Migration authorities in Sweden report that there are currently more than 14,000 immigrants whose deportation was ordered, but who have now gone missing. Police say that, practically speaking, they have no way to enforce the deportation orders.
In other migration news, Macedonia (yes, I know that’s not its correct name) is reinforcing its border fence with Greece to prevent “refugees” from crossing illegally.
In other news, a leading pro-Kurdish lawyer was shot dead in southeastern Turkey.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to C. Cantoni, Dean, Fjordman, Insubria, JD, 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.
Blow Back Time From Islam Caused by the Media
A spokesman for Elijah Ministries said after the Paris attacks that Obama is not incompetent as many think. He is not just a loony leftist. In fact, he is one of the most effective presidents America has ever had. Just think of the damage this man has been able to accomplish in the last few years. The spokesman for Elijah, an ex-military man, said Obama is a traitor. He continues to commit treasonous acts against our nation. He is currently trying to seed Muslims in our nation knowing full well the harm they will eventually bring upon us. So many want to dance around this betrayal and none dare call it TREASON. He asks, “Where are our other leaders? Where are the checks and balances? Where are the Lesser Magistrates that will rise up and end his tyrannical rule? Where are the men in authority that have the power to arrest this fraud, this impostor, and stop his madness? Are we that delusional as a nation that we cannot discern who this man is and why he is here?”
He says it again: OBAMA IS GOD’S JUDGMENT UPON AMERICA!!! He is grinding us to the dirt. He has made us a laughingstock among the nations. He has emboldened our enemies, alienated our allies, and demoralized us from within. He has helped to inspire a generation that does not want to survive in a very dangerous world. College campuses are producing whiny, bratty kids that actually hate our nation and are in agreement with those who want to destroy us as Peterson illustrates in his book.
[Comment: Accurate description of Obama.]
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Dirty Connecticut Mayor (Sentenced to Prison for Corruption) Reelected in Landslide
After East Chicago re-elected an accused drug dealer and murderer as councilman, we thought the bar had dropped as low as it gets for the ignorance of an electorate. But, no! Bridgeport, Connecticut residents just took the proverbial biscuit by re-electing Mayor Joseph P. Ganim — who during his last ‘reign’ was convicted of 16 felonies including racketeering, extortion, and bribery.
As TheAntiMedia.org’s Lou Colagiovanni details, Ganim spent seven years of his life in federal prison as a result of the convictions.
Political pundits originally saw Ganim’s candidacy as a sideshow with no hope of electability, but the joke was on them. In September, Ganim defeated Bridgeport’s incumbent mayor, Bill Finch, by 400 votes during the Democratic primary.
Mary-Jane Foster, the Vice President of the University of Bridgeport, was Ganim’s closest opponent and lost the election by a landslide margin of almost 2 to 1. Imagine that—the voters prefered a convicted felon known for making backroom deals over an illustrious member of the community who has dedicated her life to education. [Comment: Massive election fraud. Powerful people wanted this tool re-elected. ]
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Man Kills Mississippi Waffle House Employee Over Smoking Policy
A Mississippi Waffle House customer shot and killed an employee early Friday after she has him not to smoke, police said.
Biloxi police Sgt. Donnie Dobbs said a call was received about the shooting at 1:11 a.m. The customer, Johnny Max Mount, had argued with an employee after being told that he couldn’t smoke, Dobbs said.
“He pulled out a handgun and shot her in the head,” Dobbs said.
The woman died on the way to the hospital, he said.
The suspect was outside the restaurant when police arrived and surrendered without incident.
Mount was charged with first-degree murder and is being held on $2 million bond at the Harrison County Adult Detention Center, police said…
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
See the World’s First 3D-Printed Revolver in Action — Update
This is an update to the ongoing progress with 3D-printed weapons.
The eyes of the world are on the rapidly developing innovation of 3D printing. Naturally, whenever a new technology is created that offers open-source DIY opportunities to the average individual, it is going to make governments and their protected corporate interests very nervous.
Such is the case with 3D weapons manufacturing. Defense Distributed has led the way with their innovations, sparking others to provide their own offerings. Their progress, as well as their subsequent hindering by the US Department of Defense Trade Controls, has been documented by a series of video updates below.
The latest development highlights how quickly the cost of innovation is dropping, as well as introducing a new innovator to the 3D-printed weapons space. A mechanical engineering student, James Patrick, has created the world’s first 3D-printed revolver, named the PM522 Washbear; all parts were created with a consumer-grade 3D printer — only the firing pin was not, he used a roofing nail. As James states:…
As you can see from the information thus far, a key issue that still needs to be addressed is the stability of 3D-printed weapons. Progress has been made, but fundamental flaws remain.
Michael Crumling believes that he can contribute to resolving the current limitations of 3D-printed weapons — not by designing a better gun, but by designing proper ammunition that will inherently relieve the stress put upon the weapon.
His ammunition uses a thicker steel shell with a lead bullet inserted an inch inside, deep enough that the shell can contain the explosion of the round’s gunpowder instead of transferring that force to the plastic body or barrel of the gun. Crumling says that allows a home-printed firearm made from even the cheapest materials to be fired again and again without cracking or deformation. And while his design isn’t easily replicated because the rounds must be individually machined for now, it may represent another step towards durable, practical, printed guns—even semi-automatic ones.
“It’s a really simple concept: It’s kind of a barrel integrated into the shell, so to speak,” says Crumling. “Basically it removes all the stresses and pressures from the 3-D printed parts. You should be able to fire an unlimited number of shots through the gun without replacing any parts other than the shell.” (Source)
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Stronger Locks, Better Security
What if, in response to the terrorist attacks in Paris, or cybersecurity attacks on companies and government agencies, the FBI had come to the American people and said: In order to keep you safe, we need you to remove all the locks on your doors and windows and replace them with weaker ones. It’s because, if you were a terrorist and we needed to get to your house, your locks might slow us down or block us entirely. So Americans, remove your locks! And American companies: stop making good locks!
We’d all reject this as a bad idea. We’d see that it would make us all vulnerable, not just to terrorists but to ordinary thieves and bad guys. We’d reject undermining our daily security in favor of a vague potential that in some cases, law enforcement would be guaranteed, quick, easy access to our homes. We’d say to the FBI: Stop right there. We need more security in the wake of these attacks, not less.
Yet that same tradeoff is similar to what’s being asked of us in the attacks on strong encryption. The FBI isn’t technically asking for no locks—it’s asking for weakened ones so that it can guarantee that it can break any lock that we buy or use—but the end result is the same. We’re made more vulnerable. As with the locks on our doors, digital locks can’t be made to allow access to all the good guys and none of the bad guys. The lock can’t tell the difference, and even more vulnerabilities are created by building complicated processes for storing digital keys, as demonstrated by a recent MIT report and an open letter to David Cameron by Harvard Professor (and EFF Board member) Jonathan Zittrain.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Superfish 2.0: Now Dell is Breaking HTTPS
Earlier this year it was revealed that Lenovo was shipping computers preloaded with software called Superfish, which installed its own HTTPS root certificate on affected computers. That in and of itself wouldn’t be so bad, except Superfish’s certificates all used the same private key. That meant all the affected computers were vulnerable to a “man in the middle” attack in which an attacker could use that private key to eavesdrop on users’ encrypted connections to websites, and even impersonate other websites.
Now it appears that Dell has done the same thing [PDF], shipping laptops pre-installed with an HTTPS root certificate issued by Dell, known as eDellRoot. The certificate could allow malicious software or an attacker to impersonate Google, your bank, or any other website. It could also allow an attacker to install malicious code that has a valid signature, bypassing Windows security controls. The security team for the Chrome browser appears to have already revoked the certificate. People can test if their computer is affected by the bogus certificate by following this link.
Ars Technica is reporting that at least two models of Dell laptop have been confirmed to contain the rogue certificate, but the actual number is possibly much higher.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Better Safe Than Sorry: Paris Airports Fire 57 Personnel for Radical Views
Nearly 60 people suspected of radicalism have reportedly lost their authorization to work at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, French media reported on Saturday.
“57 people have lost their authorization because of radicalization since January. There have been five since the [November 13] attacks,” Valeurs Actuelles quoted the prefect of Charles de Gaulle (Roissy) and Le Bourget airports, Philippe Riffaut as saying.
Riffault warned that more suspensions “will come,” as authorities seek to revise personal authorizations in workplaces which require extra security.
On November 13, a series of suicide bombings and shooting attacks shook Paris as several extremists launched coordinated attacks across the city, killing some 130 people and injuring over 360.
On January 7, a group of terrorists attacked the Parisian office of Charlie Hebdo, a magazine notorious for publishing caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad, killing 12 people and injuring 11 others.
The Islamic State extremist militant group claimed responsibility for the attacks.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
COP21: Parisians Urged to Avoid Public Transport
Police have warned Parisians to avoid public transport this weekend ahead of the COP21 climate summit, just days after suggesting motorists leave their cars at home too.
Perhaps it’s best to just stay home this weekend.
Paris police issued a statement on Friday urging people to “avoid public transport unless it’s necessary” on both Sunday and Monday, after already having warned motorists to leave their cars at home on both days.
The reason? Because there will likely be extreme congestion citywide thanks to all the roads that will be locked down as world leaders are taken to the COP21 climate conference.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Deal Between Merkel, Erdogan Will be the End of Europe — German Media
A difficult question is arising for German Chancellor Angela Merkel before her meeting with Turkish leader Recer Tayyip Erdogan — should Europe deal with a country which buys oil from terrorists? Politicians with principles should have cancelled the meeting, German media reported.
EU leaders are expected to meet with the Turkish president on Sunday to discuss the deal — billions of euros for Ankara’s agreement to help resolve the migrant crisis.
The “helpless” EU wants a fast decision to the crisis and considers Erdogan a savior, but it’s a great illusion, Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten reported.
There is enough evidence of Turkey siding with Islamic State militants, and Sunday’s meeting should be cancelled, the article read.
Nevertheless, recently Merkel has shown her favor toward Ankara. One should also keep in mind that the deal is very beneficial for Erdogan as in addition to the money of European taxpayers, he will receive a bonus — Merkel turning a blind eye to all uncomfortable topics.
Thus, Erdogan would not have to explain why Turkey shot down a Russian jet over Syria, increasing global military tensions. He would not also have to give explanations on his family’s ties with funding terrorists and the journalists who were jailed for reporting on Ankara siding with ISIL.
Finally, Turkey would not have to guarantee to Brussels that its billions of euros would be spent to tackle the migrant crisis, the author wrote.
Merkel cannot be sure that the deal with Erdogan, despite all his deeds with terrorists, will not turn European taxpayers into sponsors of terrorism. If reached, the deal would pose a threat to the lives to European residents, and Merkel should try to cancel it, the article concluded.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
EU Aiming for 60% Recycling by 2025
Part of ‘circular economy’ packet
(ANSA) — Brussels, November 26 — The European Union aims to achieve 60% recycling of urban waste by 2025, according to a draft document ANSA has seen. The document on recycling is part of a packet of measures designed to achieve a circular industrial economy, or one with two kinds of material flows — biological nutrients, which re-enter the biosphere safely, and technical nutrients, which circulate without entering the biosphere. The packet is expected to be submitted to the EU on December 2.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
France Bars 1,000 People Posing ‘Security Risks’
Nearly a thousand people thought to pose security risks have been denied entry into France in the run-up to the COP21 climate talks, the country’s interior minister said on Saturday.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Heightened Security Measures in Brussels Cost Belgium $55mln Daily
The heightened security measures in the Belgian capital of Brussels, which were in place earlier this week due to the terror threat, cost the country 51.7 million euros (nearly $55 million) daily, local media reported.
BRUSSELS (Sputnik) — The measures were in place from last Saturday until Thursday.
According to the VRT television channel’s Friday report, the losses of owners of restaurants and cafes were estimated to be around 22 million euro. As many as 535 Brussels enterprises lost 29.7 million for reasons such as employees being unable to work.
The channel’s calculations do not include the losses of the Brussels airport, which saw a 20-percent decrease in people passing through it, as well as the hotels which also lost revenues.
Last weekend, Belgium raised its terror alert in Brussels to the highest level over information suggesting that attacks similar to those in Paris on November 13 could be planned. The level was lowered on Thursday.
Some of the public transport in the city was not operating due to the threat. Schools, theaters, cinemas and shopping centers were also shut.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Iraly: China’s Rosewood to Turn Ex-Rome Mint Into Hotel
Deal between hotel chain and CDP signed Friday
(ANSA) — Rome, November 24 — The building that used to host the Italian State mint in Rome’s Piazza Verdi will be turned into a luxury hotel by Rosewood Hotels and Resorts International Limited, which is controlled by New World China Land Ltd. The move was announced in statement by Italian State investment bank Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP).
The letter of intent between the CDP-controlled Residenziale Immobiliare 2004 S.p.A and Rosewood, among others, was signed last Friday, the statement said.
The project envisages building an extra-luxury hotel with around 200 rooms, a convention centre, restaurants, swimming pool, spa, as well as about 50 private residences managed by the hotel operator.
The restructuring of the building is scheduled to start when the definitive binding contracts are signed in a few months’ time, the statement said.
Rosewood Hotel Group, one of the world’s fastest-growing hotel companies, encompasses 55 hotels in 18 countries across multiple brands, according to its website. With established locations in North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Caribbean/Atlantic, Rosewood Hotel Group is pursuing “an aggressive expansion strategy with nearly 40 new hotels currently under development,” it says.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italian Wines to Go on an Asian Tour
(AGI) Rome, Nov 27 — The Italian wine producer Casale del Giglio will attend the Great Wines of Italy 2015 Asia Tour, which will take place in Bangkok on Nov. 29 and 30 before moving to Hong Kong on Dec. 2 and 3. The event was founded to showcase Italian wines and will be hosted by internationally renowned wine critic James Suckling in collaboration with the leading Asian lifestyle and luxury magazine Hong Kong Tatler.
The two events will be preceded by gala dinners, which will allow the wines to be appreciated alongside dishes created by Michelin-starred chef Massimo Mentasti from the Villa Sparina Resort. Casale del Giglio will offer tastings for some of its best labels. Antinoo 2013 and Mater Matuta 2011 will be available in Bangkok, to be joined by Tempranijo 2013 in Hong Kong. By taking part in such a prestigious event, the Italian wine producer seeks to increase its presence in the Asian market. “Italian wine producers need to look to new horizons, and pay careful attention to the development of Mediterranean cooking abroad”, said Antonio Santarelli from Casale del Giglio. “The Asian market is interesting because it is vast, experiencing rapid economic growth, and is a powerful driving force in dictating tastes and trends. It is essential to have a presence on the ground: small and medium-sized Italian businesses should use the opportunity to network with local restaurants and distributors”.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Gambero Rosso’s Bourse Flotation Flops
Good food guide shares dive by 11.88%
(ANSA) — Milan, November 23 — The Gambero Rosso culinary publishing group’s debut on the Milan stock exchange got off to an “indigestible” start Monday as its share prices dived by 11.88% to 1.41 euro on the Aim, the stock market for small and medium businesses with high growth potential.
Gambero Rosso raised as much as 7.1 million euros from the flotation, selling shares at 1.6 euro each to investors, savers and its own employees. The group publishes a popular monthly magazine as well several prestigious guides, runs four Citta’ del Gusto (City of Taste) complexes in different parts of Italy and broadcasts a food-and-wine TV digital channel.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy Greenhouse Gas Emissions Fell 16% Between 1990-2013
Decline due to energy consumption reduction, recession
(ANSA) — Rome, November 23 — Greenhouse gas emissions in Italy declined by the equivalent of 84 million tonnes of CO2 between 1990 and 2013, falling from 521 to 437 million, a fall of 16.1%, the ISPRA institute said Monday.
The reduction is due to a decline in energy consumption due to the economic recession, especially in 2008, as well as to relocation of industries and growth in the use of renewable energy sources as well as more efficient use of energy.
Methane (CH4) and N20 emissions declined by 18.3% and 29.6% respectively over the same 23 year period.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Threats Against Officials, Civil Service Staff ‘On the Rise’
Torching car is preferred mode of intimidation
(ANSA) — Turin, November 24 — At least one Italian local official or civil service worker is threatened or intimidated almost every day, a report showed on Tuesday.
The most common form of intimidation involved setting fire to a car, according to the report titled Administrators Under Fire.
The total number of recorded threats against local government staff rose 3% to 361 in 2014, involving 18 regions, 69 provinces and 227 municipalities.
About three quarters of the threats occurred in the south of the country, 14% in the north and 12% in the central regions.
Naples was the worst hit province, registering 29 cases. The report, presented in Turin, showed that the three incidents registered in Piedmont in 2014 affected Governor Sergio Chiamparino, a local councillor, and the fire department.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: False Alarms ‘Deterring Elderly From Using Flu Vaccines’
None of the alarms confirmed, Higher Health Institute says
(ANSA) — Rome, November 23 — The number of Italians using influenza vaccines has tumbled by 6% in as little as 5 years due to false alarms worrying the elderly, the Higher Health Institute said Monday.
As many as 68.3% of people over the age of 65 had flu vaccines in the years 2005-2006 but only 55.4% did so in 2013-2014 and just 48.6% in 2014-2015.
“The cause of the negative trend is due in part to false alarms linked to presumed damage to the vaccine or impurities present in some batches,” said Walter Ricciardi, president of the Higher Health Institute.” “None of these alarms have been confirmed. On the contrary there are several studies that show a protective effect of the vaccine, both for children aged from 6 months to 2 as well as in people at risk of complications”.
The vaccine also reduces the risk of heart attacks, as shown by experimental studies and observation carried out in different population groups, he added.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
More Than 1 in 4 Babies in Italy Born Out of Wedlock
Over 1 in 3 parents not married in centre-north
(ANSA) — Rome, November 27 — More than one infant in four were born in 2014 to parents who are not married to each other, rising to one in three in the centre-north of Italy, national statistics institute Istat said Friday.
In all, 138,680 babies were born to unmarried parents in 2014, some 5,000 more than in 2013.
Births to married parents fell by some 57,000 between 2008 and 2014, Istat said, while births to unmarried parents became 27.6% of the total in Italy in 2014 compared with 23.6% in 2010.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
More Security Barriers for Italian Railway Stations
(AGI) Rome, Nov 25 — Checkpoints or security barriers will soon be set up at railway stations in Florence, Venice and Turin.
The announcement was made by Franco Fiumara, head of the Italian State Railways’ corporate protection service, on Radio 24’s Cuore e Denari programme. “The barriers started off as a deterrent against vandalism and have been and continue to be an effective measure, leading to a more than 80 percent drop in crime. In the emergency situations of the last few days, the barriers at stations in Milan and Rome have also become a support to anti-terrorist security operations.” Given the results, he added, these would also be set up in Florence, Turin and Venice.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Senate Ratifies French-Italian, Italian-Moroccan Accords
Definitive approval
(ANSA) — Rome, November 26 — The Senate on Thursday definitively approved the ratification of an accord between Italian and French interior ministers on bilateral cooperation on joint police operations, sealed in Lyon on December 3 2012.
Separately, the Senate ratified two accords with Morocco on jail sentences, extradition and moving prisoners.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Brussels’ chief rabbi has warned there is ‘no future for Jews in Europe’ following the Paris attack and lockdown across Belgium.
Rabbi Avraham Gigi was interviewed on Israeli radio when he gave the bleak outlook for Jewish people in Europe.
He warned that people were afraid to walk the streets or meet up in large groups following the attacks which claimed the lives of 130 people and injured more than 300 others.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Thousands Rally in London Against Cameron’s Plan to Bomb Syria
Thousands of anti-war protesters gathered on Saturday outside the UK prime minister’s office in London for a rally against Britain’s possible military action in Syria.
LONDON (Sputnik) — The demonstration was organized by Stop the War Coalition, a pacifist movement that protested the 2003 Iraq bombings.
According to the pressure group, similar protests took place in over 30 cities and towns across the United Kingdom, including Manchester, Sheffield, and Leeds.
In London, people carrying placards that read “Don’t Bomb Syria” were seen demonstrating in front of 10 Downing Street, calling on members of parliament to vote against Prime Minister David Cameron’s plan to launch airstrikes on the Syrian soil.
In an address to the London rally, Labour’s shadow internal development secretary Diane Abbott said, “I do not believe that bombing Syria will make it safe, any more than bombing Iraq made Iraq safe, bombing Afghanistan made Afghanistan safe and bombing Libya made Libya safe,” as quoted by the national broadcaster BBC.
Wrapping up the event, protest organizer and politician activist Lindsey German said she was pleased with the turnout and promised another rally, should the parliament decide to vote on Syria action, according to the Guardian.
“We’ve got thousands of people here… and there are dozens of demonstrations going on around the country,” German said. “We will be lobbying MPs and doing everything we can to try and stop this bombing.”
On Thursday, Cameron set out the case for extending UK’s military campaign against the Islamic State extremist group in Iraq to Syria. But he needs to shore up support of lawmakers from the opposition Labour party before he can press for a vote in the House of Commons.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Wolves Return to Warsaw Area After Decades
Wolves have returned to a large national park on the northern outskirts of Warsaw, decades after they were wiped out in the area under a hunt launched by the communist authorities.
“We’re really happy,” said Magdalena Kaminska, spokeswoman for the 385-square-kilometre (150-square-mile) Kampinos national park, Poland’s second largest.
ADVERTISING”The fact that wolves have returned to our park, from which they completely disappeared in the 1960s, means that Nature is in good health and is renewing itself,” she told AFP…
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
EU: Green Light to Croatia-Bosnia-Montenegro Programme
67 million euros, it will help Adriatic-Ionian strategy
(ANSA) — BRUXELLES, 25 NOV — The EU Commission adopted a new cross-border cooperation programme for Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro worth around 67 million euros, with 57 million euros coming from the European Regional Development Fund and the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance. The new cross-border cooperation programme will also help reach the objectives of the South East Europe 2020 Strategy, of the EU macro-regional Strategy for the Danube Region and of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region.
The programme aims to improve the quality of common public services in the region, to promote the development of sustainable tourism activities and to boost the competitiveness of local businesses. “Our cross-border programmes provide concrete measures to improve the quality of life and offer new economic opportunities and jobs to people living in the border regions of the European Union and its neighbours” Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Cretu, said. “These programmes are an opportunity for regions to find common solutions to shared challenges” she added.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Gunmen Kill Four Egypt Policemen South of Cairo: Ministry
Masked gunmen on a motorcycle shot dead four Egyptian policemen south of Cairo on Saturday, the interior ministry said.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
King Tutankhamun’s Tomb: Evidence Grows for Hidden Chamber
Egyptian officials now say they are “90% sure” that there is a hidden chamber in King Tutankhamun’s tomb.
The Antiquities Ministry said it had carried out scans to gather more information about the theory.
Archaeologist Nicholas Reeves believes Tutankhamun’s remains may have been rushed into an outer chamber of what was originally Queen Nefertiti’s tomb.
The remains of Tutankhamun, who may have been her son, were found in 1922. He died 3,000 years ago aged 19.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
AFC Boss ‘Confident’ Next FIFA Leader Will be Asian
Asia’s football chief has won unanimous backing from his executive committee as the man to “rebuild FIFA” as he strengthens his campaign to take over the corruption-tarnished world body.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) executive committee also pledged to lobby its members to support president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, in a meeting ahead of Sunday’s AFC awards.
The Bahraini royal will appear before hundreds of delegates at the awards show in New Delhi after emerging as a leading candidate for the February 26 FIFA presidential vote.
“The (exco) meeting expressed their utmost confidence in Sheikh Salman’s ability to restore FIFA’s credibility,” said an AFC statement from the Indian capital…
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Bombs Found Around Iraq Mass Grave of is Victims
A bomb-rigged mass grave believed to hold the remains of more than 120 people killed by the Islamic State group has been found in north Iraq, an official said Saturday.
It is the sixth mass grave discovered in or near the town of Sinjar since it was recaptured from IS jihadists earlier this month, Mahma Khalil, the official responsible for the area, told AFP.
IS overran Sinjar in August 2014 and carried out a brutal campaign of massacres, enslavement and rape targeting members of the Yazidi minority, who made up most of its inhabitants…
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Erdogan Downed Su-24 to Revenge Son’s Disrupted Oil Business — Damascus
Turkey shot down Russia’s bomber to revenge the destruction of oil smuggling business that belongs to Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s son, a Syrian minister stated.
DAMASCUS (Sputnik) — Turkey downed the Russian Su-24 Fencer bomber over Syria in response to the destruction of hundreds of semi-truck oil tankers sent to Turkey from Syria by the Islamic State, Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi said.
The information minister said that oil smuggled into Turkey was bought by the Turkish president’s son, who owns an oil company.
“All of the oil was delivered to a company that belongs to the son of Recep [Tayyip] Erdogan. This is why Turkey became anxious when Russia began delivering airstrikes against the IS infrastructure and destroyed more than 500 trucks with oil already. This really got on Erdogan and his company’s nerves. They’re importing not only oil, but wheat and historic artefacts as well,” al-Zoubi told RIA Novosti in an interview.
“The fact of the attack on the [Russian] plane in Syrian airspace without any warning, as the surviving Russian [co-]pilot reported, confirms once again that Turkey is lying,” the information minister said.
On Tuesday, a Turkish Air Force F-16 downed the Russian bomber 4 kilometers from the Turkish border. Both the Russian General Staff and the Syrian Air Defense Command confirmed that the Su-24 never crossed into Turkish airspace and was shot down over Syrian territory, citing precise objective control data.
Russian President Vladimir Putin described the incident as a “stab in the back, carried out against us by accomplices of terrorists.”
One of the two Su-24 pilots was killed by fire from the ground after ejecting from the plane. The second pilot was rescued in a 12-hour-long operation.
Russia has been carrying out an aerial campaign against the Islamic State jihadist group in Syria since late September at the request of Damascus. Moscow has repeatedly called on the UN Security Council to take extra steps to determine who was buying oil from the militants.
Syria has repeatedly accused Turkey, as well as several Gulf states, of funding ISIL.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
‘ISIL Earned $800mln From Selling Iraqi Oil, Gas on Turkish Black Market’
Security agencies estimate that the Islamic State terrorist group has gained some $800 million in revenues from selling smuggled Iraqi oil and gas on Turkey’s black market over the past eight months, the leader of the State of Law Coalition party in the Iraqi parliament told Sputnik on Saturday.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Rubaie, a distinguished Iraqi politician and former national security advisor, said oil and gas revenues were “the oxygen that feeds the Islamic State.”
“Over the past eight months, they [ISIL] sold $800 million worth of Iraqi oil and gas on Turkey’s black market, at a price half the global rate,” Mowaffak Rubaie said.
He stressed that curbing financial flows was essential for defeating the extremist group.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Italian Women Cleared of Kissing in Public in Dubai
(AGI) Dubai, Nov. 27 — Two Italian women were cleared of kissing publicly in a restaurant in Dubai. In October a court sentenced the women to two months in jail after convicting them of committing a lewd act in public when they exchanged kisses in a food court. They were also ordered to be deported. Dubai Appeal Court overturned the decision after their lawyer, Ali Abdullah Al Shamsi, said law enforcement procedures were carried out improperly against his clients. A man, who was eating at the same food court, called the police and claimed he saw the women kissing in September. One of the women said she had been removing mayonnaise off her friend’s cheek with her tongue. “It happened spontaneously. We did not have any criminal intention,” she said. Their lawyer argued his clients had been questioned in the presence of an unauthorised translator, which was against law enforcement procedures. It was the security guards at the food court who stopped his clients, but they should have been detained by the police. He also argued that the prosecution witness’s statement was full of contradictions and lacked consistency. Judge Aysar Al Ebyari acquitted the women and cancelled the deportation order.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Large Italian Trade Delegation Headed for Iran
(AGI) Rome, Nov. 27 — A large Italian trade delegation will head for Iran on Saturday. About 178 companies, 20 business associations and 12 banking groups for a total of 370 participants will tour Tehran from Nov. 28 to 30. The delegation is led by Deputy Minister for Economic Development Carlo Calenda. The goal of the mission is to return trade with the Islamic Republic to levels achieved before the sanctions, some seven billion euros. “Italy hopes to utilise historic Iran ties with this trade mission,” the Financial Times wrote on Friday. The newspaper underlined that “Italy is poised to send a large trade delegation to Iran at a time when heightened anti-US rhetoric in the Islamic Republic is raising doubts about post-sanctions opportunities for US businesses — potentially opening doors in the 400bn dollar economy for Tehran’s historic European partners.” The FT added: “Iran’s untapped market of 78m people represents a big opportunity for Italy at a time when it is struggling to boost exports.” The Italian trade mission will focus its efforts on sectors that are expected to contribute most to the growth of Iran in the coming years: the environment, energy and renewable energy, mechanics, medical equipment, building materials and automotive industries. The mission was sponsored by the Ministries of Economic Development and Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and was organised by Confindustria, ICE-Agenzia, ABI and Unioncamere. It will begin in Tehran on Nov. 29 with a forum in the presence of representatives of the main institutions of the two countries, which will be followed by in-depth sessions and sectoral business meetings between Italian firms and local counterparts. On Nov. 30, there will be visits to the Syndicate of Iranian Construction Companies, the Italian Chamber of Commerce and the Iranian companies Khodro and Saipa. The mission follows a canceled visit by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to Italy (for security reasons related to the attacks in Paris). With Rouhani’s victory in the presidential elections in 2013, Iran began a phase of opening to the West. The new mood has led to an agreement between Tehran and world powers on Iran’s nuclear program — the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — which was signed on July 14. The deal is likely to reduce the political isolation of Tehran and make the country more attractive for foreign direct investment, allowing Iran to modernise its industrial facilities.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Obama Knows That Turkey is Buying Oil From ISIS and He Isn’t Doing Anything to Stop it
At this point, is there anyone that still doesn’t know that ISIS is selling hundreds of millions of dollars of stolen oil in Turkey? As you will see below, this is very much an open secret, but the mainstream media in the United States is being strangely silent about this. Why? Well, because if the truth came out Turkey would have to be kicked out of NATO and Barack Obama would probably be facing impeachment proceedings. He claims to be fighting ISIS, and yet an endless parade of trucks carrying oil that ISIS has stolen goes back and forth over the Turkish border with his full knowledge and approval. Barack Obama is very much aware that Turkey is buying oil from ISIS and he refuses to do anything about it. If the Republicans are looking for a scandal which could completely wreck Obama’s presidency and essentially secure the 2016 election for them, this is it.
Do you want to know why the Turkish government ordered the shooting down of a Russian Su-24 bomber on Tuesday?
It is because the Russians have been bombing the trucks that transport oil from ISIS into Turkey.
The Turks claim that the Russian aircraft violated their airspace for approximately 17 seconds. But as Paul Craig Roberts has pointed out, in order for the SU-24 to fly only 1.15 miles in 17 seconds would mean that it was flying at stall speed the entire time, which is ridiculous. Clearly there is something very fishy with the official story, and the Russians say that they never violated Turkey’s airspace at any time.
But no matter who was right and who was wrong, normally countries go out of their way to avoid an international incident. Instead, it appeared that the Turks were quite eager to shoot down the SU-24, and since that time Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has refused to apologize…
So why is Barack Obama completely silent about this?
And it isn’t as if the Turkish government is just turning a blind eye to what is going on.
No, the truth is that the Turkish president’s own son is the one buying and exporting the oil. The following comes from Sputnik News…
[…]
But the American people deserve to know the truth. Please share this information with as many people as you can on Facebook, Twitter and through email. If we can get enough people screaming blo*dy murder about this, perhaps we can get someone in the mainstream media to take notice of what potentially could be the scandal of the century.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Reports of Arms Supplies to Syrian Rebels ‘Drive Ankara Up the Wall’
A court in Istanbul on Thursday ordered two prominent opposition journalists jailed pending trial for alleging that Turkey’s secret services had supplied arms to Islamist rebels in Syria, Turkish media reported on Thursday.
Journalists Arrest Raises Concern About Media Freedom in Turkey — State Department
In May, the Cumhuriyet newspaper published what it said were images of Turkish trucks carrying ammunition to Syrian militants fighting against President Bashar Assad.
Cumhuriyet said the images were proof that Turkey was smuggling arms to rebels in Syria. It linked the seized trucks to the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT).
The revelations, published in May, caused a political uproar in Turkey, with an enraged President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowing Dundar would pay a “heavy price”.
Stanislav Ivanov, a Moscow-based expert in Middle Eastern affairs, explains the Turkish authorities’ clampdown on the journalists as a sign of their panic in the face of hard facts laid bare by the media.
“Truth will always come out… Including about, the son of the Turkish President, Bilal Erdogan, being linked to ISIL terrorists and many top Turkish security officials engaged in arms supplies not only to the Free Syrian Army but also to the Jabhat al-Nusra and Islamic State terrorists. Until very recently Ankara managed to get away with all that, but now that President Erdogan is saying that Turkey is neither buying oil from ISIL nor supplying arms to the terrorists, any facts dug up by the media, above all the Turkish media, are making the big shots in Ankara see red. I guess that if they had capital punishment in Turkey, these two journalists would certainly be sentenced to die,” Stanislav Ivanov told Sputnik Radio on Friday.
“All this panic, compounded by the barbaric destruction of the Russian warplane, explains the Turkish authorities’ decision to tighten political screws and crack down on the local media,” Ivanov added.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Syria Army Says Turkey Increases Arms Shipments to Rebels
BEIRUT The Syrian army said on Saturday that Turkey had recently increased supplies of weapons, ammunition and equipment to what it described as terrorists in Syria, and accused its northern neighbor of firing shells at Syrian army positions.
“We have certain information that the Turkish government has recently increased its support to the terrorists and the level of their supplies of weapons, ammunition and equipment necessary to continue their criminal acts,” an army statement said.
The Syrian government describes as terrorists all the groups fighting President Bashar al-Assad in the 4-1/2-year-long war that has moved into a higher gear since Russia intervened militarily on the side of Damascus with air strikes on Sept. 30.
Tensions at the Syrian-Turkish border have risen since Turkey shot down a Russian warplane on Tuesday. Many of Russia’s air strikes have hit rebels backed by Assad’s foreign enemies including Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the United States.
The statement by the Syrian army command alleged that weapons were being delivered in shipments which Turkey claimed to be humanitarian assistance. It also alleged the weapons were supplied in exchange for looted Syrian and Iraqi antiquities and oil sold at low prices.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has denied accusations his country purchased oil from Islamic State, saying anyone making such claims must prove them.
The Syrian statement also said Turkey had fired a number of mortar bombs toward Syrian army positions on Friday night from a location just over the border from Latakia province in northwestern Syria…
| — Hat tip: Vlad Tepes | [Return to headlines] |
Top Pro-Kurdish Lawyer Shot Dead in Turkey’s Southeast: Hospital
A top pro-Kurdish lawyer was shot dead Saturday while caught in the crossfire during an armed clash involving the police in Turkey’s restive southeast, hospital sources said.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Turkey Downed Russian Jet to Increase Moscow-NATO Tensions — NGO
Turkey’s downing of a Russian jet was a clear provocation designed to increase tensions between Moscow and NATO, a representative of the US pressure group United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC) told Sputnik.
MOSCOW (Sputnik), Anastasia Levchenko — UNAC Co-Coordinator Joe Lombardo said:
“It is clear that Turkey’s downing of the Russian Su-24 is a provocation, designed to increase tension between Russia and NATO.”
According to Lombardo, Turkey, a NATO member, did not receive approval from the military bloc or the United States prior to downing the aircraft.
“Although [US] President [Barack] Obama said that he hopes for a de-escalation of tensions, he also made the point that Turkey had the right to defend its airspace. Therefore, he agrees that Turkey was right to shoot down the plane,” he noted.
“However, it is only Russia that has been invited into Syria, not the US, Turkey or NATO,” Lombardo observed.
On Tuesday, a Russian Su-24 was downed by an air-to-air missile launched by a Turkish F-16 jet over Syrian territory, falling 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from the Turkish border.
Ankara claimed that it downed the Russian airplane because it violated Turkish airspace. Both the Russian General Staff and the Syrian Air Defense Command confirmed that the Su-24 never crossed into Turkish airspace and was shot down over Syrian territory.
Russia has been carrying out an aerial campaign against the Islamic State jihadist group in Syria since late September at the request of Damascus. A US-led international coalition, including Turkey, has also been launching airstrikes against extremists in Syria, without the approval of the Syrian authority or the United Nations.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Turkish Reporters Jailed Over Claims Ankara Sent Arms to Rebels in Syria
A court in Istanbul on Thursday ordered two prominent opposition journalists jailed pending trial for alleging that Turkey’s secret services had supplied arms to Islamist rebels in Syria, Turkish media reported.
The court ruled that editor-in-chief of the opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper Can Dundar and Erdem Gul, the paper’s Ankara bureau chief, be taken into custody following several hours of questioning.
In May, the Cumhuriyet paper published what it said were images of Turkish trucks carrying ammunition to Syrian militants fighting against President Bashar Assad. It linked the seized trucks to the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT).
The images reportedly date back to January 2014, when local authorities searched Syria-bound trucks, touching off a standoff with Turkish intelligence officials. Cumhuriyet said the images were proof that Turkey was smuggling arms to rebels in Syria.
The revelations, published in May, caused a political uproar in Turkey, with an enraged President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowing Dundar would pay a “heavy price”.
Turkey has vehemently denied aiding Islamist rebels in Syria, such as the Islamic State group, although it wants to see Assad toppled.
Gul told reporters that he and Dundar are accused of helping the moderate Islamic movement led by US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, a former Erdogan ally who has turned into his No.1 foe.
Government officials accuse Gulen’s supporters of stopping the trucks as part of an alleged plot to bring down the government. The government has branded the movement a “terror organization” although it is not known to have been engaged in any acts of violence.
Reporters Without Borders had earlier Thursday urged the judge hearing the case to dismiss the charges against the pair, condemning the trial as “political persecution”.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Prince Trubetskoy Urges France to Remove Anti-Russian Sanctions Unilateraly
French society has been hit by anti-Russian sanctions, so there have been persistent calls to lift them, Prince Alexander Trubetskoy said.
France could make a unilateral decision to lift the sanctions, Prince Alexander Trubetskoy, president of the Franco-Russian Dialogue association, said.
Trubetskoy wants French President Francois Hollande to take the initiative to meet all world leaders who are involved in this “international issue”.
“Then, it would be possible to make a sovereign decision on the unilateral lifting of sanctions,” he told Baltkom Radio. “But I don’t know whether Hollande has the right from Brussels to do that. I don’t know whether he is powerful enough to state France’s sovereignty.”
According to Trubetskoy, French society has long been calling for the sanctions to be lifted, as everyone realizes they are ineffective and harmful, first of all, for the country.
“This situation with sanctions was not expected. In order to lift sanctions, the Minsk agreements have to be fulfilled. But it’s well-known that Ukraine and those behind its government have always tried to violate them,” he underscored.
Relations between Russia and the West deteriorated over the Ukrainian crisis. In July 2014, the US and EU imposed sectoral economic sanctions against Russia. In response, Russia introduced an embargo on food imports from the countries that joined the anti-Russian sanctions.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Russia Widens Net in Hunt for ‘Foreign Agents’
Russian photographer Alexander Rumyantsev never thought he was meddling in politics when he staged an art festival with funding from the US government — but the authorities in his country decided differently.
Late last month Russia’s justice ministry included the photography club Rumyantsev runs in the Siberian city of Omsk on a black list of so-called “foreign agents” — making it one of the latest victims of a controversial law critics say is aimed at muzzling independent civil society.
“We organised a festival of photos, videos and sculpture with a grant from the American consulate,” Rumyantsev told AFP of the event in the regional city of Yekaterinburg
“The event was considered political activity. It doesn’t make sense to oppose it so I’m closing the club down.”…
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
India: Bihar to Go Dry Next Year
Alcohol ban is Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s first decision since his re-election in early November. Alcohol abuse is rampant among the poor. Last year, the state earned US$ 600 in tax revenues from alcohol.
Patna (AsiaNews/Agencies) — The Indian state of Bihar will implement a ban on alcohol sale as of 1 April 2016, the newly re-elected Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced this morning in fulfilment one of his campaign promises.
A ban on alcohol, the political leader believes, will eliminate the scourge of alcoholism, which affects disproportionately the poor as well as women, who are often the victims of domestic abuse.
Mr Kumar made his announcement on the margins of Prohibition Day, as his first act following his re-election in early November.
In July, he had met a group of women, who protested against alcohol abuse in rural areas. He told that he would take action since “Women are suffering more than anyone else due to increasing liquor consumption”.
The Bihar chief minister said that alcohol abuse among the poor was affecting families and children’s education, and that it was a major cause of domestic violence, particularly against women.
Although Excise and Prohibition Minister Abdul Jalil Mastan said soon after taking office that the Bihar government would soon take steps to impose a ban on liquor sales in the state, it is unclear whether the ban will be limited to domestic spirits or affect imports as well.
On the revenue side, Mr Kumar said that his government “would find ways to make up for the loss of 40 billion rupees” (about US$ 600 million) in taxes.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
ISIL Claims Responsibility for Deadly Shiite Mosque Attack in Bangladesh
The Islamic State militant group has claimed responsibility for a lethal attack on a northern Bangladesh mosque, US-based extremist monitoring service SITE Intelligence Group said.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The attack took place on Thursday evening. Gunmen shot worshipers at the Shiite mosque in the northern town of Bogra during prayers, killing one and injuring three.
The Islamic State Sunni militant group has taken over large parts of Syria and Iraq last year. The violent extremist group has many affiliated groups operating around the world.
In September, police in Bangladesh investigated the killing of an Italian aid worker, after ISIL claimed responsibility.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
US National Remanded in India for ‘Molesting’ Minor Boy
An Indian court on Saturday remanded an American citizen in custody for 14 days over allegations he molested a teenaged boy in his hotel room, police said.
The 51-year-old US national was produced before a sessions court in Kolkata, capital of West Bengal state, where a case was initiated against him under India’s stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
“He was produced before a sessions court today (Saturday). He has been remanded to judicial custody for 14 days,” Debashis Dhar, an additional police deputy commissioner, told AFP.
…
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
China to Build World’s Largest Animal Cloning Center
The world’s largest animal cloning facility will be built in the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA) located in the northeast of China, local media reported Monday.
BEIJING (Sputnik) — The project, which could clone dogs, cows and horses, will include a laboratory, a cloning center, a gene bank, and a science and education exhibition center, plans to attract investment worth 200 million yuan ($30 million at the current exchange rate), the TEDA management committee said quoted by China Daily newspaper.
According to the publication, a district management committee recently signed an agreement with Yingke Boya Gene Technology (Tianjin) Ltd, a subsidiary of stem cell and biological medicine company Boyalife Group Ltd, the country’s biotech leader.
Project realization terms remain unclear but the development of livestock breeding technologies by means of cloning is said to be one of the main purposes of the project, according to local media.
Yingke Boya Gene Technology (Tianjin) Ltd has experience in cloning dogs in a joint venture with Korea’s Sooam Biotech Research Foundation. According to China Daily, this venture is an animal cloning pioneer, with 550 dogs for special airport security and customs tasks projected to be cloned by the end of 2015.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
China’s New Hypersonic Weapon Capable of Defeating US Air Defense System
China successfully conducted a sixth flight test of its DF-ZF (previously known as WU-14) hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) designed to defeat US missile defenses.
“The DF-ZF is an ultra-high-speed missile allegedly capable of penetrating US air defense systems based on interceptor missiles,” Bill Gertz of The Washington Free Beacon wrote.
The DF-ZF HGV was launched at the Wuzhai missile test center in central China’s Shanxi Province. It was transported by a ballistic missile near the edge of the atmosphere, where it separated from its launcher and then glided to an impact range a few thousand kilometers away in western China, according to The Washington Free Beacon.
“The DF-ZF flight was tracked by US intelligence agencies and flew at speeds beyond Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound,” Gertz noted.
The DF-ZF HGV warhead is carried to the boundary between space and Earth’s atmosphere, roughly 100 km above the ground, by a ballistic missile booster.
“Once it reaches that height, it begins to glide in a relatively flat trajectory by executing a pull-up maneuver and accelerates to speeds of up to Mach 10.”
The DF-ZF can allegedly reach speeds of between Mach 5 and Mach 10, or 6,173 kilometers (3,836 miles) per hour and 12,359 (7,680) miles per hour. Whether it will be armed with nuclear or conventional warheads remains unclear.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Kim Jong-un Orders North Korean Men to Copy His ‘Ambitious’ Hair-Do
Women have been spared prospect of appearing in public with Kim’s highly-stylised hair cut
North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un has ordered men to copy his ‘ambitious’ hair style limiting growth to a maximum length of 2cm.
Anyone breaching the restrictive guidelines face having their hair shorn by authorities, especially in universities, who have been warned to watch out for any capitalist styles.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
No to Poaching! Australia Slams Japan’s Move to Resume Antarctic Whaling
Australian Environment Minister Greg Hunt slammed Saturday Japan’s move to resume whaling in the Antarctic Ocean.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, it was reported that Tokyo was resuming the controversial practice of whaling in the Antarctic, even though the International Court of Justice had ruled that Japan must halt its whale research program last March.
“Australia strongly opposes the decision by Japan to resuming whaling in the Southern Ocean this summer. Japan cannot unilaterally decide whether it has adequately addressed the scientific committee’s questions,” Hunt said, as quoted by the Sky News Australia television channel.
The Japanese Fisheries Agency notified the International Whaling Commission that it would cap annual whale catches at 333, which is a 67 percent decrease.
The International Whaling Commission banned commercial whaling in 1986. A 1987 agreement, however, allows for whales to be hunted and killed for scientific research purposes — a loophole Japan has been using for decades.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Africa, China: More Cooperation and Aids; Forum in Johannesburg
(AGI) — Cape Town, 27 nov. — South Africa and Africa will be on the receiving end of new measures from China to help the continent in the areas of industrialisation, food security, public health and disease prevention, the Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi announced yesterday. Speaking at the foreign ministry’s 15th Lanting Forum in China, Wang Yi said the measures will be announced during the upcoming Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) which will be held in Johannesburg from 2-5 December 2015. FOCAC, established in 2000, aims to promote bilateral trade and cooperation between China and Africa.
“China will help Africa achieve self-development and create a peaceful and stable environment for long-term progress. We do not attach political conditions to assistance, nor do we constrain or interfere in the domestic affairs of African countries,” Wang Yi said. He said the two sides have much in common and hold similar stances on many international and regional issues. They also share suffering and hardships that help them understand each other and cooperate for development.
Wang Yi called on the two sides to combine China’s advantage in development experience and production with Africa’s advantage in natural and human resources. He said the summit will focus more on improving people’s livelihood, poverty reduction and investment in the least developed countries. “China will promote cooperation with Africa, from general trade and production capacity to project contracts and investment. “The summit will send a strong signal to the international community about the importance, respect and support China gives to Africa. We hope that will strengthen the confidence of the international community and bring more input to Africa,” the minister said. China is willing to work with other parties to contribute to Africa’s peace and development, Wang Yi added.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Gunmen Attack UN Peacekeeper Post in Northern Mali — Reports
Unidentified gunmen opened fire at a UN peacekeeper base in northern Mali on Saturday, media reported.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to the Sky News television channel, the attack took place in the town of Kidal, with locals hearing mortar fire.
“The attack happened at around 4 a.m. (0400 GMT). Four or five rockets landed inside the base. Quite a few people were wounded but it’s too early for a precise number,” Olivier Salgado, spokesman for the UN forces in Mali, said as quoted by Reuters.
On November 20, Islamic State-affiliated gunmen stormed the Radisson Blu Hotel in the Malian capital of Bamako, taking 170 people hostage, mostly foreigners. At least 19 people were killed.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
New Ebola Cases Surface in “Ebola Free” Liberia: “The Threat Remains”
The threat from ebola remains quite real, and there is legitimate concern over whether or not the world’ s health experts are really capable of containing it.
The West African nation of Liberia has once again been reminded that it must remain vigilant and mindful of the terrible power that ebola has in its capacity to transform into a deadly epidemic.
Just months after being declared ebola free — twice now — the country has again been plagued by new cases.
Authorities aren’ t sure how the recent outbreak of ebola happened, but know that it could once again be spreading. Live Science reports:…
Among other factors, health workers learned during the most recent outbreaks that the virus for ebola can turn up in sperm long after the ordinary incubation period and/or recovery, and can be spread through sexual contact — even six months later:
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Somalis Sue Netherlands for Assisting US Drone Strike That Killed Civilians
Two Somali nomads have taken the Netherlands to court for sharing intelligence with the United States that led to a US airstrike which killed their daughters and left one of the men crippled, a Dutch newspaper said Saturday.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The airstrike targeted an al-Shabaab militant leader travelling with a convoy in southern Somalia in January 2014. No civilian casualties were reported by US or other Western media, the Volkskrant newspaper said.
The Somalis, who also lost their livestock to the drone missile attack, told the Dutch outlet they had filed a lawsuit to a Dutch court, saying the Netherlands was co-responsible for the killing of their loved ones.
According to Volkskrant, this is the first time that a case on collateral damage caused by a US drone strike is referred to a Dutch court.
Goran Sluiter, one of the two Dutch lawyers representing Somalis in court, was quoted by the daily as saying that there is no such thing as a “clean” targeted killing.
Leaks by US whistleblower Edward Snowden showed that the Dutch military intelligence agency MIVD had been providing the United States with intelligence it gathered by sifting through millions of phone calls and text messages by Somalis.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
“Mysterious” Fire Hits Argentine Ministry of Finance, Destroys Years of Prior Regime’s Files
“If you play with fire, you get burned,” apart from if you are an official in the Argentine government it would appear. Just days after Argentina threw out the Peronists, who have ruled almost non-stop in the three decades since the end of military rule, The Ministry of Finance suffered a mysterious fire in its computer center, catastrophically (and coincidentally) destroying the prior-regime’s files…
The bottom line is simple — where there’s 5 fires in government offices in 18 months, there is smoke and mirrors and the lies and corruption of Kirchner and her operatives will hopefully one day be exposed.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
14,000 Illegal Immigrants Disappear Without Trace
More than 14,000 foreign nationals told to leave Sweden have instead gone underground, with police saying there is little they can do to enforce deportation orders.
A total of 21,748 people had been given deportation orders by the Migration Agency at the end of October — the largest number in history, the Aftonbladet tabloid reported on Friday.
Of those, 14,140 are registered by police as ‘departed’ or ‘wanted’. Some are believed to still be at unknown locations in Sweden while others are thought to have left the country.
“We simply don’t know where they are,” Patrik Engström, head of the national border police, told the newspaper.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
American Mainstream Media Censors Massive Protest Against Syrian Refugees … This is Why…
Completely censored from American eyes, lest the public be inspired to stand up against Obama’s sinister plans.
170,000 Polish patriots marched through the capital to end Islamic invasion in their country. (video)
Did you see this anywhere in our American mainstream media? I don’t think so!
They completely censored it from American eyes, lest they be inspired to stand up against Obama’s sinister plans to import up to 200,000 so-called “Syrian refugees.”
EU flag burned as tens of thousands of Polish nationalists protest Islamization of Europe.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
At Least 18 Macedonian Policemen Injured in Clashes With Migrants
At least 18 Macedonian police officers were injured during clashes with migrants on the country’s border with Greece, the Macedonian Interior Ministry said Saturday.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Tensions on the Macedonian-Greek border have been on the rise after a 24-year-old Moroccan migrant got severe burns, touching a high-voltage cable on the Greek side of the border.
“The migrants started throwing stones at police officers with a view to break the police cordon and enter the Macedonian side. Eighteen police officers were injured, two got serious injuries in the head and one of them suffered a concussion,” the local ministry said in a statement.
Two seriously wounded policemen have been hospitalized in the border town of Gevgelija, the statement added.
The incident triggered mass protests, while police responded with tear gas in an attempt to drive the crowd back.
Macedonia, Serbia and Croatia have stopped allowing access to their territories to migrants from countries other than Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq amid security concerns triggered by the Paris attacks earlier this month. The move led to some 1,000 people from countries like Iran, Pakistan and Morocco being stranded on the Greek border with Macedonia.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
EU and Labour MEPs Say We Must Welcome Back Jihadis Because Border Controls Are Racist
Stream into Europe and cross the continent unchallenged all the way to Calais
Islamic State (ISIS) jihadis have been given carte blanche to reach the gates of Britain and potentially carry out atrocities against innocent civilians after an EU motion backed by Labour BANNED using border controls to stop terrorism. The new laws mean jihadis could be free to return to Europe unchallenged Labour MEPs voted en masse for a raft of Brussels resolutions which will prevent European security services in Schengen agreement countries from implementing “any border control measures aimed at fighting terrorism”.
The barmy edicts claim that trying to stop terrorists from returning home is racist and set out a series of stringent criteria dictating how extremists’ “human rights” must be pandered to. They mean that ISIS jihadis will be able to stream into Europe and cross the continent unchallenged all the way to Calais, where they can launch attempts to smuggle themselves past Britain’s overwhelmed border guards.
[Comment: You are not on Earth. you are actually living on planet Bizzaro.]
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
French PM Calls on Gulf to Take Syria Refugees
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has called on the Gulf states to accept more refugees fleeing Syria, saying that a “humanitarian disaster” could erupt in the Balkans if Europe does not control its borders.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Germany’s Refugees May Bring Anti-Semitism After Angela Merkel Opened the Doors
Chancellor Angela Merkel controversially opened the country to all Syrians in August. But thousands of economic migrants have grasped the chance to enter and it now faces a population time bomb.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Justice Minister: Asylum Seekers a Security Threat to Finland
Justice Minister Jari Lindström says that asylum seekers pose a security threat to Finland. The minister was responding Friday to news that police are investigating about ten reported rape cases in which asylum seekers are suspects.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Macedonia Reinforces Fence at Greek Border ‘To Control Migrant Inflow’
Macedonian soldiers are strengthening a fence along the southern border with Greece to prevent illegal crossings. But a government spokesman said the border still remained open to refugees fleeing war.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Netherlands: Ministers, Local Authorities Reach Deal on Refugee Housing, Integration
Ministers, provinces and local councils have reached agreement on providing ‘semi-permanent’ homes for 24,000 refugees with residency permits as well as 2,500 emergency places per province.
Some 14,000 homes will be created in the short term and a further 10,000 will be developed later, officials decided at a top level meeting on Friday.
The lack of social housing for registered refugees means action needs to be taken to provide alternative accommodation and free up space in the reception centres for new arrivals, ministers say.
By establishing temporary accommodation around the country, the much-criticised emergency centres in sports halls, tents and army barracks can be closed down.
Prime minister Mark Rutte said after the talks that efforts are continuing to stem the flow of refugees at an international level. In the meantime, people who come to the Netherlands should be offered austere but decent accommodation, the prime minister said.
Integration
Agreements have also been made on the integration of refugees into Dutch society. Social affairs minister Lodewijk Asscher is quoted by news agency ANP as saying that the Netherlands must learn the ‘lessons from the past’ and start the integration process sooner.
Refugees with residency permits will start language lessons sooner and be screened to determine what sort of work they can do, Asscher said.
They will also have to learn Dutch values and sign a participation agreement in which they pledge to uphold these values and take part in Dutch society.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Sweden Democrats Eye Power After Border Move
The leader of the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats on Saturday hailed the Nordic country’s dramatic tightening of asylum policy, arguing that it would open the way for his party to join a future right-wing government.
“We are on the way to winning, do you know that?” Jimmie Åkesson told ecstatic supporters gathered for the party’s annual meeting in Lund, southern Sweden, boasting that the “essential elements” of his party’s policies were now being implemented by the red-green government headed by the prime minister, Stefan Löfven.
“Our analysis was completed a long time back,” he boasted. “Now the other parties come — with a knife to their throats — and do exactly the same thing. “
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Swedish Asylum Policy Fuels Support for Far-Right Nationalist Party
The Sweden Democrats’ anti-migrant stance is proving popular among those who oppose the entry of 190,000 refugees into the country this year
Growing frustration in Sweden with an asylum policy that will allow up to 190,000 refugees into the country this year is driving Europe’s self-declared “humanitarian superpower” into the arms of radical nationalism.
The Sweden Democrats (SD), a nationalist party that emerged from the neo-Nazi movement and has been shunned by Sweden’s mainstream parties because of its far-right immigration policies, is now the country’s third-largest party with 49 representatives in parliament.
An opinion poll conducted after the Paris attacks by polling firm Sifo found the SD would receive 17.6% of the public vote, marking a 4.6 point rise in support since the 2014 elections. This is one of the more conservative estimates of SD popularity, with several pollsters putting it as the largest single party in Sweden.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Sitting dejected on the side of his powerful speedboat, this is a suspected French people smuggler who became stranded on an English beach.
David Turpin is believed to have just dropped off a group of migrants he had ferried from Calais for £10,000 a time.
He claimed to be a penniless fisherman who had taken a wrong turn and broken down off Kent in the dead of night.
However, he could not explain why there were 16 life jackets in his £40,000 boat and his fishing rod did not have a line on it.
Turpin was arrested near Dunkirk earlier this month with five others, accused of being part of a ‘vast people trafficking ring’ run by Albanian gangsters.
Locals say they saw potential migrants fleeing the beach and being picked up in cars and vans.
[Comment: Who is paying the $10,000 per person?]
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=If8ny6TjoEk
Interstellar and Mars colonization.
LONDON (Sputnik) — The demonstration was organized by Stop the War Coalition, a pacifist movement that protested the 2003 Iraq bombings.
The so-called Stop the War Coalition is NOT a pacifist movement. It is one of the many faces of the Socialist Workers Party. Lindsay German is an active SWP member and always has been. Please note the numbers of Socialist Worker banners on display.
Many of the demonstrators were nothing more than Looney rent a mob – an anarcho trotskyite mob whistled up by the hard left for the purpose of causing trouble.
The SWP is a far,far left organisation that should not be taken seriously.
I hate the brainless SWP bigots as much as anybody, but in this matter, they may be right. Attacking Syria is unlikely to help and could make things considerably worse. The 2003 Iraq invasion was a needless crime, a long-term geopolitical catastrophe, and a core reason for what is happening today. There is no point in launching whack-a-mole wars you can never finish. The only way to avoid Middle Eastern terrorism is to stop it getting a foothold in our homelands. That is a different front.
Bombing Syria alone makes little difference (Allied bombing of Germany was not enough, nor the even heavier US bombing of N Vietnam); however cutting off IS’ head is essential, to discredit the new “caliphate” and discourage further potential recruits. This requires a major ground offensive to deny them all territory, and a semi-permanent military presence thereafter, as in Germany and Japan post-WW2. Ideally this should include non-Western forces. Either way, it won’t happen under Obama.
Unfortunately the west in general and Western Europe in particular is fast losing the will and the manup power. We have been thoroughly saturated with back stabbers and reality ignorant PC dimtits. We need a ground offensive at all levels on the homefront.
Running battles between “refugees” and residents of small town in Sweden. See
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2015/11/sweden-community-torn-apart-as-arrival-of-migrants-prompts-running-battles-in-streets
“Migration authorities in Sweden report that there are currently more than 14,000 immigrants whose deportation was ordered, but who have now gone missing. Police say that, practically speaking, they have no way to enforce the deportation orders.” Just a day or so ago I listened to a speech by a German politician who referred to Germany as a ‘failed state’. It seems to me that the inability to enforce the law is an indication of a failed state – the term applies to most of Western Europe.
Please give links to your information. Always.
It might be that there is no link to your earlier mention of George Galloway. But since you said, “worth a watch” it could be available? Again, if so, please give all of us a link.
Thanks.
The west likes to consider Germany as a anchor of western values and a string NATO partner. It’s a curious consideration given Germany’s long history of alliances with Ottoman’s and other Islamic nations. It’s time to rethink that relationship…
The west likes to consider Germany as an anchor of western values and a strong NATO partner. It’s a curious consideration given Germany’s long history of alliances with Ottoman’s and other Islamic nations. It’s time to rethink that relationship…