A Pentagon spokesman said that the United States military is 99% certain that it succeeded in killing Mohammed Emwazi, a.k.a. “Jihadi John”. Mr. Emwazi, the English-speaking representative of the Islamic State who became notorious for his lead role in ISIS beheading videos, was allegedly killed by a drone strike on Raqqa in Syria.
In other news, the German SPD (Social Democrat Party) is proposing to return retired military personnel to active duty to deal with the migration crisis.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to C. Cantoni, Caroline Glick, Dean, Diana West, Fjordman, Gaia, Insubria, JD, LP, RRN, 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.
IMF Urges Fed to Delay Rate Hike Until Inflation Evident
The International Monetary Fund said Thursday that the US Federal Reserve should delay raising interest rates until there are clear signs of a pickup in inflation.
In a report on global economic issues prepared for the November 15-16 Group of 20 summit in Antalya, Turkey, the IMF singled out the prospect of higher US rates as a particular challenge to the slow-growing world economy.
In many advanced economies, it said, monetary policy “must remain accommodative, including through unconventional measures, to reduce risks to activity from low inflation and prolonged weak demand.”
For the Fed, which could begin raising rates in December after holding the benchmark federal funds rate near zero since the end of 2008, the IMF urged waiting until it is clear that the downward pressure on inflation is past…
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
(NaturalNews) Now we’re finally getting down to the bottom of the delusional University of Missouri “racism” charade and the entire clusterfrack of events that followed it. It now appears that the entire thing was an elaborate HOAX dreamed up by the students themselves!
Evidence of the hoax nature of these events is now emerging from investigations performed across the independent media (while the mainstream media snoozes), including Breitbart.com and TheFederalist.com.
It turns out that the same gay, black student body president who incited mass hysteria across the MU campus by posting fabricated claims of KKK people terrorizing campus and calling in the National Guard is also the person who started the entire “racism” ruckus by claiming somebody yelled racial slurs at him from a vehicle.
That claim, like nearly all the other claims upon which the Mizzou student protests were bases, appears to have been wholly fabricated out of thin air with not a shred of verifiable evidence to back it up.
Even the so-called “poopswastika” (also called “poopstika”) that was also claimed to be proof of institutionalized racism on campus turns out to be a complete fabrication.
The poopswastika never happened. Mizzou students and faculty have all been hoodwinked by a race-baiting false flag operation that fabricated these claims to achieve the goal of public attention and victimization role playing.
The problem with that plan, however, is that even those who carried it out could not have anticipated the global scrutiny that would be attracted to the story. And now their story is unraveling by the hour…
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Brutal: College Student Who Wants Free Everything Humiliated on Neil Cavuto
What happens when a pie-in-the-sky liberal, prattling on about social justice and all that sort of thing, actually gets challenged by someone who knows what he’s talking about and knows how to ask the right questions in the right way? This. You can’t help but feel badly for Keely Mullen. I know, she’s asking for it by advocating such insanity and you’ve got to be ready to rumble when you go into the public square. But it’s hard to watch anyone get humiliated this badly and not want to just tell the referee to stop the fight. You have to watch, though, because Cavuto really lays bare just how vapid the whole 1-percent-can-pay-for-everything nonsense really is:
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
CA School Allows Students to Draw Muhammad
The mother of a 7th grade student at High Desert School in Acton had complained when her 12-year-old son brought home a worksheet from his history class two weeks ago titled “Vocabulary Pictures: The Rise of Islam.” The worksheet listed words such as Quran, Mecca, Bedouins and Muhammad, and asked for students to draw images related to the words.
She then complained that the assignment, which turns out to be part of the approved curriculum, was inappropriate and suggested it taught children “how to insult a religious group.” The Los Angeles Daily News reported that district superintendent Dr. Brent Woodard told staff permanently to prohibit the drawing of all religious figures in order to prevent the offending of all religious groups.
During Thursday night’s town hall meeting, Woodard disputed the Daily News story.
“There was never an intention to ban the drawing of all religious figures,” he explained, noting that he had called for a suspension of drawing the figures until he had discussed the issue with the school district’s board members. “We believe very strongly in the Fist Amendment… No child would be required to draw religious figures if they object to that kind of the assignment.”
Woodard told Breitbart News that “we will no longer require students to participate in something that they find offensive.” But he would not ban students from drawing Muhammad and other religious figures just because others were offended. He noted that to ban something would be in direct violation of the First Amendment. “That’s not the case here.”…
| — Hat tip: Vlad Tepes | [Return to headlines] |
(NaturalNews) The chairman of a House committee on science has issued subpoenas to the Obama administration seeking more information about a recent scientific study refuting claims that global warming had entered a “pause” or had otherwise slowed down for nearly two decades now.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Leaked DHS Memo, Obama Staff Discuss How to Get Around Court Rulings and Implement Executive Amnesty
We asked this question the other day: Since it doesn’t look like the federal courts will give their imprimatur to Obama’s executive amnesty gambit, will he respect the constitutional separation of powers and enforce the law, or will he defy both Congress and the federal courts and just do whatever the hell he wants? Looks like we have our answer: According to a leaked memo out of the Department of Homeland Security, the administration is discussing how, not whether, they will thumb their noses at a co-equal branch of government and continue refusing to enforce the law. How? Just write new regulations that make the enforcement of statutory law an option, one you will decidedly not exercise:
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Time for GOP Panic? Establishment Worried Carson or Trump Might Win
Less than three months before the kickoff Iowa caucuses, there is growing anxiety bordering on panic among Republican elites about the dominance and durability of Donald Trump and Ben Carson and widespread bewilderment over how to defeat them.
Party leaders and donors fear that nominating either man would have negative ramifications for the GOP ticket up and down the ballot, virtually ensuring a Hillary Rodham Clinton presidency and increasing the odds that the Senate falls into Democratic hands.
The party establishment is paralyzed. Big money is still on the sidelines. No consensus alternative to the outsiders has emerged from the pack of governors and senators running, and there is disagreement about how to prosecute the case against them. Recent focus groups of Trump supporters in Iowa and New Hampshire commissioned by rival campaigns revealed no silver bullet.
In normal times, the way forward would be obvious. The wannabes would launch concerted campaigns, including television attack ads, against the front-runners. But even if the other candidates had a sense of what might work this year, it is unclear whether it would ultimately accrue to their benefit. Trump’s counterpunches have been withering, while Carson’s appeal to the base is spiritual, not merely political. If someone was able to do significant damage to them, there’s no telling to whom their supporters would turn, if anyone…
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
Troubled Times: US Defense Chief Fires Trusted Aide, But No One Knows Why
US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter sacked his longtime confidant and senior military assistant, Army Lt. Gen. Ron Lewis, whom many saw as a rising star in the agency, over allegations of misconduct in what is an unusual move for the Pentagon.
“I expect the highest possible standards of conduct from the men and women in this department particularly from those serving in the most senior positions. There is no exception,” Carter said in a brief statement.
The matter has been referred to the Inspector General of the Department of Defense for investigation. When the probe is concluded, the Department of the Army will take appropriate action, Carter added.
The Pentagon did not provide additional information on the case and did not specify what Lewis is suspected of.
“As senior military assistant, Lewis’ job was to advise the Pentagon’s top civilian leader on a range of issues related to policy, strategy and budgets,” the Military Times noted. Lewis often joined Carter at high-level meetings and traveled with the defense secretary to other countries.
Meanwhile, the three-star general has been allegedly transferred to serve under Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Daniel B. Allyn, although other high-ranking DoD officials were allowed to keep their jobs amid an ongoing investigation.
Lewis enjoyed a rapid career rise. He served as Carter’s military assistant in 2011 — 2012 at a time when the current US defense chief was promoted from the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics to the deputy secretary of defense.
“This summer, Lewis moved into the three-star position, only a few months after being promoted to major general in January,” the Stars and Stripes reported.
Less than a month ago, Carter praised Lewis in a speech at the Association of the US Army Annual Convention.
“It’s my privilege, also, to work closely with some of the terrific Soldiers, and I want to take a moment to recognize some of them who are right around me every day, starting with my Senior Military Assistant, Lieutenant General Ron Lewis. Time after time, whenever I’ve needed Ron’s counsel and vision, I’ve been able to count on him. Thanks, my friend,” Carter said.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Canada’s New Defence Minister on ISIS — Nothing to See Here Folks
Justin Trudeau and his cabinet were sworn in on November 4 and one of the most interesting appointments was of Harjit Sajjan as Minister of Defence. Sarjjan, a 45-year-old Sikh born in India and who came to Canada when he was five, served on the Vancouver Police Department for 11 years, rising to the rank of detective. According to his official biography, Sarjjan was a reservist who was deployed to Bosnia once and Afghanistan three times. Achieving the rank of major, he was awarded several medals including the US Army Commendation Medal. No doubt, he was an excellent soldier.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Anti-Russian Sanctions Increasingly Hurting German Economy
The German economy has significantly been affected by the sanctions in the third quarter of 2015 and experienced less growth than expected. German entrepreneurs have repeatedly been calling for an end to the sanctions, but haven’t received any support from Angela Merkel.
In the third quarter of this year, the growth of the German economy slowed down. According to preliminary estimates of Reuters economists, gross domestic product increased only by 0.3 percent from July to September compared to the previous quarter. The Federal Statistical Office will publish its first estimates on Friday, DWN wrote.
The Head of the Committee on Eastern Economic Relations, Eckhard Cordes called for the end of economic sanctions against Russia.
“We should start […] a discussion about the lifting of the sanctions,” Cordes told the German newspaper Handelsblatt on Monday.
According to the economist, the sanctions cannot solve the current political situation. Moreover, they “deeply” affected the German economy with the trade volume between the two countries almost halving compared with the previous year.
“Europe and Russia belong to each other strategically,” Cordes argued, adding that the sanctions should be lifted as soon as possible in order to restore constructive and friendly relations between both countries.
Since 2014, the European Union has repeatedly introduced economic sanctions against Russia, accusing Moscow of interfering in the Ukrainian crisis — an allegation Moscow has constantly denied.
In early October, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that it was important to prevent the deterioration of relations between Germany and Russia and to save the potential for bilateral cooperation.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
EU Mandates Vacuum Cleaner Motor Size
Don’t be afraid, your old vacuum cleaner is just fine but if you feel like buying a new one anyway, no problem either. If you live across the pond in the EU, however, you might just want to hang on to your old vac. The good bureaucrats of the European Union (EU) have prescribed a new standard for them: new vacuum cleaners are limited to a maximum energy use of 1.6 kW (as of Sep. 2014) and 0.9 kW as of Sep. 2017. That’s a major change in energy consumption, mandated by EU law; needless to say, some manufacturers are not happy and the consumers—they’ll have to find out.
[Comment: Will not be able to do the function of cleaning, and will shorten life of vacuum cleaner (smaller motor has to work harder thanit should).]
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
France: COP21: 30,000 Agents Patrol Borders Starting Today
Foreign Black Blocs already in Paris, according to media reports
(ANSAmed) — PARIS, NOVEMBER 13 — Some 30,000 officers are patrolling French borders, as announced over the past few days, to ensure security during the UN conference on climate change COP 21 to be held in Paris from November 30 through December 11.
France has decided to restore as of Friday custom checks along its borders — a temporary measure provided for by Schengen agreement rules that will last one month.
Meanwhile, according to BFM-TV, several groups of ‘Black Blocs’ from Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, as well as Australia and the Philippines have already arrived in the Paris area to protest during the world climate summit.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Germany Protests to United States Over Secrecy in Huge TTIP Trade Deal
The German Government has filed an official note of protest to the US over the lack of access that its country’s lawmakers have to documents associated with the controversial Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations.
The controversial TTIP agreement, under negotiation between the European Union (EU) and the United States could lead to the world’s largest free-trade area. Yet, although this could help to boost economic growth and create jobs on both sides of the Atlantic, there are concerns about the consequences the deal could have as well as the secretive nature of the negotiations.
According to the Süddeutsche Zeitung, the German Ministry of Economy has instructed the country’s ambassador in Washington to deliver a “public reproach that TTIP is negotiated beyond the reach of parliaments and with disregard for democratic rights.”
Many of the documents pertaining to the TTIP talks are held at the US embassy in Berlin, the access to which is extremely limited, meaning that German lawmakers find it difficult to find out the detail of what is under discussion.
Critics have slammed the talks for being secretive and being dominated by multinational lobby groups keen to ensure a market free from overregulation. The decision to withhold documents close to the talks, many of which can only be accessed from a secure room at the US embassy, have also been widely criticized.
Lack of Transparency
The EU and the US already trade goods and services worth over US$2 billion every day, but the TTIP would create further growth and new opportunities by eliminating red tape and tariffs wherever possible to reduce costs and open up new markets.
However, critics say the TTIP will pave the way for huge multinationals to have more controlling powers than governments. Central to the talks is the issue of investor-state dispute settlement, or a version of it, that gives shareholders the power to sue governments if regulatory issues cause financial harm to a company.
French trade minister Mathias Fekl has criticized the negotiations for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) EU-US free trade agreement as being “not transparent”, warning the talks could come to an end.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
‘Gusto Kosher’ Jewish Culinary Event Back in Rome
15/11 at Ghetto; big-name chefs, Jewish moms and meatballs
ROME — The Rome Ghetto will on November 15 open its doors and gardens to the ever more popular Jewish culinary festival Gusto Kosher.
For this year’s edition, two renowned chefs have arrived from Israel: Tom Franz of German origins and winner of the 2013 Israeli Master Chef award, and Charlie Fadida, of Moroccan origins and Senior Chef of the Tel Aviv Sheraton. They will be flanked by masters of Roman-Jewish cooking Giovanni and Daniele Terracina and Dario Bascetta.
The title chosen for the 2015 edition is ‘Polpette e Hutzpà.
Elogio della Jewish Mama’ (‘Meatballs and Hutzpà. Praise for the Jewish Mom’). Meatballs will be the main focus of the day. The menus will have Ashkenazi (typical of Central European Judaism, under Franz), Sephardic (typical of South European and North African Judaism, under Fadida) and Roman Judaism ( under the Terracina brothers and Bascetta) samples. ‘Hutzpà’, the second element of the Gusto Kosher 2015 theme, is a Jewish word that is difficult to translate but which refers to a mixture of arrogance, effrontery, audacity and anti-conformism. All are characteristics of the third ‘protagonist’ of the day, the figure of the ‘Jewish Mama’, who organizers say is at the basis of Jewish history and culture. Two weeks after the end of the Expo, food is once again in the spotlight, starting from the figure of the mother “as a primary source of nourishment, affection and life”. Food samples and free kosher wine will be flanked for the entire day by musical events, workshops for children and debates with Italian and Israeli experts. In the morning, the chief rabbi of the Italian capital, Riccardo, will speak about “food as the identity of the population” with journalists and writers, including ANSA’s correspondent in Tel Aviv, Massimo Lomonaco.
In the gardens of the Grand Temple, there will be a roundtable discussion in the afternoon on the diverse traditions and approaches of Jewish mothers. One of the guests will be Rome Jewish leader Ruth Dureghello. Created 15 years ago as an event to try top-quality wines, since 2010 Gusto Kosher has grown as a wine-and-food event on the knowledge and tastes of the Jewish tradition. In 2014, over 5,000 people took part. The event is sponsored by Lebonton Catering and organized by Creativity Lab ICPO in collaboration with Food Confidential.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Turmoil at Libyan School in Rome After Dismissing Students
(AGI) Rome, Nov 11 — Protesters gathered in front of the Libyan Embassy in Rome against the decision of Ambassador Ahmed Safar to dismiss 26 children from the Libyan School of Rome (LSR) that is subsidised by the diplomatic mission. Parents claimed that the children have been expelled, and have not been allowed to go to school since Sept. 3. Favio Valerini, the attorney representing a group of Libyan citizens in Rome, told AGI that “the parents were called to school one day and found out that their children had been segregated and were alone in a separate room”. The group of parents who assembled in front of the Embassy premises on Via Nomentana along with their children, criticized Ambassador Safar and said he “acted on the basis of political motivations”. Embassy sources disagreed and explained that the decision was not triggered by political reasons, but by the fact that the parents had not paid the school fees.
Protesters rejected that claim, maintaining that the reasons are purely political. The Rome protest underlines the divisions existing in Libya, which is ruled by two governments: one in Tobruk, recognised by the international community, and the Islamic one based in Tripoli. Mr Safari is the ambassador appointed by the Tripoli government and formally recognised by the Italian government. He refused to give up his post following the revocation sent by the government in Tobruk last year, when another ambassador was appointed, who still lives in a hotel due to the fact that he has no access to the Embassy.
Ambassador Safar has rejected the accusation of political motivations behind the expulsion of some students from the LSR, and points at the ‘personal and political interests’ of protesters who gathered together in front of the Embassy. “The Lybian School of Rome has always been a cultural and educational example the Embassy is proud of,” said Ambassador Safar in an interview to Agi. “It caters not only to the Libyan community in Rome, but also to a larger Arabic speaking community. The attempt of some individuals, spurred by political agendas and personal interests, has put my reputation in jeopardy. It prevents me from being chosen to be part of the new Libyan cabinet and the strong and balanced support it grants for the creation of a national entente government promoting peace and stability in Libya. The LSR is still a unique diplomatic institution, open to all Libyans and Arabs, full of integrity and top professionalism standards. The LSR boasts students and faculty members from 12 different nationalities who interact and liaise with the Embassy as members of one family. The LSR also respects equal opportunities within the framework of its structural capabilities. Hence, the Embassy rejects these accusations and considers them groundless and politically motivated.”.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Thales Alenia Space Delivers Orion Capsule Module to NASA
(AGI) Turin, Nov 9 — Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67 percent) and Finmeccanica (33 percent), announced on Monday that its structural test model for the Orion capsule’s Service Module has arrived at NASA. The Orion spacecraft is intended to carry four or more astronauts into outer space. The Structural Test Article (STA) is an exact replica of the Orion Service Module’s planned structure for the mission in 2018. After an initial series of structural tests in Thales Alenia Space’s establishment in Turin, the STA was transported via plane from Turin’s Caselle airport to NASA’s test centre in Plum Brook, Ohio, where testing will continue to verify the suitability of the Service Module’s structural plans. Lockheed Martin Space System is NASA’s prime contractor developing and constructing the Orion space capsule, while Airbus Defence and Space is developing and building the European Service Module (ESM) for the Orion spacecraft as the prime contractor for the European Space Agency (ESA). The Orion Service Module, contracted by the ESA, will provide the U.S.
capsule with propulsion, power, thermal control, and key parts of its life support system. “The delivery of the first test model of the Orion spacecraft’s European Service Module is a tangible sign of our continuity as leaders in the fields of developing and constructing logistic support systems for the Space Station and in space exploration,” said Luigi Maria Quaglino, Thales Alenia Space’s Senior Vice President for Exploration and Science. The joint venture recently signed a contract with Airbus Defence and Space to develop and produce the Orion’s thermomechanical systems including its structure, protective layer against micrometeorites, thermal control, stowage, and water and gas distribution. The spacecraft is intended to carry astronauts past Earth’s orbit towards multiple destinations such as the Moon, asteroids, and Deep Space. The Orion’s first mission, “Exploration Mission 1”, which Europe will take part in, is scheduled for 2018: the spacecraft will circumnavigate the Moon and then return to Earth. The unmanned voyage will test the performance of the Orion before it is used for manned missions and NASA’s new launch system. The manned “Exploration Mission 2” is scheduled for around 2021.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Time Will Tell Who Centre-Right Leader Will be — Berlusconi
Back ‘in the field’ ahead of June mayoral vote says ex-PM
(ANSA) — Rome, November 12 — The centre right has reunited and time will tell who its leader is going to be, former premier Silvio Berlusconi said Thursday.
“We’ll see as time goes on,” Berlusconi said on State TV RAI’s chat show Porta a Porta.
“Now it’s very important that the centre right has reunited. That means that we’ll put up opposition in parliament together, that hadn’t happened in the last few years,” he said.
On Saturday, at an anti-government rally of the rightwing Northern League in Bologna, Berlusconi appeared on stage with League leader Matteo Salvini and smaller rightist Fratelli d’Italia leader Giorgio Meloni, telling the crowd that “with the three of us back together, there’s no stopping us”.
The three parties have yet to agree on who will front the ticket at the next general election, which has to take place by 2018.
Berlusconi said on Porta a Porta: “In the fullness of time we’ll find the new leader of the centre right who will be the candidate at the general election that will perhaps take place in two years’ time”.
He said he had “returned to the field” in view of mayoral elections in cities including Rome, Milan, Turin, Bologna and Naples in June.
The three-time premier acknowledged that the anti-euro and anti-immigrant League was ahead of his Forza Italia in the polls — at 14-15% compared to 9-10% — but said he was “happy to have the coalition back together”.
He said he had a “good relationship” with Salvini that will “produce an accord” on future leadership.
The media magnate said he did not see “a huge difference” between Salvini and his predecessor Umberto Bossi with whom Berlusconi ruled Italy for several years.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Zingaretti Ex-Cabinet Chief on Trial for Rome Mafia
Maurizio Venafro gets fast-track trial
(ANSA) — Rome, November 11 — The former cabinet chief of Lazio Governor Nicola Zingaretti was sent to trial Wednesday in the Rome mafia affair. Maurizio Venafro was indicted along with former leftwing cooperative manager Mario Monge for alleged bid-rigging. Venafro asked for a fast-track trial. The request was granted. The Rome mafia affair concerns a suspected criminal organisation that allegedly muscled in on city contracts including the management of Roma and immigrant camps as well as urban upkeep.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Police to Monitor 12 Messina Councillors in Fraud Probe
Councillors were being paid for meetings they didn’t attend
(ANSA) — Messina, November 12 — Twelve councillors in Messina will have to present themselves to police before and after council hearings after an investigation revealed that some local politicians were taking payment for meetings they had not attended. The investigation was launched in November 2014 and used methods including wiretaps to uncover illegal conduct by a group of councillors in the Sicilian port city.
Suspects are accused of abuse of office, fraud and fraudulent misrepresentation for allegedly receiving attendance fees when they did not show up to council meetings.
Police are due to provide further details in a news conference on Thursday.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Northern League Leader, Bucked by Polls, Asks to See Renzi
Salvini says Italy’s emergencies ‘can’t be solved with tweets’
(ANSA) — Rome, November 13 — Northern League leader Matteo Salvini, emboldened by opinion polls suggesting he is seen by Italians as the new leader of the centre right, on Friday demanded an urgent meeting with Premier Matteo Renzi to discuss Italy’s problems.
“One can’t work on emergencies just with tweets,” Salvini told the Quotidiano Nazionale (QN) newspaper.
“First there is agriculture, then security, immigration and the (city) councils must close their accounts by the end of the year.
“I want a meeting quickly”.
Speaking about his leadership role, Salvini added “nobody believed it would happen, but instead … it is a great responsibility, but we are only at the start”. “I say to our allies — we are equal shareholders with the same dignity”.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Orthodox Jew Stabbed in Milan Street
Nathan Graff, 40, nephew of rabbi Hetzkia Levi
(ANSA) — Milan, November 13 — An orthodox Jew was stabbed by a hooded man in a Milan street Thursday night, police said.
The victim, 40-year-old Nathan Graff, was taken to hospital where his condition was said to be satisfactory. Police said they had so far found no evidence of anti-Semitism in the attack, which took place outside a kosher restaurant.
Graff is the nephew of Milan rabbi Hetzkia Levi.
The Milanese and Italian Jewish communities voiced concern over the attack, which featured prominently in Israeli news bulletins Friday.
Italian Jews will not be intimidated by the incident, the president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities (UCEI), Renzo Gattegna, said Friday.
“We will go forward, without being intimidated,” he said.
Gattegna also called for security measures to be increased but noted that police work in this area was already “extraordinary”.
Milan’s leading Islamic centre on Friday condemned the attack.
Abdel Hamid Shaari, president of the Islamic Cultural Centre, voiced “a condemnation without ifs or buts of what happened last night in Milan”.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Tax Revenue Up 3.4% First 9 Mths of 2015
To 288.8 bn euros
(ANSA) — Rome, November 13 — Italy’s tax revenue rose 3.4% to 288.8 billion euros in the first nine months of 2015 compared to the same period in 2014, the Bank of Italy said Friday.
Successive governments have sought to up the fight against tax evasion, which is estimated at up to 150 billion euros a year.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Enel 9-Mth Profits Up 7.3%
Earnings up 3.6%
(ANSA) — Rome, November 13 — Electrical power group Enel on Friday posted nine-month profits up 7.3% to 2.089 billion euros and earnings up 3.6% to 55.9 billion.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Fashion Heiress Prada Denies Using Gardeners as Black Labour
Two gardeners sue Miuccia Prada for work on Favignana villa
(ANSA) — Milan, November 13 — Fashion heiress Miuccia Prada on Friday strongly denied she employed two gardeners illegally in the grounds of her villa on the Sicilian island of Favignana.
Prada, who took over the luxury goods firm in 1978, is being sued by the two, brothers Mario and Tindaro Oliva, in a Sicilian labour court claiming that they worked illegally for the iconic heiress in her island garden and are owed social security contributions and an employment contract.
Prada is due to appear at a court in Trapani March 18.
In a statement she “denied categorically the claims and the version of the facts proposed by Messrs. Oliva” and vowed to clarify the matter in court.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Jewish Man Stabbed in Milan
Natan Graf, a haredi Jew in his 40s, was stabbed on Thursday evening near in Milan, Italy, sustaining minor to moderate wounds.
According to local reports, Graf, who also holds Israeli citizenship, was stabbed by a female Muslim near a kosher restaurant in the city.
The reports said the masked assailant arrived at the scene, pulled out a knife and stabbed the Jew nine times.
The victim was treated by local medical personnel and taken to hospital. The suspect fled the scene but some reports said she was subsequently apprehended and taken in for questioning.
The incident comes amid an increase in anti-Semitic attacks in Europe. A senior European Union official recently warned of rising anti-Semitism in Europe as attacks and threats against Jews continue in EU member countries.
As well, the European Jewish Congress recently released a damning report revealing a spike in anti-Semitism throughout Europe.
Last month, three Jewish men, including a rabbi, were attacked in the French city of Marseille as they were walking to synagogue on Shabbat morning. The man who attacked them with a knife was yelling anti-Semitic remarks.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
A hallucinogenic drug emblazoned with a Swastika that causes people to foam at the mouth and attack people at random is sweeping across Iceland, it has emerged.
The mauve-coloured pill, which contains LSD, causes a state of ‘aggressive delirium’ and police say they have reported a surge in its use in the capital Reykjavik.
A number of students and teenagers have been rushed to hospital after collapsing and foaming at the mouth when taking the drug, which is said to be selling on the black market for £12 a tablet. The drug has reportedly been linked to violent assaults.
There are fears that the pills, which are so strong police are being told not to handle them without gloves, are being smuggled out to clubs and bars all over the country.
[Comment: Suspicious “spontaneous arrival” of new kind of drugs. This is likely a bankster destabilization op, payback for how Iceland handled their banksters. Look for CIA fingerprints.]
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Paris Shootings and Explosions Near Stade De France Kill 18
At least 18 people have been killed in several shootings in the French capital, Paris, as well as explosions at the Stade de France.
At least one man opened fire with an automatic gun at the Petit Cambodge restaurant in the 11th district.
Liberation newspaper reports shootings near the Bataclan arts centre.
Three explosions are also reported outside a bar near the Stade de France, where France were hosting Germany.
Reports say French President Francois Hollande was watching the match and has been moved to safety.
Live: Follow the latest developments here.
A BBC journalist at the Petit Cambodge restaurant says he can see 10 people on the road either dead or seriously injured.
He says police have now arrived and sealed off the area.
An eyewitness told Liberation he had heard more than 100 rounds being fired.
It says the gunman has fled the scene.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Paris has been gripped by terror after three coordinated terror attacks in the heart of the city killed at least 40 people.
There was a shootout inside a restaurant on the Rue Bichat, two explosions near the Stade de France sports stadium and another shooting at the Paris Bataclan concert hall where terrorists are said to be holding 100 people hostage.
U.S. security officials believe the attacks were coordinated.
It is thought that at least 11 were killed in the restaurant, close to where the Charlie Hebdo shootings occurred in January, and another 15 in the theatre, police officials said…
| — Hat tip: Gaia | [Return to headlines] |
Paris Restaurant Massacre Leaves Several Dead, Wounded
A gunman reportedly opened fire in a Paris restaurant on Friday evening, resulting in several casualties. Explosions were also heard nearby. According to Agence France-Presse, as many as 18 people have been killed.
The Associated Press also reports that two explosions were heard near a Paris stadium during the France-Germany football match which may have been caused by grenades. It is unclear if the events are linked, but French outlets report that French President Francois Hollande was in the Stade de France at the time of the explosions and has been rushed to a secure location.
Initial reports indicated that at least four are dead, with another 7 wounded, after a man armed with a Kalashnikov entered a restaurant near Place de la Republique.
A separate incident may have also occurred in a nearby bar known as the Bataclan club. French authorities have evacuated bars and restaurants in the area, and the gunmen are reportedly still at large. CNN reports there may be a hostage situation at the Bataclan location. BBC reports that as many as 60 hostages could be involved.
Bataclan is mere blocks from the offices of Charlie Hebdo, which was attacked by gunmen in January.
“There were two really loud bangs and they were enormous,” one witness told the Telegraph. “I thought it was coming from inside the stadium but someone told me later that they were grenades thrown outside at a restaurant.”
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
The death toll being reported in different outlets does vary — but all put the number of dead as at least 118.
Scores of people have been killed in multiple gun and bomb attacks in Paris
At least 100 people are reported to have died inside the Bataclan concert hall in central Paris
Others died in attacks near the Stade de France, where France were playing Germany, and at restaurants
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
People Trying to Discredit Church Reform, Says CEI Chief
(AGI) Vatican City, Nov 11 — In an interview with the magazine Famiglia Cristiana concerning recent events involving the Vatican and its leaders, Secretary General of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI), Monsignor Nuncio Galantino, said: “We have a more credible Church and some people just do not like that because they feel challenged. … It’s not victimisation to say that a credible Church is frightening and so they try to discredit it,” he continued. The Pope knows the material disclosed “very well because it was he in the wake of the pre-conclave meetings who commissioned this research and embarked on the process of reform. Reform that was also the wish of Benedict XVI. It was he, during a Via Crucis, who talked about dirt within the Church. But the Church has felt the need to name these sins, these abuses, these attitudes that are not in line with the Gospel or with common sense or with the good of the people.” The bishop explained: “There is false information. It is false that the Church spends the money of the poor. And in particular for the eight per thousand: the detailed accounts are published by each diocese and the information can be found on the website of the Episcopal Conference.” Galantino continued: “On distribution, and the arguments of recent days, it should be noted that the law of 1985 divides the figure for which no destination has been indicated in proportion to other indications, as with the allocation of seats in parliament. And finally, on their use: the funds are spent to support the clergy, for the building of places of worship and for the poor. This means helping 33,000 priests that do so much in our lands, but also, for example, the 700 construction projects for cultural and religious buildings that employ many companies, or the six million meals prepared each year by the cafeterias of Caritas.” .
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Soccer: Tavecchio Lays Wreath at Heysel
Memory ‘must be kept alive’
(ANSA) — Brussels, November 13 — Italian Soccer Federation (FIGC) President Carlo Tavecchio on Thursday night laid a wreath at the stand at Brussels’ Heysel stadium where 39 mostly Juventus fans died ahead of the 1985 European Cup final against Liverpool.
“May the memory of that night always stay alive,” Tavecchio said as he paid tribute along with the son of one of the victims, Andrea Lorentini.
Italy play world No.1-ranked side Belgium in Brussels Friday evening.
before the match the national team and Juventus will lay flowers at the plaque at the King Baudouin Stadium recalling the Heysel Stadium disaster.
Italy will also symbolically retire the number 39 shirt — a number never used as squads go up to 23 — and there will be a pause in the 39th minute of Friday’s match to remember the victims of crowd trouble.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Terrorists Slaughter at Least 100 in Paris Music Hall, 40 Others in Separate Attacks
Terrorists wielding AK-47s and hurling explosives executed at least 100 people inside a Paris concert hall late Friday night, in a massacre that followed coordinated attacks that killed at least 40 more people, rocking the French capital — prompting President Francois Hollande to close the entire nation’s borders and order a state of emergency.
The carnage inside the music venue ended around midnight local time when French police stormed inside, killing at three Kalashnikov-toting gunmen who witnesses said wore flak jackets as they slaughtered horrified spectators. The victims had gathered to see the American rock band Eagles of Death Metal, and a handful managed to escape to tell of the horror taking place inside where the killers shouted “This is for Syria!” and “Alahu Akhbar!” as they cut down patrons from a balcony before the band took the stage.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
UK Maoist Cult Followers Brainwashed, Raped: Prosecutor
A charismatic Maoist cult leader brainwashed and raped followers in his commune, and kept his own daughter imprisoned for 30 years, a London court heard Thursday.
Aravindan Balakrishnan, 75, known as Comrade Bala, terrorised women in the commune over decades, Southwark Crown Court was told as his trial began.
“This case concerns the brutal and calculated manipulation by one man to subjugate women under his control,” prosecutor Rosina Cottage said…
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
UK Plans to Give Ireland Special Treatment Could Derail EU Benefit Reforms
Britain’s push to limit EU migrants’ access to public benefits has been put under more scrutiny following reports that the UK will exempt Irish nationals from any deal, potentially setting up a showdown with other EU states, unhappy at London’s plans to restrict welfare access.
With debate continuing over Britain’s public EU reform demands, The Guardian reported that British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond had privately assured Ireland that any efforts to restrict EU migrants’ access to the welfare system would not affect the hundreds of thousands of Irish nationals living in the UK.
Citing an Irish government document, the newspaper reported that Ireland’s Foreign Minister Charles Flanagan had been granted explicit assurances from Hammond that Irish citizens wouldn’t be affected, if the UK won the right to prevent or limit migrants’ access to benefits
Earlier this week, Prime Minister David Cameron officially released his demands for EU reform, which included calls for EU migrants to be restricted from receiving benefits during their first four years in the country, as part of measures aimed at cracking down on so-called “benefit tourism”.
Despite the Conservative party’s election manifesto earlier this year, which stated that making changes to welfare access to cut EU migration was an “absolute requirement” of negotiations, Cameron seemed to soften his message, saying that he was “open to different ways of dealing” with the highly contentious issue of restricting EU nationals from accessing British benefits.
Cameron has not publicly raised the issue of offering exemptions to the citizens of certain EU member states, however speculation that Ireland may be given preferential treatment is likely to be opposed by countries such as Poland and Slovakia, who have been the most vocal critics of the PM’s plans.
British officials have said that Irish nationals have for a long time been treated differently to other EU citizens, given that the countries share agreements within the Common Travel Area, which means there are limited, and in many cases, there are no border checks between Ireland and the UK.
However, many questions remain over the legality of any attempts to exclude some countries from benefits restrictions, with the European Commission (EC) also pouring cold water on Cameron’s demands, labeling plans to revoke welfare benefits as “highly problematic”.
“We see a number of elements which appear to be feasible, like finding ways to increase the role of national parliaments, and some issues which are difficult, like ever-closer union and the relation between euro ins and outs.
“And some things are highly problematic as they touch upon the fundamental freedoms of our internal market. Direct discrimination between EU citizens clearly falls into this last category,” EC spokesperson Margaritis Schinas said.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
A Porsche dealer who ruined a teenage girl’s hopes of competing in the Paralympics by smashing into her friend’s car when he drove on the wrong side of the road has been released from prison after just four months.
Adam Hill, 35, was sentenced to 15 months in jail after he ploughed his £32,000 Audi A6 into a Ford Fiesta while driving on the wrong side of the A46 near Market Rasen, Lincolnshire.
Friends Beth Tyson and Kate Hunter, who were both 18 at the time, suffered life-changing injuries in the crash and the latter had to abandon her dreams of competing in the Paralympics.
However, after spending just four months behind bars, Hill has now been released from prison after serving just a quarter of his sentence.
Rebecca Tyson, Beth’s sister, hit out at the decision to release him today while her sister was still in ‘ongoing surgery’.
She said: ‘He has served 16 weeks in prison and my sister through his careless actions have been left with a life sentence of pain ongoing surgery and it is heartbreaking to see my little sister crying in agony every day.’
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
ENI Signs Agreement for Oil Exploration in Egypt
(AGI) Rome, Nov 12 — Italian oil and gas giant Eni and the Egyptian Government signed on Thursday three amendments for the IEOC concessions of Sinai 12 and Abu Madi, North Port Said and Baltim (which is in partnership with BP) and signed one new Concession Agreement, Ashrafi, in partnership with ENGIE. The agreements will involve investment of more than 2 billion dollars for the projects to be carried out in the next four years, and will help to meet the increasing energy demand within Egypt. They spell success under the headings defined in the Heads of Agreement (HoA) signed during the Egypt Economic Development Conference in Sharm El Sheikh last March. The other three agreements included in the HoA have already been finalised and the approval process is expected to be completed before the year-end. Some of the activities envisaged are currently in the execution phase and one additional well in Baltim Concession has already entered production. Eni has been present in Egypt since 1954, operating through its subsidiary IEOC. The company is the leading producer in the country with an equity production of approximately 180,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Caroline Glick: Fighting Fire With Fire
With the publication of its new guidelines to member states encouraging them to label Jewish products produced beyond the 1949 armistice lines, the Europeans finally convinced us that they hate us. They don’t care about peace. They don’t care about the Palestinians. They just want to harm Israel.
This is old news for long time EU watchers. Since late 2000, Europe has inexorably ratcheted up its hostile treatment of the Jewish state to the detriment of chances of peace.
Take for instance the timing of the EU’s first official act of open economic warfare against Israel.
On July 29, 2013 US Secretary of State John Kerry brought the heads of the Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams together in Washington to officially launch a new round of peace talks.
The same day, the EU announced that starting at the beginning of 2014, it would be ending all joint projects with and all funding from the EU and its member governments of Israeli entities located or operating in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the Golan Heights. The only exceptions to the funding and cooperation ban were Israeli organizations working to harm Israeli control over the areas, and non-Jewish Israeli entities.
The message was obvious. As far as Europe is concerned, “the peace process,” isn’t a means to achieve peace. It is a means of criminalizing Israel.
This week’s labeling guidelines were no surprise. They were promised two years ago. We have also known for years, that neither the funding ban nor the product labeling are ends to themselves…
| — Hat tip: Caroline Glick | [Return to headlines] |
2,000 Persian Gulf Arabs Fighting in Syria — Saudi Mufti
2,000 Arabs from the Persian Gulf states are fighting in Syria for terrorist groups, Mufti Mousa al-Qanami was quoted as saying by Kuwaiti al-Rai newspaper on Thursday.
“The are 2,000 people active in ISIL, al-Nusrah, Ansar al-Din and Ahrar al-Sham terrorist groups,” Qanami said, adding that most of these terrorists are from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar each released 3,000 of their convicts that had been sentenced by various criminal courts in 2013 after they agreed to fight against the Syrian government in return for good pay, Iran’s Fars news agency reported.
Earlier reports said that Saudi Arabia was supplying Israeli-made weapons to anti-Assad forces in Northern Syria via Turkey.
The foreign-backed terrorist commanders operating in Northern Syria have received state-of-the-art weapons from Saudi Arabia, the Palestine-based Arabic-language Al-Manar newspaper quoted western sources as saying in June.
Newly emerged footage showed trucks belonging to Turkey’s intelligence agency smuggling weapons into Syria in a bid to strengthen the hand of terror groups operating there.
Turkish daily newspaper Cumhuriyet reported that the trucks were carrying a total of 1,000 mortar shells, 80,000 rounds of ammunition for light and heavy weapons as well as hundreds of grenade launchers.
The Turkish government has denied all claims that it is arming the anti-government militants fighting in Syria.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
As Rouhani Open Up to Europe, His Enemies Work Against Him at Home
The Iranian president begins a visit to Italy and France. Pro-Israel and human rights groups criticise the trip. Iran wants to resume its place in the international community and revive its economy, but the Revolutionary Guards and conservative ayatollahs are holding back. Journalists are arrested for “infiltration” and “spying”. Yet, young people are moving away from Islam.
Rome (AsiaNews) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani starts a European tour tomorrow. First stop, a two-day visit to Italy. Then, France. For the Iranian leader, the main goal is to prepare channels of friendship and trade with the West ahead of the end of the sanctions against his country once the nuclear deal is implemented. During his stay in Rome, he will meet with Pope Francis in the Vatican.
Human rights groups and groups tied to the state of Israel are very critical of the visit, slamming Tehran’s anti-Israeli stance and Iran’s dismal human rights record (hundreds of executions this year). However, Rouhani’s main enemies are at home, among the ayatollahs and the Revolutionary Guards.
From the day of his election, Hassan Rouhani has been Iran’s friendly face to the world. As president, he has chatted on the phone with his US counterpart, Barack Obama; has sent greetings to the Jewish community on Jewish New Year; has expressed his willingness to take part in talks on Syria and Yemen; has extended an olive branch to Saudi Arabia; and has especially signed on to the nuclear deal worked out by his Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif.
The deal allows Iran back into the concert of nations. It has also led to Tehran’s participation in the talks on Syria’s future and opened doors to a series of meeting with European business groups for future trade.
For Rouhani, opening up would revive the ailing Iranian economy after decades of economic sanctions, made worse by the recent drop in oil prices. For outsiders, with its 78 million people, 70 per cent under the age of 30, a highly educated workforce, Iran represents a very lucrative market.
Because of the embargo, the country lacks pharmaceuticals, surgical equipment, modern industrial plants, and upgraded refining facilities. Yet, for the Revolutionary Guards, Rouhani’s reforms are a threat, part of a plot to enslave the country.
Reaction to Rouhani’s rule has been building in intensity over the past few months, and appears to have picked with the targeting of journalists favourable to Rouhani who have been recently accused of “spying” and “infiltration” on behalf of the United States.
The journalists arrested by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Intelligence Organisation include Isa Saharkhiz, Ehsan Mazandarani, Afarin Chitsaz, and Saman Safarzaei, with a probable fifth one whose identity is unconfirmed. And their not alone. Scores of activists, dual Iranian-American nationals, and other cultural figures, 43 in all, have been detained over the last several months.
Members of Iran’s parliament (Majlis), and Mohammad Ali Jaafari, the Commander of the Revolutionary Guards, have warned of a “new sedition which is being led by the US government to infiltrate the country.”
Although Rouhani has tried to counter the creeping wilful paranoia, he has failed to prevent the arrests.
It is increasingly clear that the Revolutionary Guards and conservative ayatollahs are the main opponents to the deal. The former fear losing their economic privileges (infrastructure, drugs, smuggling); the latter are concerned that the legitimacy of the 36-year-old Islamic regime might come into question.
Moreover, under the ayatollahs, starting with Khomeini, disaffection with Islam has grown and most young people have stopped going to mosques and listening to religious leaders.
Therefore, out of its own self-interest, the West should not leave this great country out in the cold.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
IS Committing Genocide Against Yazidis in Iraq: Report
The Islamic State group is committing genocide against Iraq’s Yazidi community, the US Holocaust Memorial Museum said in a report based on harrowing interviews detailing rape, torture and murder.
A Kurdish-speaking minority mostly based around Sinjar mountain in northern Iraq, the Yazidis are neither Arabs nor Muslims and have a unique faith the militants consider to be heretical and polytheistic.
When in the summer of 2014 the jihadists made an unexpected push into parts of northern Iraq, many Yazidis were massacred and abducted.
Tens of thousands scrambled up Mount Sinjar in a panic and remained stranded there for days with no food or water…
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
‘Jihadi John’ Strike: US Says ‘We Got Him’
An airstrike targeting the British IS militant known as “Jihadi John” has been carried out in Syria — and the US is “99% sure we got him”.
Activists in the IS stronghold said they counted 14 airstrikes between 11.51pm and midnight on Thursday.
They reported one of the first missiles targeted a car near the city’s Islamic court — but the area was closed off by militants to prevent anyone from approaching.
Eyewitnesses in Raqqa told Sky News Jihadi John — real name Mohammed Emwazi — was taken to hospital after the strike, with IS claiming he was injured but still alive.
Activists in Raqqa produced a map, said to show the airstrike location
Although the official line from IS leaders is that Emwazi survived, locals told Sky the hospital has since been closed to the public and claimed this only happens when a senior militant has been killed…
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Jihadi John ‘Dead’: Pentagon Says Killing Him Has Made the World “A Better Place”
Pentagon briefing update
Col. Steve Warren, Pentagon spokesman said: “It’s still a little early. We are reasonably certain that we killed the target we intended to kill, that was Jihadi John.
“It will take some time as it always does for us to finally formally declare that we have had success. As is always the case, we just have to wait. We have several methods that we use to try and determine whether or not the strike successfully killed the target that we wanted to kill.
“We know for a fact that the weapons system hit its intended target, and that the personnel who were on the receiving end of that target were in fact killed. We still have to finalise the verification that those personnel were specifically who we thought they were. So more to follow as we develop this intelligence.
“It was a drone strike using a hellfire missile, for us it was a fairly routine strike. As you know we’ve killed on average one mid to upper-level Isil leader every two days since May. So for us this is fairly routine.
“Now this is significant of course because Jihadi John was something of an Isil celebrity, if you will. Kind of the face of the organisation in many senses. So there is certainly a significant blow to the prestige of Isil, but Jihadi John wasn’t a major tactical figure or operational figure.”
Labour party reaction
John Woodcock, the Labour MP and former shadow minister, has said the fact Britain has not joined American airstrikes in Syria partly explains why the US took out Jihadi John themselves.
Speaking from the Kurdish region of Iraq during a visit to see the impact of Isil, Mr Woodcock told The Telegraph: “The public will be relieved that Mohammed Emwazi is longer able to commit sickening war crimes for his masters to broadcast round the world.
“Emwazi chose to become a killer in a conflict zone and his death sends a clear message to brainwashed Brits thinking of joining the extremists’ campaign of terror.
“It is notable that the UK had to rely on others to target him because the government chose not to extend its action against Isis across the non-existent Syrian border.”
| — Hat tip: Gaia | [Return to headlines] |
Man Caught in Saudi Arabia Smuggling Beer Disguised as Pop
A smuggler tried to bring about 48,000 beer cans into Saudi Arabia from the United Arab Emirates, al-Arabiya News reported.
The man was caught at the Al Batha border crossing in Saudi Arabia. What makes the situation amusing, but certainly not for the smuggler, is the fact that the cans of beers were disguised as Pepsi cans.
“A truck carrying what first seemed to be normal cans of the soft drink Pepsi was stopped and after the standard process of searching the products, it became clear the alcoholic beer was covered with Pepsi stickers,” border General Manager Abdulrahman al-Mahna said, according to al-Arabiya News.
It remains to be seen what punishment the driver of the truck will face, as often the degree of punishment depends on who commits the offense. The man might be lucky and get away with the smuggling attempt if the beer was intended for one of the rowdy Saudi princes. If not though, well the best of luck to the smuggler, as alcohol is illegal in Saudi Arabia.
Nevertheless, it certainly looks like despite being criminalized in Saudi Arabia, beer is in high demand in the Wahhabi kingdom. With the beer now having been confiscated, someone’s bound to get real thirsty, real soon.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Saudi Arabia Set for ‘Oil War’ Against US Shale Producers
Saudi Arabia is ready to raise stakes in its war against US shale and other low-cost oil producers, journalist Nathan Vardi wrote in his article.
The Kingdom has probably spent nearly $100 billion of its reserves for this war already. For instance, Saudi Arabia decided not to cut production to support oil prices, driving Brent and WTI down below $50 per barrel. But the country will have to spend a lot more to win the battle, the article read.
The kingdom is preparing to use loans to build up its strategy against US oil-producers.
The Financial Times reported that Saudi Arabia is getting ready to enter the international bond market to finance its plan to protect its share in the oil market and make life impossible for US rivals.
The decline in oil prices has significantly reduced kingdom’s income. The country needs money for its expensive social programs in the face of rising budget deficits.
It is under further financial stress due to its costly military campaign in Yemen, the author added.
“So far Saudi Arabia only has some small victories to show for its big oil war against US shale,” the article published in Forbes read.
According to Baker Hughes data, rigs in operation in the US have fallen to 771 from peak level of 1,925. Some 20 oil companies have gone bankrupt. The biggest bankruptcy was Samson Resources which was the subject of a $7.2 billion buyout by KKR in 2011.
US oil production has dropped by nearly 500,000 barrels a day from its peak, but the country is still producing 9.1 million barrels a day, against 6.8 million a day three years ago.
Saudi oil minister Ali al-Naimi and new King Salman are indicating they are not backing down, the author wrote. The kingdom plans to increase debt levels as high as 50 percent of GDP within five years. The goal seems to be achievable taking into account the current extremely low debt levels.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
UAE Armed Libya Factions, Wooed Envoy With Job Offer: Report
The United Arab Emirates shipped weapons to Libyan factions fighting Islamists while offering a $50,000-month job to the UN envoy negotiating a peace deal for Libya, according to leaked emails reported by the New York Times.
The latest revelations again raised questions about allegations of conflict of interest targeting the envoy, Bernardino Leon, that may compromise the preliminary deal for Libya that he has negotiated.
In a statement, Leon said that the UAE, Qatar, Turkey and Egypt “have consistently supported UN peace efforts” in Libya and stressed the need to be “extremely cautious” about the reports.
“I have decided to request a full clarification of the issue, including from the United Arab Emirates authorities as I take time to reflect on the next steps in my professional career,” said the Spanish diplomat…
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine’s Finance Minister Jaresko Made Her Fortune on US Taxpayers’ Dime
Before becoming Ukraine’s finance minister last year, Natalia Jaresko collected $1.77 million in bonuses from a US-taxpayer-financed investment fund where her annual compensation was supposed to be caped to $150,000, Robert Parry, an author for Ron Paul Institute, wrote in his article.
The author analyzed financial documents filed with the US Internal Revenue Service this year.
The near 12-fold difference between the compensation ceiling and Jaresko’s bonuses paid in 2013 was justified in the documents from Jaresko-headed Western NIS Enterprise Fund (WNISEF) by drawing a distinction between getting paid directly from $150 million US government grant and the money from the fund’s investment sales proceeds, which were used to extract bonuses beyond the prescribed compensation cap, the article read.
Jaresko and some WNISEF officers used this loophole for their own personal gain and to financial risks. They collected bonuses from some investments even if the overall fund was losing money.
Indeed, in recent years the fund has been shrinking. According to WNISEF’s 2013 filing submitted to the IRS, the value of the fund shrunk from the initial $150 million to $93.9 million in 2012, and to $89.8 million in 2013.
WNISEF was started with $150 million in the 1990s to help develop investments in the Ukrainian and Moldovan economies. The project was administered by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Jaresko, a former US diplomat of Ukrainian origin, was selected to run the fund.
“So, Jaresko’s arrangement was something like taking someone else’s money to a roulette table, placing it on black, and claiming a share of the winnings if the ball stopped on black. However, if the ball landed on red, then the someone else absorbed the loss, except in this case the winners were Jaresko and her associates and the losers were the American taxpayers,” the author explained.
In December 2014, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko appointed Jaresko as Finance Minister after granting her Ukrainian citizenship.
Jaresko’s standards for handling public money are relevant to the question: is the new Ukrainian regime just a reshuffling of old corruptionists or an effort at reforms?
“The new regime has presented itself as committed to reform, even though some outside observers contend that corruption is as bad, or worse, than under the old government,” the article read.
The author also wrote that there have been numerous audit gaps regarding WNISEF’s operations. For instance, KPMG auditors only took a narrow view of how to define the incomes of Jaresko and other WNISEF officers, only confirming that no salary exceeded $150,000, and not looking at bonuses. Neither USAID officials nor Jaresko responded to specific questions about the possible conflict of interests in WNISEF, the article read.
During her speech at the international forum in Davos in January, Jaresko stressed that after the Maidan revolution Ukraine shared Western values and would live in accordance with them.
“Exactly which Western ‘values’ Jaresko actually shares remains unclear because of the fog surrounding her actions at WNISEF and her unwillingness to reveal how much she made from her association with a US-taxpayer funded project. However, if those Western ‘values’ include putting citizens’ interests before self-interest and believing that transparency is critical for a democracy, Jaresko may need some remedial training,” the author concluded.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Suu Kyi Party Has Myanmar Majority
Will be able to choose president, form govt
(ANSA) — Rome, November 13 — The Myanmar opposition party led by Aung San Suu Kyi has garnered a majority in parliament and will be able to choose the next president to form a new government, according to results collated Friday.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Thousands Attend Funerals of Beheaded Afghan Shiite Hazaras
Thousands of people attended the burials of seven Shiite Hazaras in Afghanistan Friday, witnesses said, nearly a week after their decapitated bodies were found, with the gruesome discovery spurring massive protests, including in Kabul.
The coffins of the four men, two women and one young girl — named as Shukria — were flown by Afghan military helicopters from Kabul to their home district of Jaghuri in central Ghazni province, a local tribal elder said.
“Around 5,000 people took part in the funeral ceremony under tight security,” 45-year-old Jafar Haidary told AFP…
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Africa ‘Losing 60 Bn Euros a Year in Tax Evasion’: Senegal’s Sall
Senegalese President Macky Sall called Thursday for multinationals to pay their fair share of taxes following a summit with EU leaders aimed at curbing the poverty fuelling mass migration to Europe.
Sall also said Africans should receive a a fair price for their natural resources when he addressed a press conference ending an acrimonious EU-Africa summit that nonetheless produced an aid-for-cooperation deal on migration.
Sall told reporters in the Maltese capital Valletta that Africans had taken their fight for justice to the G7 group of leading industrial nations, the wider G20 group that includes emerging economies, and the United Nations…
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
South Africa: ‘Dirtbin Durban’ Has Beachgoers in a Spin
Durban — Broken glass and the stench of urine have returned to Durban’s beachfront after a well-publicised clean-up operation last month.
Ahead of the Amashova cycle race on October 26, city officials instituted sweeping measures to clean-up certain stretches of the Golden Mile favoured by hundreds of revellers.
With drinking in public and boot parties abounding, the beachfront was left in a mess, raising the ire of beachfront businesses and users alike.
The business owners started a social media campaign dubbed “Dirtbin Durban” aimed at shaming city officials into action.
Ahead of the cycling event, a significant money-spinner for Durban, changes seemed to be afoot with security guards, police patrols and access controls on the beach.
Umhlanga businessman Chad Message voiced his ire at the state of the public stretch of beach, saying all the positive steps taken had been short-lived.
He used his cellphone to video the mess at the weekend, posting the footage on social media platform Facebook.
“The mess in Durban this morning on the beachfront was absolutely disgusting. The stench of urine, the broken glass bottles all over the road, parking lot and grass areas, rubbish and open fires are a total disregard to the by-laws in our beautiful city,” he said…
| — Hat tip: RRN | [Return to headlines] |
Brazil’s Scandal-Hit Petrobras Posts $1 Bn Loss in Q3
Brazil’s scandal-plagued state oil giant Petrobras announced third-quarter losses of about $1 billion on Thursday, mainly due to the sharp devaluation of the Brazilian currency.
Petrobras, mired in a hugely damaging scandal involving bribes and high-level political payoffs, posted losses of 3.76 billion reais in the quarter, compared with a loss of 5.3 billion reais a year earlier.
The huge corruption case has cost Petrobras more than $2 billion and shaken Brazil’s political establishment to the core.
The third-quarter loss was much steeper than analysts expected, underlining the grave uncertainty surrounding Petrobras…
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Austria to Build Border Fence to Manage Migrant Influx
In a new blow to the EU’s cherished open-border Schengen accord, Austria announced Friday it would erect a 3.7-kilometre (2.3-mile) metal fence along its border with Slovenia to better manage a record influx of migrants and refugees.
The barrier, due to be completed in less than six weeks, will be the first fence between two members of the passport-free zone.
Austrian Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner insisted the “fence conforms to the Schengen accord”, adding that it was part of temporary measures aimed at “channelling” the human flow…
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Berlin Police Raid 10 Sites in Online ‘Hate Speech’ Crackdown
Police said Thursday that the morning raids involved 60 officers, who confiscated smartphones and computers as evidence, which are now being evaluated. They didn’t have any immediate information on arrests.
They say the raids are part of an ongoing investigation into hate speech spread over social media meant to incite people against asylum-seekers and refugee housing.
Berlin’s top security official, Frank Henkel, says authorities “won’t turn away if racism or incitement is being spread on the Internet.”
He says that the authorities alone can’t police hate speech online and appealed for social networks themselves to combat it more effectively.
| — Hat tip: Diana West | [Return to headlines] |
Germany May Call Retired Soldiers Back to Duty Amid Refugee Crisis
The German SPD party wants to call retired military personnel back to duty in order to deal with the immigration crisis more effectively, Focus Online reported.
The increasing influx of refugees to Germany requires an increase in the armed forces. The German SPD party therefore suggested that military personnel and civil servants in early retirement go back to work to deal with the newcomers, Focus Online wrote.
From the legal point of view, it is possible, but there are currently debates whether the “mobilization” would take place on a voluntary or mandatory basis, the article said.
The SPD prefers the second option, assuming that it could be attractive for those interested in additional earnings. Moreover, the party also proposed to involve “the translators who were active during the operations in Afghanistan” to work in refugee reception areas.
The SPD has requested the German Defense Ministry to check, “how many civilian and military employees in early retirement are qualified to perform the duties and assist in the processing of asylum requests.”
About 6,000 Bundeswehr soldiers and civil servants are currently providing assistance for refugees in Germany. The Bundeswehr, however, fears that the migration crisis may negatively affect soldiers’ performance in their basic duties and therefore also requested an increase in military staff.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Italian Cooperation Allocates Funds for Syrian Refugees
(AGI) Rome, Nov 11 — The Italian Cooperation has allocated another 2 million euros subsidy for assistance to Syrian refugees hosted in Camps in Jordan and Lebanon. The emergency funds are part of the broad humanitarian aid programme Italy has allocated for the crisis in Syria, which amounts to approximately 20 million euros in 2015, and a total of almost 79 million euros since the start of the conflict. One million euros have been allocated to support the International Red Cross Committee to help Syrian refugees hosted in Jordan and Lebanon. Jordan aims to help local authorities set up water and sanitation facilities as well as emergency health care services to Syrians with firearm injuries, supported by surgical facilities to be provided by the Emergency Medical Services (Ems) of the Red Cross of Lebanon. Health prevention and care activities will also be arranged, to fight against gender-related violence. Refugees and residents in the area will benefit from access to drinkable water thanks to the rehabilitation of the water management infrastructure. The second 1 million euro grant allocated by the Italian Cooperation aims at supporting a UNHCR project, namely ‘Wash assistance for Syrian refugees’, in South Lebanon, to improve hygiene and sanitation in Syrian refugee communities, thus enhancing social cohesion between Syrian refugees and the host community in Lebanon. The project seeks to rehabilitate the water management grid and drinkable water supplies, as well as raising awareness on good practices in hygiene and sanitation.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Merkel Losing Her Status of ‘Infallible Leader’ — Think Tank
The German Chancellor is likely to be able to stay in power until the end of the third term and avoid early elections, but the myth of Angela Merkel as an “infallible leader” has already been destroyed, US think tank Stratfor wrote.
According to the publication, lack of coordination within the German coalition disrupts the idea about the German government as a harmonious mechanism.
Internal differences between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and some of her ministers are now obvious to everybody, the article said.
Stratfor wrote that the attempts of German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere to tighten refugee policy without informing the Chancellor are a messy step and may indicate a hidden power struggle among the German ministers. Moreover, they point to a much deeper problem, which could undermine the credibility of Merkel’s government and have massive implications for the whole Europe.
“The ongoing refugee crisis has overwhelmed Merkel. The German chancellor is famous for her ability to sense the direction of public opinion and adjust her policies accordingly. This time, though, many think she may have miscalculated,” the publication said.
When refugees started flooding Germany in the summer 2015, Merkel said that her country will accept them with “open arms and open borders.” At that time, Germans backed her decision, which they saw as a chance to demonstrate solidarity for those in need, the article said.
However, when the refugee crisis intensified, Germans started to become anxious about the fact that the government probably miscalculated the true scale of the crisis and its consequences.
“Suddenly, Merkel was no longer the infallible leader who could do no wrong but an impulsive head of government who had put her country in danger,” the article said.
The German population started to doubt Merkel’s power and sensed that the Chancellor had begun losing control over the situation. The split within her coalition only worsened the situation and made Germans question the reliability of the current authorities.
The division in the ruling coalition may have longstanding negative implications for the country and Europe as a whole. Even though the option of Merkel’s resignation now seems to be too unrealistic, the fighting in her inner political circles may negatively affect the efficiency of the government and undermine her positions.
“Elections in several German regions in 2016 will test the popularity of the parties within Merkel’s coalition, and the outcome will affect their calculations about seeking early elections. Should the CDU perform poorly, party members will probably start planning for a future without Merkel,” the publication said.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Sweden: Stressed Out Immigration Authority Staff Send Protest Letter to Bosses
Under pressure immigration staff at the Swedish Migration Agency in Gothenburg have written a letter of protest to their bosses, expressing their dissatisfaction with their working conditions which they say has left them on their knees.
In the letter, which is also addressed to the Director General of the Migration Agency, the staff at the immigration service for the western region, express their frustration with management, who they say could do more to ease the workload, which has left them on their knees.
The employees say they can no longer plan anything in their private lives and that they feel stressed out and tired.
“We have worked late nights and weekends, often more than 14 hours straight,” the letter says. They write that they have been flexible and done all they can to help the asylum seekers and refugees who have come to Sweden.
One employee, interviewed by Swedish Radio’s local channel in Gothenburg channel, and who wants to remain anonymous, says he and his colleagues recently found out that they have to work over Christmas and New Year, a time they were looking forward to for a break from the chaos. The amount of people going off sick, they say, has increased.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Sweden: Union: Refugee Crisis Puts Police Under Heavy Strain
The Swedish police union said on Friday that unless extra resources were found to ease the heavy workload on its officers caused by the influx of migrants then the force was heading into a crisis situation.
“For many years we have not been given the proper resources to do the job, with too few officers, working under high pressure for a very long time. So this situation with the migrants is not putting us in a better situation,” says Anna Nellberg-Dennis, first vice-chairman of the Swedish police union, and chair of Eurocop, the European police union.
The workload of the Swedish police force has increased steadily since the first migrants started arriving in greater numbers this autumn. In mid-week, Sweden’s Interior Minister reintroduced temporary border controls, which has placed an added strain on the police.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
UK First Country to Pledge Funds to Turkey in Effort to Curb Refugee Influx
Britain became the first country to offer financial aid to Turkey as part of a 3-billion-euro (about $3.2 billion) EU deal that aims to cut the inflow of refugees into Europe with Ankara’s help, The Guardian reports.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Turkey will help protect EU borders, and is expected to agree to resettle refugees that have managed to get to Europe from Turkey in exchange for the funds that will be distributed over the course of two years.
British Prime Minister David Cameron has already offered 400 million euros to Turkey as part of the plan, making the United Kingdom the first and only country to make a financial pledge under the deal, The Guardian said on Thursday.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced on Thursday that the European Union and Turkey are expected to hold an urgent summit on migration in Brussels in the coming weeks.
Turkey is a key transit country for thousands of refugees fleeing conflicts in Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East. The European Union has been pressing Ankara to stem the outflow of migrants through its northern border into Europe.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Asylum-seekers from Somalia, Syria and Iraq have been at the Britannia Hotel in Standish, near Wigan, since July while waiting for government officials to process their applications.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Ramping it Up at #Mizzou: Black Students Advised to ‘Arm Themselves’
The Young America’ s Foundation “ exclusively obtained a private message from students at the University of Missouri” advising peers to “ arm themselves with tasers and pepper spray.” Also, TheBlaze reported that black students are being advised by peers and on social media to get weapons, presumably to protect themselves against vague, unsubstantiated hate crimes.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
“Solidarity with France, solidarity with the victims & thei relatives,
solidarity with the new Europe…and more stringent legislation” said shaken SE Prime Minister 2015-11-14.
PS. A suspect syrian passport is said to have been found at one of the Paris crime scenes!!!
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SO CALLED REFUGEES or new Swedes, mostly 470 young men from the third world – each costing the taxpayers SEK
1 000 000+ a year – live at the Norrby estate in Fagersta, Sweden. Now they have begun to “strike” because they mean the food is bad, the accommodation and the rooms are too small The so-called strike includes smirking and showing the IS-handsign in the dining room, jumping on the tables, degradng the staff, clapping with trays and screaming about how bad Sweden and the Swedes are.
https://youtu.be/Td3VNr7ZJvs
82% of unaccompanied minors are males. They are often older than they claim. But the Swedisk Migration Board states that anyone not directly deemed to be above 40 years is considered to be a child! They are not unaccompanied. In many cases, they arrive along with some relative – who does not have custody. Then they are counted as unaccompanied.
These young men come mainly from Afghanistan, Syria, Eritrea and Somalia. Last year 7,000. This year there have come 27,000. But according to information it’s just as many who are not registered as asylum seekers. They just disappear!
How is it possible that so many people can live in limbo in our country? Police also expect that hundreds of Moroccan children are living as street children in Stockholm. No one knows how many people in total there are in Sweden. By far most of these young asylum seekers come from Afghanistan. There has been war for 30 years there, so why are so many fleeing right now?
The favorable conditions Sweden offers are a strong attraction on young men from the third world. In particular, if they can claim that they are under 18. Then special rules apply. They have the right to housing, food, TV, Internet, clothes, etc. For each child there should be one employee as caregiver. Furthermore, they are entitled to dental care, medical care, schools and swedish education, an interpreter and right to in Sweden get joined with their family.
They are called ‘anchor children’ depending on their right to after having got residence fetch their families. This is probably also the reason why the family is prepared to invest fortunes to pay smugglers for the child’s trip to Sweden.
This charity costs a lot of tax money. There are examples where the government pays SEK 15,000 per day and child! The annual cost per refugee child vary between SEK 1 – 10 million!
Can be compared with what Swedish children annually
read also:
https://gatesofvienna.net/2015/11/gates-of-vienna-news-feed-11112015/#comment-428769
and
https://gatesofvienna.net/2015/11/gates-of-vienna-news-feed-11112015/#comment-428775