier this month. The Associated Press protested the brief detention of one of its journalists by police as he covered migrants crossing the border, saying he was forced to delete footage that included images of a police dog knocking down a refugee. Hungary has disputed the account.
Hungarian government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said he had no comment on the CPJ report.
The EU’s executive Commission says that member countries are responsible for regulating the media and that there is very little the EU can do in this area.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Netherlands: A Nation of Tall Cheese-Eaters
The Dutch drink a lot of milk, eat a lot of cheese, and are now the tallest people in the world. Could there be a connection? The author of a new book on the Netherlands, Ben Coates, explains how the Dutch became not only voracious but also very discerning cheese eaters.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Netherlands: Over 440,000 Dutch Call for Referendum on Ukraine EU Treaty
A Dutch citizens’ initiative to force a non-binding referendum on a far-reaching treaty between Brussels and Ukraine had gathered 446,000 signatures by early Sunday evening.
The campaign to hold a referendum was launched by shock blog Geenstijl, think-tank Forum voor Democratie and the Burgercomite EU association earlier this month.
In 2014, the Dutch approved legislation to allow ‘advisory referendums’ on controversial topics, if supporters can gather 300,000 signatures. The Dutch parliament has already voted in favour of the treaty.
The aim of the treaty is to foster political relationships and kickstart economic integration and supporters say it shifts Ukraine away from Russia and more towards the west.
Opponents say the treaty will cost Dutch taxpayers billions of euros and that the EU’s expansion drive is having an adverse impact on democracy in the Netherlands.
They also argue that the Dutch parliament no longer does what its own voters want, but are driven by Brussels’ own interests.
Procedure
In The Hague, politicians congratulated the organisers of the lobby, RTL news reported, even though the ruling Labour party, the Christian Democrats and D66 all reiterated their support for the treaty. The Socialists and anti-immigration PVV are opposed and PVV leader Geert Wilders has already said he will campaign for a ‘no’ vote.
The electoral council will now check the results to make sure the signatures are genuine. Once it gives the green light for the referendum, it must be held within six months. This means the vote is likely to take place during the Dutch presidency of the EU, which starts in January.
The referendum is advisory and not binding on the cabinet. This means that if the turnout is over 30% and a majority vote against the treaty, the government has to re-examine the legislation. Even though ministers can still ignore the vote, it will be difficult politically to ignore the wishes of so many people, RTL news said.
‘This law will give citizens a serious opportunity to express their views and an important voice in the decision-making process,’ said D66 parliamentarian Gerard Schouw. D66 drew up the referendum legislation.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Spain: Catalonia: Mas Summoned for ‘Disobedience’
For independence referendum. Party, ‘political provocation’
(ANSAmed) — MADRID, SEPTEMBER 29 — The president of Catalonia, seccessionist Artur Mas, has been summoned to answer ‘disobedience’ charges by the Spanish Superior Justice Tribunal, on October 15.
Mas is being investigated for convening an independence referendum in 2014 which has been called illegal by the Spanish Constitutional Court.
The announcemente of Mas ‘ summons as a defendant comes two days after Sunday’s Catalan elections, won with an absolute majority of seats by independentist lists which mustered 47.8% of the vote.
A “political persecution” by Spanish institutions, that’s how Convergencia House whip Pere Macias reacted to the news of Artur Mas’s summons.
“Trying to unseat who won at the polls with these methods does not give the impression of a quality-democracy” he stated.
After the ruling by the Spanish Constitutional Court, banning a binding referendum on Catalan independence, Mas confirmed the polls as a consultative measure.
Two million and a half Catalan voters, out of 5.5 million, partecipated to the vote on November 9, 2014.
The result was widely favourable to independence.
Macias said that all those who participated to the vote should also be investigated by the Spanish judiciary.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
UK: ‘Jeremy Corbyn Will Not be Ousted — He Will be in Charge for a Decade’ Says Alan Johnson
Mr Johnson said he expected the 66-year-old to fight the next two general elections — despite widespread claims from senior Labour figures that the veteran socialist is unelectable.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Age of Envy: Anti-Gentrification London Protesters Attack Trendy Cereal Killer Café
Liberalism, socialism, communism and most government intervention originate from some sort of envy. If they can’t have this then nobody else can. If I don’t have it then you can’t have it…
In recent years, Shoreditch, a previously impoverished neighborhood in the British capital, has transformed into a tech startup hub, and has thus become somewhat of an affluent (and hipster) part of the city. The gentrification of Shoreditch should be something to be happy about, but many protesters are not.
In Shoreditch, there is a restaurant called Cereal Killer Café, a trendy cereal café that simply sells cereals and maintains an ‘80s and ‘90s décor. Essentially, the business is selling cereal that would normally cost consumers a few bucks at the grocery store for a lot more than that. The markup is huge.
They found a way to satisfy the customer in exchange for money. They encouraged the customers to part ways with their money. This is the rudimentary premise of free markets. To you, it may be befuddling to spend $10 on a bowl of cereal when you can just spend half of that at the grocery store for an entire box and a carton of milk (or soy).
Well, a mob of angry protesters aren’t celebrating.
On Saturday, a large crowd of demonstrators threw paint and smoke bombs at a small restaurant, which also led to the damaging of other businesses in the area. This was part of a protest against the gentrification of the neighborhood. Customers and staff members had to run for cover and barricade the doors to ensure their safety.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Paedophile Kenneth Place’s Wife Sylvia Sent Angry Letter to One of His Victims
A paedophile’s wife who refused to believe her husband was guilty of abuse sent a letter to one of his victims, telling her: ‘Some day, god will get his revenge.’
Sylvia Place, 70, stood by her husband Kenneth, who is known as Geoff, despite the 75-year-old being found guilty of molesting the girl in the 1970s.
After he was convicted and before he was sentenced, Place, of West Auckland, County Durham, sent a letter to his accuser and her mother, who also gave evidence against him.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Two months of abuse by Caroline Berriman left boy ‘scarred for life’. Berriman avoided jail despite admitting sexual activity with a child.
A schoolboy seduced by a disgraced teaching assistant twice his age revealed last night that they had sex 50 times — and she told him he had made her pregnant.
The boy, aged 15 at the time, said how the two months of abuse by Caroline Berriman, 30, of Oldham, Greater Manchester, left him ‘scarred for life’ — and they had regular, unprotected sex.
Berriman, who taught at the 1,600-pupil Abraham Moss Community School, avoided a jail sentence last week despite admitting two counts of sexual activity with a child.
The boy, who criticised her suspended two-year sentence as ‘atrocious’, said their relationship grew to such an extent that Berriman’s two-year-old daughter started calling him ‘dad’…
Berriman was unavailable for comment last night. Last year, the Department for Education said two teachers a month were banned from the profession for inappropriate relationships with pupils.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Teacher Lloyd Dennis Admits Sexual Assaults Against Two Boys Including Rape
Lloyd Dennis, 33, who taught at a number of primary schools in the Hampshire area before becoming a college lecturer in Basingstoke, has admitted a string of sexual assaults on boys.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Croatian PM: Serbs Are Barbarians
ZAGREB — Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic said at a news conference in Zagreb that Belgrade and Budapest are playing in tandem, and that Serbs are barbarians.
Asked by journalists what is the content of the “deal” between Hungary and Serbia and what Serbs receive in return, Zoran Milanovic said: “Strange are the ways of the Lord, it is difficult to say, as it is difficult to say why Hungary is building a wall, you can not rationally explain it, ask Austrians, they did not even think about building a wall to Hungary. Hungary is building one towards the barbarians, Serbs, no? I find that unacceptable. “
Croatian Prime Minister said that the blockade of the border with Serbia is because Serbia, in agreement with Hungary, organized sending refugees only to Croatia.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: ENI Could More Than Double Production in Libya, Says CEO
(AGI) Milan, Sept 28 — Eni could more than double its production in Libya, said the Italian energy company’s CEO, Claudio Descalzi, at the 15th Italian Energy Summit of the economic daily Sole 24 Ore. “We have made many finds and could more than double our production. This would be good news for all of Europe,” Mr Descalzi said. He continued: “Our strategy for Libya won’t change: we have remained there and we’re still there producing gas for the domestic market. In any case, there are positive news for an open dialogue involving all the parties.” He added: “Right now we are awaiting a diplomatic situation that continues to project Libya in a fragmented scenario but we are confident.” Descalzi believes that the price of oil will grow over the next few years. He said: “It is more than likely that at the end of this cycle, in two and a half-three years’ time, the price of crude oil could rebound to 70-80-90 dollars a barrel although this rise will not be immediate because the system has to balance out and investments must resume after they disappeared in the last few years.” Eni’s CEO confirmed his intention to deconsolidate the debt of its subsidiary Saipem and his will to keep a stake in the company.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Salvini Says Renzi Has No Balls, Wants Libya, Syria Ops
League leader calls for military intervention on major scale
(ANSA) — Milan, September 28 — Northern League leader Matteo Salvini on Monday accused Premier Matteo Renzi of having no balls and called for Italy to conduct military interventions in Syria and Libya. “Renzi has said no to a military intervention in Syria. He has no balls,” Salvini told the League’s Radio Padania. “I’m always in favour of dialogue, but not with cutthroats. It’s necessary to intervene in Syria and Libya with arms, militarily and on a major scale”.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Six Eastern Jerusalem Arabs Sexually Assault Tourist
Six Arab youths from eastern Jerusalem were arrested for sexually assaulting a 40-year-old tourist from Poland, Ynet reports.
The youths, all between the ages of twelve and fourteen, met the tourist near the A-Tur neighborhood. The seven posed for a picture, then one assaulted the woman and all six escaped.
The 14-year-old has confessed to the attack. The others have been given conditional releases.[…]
| — Hat tip: Yonit | [Return to headlines] |
Bangladesh: Islamic State Militants Claim Murder of Italian Volunteer
Caesar Tavella was a veterinarian. He was in the Asian country to work with a Dutch NGO that deals with poverty and hunger in the world. Attacked by three men leaving work. Dynamics of murder unclear. Police suspect other culprits. The country is not safe for Christians.
Dhaka (AsiaNews) — Islamic State (IS) militants have claimed responsibility for last night’s murder of Caesar Tavella, a 50 year-old Italian volunteer working in Bangladesh with a Dutch NGO. The man was killed by three armed men after work, while jogging in Gulshan, the diplomatic area of the capital, near the Egyptian embassy.
The assailants fired three shots, one of which wounded him in the hand and the other two to the abdomen. Although IS extremists have claimed the crime because the man was a “crusader”, the police suspect that the responsibility could be attributed to other groups.
The website Site Intelligence Group, which monitors the online activities of extremist organization, has published the jihadists statement announcing the man was killed as a vindication of Western presence in Asia. Cesare Tavella was a native of Ravenna. The Italian veterinarian worked in the Asian country as the project manager for Profitable Opportunities for Food Security (Proofs), an initiative of the Dutch ICCO Cooperation, working worldwide to reduce poverty and ensure access to food.
The dynamics of the shooting is still unclear and the police believe that this is a planned attack. Some witnesses reported hearing three gunshots. Billal, a rickshaw driver, said he “heard the shots and then he saw a man on the ground. Immediately after he was transported to the United Hospital in Dhaka. “ Mokhlesur Rahman, inspector general of police, told reporters that there is no evidence of a possible robbery, since personal items had not been stolen.
Following the murder, the governments of the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia have raised the alert level for their diplomatic missions in Bangladesh and the countries of South Asia. The American International School in the capital will remain closed today for fear of possible attacks. There are fears of further initiatives by the jihadists and some believe that the country is not safe for foreigners, especially for Christians from Europe and the United States. In 2012 another foreigner, employed in the Saudi embassy, was shot dead in front of his home.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Foreign Fighters 70% Up Says Ban
UN S-G alert at terrorism meet
(ANSA) — New York, September 29 — The number of foreign fighters joining jihadi groups like ISIS has risen by 70% and they are coming from more than 100 countries, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday. “The threat posed by extremist groups like ISIS is growing,” Ban told a terrorism summit hosted by US President Barack Obama. “This threat to international security requires a united response,” he said.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Hajj Disaster: Foreign Officials Question Saudi Death Toll
Officials from several countries have said that more than 1,000 people died in last week’s stampede near Mecca during the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
The last figure given by the Saudi authorities was 769.
However, a Nigerian official told the BBC that more than 1,000 bodies had been taken from the disaster site to morgues in the city of Jeddah.
Indian, Pakistani and Indonesian officials have also been quoted as saying they think more than 1,000 died.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Syria’s Assad Gets New Chance, Despite Military Setbacks
President Bashar al-Assad has gone from pariah to potential partner, bolstered by his allies Russia and Iran in Syria’s four-year war and Western concern about the jihadist threat, experts say.
In power for 15 years, Assad is virtually the sole survivor of the Arab uprisings that have unseated rulers across the Middle East and North Africa.
Only months ago, Assad’s forces were on the back foot, suffering a string of setbacks as the Islamic State (IS) group and an Al-Qaeda-led alliance encroached on territory long in their grip…
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Turkish Police Arrest 32 Kurdish Journalists
This follows recent raid against opposition newspapers. For the Turkish vice president of the European Court for Human Rights, Turkey’s image as a country that tolerated “torture” has been replaced by that of a state that does not protect the press and freedom of speech.
Ankara (AsiaNews/Agencies) — Turkish police Monday arrested 32 people working for Kurdish-language media in the south-eastern city of Diyarbakir, the Dogan news agency reported.
Separately, the news agency Dicle said that it and the newspaper Azidiye Welat were also targeted in the operation, and that anti-terrorist police detained scores of journalists and other employees.
The police operation appears to be part of President Erdogan’s anti-Kurdish offensive, ostensibly to fight the “terrorists” of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), but seen by many as part of its strategy for the upcoming November elections.
In recent weeks, the authorities have carried out a string of arrests of journalists. Police have also raided a holding company that owns opposition media, sparking criticism from western and non-western countries as well as media watchdogs.
Turkish judge Isil Karakas, who was recently elected as vice president of the European Court of Human Rights, said Turkey’s image as a country that tolerates “torture” has been replaced with the image of a country that does not protect freedom of press.
“Turkey is regarded as a country where freedom of the press is not protected or guaranteed in the essence of European standards. The institutions of the council of Europe in particular pay attention to this issue,” Karakas said.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Vladimir Putin: Middle East Intervention Has Created ‘Anarchist Zones’ Filling With Extremists
In his first speech to the UN General Assembly in a decade, Putin on Monday called for a broad UN-backed coalition to fight Islamic State (IS) jihadists before sitting down to talks he called “constructive, business-like and surprisingly open” with his US rival Barack Obama.
He also blamed “aggressive” intervention in the Middle East for leading to the creation of “anarchist zones, where immediately started filling with extremists and terrorists.
Putin said: “Aggressive internal intervention (in these countries) has led to the situation that instead of reforms happening, governmental institutions and the basic ways of life were simply destroyed.
“All I want to ask to those who created such a situation is do you at least understand now what you have done?
“But I am afraid this question will not get an answer, because this situation is created by politicians who believe in themselves so much that they are convinced in their own innocence and absolute righteousness.”
| — Hat tip: Nick | [Return to headlines] |
Yemen: Air Raid on Wedding Party, 131 Dead
Ban condemns attack but Saudi-led coalition denies accusations
(ANSAmed) — ROME, SEPTEMBER 29 — At least 131 people died after air-raids, allegedly carried out by the Saudi-led coalition, hit a wedding party in a village close to the port city of Mocha, on the Red Sea, UN sources and local medical ones reported, according to BBC online.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned the double raid attributed to the Saudi-led coalition by local sources.
“Any intentional attack against civilians is considered a serious violation of international humanitarian law”, said Ban, quoted by pan-Arab television Al Jazeera. A spokesperson for the coalition claimed allegations, according to which the attack was carried out by planes belonging to the Saudi-led alliance, were “totally false” .
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
The 5 Most Revealing Quotes From Putin’s 60 Minutes Interview
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to Charlie Rose for 60 Minutes last week, in advance of his Monday address at the United Nations General Assembly.
The interview, which aired Sunday evening, is classic Putin: He is at turns blunt, evasive, and a braggart, often defending against criticisms of himself and of Russian foreign policy by turning those criticisms back on the United States. But it was also an interesting glimpse — despite, or at times because of, his less-than-honest spin — into how Putin sees the world and Russia’s place in it.
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to Charlie Rose for 60 Minutes last week, in advance of his Monday address at the United Nations General Assembly.
The interview, which aired Sunday evening, is classic Putin: He is at turns blunt, evasive, and a braggart, often defending against criticisms of himself and of Russian foreign policy by turning those criticisms back on the United States. But it was also an interesting glimpse — despite, or at times because of, his less-than-honest spin — into how Putin sees the world and Russia’s place in it.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict Flares Up
Armenia and Azerbaijan both reported heavy shelling over the contact line on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict on Monday, in the second use of artillery in four days. They gave different reports of casualties. Full-scale hostilities ended in 1994 but the “frozen” war sees almost daily exchanges of sniper fire.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Bangladesh: ISIS Claims Killing of Italian Aid Worker
An Italian charity worker died after being shot by attackers in Dhaka on Monday, police said, amid heightened fears over security in Bangladesh.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
ISIS Claims Responsibility for Killing of Italian Man in Bangladesh
DHAKA, Bangladesh — The Islamic State militant group (ISIS) claimed responsibility for gunning down an Italian citizen on the street in the diplomatic quarter of Bangladesh’s capital, according to an intelligence group monitoring jihadist threats.
The United States and Britain have warned their citizens to be cautious in Bangladesh, with both saying they had “reliable information” that Western interests could be targeted and urging their citizens to limit their movements in the country. The statements did not elaborate on the intelligence. Over the weekend, Australia’s national cricket team delayed its planned tour in Bangladesh over security concerns.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Major Afghan City Falls to Taliban Fighters During Obama UN Address
At just about the same time the news media swooned over President Barack Obama’s speech at the United Nations on Monday, hundreds of Islamist terrorists from the group the President boasted about was on the decline during a bloody ambush that recaptured the city of Kunduz in northern Afghanistan.
The members of the Afghan Taliban, who were said to be experiencing a decline in their power, are now in control of a major city for the first time since 2001 when the United States launched its retaliatory invasion against Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida group and against the ruling Taliban who allowed bin Laden to use their country as a stronghold.
Meanwhile, at the U.N. Obama told the general assembly, “We are called upon to offer a different type of leadership. Leadership strong enough to recognize that nations share common interests, and people share a common humanity.” Which, to many listeners, is a common Obama flourish that upon examination means nothing.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Report: Could North Korea Launch an EMP Attack Against the United States in October?
Most are aware of the tense situation that exists between North Korea, South Korea, and the United States. You all probably know that Kim Jung-Un, the son of and successive dictator of deceased Kim Jung-Il is just as much of a power driven megalomaniac as his departed father. Everyone has heard the repeated threats of North Korea that they will visit the United States with a nuclear attack. Most of the time the big bad wolf is ignored, but there has to come a time with the law of averages and probability that he will not just huff and puff but actually blow the house down.
Let’s reiterate the weaknesses of the United States in this area. For years Congressional Committees (with such people as retired Representative Roscoe Bartlett, (R), Maryland, among others) have outspokenly declared Iranian and North Korean intentions to use an EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) nuclear device against the United States. Such assertions were not “darts in the dark at the dartboard,” per se: they were bona fide assessments with plenty of U.S. military intelligence documentation to back them up. These intelligence assessments were augmented with captured documents that clearly state the intention of each nation to use an EMP against the United States.
The current U.S. posture versus such a weapon is lackadaisical, if not entirely nonexistent. Plans to protect and shield infrastructure (such as power transmission generators and substations) and vital, sensitive, American computer and communications networks (such as Wall Street, the Federal Monetary Databases), as well as military facilities and equipment in the U.S. have never been carried out. Our own response times have been decreased (the removal of TARS in March of 2013, and the unwillingness to scramble fighters with an intrusion or threat to U.S. territorial skies or waters) or altogether abandoned.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Hitachi Made Improper Payments to South Africa’s ANC
The US Securities and Exchange Commission charged Hitachi on Monday over alleged corrupt payments made to South Africa’s ruling ANC party linked to a $2 billion power plant deal.
The SEC said the Japanese company made “improper payments” linked to the deal that were “inaccurately recorded” under the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).
Without admitting or denying the allegations, Hitachi agreed to pay $19 million to settle the case.
The charges related to the company’s late-2000s sale of a 25 percent stake in a South African subsidiary to a front company of the African National Congress, as Hitachi was competing for a deal to build two large power plants…
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
South African Murder Rate Soars to 49 a Day
South Africa’s murder rate jumped 4.6 percent in the last year, official data showed Tuesday, with almost 49 people killed every day in a country battling a reputation as one of the crime capitals of the world.
A total of 17,805 murders were committed from April 2014 to March 2015, an increase of 782 deaths from the year before.
The government admitted that authorities were struggling to tackle the problem, but said the 10-year trend showed a decline in overall crime…
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
522,134 Migrants Make Sea Crossing to Europe in 2015 — IOM
Lion’s share arrive in Greece, 2,829 perish on journey
(ANSA) — Geneva, September 29 — Over half a million migrants and refugees have made the sea crossing to Europe since the start of the year, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said Tuesday.
Latest figures put the number of registered arrivals at 522,134, of which the vast majority — 388,324 — have arrived in Greece.
By comparison 130,891 have arrived in Italy and 2,819 in Spain. The sea crossing in the Central Mediterranean is by far the most dangerous, with 2,691 registered deaths or missing persons out of a total of 2,829 since the start of the year.
However there has been a growing number of fatal incidents in the Aegean in recent weeks, IOM said.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Belgium Takes to Facebook to Deter Iraqi Asylum Seekers
The Belgian Foreign Ministry has launched a social media drive to deter people from Iraq from coming to Belgium to apply for political asylum. According to Belgian Asylum Minister Theo Francken the campaign had reached 174,000 people in only seven hours.
Just under half of all asylum seekers arriving in Belgium last month hailed from Iraq. Most were single men from the Baghdad area.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Colder Weather Fails to Deter Refugees in Izmir
The Turkish port city of Izmir has become a busy hub of refugees eager to reach Greece and of people smugglers taking advantage of the former’s plight.
Although most refugees traveling across the Mediterranean to Europe used to go via Libya to Italy — a complicated smuggling route costing more than $6,000 (5,370 euros) and involved at least four dangerous days at sea — a recent route was discovered from the Turkish port cities like Izmir and Bodrum to nearby Greek islands, causing the price to drop to $1500 per head for the hour-long, significantly safer journey. Once they’ve arrived on a Greek island, refugees can continue their journey to the mainland, and through the rest of Europe to a country with more generous asylum policies like Germany or Sweden.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Czech Govt Should Keep Fighting Refugee Quotas — Opposition
Prague — The Czech centre-left government of Bohuslav Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD) should keep fighting the refugee quotas, the opposition Communist Party (KSCM) and Civic Democratic Party (ODS) told journalists before a lower house session today.
KSCM lower house group head Jiri Dolejs said the Czech Republic can further negotiate about the introduction of the quotas.
“We supported the stance of the Czech government that wanted to defend itself. We are annoyed that the government gave it up,” Dolejs said.
He said the Czech government should seek ways to either correct the Brussels decision or not to meet it.
ODS chairman Petr Fiala said the Czech government should join the complaint with the European Court of Justice (ECJ) that Slovakia wants to file over the quotas.
Fiala said the EU cannot say it will decide on similar issues by a qualified majority rather than by a consensus. The case might become precedential, he added.
Last week, a vast majority of the EU interior ministers agreed on the introduction of quotas for the redistribution of asylum seekers across Europe. The Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia voted against the quotas.
Prime Minister Sobotka said the Czech government remains opposed to the quotas, but respects the majority decision. PM Robert Fico said Slovakia would not respect the decision and that it would file a complaint with the Luxembourg court over the issue.
Dolejs said a possible complaint with the ECJ is not the only way to avoid the duty of accepting refugees according to the set quotas.
If Prague does not meet the Brussels dictate, a proceeding will be launched, which gives Prague certain opportunities to insist on its position, Dolejs said.
During the negotiations in Brussels, Sobotka´s government did not keep the promises that it gave to the Czech public, Fiala said.
CSSD lower house group deputy chairman Roman Vana dismissed this.
The ANO movement of Finance Minister Andrej Babis wants to talk about the refugee quotas with its coalition partners, the CSSD and the Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL).
Written by: ÄŒTK
www.ctk.cz
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Srdja Trifkovic’s interview with Radio Sputnik International (formerly Voice of Russia)
RS: What is your take on the migrant crisis inside Europe, and what’s happening between Serbia and Croatia?
ST: “Migrant crisis” is the right term. I wouldn’t use the term “refugees” because, strictly speaking, most of these people had already been safe and sound in Turkey and other countries of first refuge. Their decision to move on is mostly prompted by economic reasons, by the desire to reach countries such as Germany, or the Benelux and Scandinavia, where they can look forward to free apartments and welfare payments. A refugee is someone who escapes from Syria to Turkey. Someone who moves on from Turkey to Europe is no longer a “refugee.” [ . . . ]
The Hungarian fence along the border with Serbia is obviously working. The “refugees” do not want to stay in Serbia — it is a relatively poor country by European standards, and there are no jobs and no welfare handouts — so the pressure will go wherever there is least resistance. Croatia was able to stem the flow only temporarily, because in the long term the build-up in Serbia is also insustainable. The country simply lacks the infrastructure to take care of the additional thousands of people who are arriving from Greece and across the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia every day…
| — Hat tip: Srdja Trifkovic | [Return to headlines] |
In an article entitled Racism and parenting: Threatening loss of custody?, lawyer Eva Becker, Chair of the Working Group on Family Law in the German Bar Association, outlines the conditions under which “xenophobic” Facebook posts could lead to parents being targeted.
Although Becker asserts that merely opposing the settlement of migrants in Germany would not lead to parental rights being terminated, such views could easily lead to someone being fired from their job.
Expressing a desire for violence against the migrants would constitute evidence enough for a family court to remove children from the home, according to Becker.
While this appears to be a high bar, idle threats of violence are made by countless people on the Internet every day, with the vast majority going completely unpunished.
Given the apparent cover-up of rapes being committed by “migrants” in Germany, the notion of an irate father making violent comments in a ‘heat of the moment’ Facebook rant is entirely plausible. Although such comments are obviously abhorrent, should they really lead to children being taken away from their parents by the state?
Becker suggests that racist and xenophobic statements made in the presence of a child that constitute a “negative influence” would also be investigated by the authorities…
Those found guilty of “refugee baiting” remarks will be hit with fines up to €5000 euros or 120 days in jail. The program will be overseen by Network Against Nazis (Netz gegen Nazis), a group led by left-wing activist Anetta Kahane.
As we previously reported, Kahane worked as a Stasi informant under the codename “Victoria” from 1974-1982. The Stasi’s role was to spy on the population of East Germany and to use its vast network of informants to hunt down political dissidents.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Germany Beefs Up Asylum Rules as Half a Million Cross Med
Germany toughened rules Tuesday for asylum seekers from the Balkans as Europe struggled to cope with a record surge in migrants, with those crossing the Mediterranean exceeding the half a million mark.
Berlin added Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro to a list of so-called safe origin countries, which will result in swifter deportations for asylum seekers from those conflict-free states, in a bid to free up resources to deal with claims from citizens of war-torn countries such as Syria.
Germany’s open-door policy to Syrians has sparked clashes with eastern EU member states, in particular Hungary, which has adopted the opposite strategy of sealing off its borders to migrants…
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Iraq Refugee Crushed to Death by Pallets in Calais
A 20-year-old Iraqi was found dead on Tuesday in a lorry near the French port of Calais, crushed by pallets as he tried to reach Britain, local authorities said.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Mark Zuckerberg Caught on Hot Mic Saying Facebook Will Censor Anti-Migrant Posts
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was caught discussing the censorship of anti-migrant posts at the United Nations development summit Saturday while speaking with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
According to CNBC, the pair were picked up by a hot mic after Merkel confronted Zuckerberg on social media posts critical of “the wave of Syrian refugees entering Germany.”
After being asked about Facebook’s efforts to curtail speech, Zuckerberg stated, “We need to do some work,” confirming he’d already started looking at ways to hinder comments in opposition to Merkel’s immigration stance.
“Are you working on this?” Merkel asked. “Yeah,” Zuckerberg responded before their microphone was cut.
In response to the shocking revelation, media outlets such as Bloomberg immediately leapt to the defense of the tech giant, insinuating that any critique of the German government’s response to the migrant crisis would be “racist” and “xenophobic.”
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Separate Refugees on Ethnic and Religious Lines, Say Dutch Police
The Dutch police union NBP has urged refugee settlement agency COA to separate asylum seekers along ethnic and religious lines, the AD reports on Tuesday. If different groups are not kept separate, there is likely to be more trouble at refugee centres, the paper quotes the union as saying. ‘Our involvement at refugee centres used to be minimal but that threatens to change,’ union chairman Han Busker told the paper. The COA should think properly about how it divides up refugees, Busker said. ‘That is in everyone’s interest, including that of the refugees,’ he said. ‘Things will be quieter and calmer for them as well.’
The police call for separate facilities follows fights at a refugee centre in the village of Overburg near Utrecht last week. Some 40 police officers and two dog handlers were involved in breaking up the trouble between rival groups of young men.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Working Around the Clock to Rescue Migrants
On the hunt for people-smugglers in the Mediterranean, a German navy ship is sailing off the coast of Libya when it gets a report of an unidentified boat adrift.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Court Slams French Official Over Refusal to Marry Gay Couple
A deputy mayor in the southern French city of Marseille was given a five-month suspended prison sentence Tuesday for refusing to officiate at the same-sex wedding of two women on religious grounds.
Sabrina Hout, 39, was found guilty of discrimination in what is believed to be the first case of its kind since France legalised same-sex marriages in 2013.
A court in Marseille heard that on August 16 2014, the Socialist Party deputy mayor had been scheduled to officiate the wedding of two women but, saying she wasn’t feeling well, had a borough council member perform the marriage instead…
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
History of Tyranny — Government Was Guilty of Breaking the Law
“To consider the judges as the ultimate arbiters of all constitutional questions; a very dangerous doctrine indeed, and one which would place us under the despotism of an oligarchy.” —President Thomas Jefferson
Rick Santorum argued on Wednesday that Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis’ persecution for being a Christian was similar to shooting victims Rachel Scott and Cassie Bernall of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre.
“Sixteen years ago, this country was tremendously inspired by a young woman who faced a gunman in Columbine and was challenged about her faith and she refused to deny God,” Santorum explained. “We saw her as a hero.”
“Today, someone who refuses to defy a judge’s unconstitutional verdict is ridiculed and criticized, chastised because she’s standing up and not denying her God and her faith,” he stated. “That is a huge difference in 16 years.”
“How many bakers, how many pastors, how many florists, how many clerks are we going to throw in jail?”
Santorum made clear, the country needed to elect a president who would “fight” the Supreme Court “when it exceeds its constitutional authority.”
But that didn’t sit well with “statist” Pataki.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Life Imitates Satire: ACLU Threatens School District Because Principal Says ‘God Bless You’
The ACLU of Louisiana is accusing a high school of promoting Christianity in an open letter on Friday because a student group hung prayer boxes and the principal ended an online letter with “May God Bless You All.”
Louisiana ACLU Executive Director Marjorie Esman said in a letter published by the Shreveport Times that Airline High School violated the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by allowing the Fellowship of Christian Athletes to set up prayer boxes that feature “Christian Symbols.” Esman’s letter also noted Principal Jason Rowland closed a September 2015 message to the school’s website with “The Future Starts Today — May God Bless You All.”
“The United States Constitution requires public schools to ensure that state-supported activity is not used for religious indoctrination,” the letter, which was addressed to superintendent D.C. Machen, states. It alleges that Rowland also “encouraged students to ‘pray to the Almighty God.’“
The Constitution actually requires no such thing. It requires that Congress pass no law respecting the establishment of religion. It also requires that Congress pass no law prohibiting the free exercise thereof. Principal Rowland is freely exercising his faith by saying “God bless you” to students. And even if he did encourage them to “pray to the Almighty God,” they still have every freedom not to. He has neither the authority nor, I’m sure, the inclination to establish a religious authority that forces them to do so.
The ACLU is actually 100 percent opposed to the Constitution on this issue. What it wants is for the courts to prohibit anyone who is a public employee from open expressions of their faith on the flimsy premise that simply because they are public employees their doing so constitutes the use of the state for religious indoctrination.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Pelosi: Investigate Group Behind Planned Parenthood Videos, Not Organ Harvesting Allegations
Nancy Pelosi admits she hasn’t seen any of the undercover Planned Parenthood sting videos, hours of footage which is alleged to show several high level clinic administrators discussing the trafficking and illegal sales of aborted baby parts.
Regardless, the house minority leader is certain those who released the videos, which she denies “are real,” are likely guilty of some infraction, and require an investigation into how they were “obtained” and “doctored,” even though the group behind the videos have released hours of completely unedited footage.
Speaking to Jake Tapper on CNN’s State of the Union Sunday, Pelosi toed the progressive liberal democrat line in defending Planned Parenthood when asked how she reconciles Pope Francis’ pro-life stance with her own pro-abortion views politically.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Planned Parenthood Offers Free Sex-Disease Tests
Planned Parenthood, under fire for undercover videos that tie the group to an alleged baby body parts-selling scheme, is celebrating its “National Pink Out Day” by offering attendees free screenings for sexually transmitted diseases.
The nationwide organization offers in its clinics a variety of health services, including abortions. But for weeks, it’s been fighting off organ harvesting claims and facing concerted fire from the public and Republicans on Capitol Hill, the latter of whom are trying to cut off federal funding.
Planned Parenthood isn’t going quietly. Its “National Pink Out Day,” which is a campaign of rallies in select cities and spots, is one plank in its plan to fight back. Another, apparently, is to give out free STD tests in 28 different communities around the nation — including Washington, D.C., the same day House Oversight and Government Reform Committee members are holding a hearing on accusations of the nonprofit’s organ-harvesting practices.
Cecile Richards, the president of Planned Parenthood, is set to testify at this hearing, Time reported…
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
The Marxist Pope Comes to America
Pope Francis came to America this past week with great fanfare. Thousands lined up for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see and get near him. I have written on this Pope previously and my firm belief is that he is a Marxist. With all that I have seen and documented, there is no doubt in my mind that this is the case. The Pope embodies all the sought for goals of the Left and he delivers them wrapped in religion and piety.
The Pope has blamed the evils of this world on capitalism and greed. He has used that as a political spring board to preach wealth redistribution and Liberation Theology. His doctrine is communist in many, many respects. Pope Francis is called The Great Reformer and the reason for that is his colossal move to reform the Catholic Church… to modernize it by welcoming in such platforms as homosexuality, abortion, transgenderism, climate change and the embrace of Islam.
Many people have wondered how this Pope came into power…
A liberal mafia staged a coup within the Vatican and ousted Benedict, supplanting Francis in his place. These men — Danneels, Van Luyn, Kasper, Lehman, and Hume — all preside over dying churches. And they killed the Benedict papacy. In their view, to save the church and revive it, they necessarily must embrace worldly ideals. The irony there is that the church will indeed die because of this and morph into a one world religion. This to Christians is an abomination…
Then we move on to sheer propaganda. I find this deeply disturbing on a visceral level. Five year-old Sophie Cruz was lifted over the police barricades and ran to the Popemobile on Red Francis’ visit to Washington, DC. The propagandic event had been planned for a year. A similar one took place in Rome with a ten year-old boy. After Sophie hugged the Pope, she gave him a letter begging that he help her illegal parents stay in America. There’s no way you can tell me that both the Pope and Obama did not know of this scripted event. And thousands cheered. America is being played… she’s being strangled with faux faith and with her own Constitutional freedoms. I did not find this endearing or inspiring. What came to mind was child sacrifice and the propaganda of the Third Reich. Sorry, that’s just what it was. This is pure Marxism at play and this is the control of the masses. This is a push to pull at the hearts of Americans to accept an invading force, the erasure of her borders and the negating of her sovereignty. This was so staged, it defies belief. They are using a lovely child to promote a Marxist agenda. It’s despicable.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Zimbabwe’s Mugabe: ‘We Are Not Gays’
Robert Mugabe, president of Zimbabwe, issued a strong statement to the United Nations during his scheduled public address, telling the body — as well as the world — his country will not accept or adhere to any “gay” -rights provisions in the international charter.
“We are not gays,” he said bluntly, railing against the U.N. Charter and its open inclusion of homosexuality as a human right.
“Respecting and upholding human rights is the obligation of all states,” he said, BuzzFeed reported. “[But] nowhere does the [charter] abrogate the right of some to sit in judgment over others in carrying out this universal obligation. … We equally reject attempts to prescribe new rights that are contrary to our values, norms, traditions and beliefs.”
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
http://russia-insider.com/en/politics/elites-use-immigrants-forge-new-european-empire/ri10025
“We, the undersigned citizens do not wish to look on in passivity, seeing our state institutions and political representatives are wasting time at this crucial hour, failing to fulfil their duty, which is – first and foremost – the defense of the security and interests of their citizens. Massive immigration is a fundamental threat to the stability of Europe as well as individual EU countries. We are confronted with a serious threat to the future of our country.”
Original text in Eng: http://www.klaus.cz/clanky/3793
Polish, Italian, German, Russian &French version also available.
This could have been written for this site:
http://www.breitbart.com/london/2015/09/22/politicians-inviting-migrants-europe-want-disintegration-says-former-czech-president-vaclav-klaus/
“Befuddled by the ideology of multiculturalism,” Klaus warns “today’s debate on immigration ignores these elementary facts.” Instead, migration’s proponents believe individual European states can “replenish” the workforce without problems. They therefore seek to welcome and accommodate migrants with the promise of a “new, better life”.
The EU is being deliberately turned into a massive network of detention centers where Muslim males will be kept an eye on so they can no longer stuff things up for the global financial empire. They are the population bulge (because third world nations refuse to practice birth control) and represent an unbearable burden on their national economies which is utterly irritating to the investing powers of the global financial empire (except for the illegal drugs and arms industry and perhaps organ harvesting too.)
Their own nations don’t have the resources to keep them in check – but Europe , including our new friend Putin, with its rich history of internment camps, concentration camps and gulags, has the experience, know-how and management skills necessary to deal with the Muslim problem.
It doesn’t matter that the Muslims don’t want to integrate. That is a given. They wouldn’t be allowed to in any case. They are to be controlled, not integrated. However, that control is rapidly extending to the indigenous citizens as well. Soon we will all be able to say, not ‘Je suis Charlie’ but ‘Je suis Muslim!’ as people are already being turfed out of their low income homes to make way for the hordes! Our freedom of speech has already been curtailed! At every airport we are treated like potential jihadists! We are being watched, photographed, monitored ostensibly to protect us. But it is easy to see through that lie. Protecting us would mean stopping Muslim immigration.
The political and economic elites have created the Muslim problem much as Hitler created the Jewish Problem – in order to gain control over the sheep. And they are killing two birds with one stone – incarcerating troublesome Muslims and depriving us of freedom at the same time. THE EU IS NOW A MODEL PRISON!
Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic referred . . .
Serbia is giving you (Zoran) what you fought for, what you love and what will enrich your culture.
Croatians have everything except shame.
… If different groups are not kept separate, there is likely to be more trouble…
Contrary to common belief it appears that Dr.HF Verwoerd was decades ahead with his much hated policy of ‘Seperate Development’ aka apartheid…
Apartheid was about not only segregation, but unequal allocation of resources.