Gates of Vienna News Feed 2/10/2016

A man named Quinton Dashawn Laster was arrested in Oklahoma City for killing and beheading his grandparents in their home, which was also used as a day care center. No children at the home were injured. In the past couple of years Oklahoma City has emerged as the beheading capital (the decapital?) of the United States, but as far as I can tell, Islam played no part in this particular incident.

In other news, more than 1,000 illegal immigrants have been arrested while attempting to climb Hungary’s new border fence since it was built last fall. It is thought that an even larger number of “refugees” may have made it across without being caught.

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

Thanks to AF, C. Cantoni, Dean, Insubria, JD, Jerry Gordon, LP, Nick, Upananda Brahmachari, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.

Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.

Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. We check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.

Financial Crisis
» EC OKs Italy Bad Loan Mechanism
» Italy: Euro Drops Below $1.12 on Yellen
 
USA
» Bayer and US Govt Knowingly Gave HIV to Thousands of Children
» Bernie Sanders Trounced Hillary Clinton in the Democrat NH Primary Despite His Israel Hating Advisers
» Cliven Bundy is on His Way to Oregon and He’s Not Going Alone
» Grandson Arrested for Allegedly Shooting, Decapitating Grandparents in Oklahoma City Home
» Milwaukee Sheriff Compares Beyonce Super Bowl Act to KKK Rally
» Monsanto Fined $80 Mn for Accounting Violations
» NY School Organizes ‘Hijab Day’ For Non-Muslim Students
» Pat Caddell: Voters ‘Are So Angry, ‘ They ‘Want Their Country Back’
» Sirhan Sirhan: Assassin of Robert Kennedy, Denied Parole
» Suicide Epidemic: Why Does the Number of People Killing Themselves Just Keep Going Up?
» Trump Calls Out Fox After They Doctor Video to Make it Look Like He Said “F*ck” At Rally (Video)
» Twitter Puts Anti-American, Anti-Israel Group in Charge of Censorship
» Two-Thirds of NH GOP Voters Support Trump’s Muslim Ban
 
Canada
» The Battle for the Soul of Canada
 
Europe and the EU
» As Germany Feels the Strain, Ireland Must Learn to Think Without Aid From Brussels
» Big Rise in Sex Offence Complaints at Cologne Carnival
» Black Sea Area, EU to ‘Dominate’ Major Wheat Markets, Leaving US Behind
» EU’s Founding Members Back Two-Speed Europe
» French Lower House Approves Proposal to Strip Nationality
» Italy: M5S Tries to Claim Credit for Uncovering Rome Rent Scandal
» Italy: Man Arrested for Attempted Murder After Firing at Robbers
» Italy: Unicredit Posts 2015 Profit of 1.7 Bn
» Italy: Bill on Vandalising Cultural Heritage ‘Ready’
» Italy: Prosecutors Ask One Year for Bossi’s Son
» Italy: Arvedi Group Presents Expression of Interest in ILVA
» Italy Expecting Heavy Rains, Wind, Especially in South
» Italy: Monsignor Nabbed on Suspicion of 30-Million Fraud
» Italy: Renzi Says EU Like Orchestra on Titanic
» UK Failed to Spot ISIS Rise and Will be ‘Caught Off Guard’ By Next Threat, Warns MoD Boss
» UK: George Osborne’s Brother Faces Being Struck Off After Having Affair With Patient
 
North Africa
» Islamic State Publishes Pictures of ‘Silent Killing’ Camp in Egypt, Flaunting ‘Dozens’ Of New Recruits
» Libya Attracting African Islamists, Daesh Fighters ‘Like a Magnet’
 
Middle East
» Saudi Arabia’s “Religious Police” Arrest Doll Mascot for Breaching Sharia Law
» UAE: Ministries of Happiness, Tolerance Created
 
Russia
» Russia to Replace US Soybean Imports With Deliveries From Latin America
 
South Asia
» Hindu Businessman Beheaded in Gruesome Way in Islamic Bangladesh
» India: Israel Prepare $3-Billion Defense Deals
 
Far East
» China Recruits Male Teachers to ‘Salvage Masculinity in Schools’
 
Latin America
» Los Zetas Cartel Used Network of Ovens to Hide Mass Extermination in Mexico’s Coahuila
 
Immigration
» EC Slams Italy on Migrant Repatriations
» Europe Threatens to Quarantine Greece Over Immigration Fiasco
» Germany: Plagues, Tiger Tanks, U-Boats: Carnival Panic
» Hungary’s Border Fence Under Strain as Illegal Migrant Crossings Grow
» Italy, Greece Migrant Hotpots Improving Says EU Draft
» Italy: Official Denies Saying ‘Would Burn Gay Son to Death’
» Sweden Arrests 14 for Plotting to Attack Migrant House With Axes, Iron Pipes
» Trump Slams Merkel as He Warns Refugee Crisis Could Trigger the End of Europe
» US Christian Churches Back Muslim Invasion
 
Culture Wars
» How the Satanic Temple Forced Phoenix Lawmakers to Ban Public Prayer
» More PC Insanity: College Students Banned From Using “Mom” Or “Dad” Because it’s Not “Inclusive” Enough
» Report: Anti-White Agenda Revealed at GitHub’s Diversity Team
 
General
» ISIS to Sleeper Cells: Shave and Wear Crosses to Blend In
 

EC OKs Italy Bad Loan Mechanism

Decision formalises Padoan-Vestager agreement

(ANSA) — Brussels, February 10 — The European Commission on Wednesday gave the green light to the mechanism Italy has chosen to enable Italian banks to offload non-performing loans weight down their balance sheets, saying the system does not constitute State aid. The approval formalises the agreement Italian Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan reached with European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager on January 26. “Today’s decisions show that EU rules offer Member States different tools to kick-start the clean-up of bank balance sheets, either with or without the use of state aid,” said Vestager after the Commission also okayed a Hungarian bad bank.

“The Commission’s role is simply to ensure that the choice made by the national government does not unduly burden the public purse or distort the level playing field in the EU”.

The Italian mechanism features private securitization vehicle that will buy non-performing loans from banks, pool them, and sell notes to the securitised assets it holds at different risk levels to investors, with the help of a State guarantee. The objective is to attract a wide range of investors and help banks offload non-performing loans as quickly as possible to improve their liquidity.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Italy: Euro Drops Below $1.12 on Yellen

Markets weigh possible delay in fed action

(ANSA) — Rome, February 10 — The euro fell below $1.12, to $1.1189, after Fed chief Janet Yellen said the Fed might delay hiking US interest rates.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Bayer and US Govt Knowingly Gave HIV to Thousands of Children

What if a company that you thought you could trust, knowingly sold you a medicine for your child that they knew had the potential to give your child HIV? How would you react? What if a government agency that claims the responsibility for protecting you from such treachery, not only looked the other way, but was complicit in this exchange?

Everyone has heard of Bayer aspirin, it is a household name. Bayer AG also manufactures numerous other products, from pesticides to medicine for hemophiliacs called Factor 8.

In 1984 Bayer became aware that several batches of this Factor 8 contained HIV. They knew this because there was an outbreak of HIV among hemophiliac children, and this outbreak was traced back to Bayer.

Unable to sell their Factor 8 in the US, Bayer, with the FDA’s permission, (yes that’s right, the FDA allowed Bayer to potentially kill thousands) sold this HIV infected medicine to Argentina, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore after February 1984, according to the documents obtained by the NY Times. The documents showed how Cutter Biological, a division of Bayer, shipped more than 100,000 vials of unheated concentrate, worth more than $4 million, after it began selling the safer product.

The result of this sale of HIV tainted medication ended up infecting tens of thousands and killing thousands. Thousands of innocent children and adults have died at the hand of this corporation and no punitive action has been taken against them. The health department leaders in Argentina, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore were all imprisoned, while the US FDA continues down its hellish path.

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

Bernie Sanders Trounced Hillary Clinton in the Democrat NH Primary Despite His Israel Hating Advisers

Bernie Sanders may have trounced Hillary Clinton in yesterday’s New Hampshire primary by a significant double digit margin with his Wall Street bashing and Swedish-style entitlement giveaways trolling for millennials and the economically disaffected. However little known are his foreign policy advisors who are notoriously anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian. Among them are Jim Zogbie of the Arab American Institute, former Defense official Larry Korb and, of course, the Soros-funded operatives of J Street.

Adam Credo’s article in yesterday’s Washington Free Beacon article noted the views of these ‘foreign policy’ advisers, “Meet Bernie Sanders’ Israel Hating Advisers.” You thought his stint in a left Socialist Hashomer Hatzair Israeli kibbutz in his 20’s would make him a lifelong Zionist defender of the Jewish State. As my mythic cousin Vinny from Brooklyn would say, FERGEDABOTIT. Just look at his brother who lives in the UK, a supporter of the anti-Israel pro-Palestinian Labor Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn. Bernie congratulations Corbyn on his victory winning the Labor Party leadership. The UK Daily Mail article noted his email to Corbyn saying:..

           — Hat tip: Jerry Gordon [Return to headlines]
 

Cliven Bundy is on His Way to Oregon and He’s Not Going Alone

Over the weekend, friends and family of Robert ‘Lavoy’ Finicum laid his body to rest. Finicum, who was one of those protesting against the federal takeover of land in western states in Burns, Oregon, was shot and killed by authorities. Witnesses to the shooting recount that Finicum was unarmed and had his hands up when he was shot on January 26.

There has been no public outcry for justice for Lavoy from the leftstream media. At the press conference regarding his death, the authorities did not even take questions. They stated that Finicum “had to be taken down.” Following the press conference, those in the room actually applauded. But one man is not standing by silently and is now on his way to Burns and Portland to continue the demonstration.

Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, who himself was at the center of a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) overreach is traveling to Oregon along with Nevada state assemblywoman Michele Fiore and lawmakers from other western states.

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

Grandson Arrested for Allegedly Shooting, Decapitating Grandparents in Oklahoma City Home

OKLAHOMA CITY — One man has been arrested after two bodies were discovered inside a home daycare in Oklahoma City.

On Tuesday afternoon, officers were called by neighbors to check on the welfare of a couple who lived in a home near N.W. 122nd St. and May Ave.

When police arrived, they found 20-year-old Quinton Dashawn Laster outside of the home.

Authorities learned that Laster went to a neighbor’s home and asked them to call 911. He stayed at the house until officers arrived on the scene.

As they made their way inside, they found the bodies of 78-year-old James Earl Reed and 59-year-old Sharon Reed.

According to officials with the Oklahoma City Police Department, the victims had been shot and decapitated.

“It’s just a shock,” said Sharon Reed’s sister, Brenda Jackson. “Said their heads was almost cut off. And they were stabbed. And then they were shot.”

Officials said Laster is the grandson of Sharon Reed.

Jackson says Laster has no history of mental illness, but does have a history of abusing drugs.

“I really think he must’ve been high on something,” said Jackson.

She says it’s why he got kicked out of his mother’s house…

           — Hat tip: LP [Return to headlines]
 

Milwaukee Sheriff Compares Beyonce Super Bowl Act to KKK Rally

Sheriff David Clarke calls out Super Bowl half time show’s racist theme

Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke weighed in on the halftime show performed during Super Bowl 50, calling pop star Beyonc’s Black Panther-themed routine a racist ploy.

In an interview with Fox Business, the outspoken sheriff questioned whether it would have been OK if KKK outfits were to have been used.

“Them coming out, Beyonce, in those Black Panther type uniforms, would that be acceptable if a white band came out in hoods and white sheets in the same sort of fashion? We would be appalled and outraged,” Clarke said, adding, “The Black Panthers are a subversive hate group in America. I think she could have done a better job.”

The sheriff’s comments echo those made by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who said the halftime performance was an affront to police officers.

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

Monsanto Fined $80 Mn for Accounting Violations

Monsanto will pay an $80 million penalty to settle charges it misstated earnings by failing to accurately count rebate costs for a best-selling weed killer, US securities regulators announced Tuesday.

Monsanto undercounted rebate payments in 2009, 2010 and 2011 that boosted revenues of the herbicide Roundup and, as a result, “materially misstated its consolidated earnings in corporate filings during a three-year period,” the Securities and Exchange Commission said in a statement.

“Corporations must be truthful in their earnings releases,” said SEC Chair Mary Jo White…

           — Hat tip: C. Cantoni [Return to headlines]
 

NY School Organizes ‘Hijab Day’ For Non-Muslim Students

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Officials at Rochester’s World School of Inquiry spent last week fielding dozens of calls from parents angry about a “World Hijab Day” event that encouraged girls to wear the Muslim religious head covering.

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

Pat Caddell: Voters ‘Are So Angry, ‘ They ‘Want Their Country Back’

Speaking of voters, said Caddell, “They are so angry … I shouldn’t just say angry, they are so alienated from their government in a democracy … they are so believing in the corruption, numbers in the eighty-percentile and higher, they believe the country is in decline and the political class” just doesn’t care.

Citing voter’s concerns for both themselves and their children’s futures, said Caddell, “They have really disdained both political parties now.” Caddell said the great American middle has become about 60 percent of the electorate who vote non-partisan and want “real change.”

“And they want their country back,” he added. “This is the swells versus the American people,” he added. “when you get to economics it’s the ‘global citizen types’ who believe in free trade — it’s all great for them — and the rest of the people in this country who are really taking it in the neck when it comes to jobs and wages.”

           — Hat tip: AF [Return to headlines]
 

Sirhan Sirhan: Assassin of Robert Kennedy, Denied Parole

SAN DIEGO (AP) — For the 15th time, officials denied parole for Sirhan Sirhan, the assassin of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, after hearing Wednesday from another person who was shot that night and called for the release of Sirhan.

The decision came after Sirhan answered questions from the California parole panel for about three hours in a small, windowless conference room.

Commissioners said Sirhan did not show adequate remorse or understand the enormity of his crime.

“This crime impacted the nation, and I daresay it impacted the world,” commissioner Brian Roberts said. “It was a political assassination of a viable Democratic presidential candidate.”

During the hearing, Sirhan stuck to his previous account that he did not remember the shooting in 1968 at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles after Kennedy won the Democratic presidential primary in California.

He said he recalled being in the hotel then going to his car and returning after realizing he had too much to drink. He said he became interested in a female as he drank coffee.

Paul Schrade, now 91, told the panel that he believes Sirhan shot him but an unidentified second shooter killed Kennedy. Schrade was a Kennedy confidante who was one of five people injured in the shooting.

Schrade pleaded for the release of Sirhan at the hearing and apologized to him for not doing more over the years to secure his freedom.

Schrade’s voice broke with emotion at times during his hour of testimony that recounted his efforts to unravel questions about the shooting of Kennedy.

“I forgive you for shooting me,” Schrade told Sirhan at the hearing. “I should have been here long ago and that’s why I feel guilty for not being here to help you and to help me.”…

           — Hat tip: Dean [Return to headlines]
 

Suicide Epidemic: Why Does the Number of People Killing Themselves Just Keep Going Up?

Did you know that more Americans now die from suicide than are killed in car crashes each year? According to the CDC, there has been a substantial spike in suicide deaths in the United States in recent years. Today, approximately 9.3 million Americans admit to having suicidal thoughts, and approximately 2.7 million Americans each year actually make a plan for how they would commit suicide. We are a deeply, deeply unhappy nation, but of course this phenomenon is not just limited to America. According to the World Health Organization, suicide is now the third highest cause of death in the entire world. Globally, suicide rates have soared by 60 percent over the past 45 years, and the WHO is now projecting that by the year 2020 someone will be committing suicide somewhere in the world every 20 seconds.

There was an article in the Guardian that I came across today that was entitled “Financial despair, addiction and the rise of suicide in white America”. It discussed the extremely alarming rise in the suicide rate among Americans that are approaching retirement age. Many in this age group are drowning in debt, dealing with out of control medical bills, have saved very little for retirement and are dealing with significant physical pain. One fact that I was astounded to learn is that in the state of Montana there are 82 painkiller prescriptions for every 100 people. In a desperate attempt to find a way out, many Americans this age are considering suicide. 56-year-old Kevin Lowney is one example…

[…]

And this isn’t just an American phenomenon. Over in the United Kingdom, one study discovered that the suicide rate for men between the ages of 45 and 49 had increased by 40 percent over a seven year period…

[…]

So why is this happening?

Without a doubt, the decline of our economy is playing a role. The middle class is steadily shrinking, and more Americans are falling out of the middle class with each passing month. Many Americans that are approaching retirement age do not see any viable future for themselves, and thus many of them are completely giving in to depression and despair.

But I don’t think that explains all of it. I think another major factor is the fact that our society is being drugged into oblivion. At this point, nearly 60 percent of all Americans are on at least one prescription drug, and many drugs are known to substantially increase the risk of suicide.

Instead of addressing these root causes, many want the government to step in and magically solve this problem somehow. In fact, there is a new proposal for mandatory depression screening that many are warning could have very serious consequences. The following is an excerpt from a piece that Ron Paul recently authored…

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

Trump Calls Out Fox After They Doctor Video to Make it Look Like He Said “F*ck” At Rally (Video)

What media bias? Last week Donald Trump held a rally in New Hampshire where he talked about bringing jobs back to New Hampshire from Mexico.

Trump put it this way:

We’re going to have businesses that used to be in New Hampshire, that are now in Mexico, come back to New Hampshire. And, you can tell them to go (blank) themselves.

Trump never used the word f*ck in this speech. Here is the video:

Today FOX News ran a clip of Trump from last week’s rally. But they bleeped him out to make it look like he said “f*ck” when he never said it!

Donald Trump called them on it!

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

Twitter Puts Anti-American, Anti-Israel Group in Charge of Censorship

by Daniel Greenfield

Twitter has unveiled its creepily Orwellian “Trust and Safety Council” under the creepily Orwellian slogan, “When it comes to safety, everyone plays a role”. These groups will be helping set censorship policy for the site.

The Trust and Safety Council incorporates a laundry list of organizations, most obsessed with identity politics, bullying of hate speech, some of them more problematic than others. So while the Dangerous Speech Project suggests that countering speech is better than censorship, Twitter’s Trust and Safety Council also includes Feminist Frequency.

           — Hat tip: AF [Return to headlines]
 

Two-Thirds of NH GOP Voters Support Trump’s Muslim Ban

According to the New Hampshire exit polls, a full 66% of Republican voters back a “ban on Muslims from entering the U.S.” This obviously is good news for Donald Trump, who proposed a temporary ban on foreign Muslims entering the country until our government is in a better position to avoid another Sacramento terror attack. The female jihadist who committed that terror attack was here on a fiancée visa.

           — Hat tip: AF [Return to headlines]
 

The Battle for the Soul of Canada

The recent election of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ushered in not only a new era of politics within Canada, but more broadly speaking, a new era within Canadian society as a whole. Interestingly, the roots of this era began with another Prime Minister by the name of Trudeau-Justin’s father, Pierre.

In basic terms, it was former Liberal Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau who brought into existence the post-modern era of multicultural Canada. At the time, few Canadians appeared to object- not that they had any choice in the matter. Simply put, Trudeau Sr. made a decision on behalf of all Canadians to eradicate our nation’s bi-cultural English and French identity, and replace it with what he termed “multiculturalism within a bi-lingual framework.”

A succession of Liberal and Conservative governments would follow, all of which fully endorsed Multicultural policy- including its mandate to deliver hundreds of millions in tax dollars each year to third world-oriented immigration and multicultural organizations. It was over the next several decades- with the helping hand of leading journalists and media outlets- that the diversity ethos permeated our social consciousness to the degree that it became fully sacrosanct within Canadian society.

It would not be until the election of Stephen Harper’s Conservative government in 2006 that this virulent brand of political correctness began to be questioned.

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

As Germany Feels the Strain, Ireland Must Learn to Think Without Aid From Brussels

It’s impossible to come to Berlin and not be filled with an enormous sense of history. Everywhere there are echoes and reminders of fascism, not least because the Germans have, admirably, come to terms with their own past and made their repentance extremely public and thorough. Public museums, all free, document assiduously the rise of Hitler, the terror of the 1930s followed by the total war of 1939-1944, culminating in Berlin’s Götterdämmerung in 1945.

United Germany is now the powerhouse of Europe, the one true European leader. Yet despite the wealth and the prowess, when talking to Germans you get a pervading sense of crisis here.

           — Hat tip: C. Cantoni [Return to headlines]
 

Big Rise in Sex Offence Complaints at Cologne Carnival

The number of sexual offence complaints almost quadrupled at this year’s carnival celebrations in Cologne, German police said Wednesday, despite heightened security aimed at preventing a repeat of the mass assaults that marred the city’s New Year celebrations.

A total of 66 complaints for sexual insults or aggression were lodged between last Thursday, when the carnival got underway and Wednesday morning. The previous year there were 18 such reports, police said.

However part of the rise could be down to “a change in the attitude of victims and witnesses,” the police added…

           — Hat tip: C. Cantoni [Return to headlines]
 

Black Sea Area, EU to ‘Dominate’ Major Wheat Markets, Leaving US Behind

The Black Sea region and the European Union will continue to command a dominant share of wheat exports to major markets in North Africa and Near East Asia, leaving the United States lagging behind, Amy Reynolds, senior economist at the International Grains Council, told Sputnik.

MOSCOW (Sputnik), Anastasia Levchenko — Due to the strong dollar, the United States, which is traditionally the top global wheat exporter, is now losing its grain export market share to CIS countries. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) projects that Russian wheat exports will lead in terms of global sales in 2016, with 23.5 million metric tons.

“While much will depend on currency movements and levels of production in individual seasons, the EU and Black Sea region have the potential to continue to dominate sales to the important markets in North Africa and Near East Asia. The US will remain an important supplier, but it will probably not have the dominance in global wheat markets that it had in the past,” Reynolds said.

According to the economist, shipments from the Black Sea region over the past year amounted to 29 percent of global trade, which is the largest level ever.

Reynolds predicts that the US share of the global wheat market will slip to around 14 percent by mid-2016, or the equivalent of halving in the space of just five years. However, in 2017 the United States’ export can start to grow again, reaching 17 percent, compared to 15 percent last year, according to the economist.

“Based on crop prospects for the 2016/17 season, our initial expectation is that the combined share of wheat trade taken by Kazakhstan (5%), Russia (13%) and Ukraine (7%) will slip to 25%. The EU share will likely stay steady (20%), but those of the US (17%) and Argentina (5%) will increase,” Reynolds said.

Analysts cite the strength of the US dollar and the weakness of the Russian ruble as the primary reasons for the trend, since a strong dollar makes US products more expensive for global buyers and Russian exports cheaper.

On Monday, Russian Agriculture Minister Alexander Tkachev said Russian wheat exports could reach 22 million metric tons this agricultural year.

           — Hat tip: C. Cantoni [Return to headlines]
 

EU’s Founding Members Back Two-Speed Europe

The six founding members of the European Union on Tuesday reiterated their commitment to “ever closer union”, even if it means leaving less enthusiastic partners like Britain behind.

London has demanded an opt-out from the “ever closer union” principle enshrined in the EU’s treaties as part of reforms it wants to agree before holding a referendum on its membership of the bloc.

At informal talks in Rome, the foreign ministers of Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands issued a joint communique in which they admitted to being “concerned about the state of the European project”.

They said the EU was facing “very challenging times” due to the migration crisis and the threat posed by terrorism…

           — Hat tip: C. Cantoni [Return to headlines]
 

French Lower House Approves Proposal to Strip Nationality

Lawmakers in France’s lower house of parliament on Tuesday narrowly voted through a highly controversial proposal to amend the constitution to strip people convicted of terrorist offences of their French nationality.

The measure, passed by 162 votes to 148 with 22 abstentions, followed weeks of debate after it was proposed as part of a set of measures by President Francois Hollande in the wake of the jihadist attacks in Paris on November 13 that killed 130 people.

The nationality measure has strong public support but has deeply divided Hollande’s ruling Socialist Party…

           — Hat tip: C. Cantoni [Return to headlines]
 

Italy: M5S Tries to Claim Credit for Uncovering Rome Rent Scandal

‘It was us, not the city commissioner’ says Lombardi

(ANSA) — Rome, February 9 — An MP from the opposition 5-Star Movement (M5S) on Tuesday said her party uncovered the so-called Rome rent scandal, not the city’s extraordinary commissioner Francesco Paolo Tronca.

Tronca reported last week that city-owned flats in luxury neighborhoods were being rented out for under 10-20 euros a month, adding up to potential losses to city coffers of 100 million euros a year.

Tronca, who replaced ex-mayor Ignazio Marino in October, has vowed to get to the bottom of the scandal.

He cited the examples of a flat in the Borgo Pio historic district near the Vatican being rented out at 10.29 euros a month, another in the central Corso Vittorio Emanuele rented at 24.21 euros a month, and yet another with a view over the Imperial Forums rented at 23.65 euros a month.

Speaking at a news conference, M5S MP Roberta Lombardi also said that a Rome tribunal had agreed to put former mayor Marino on trial for defamation for comparing the M5S to the mafia.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Italy: Man Arrested for Attempted Murder After Firing at Robbers

Four Romanians arrested on theft charges

(ANSA) — Grosseto, February 9 — Police on Tuesday arrested a landowner on attempted murder charges and four Romanian nationals on theft charges.

Retired policeman Bruno Poeti, 62, allegedly shot at the four Romanians with a 7.65mm caliber semiautomatic pistol after they broke in to his property and tried to drive off in his car, wounding one.

Ion Nicolai Farcas, 39, is hospitalized. The incident occurred in the small seaside town of Marina di Grosseto in Tuscany.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Italy: Unicredit Posts 2015 Profit of 1.7 Bn

Down from 2 bn in 2014 but above expectations

(ANSA) — Milan, February 9 — Italy’s biggest bank Unicredit on Tuesday posted a 2015 net profit of 1.7 billion euros, down from two billion in 2014 but higher than analysts’ expectations.

The profit in the last quarter of last year was 153 million euros.

The scrip dividend was unchanged at 12 cents per share.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Italy: Bill on Vandalising Cultural Heritage ‘Ready’

Amid controversy over damage to Colosseo Quadrato

(ANSA) — Rome, February 9 — A bill stiffening penalties for vandalising Italy’s cultural heritage is ready, Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said Tuesday.

The bill sets a maximum prison term of 15 years for those found guilty of damaging the country’s cultural heritage.

The bill comes amid controversy over vandalism to the Colosseo Quadrato (Square Colosseum) in Rome’s Fascist-era EUR district.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Italy: Prosecutors Ask One Year for Bossi’s Son

‘Embezzled 158,000 euros from party coffers’

(ANSA) — Milan, February 10 — Prosecutors on Wednesday sought a one-year sentence and 350-euro fine against Riccardo Bossi for misappropriating 158,000 euros from Northern League party coffers. The defendant is the son of the founder of the rightwing, anti-immigrant party, Umberto Bossi. In Italy, sentences up to two years in prison are always suspended.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Italy: Arvedi Group Presents Expression of Interest in ILVA

Cremona-based special-steels producer

(ANSA) — Rome, February 10 — The Arvedi Group on Wednesday filed an expression of interest in taking over the steelworks of the troubled ILVA Group, sources close to the group told ANSA. The Arvedi group is a Cremona-based special-steels manufacturer.

Another expression of interest has been filed by the government-controlled investment bank Cassa Depositi e Prestiti while the Marcegaglia Group has also said it is poised to do so.

The deadline for filing under terms of a government decree signed last month is today, February 10.

Extraordinary commissioners are managing ILVA as the troubled firm goes through a massive environmental cleanup and financial turnaround project. A court this year declared ILVA insolvent, with debt totalling nearly three billion euros.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Italy Expecting Heavy Rains, Wind, Especially in South

Civil protection authorities issue weather warning

(ANSA) — Rome, February 10 — Civil Protection authorities on Wednesday issued a weather warning for heavy rains and wind expected Thursday in central and southern Italy.

Heavy downpours with lightning storms and strong winds are expected to begin overnight Wednesday in the regions of Basilicata, Calabria and Puglia.

An orange warning (moderate) will be in effect Thursday for the northern Tyrrhenian coast of Calabria, and a yellow (ordinary) warning will be in effect for nearly all of central and southern Italy.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Italy: Monsignor Nabbed on Suspicion of 30-Million Fraud

‘Laundered money from unsuspecting humanitarian donors’

(supersedes previous)(ANSA) — Bolzano, February 10 — Finance police have arrested a senior Catholic prelate on suspicion of defrauding some 300 people out of a combined total of 30 million euros, ANSA sources said Wednesday. The suspect named as Monsignor Patrizio Benvenuti, 64, was nabbed as he was leaving for the Canaries.

An international warrant is out on a close collaborator of the monsignor, whom police described as French wheeler-dealer Christian Ventisette, 54.

Most of the victims were elderly people living abroad, the sources said. They transferred money to Benvenuti’s Kepha Foundation, but instead of going to the non-profit’s stated humanitarian aims, the funds were allegedly laundered via a complex mechanism involving individuals and foreign and Italian companies.

Prosecutors say the prelate and the businessman “organized and promoted a racketeering organization operating domestically and abroad aimed at committing various and repeated crimes of fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion, involving individuals and companies located in Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and the United States”.

The bust was sparked by a nun who used to work with Benvenuti, who turned to police when she discovered her name had been linked to financial operations involving hundreds of thousands of euros, which she knew nothing about.

In the course of the operation, police also seized an eight-million-euro Renaissance villa belonging to the Kepha Foundation that Benvenuti used as his private residence, an 850,000-euro archeological site in Sicily belonging to Ventisette, and other real estate and land worth 670,000 euros. Benvenuti has served at various levels of the Holy See ecclesiastic tribunal in the Vatican, and was a military chaplain at a Navy academy in the small town of Chiavari in Genoa province.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Italy: Renzi Says EU Like Orchestra on Titanic

Italian premier demands change to ‘bureaucratic approach’

(ANSA) — Rome, February 10 — Premier Matteo Renzi has said in an interview with Bloomberg that “the European Union is like the orchestra that played on the Titanic (as it sank)”. The Italian premier has repeatedly called on the EU to change direction to focus more on growth and employment and become less bureaucratic. “Today we have conducted reforms (at home) and we are in a position to be able to say to our European partners — ‘friends, we can change this mistaken bureaucratic approach’,” Renzi said.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

UK Failed to Spot ISIS Rise and Will be ‘Caught Off Guard’ By Next Threat, Warns MoD Boss

Speaking as the humanitarian situation in the Middle East continues to spiral out of control, Air Marshal Philip Osborn said Britain faced an increasingly uncertain future with threats from Islamic extremism, Russia, a global health pandemic and cyber warfare.

The Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) Chief of Defence intelligence told an audience of military experts in London that the UK “tended to underplay” both the scale and intensity of Islamic extremism, and the “risk appetite” from Russia to engage in provocative acts.

In a stark warning about the potential for threats to emerge undetected, he said: “We are more likely than not going to be surprised at some point.”

           — Hat tip: AF [Return to headlines]
 

UK: George Osborne’s Brother Faces Being Struck Off After Having Affair With Patient

George Osborne’s psychiatrist brother faces being struck off after a two-year affair with a vulnerable patient he had been treating for depression, anxiety and fatigue …

This is not the first time Osborne has been embroiled in scandal. In 2010 he was suspended from practising medicine for six months after writing fraudulent prescriptions for a girlfriend, a family member and an escort while working as a psychiatry trainee at Wythenshawe hospital in Manchester.

The GMC found that Osborne had behaved dishonestly after attempting to obtain antipsychotic medication for a cocaine-addicted woman he had been seeing while his partner was away. The tribunal said the misconduct, which related to incidents between June 2006 and May 2008, impaired his fitness to practise.

Osborne, who qualified as a doctor in 2003, is five years younger than his brother the chancellor and one of four sons born to Sir Peter Osborne, who co-founded the wallpaper company Osborne & Little.

He and Bangladeshi-born Noor, 37, met as students and he converted to Islam, taking the name Mohammed, before their wedding.

           — Hat tip: Nick [Return to headlines]
 

Islamic State Publishes Pictures of ‘Silent Killing’ Camp in Egypt, Flaunting ‘Dozens’ Of New Recruits

In November, Breitbart Jerusalem obtained and published exclusive images of what jihadists said was an IS training camp in the Sinai. The camp was in the same general area where a Russian passenger plane crashed in October. Russia announced the aircraft was brought down by a “terror act” and IS published what it claimed was a picture of the bomb that downed the plane.

One of the most significant elements of the camp was the Gaza-centric imagery.

One image contained a sign bearing the name of Sheikh Imam Abu Noor al-Maqdisi, also known as Sheikh Abdul Latif Musa. Maqdisi was the leader of a Salafist group in Gaza who proclaimed the formation of the “Islamic Emirate of Gaza” on August 14, 2009. One day later he was killed by Hamas forces.

According to the Gazan militant who provided the photos in November, the camp was a 10-month training center that closed up shop last July, when the Egyptian Air Force bombed jihadist positions in the Sinai during a massive military campaign.

           — Hat tip: AF [Return to headlines]
 

Libya Attracting African Islamists, Daesh Fighters ‘Like a Magnet’

US envoy to the global coalition against the Islamic State Brett McGurk called Libya “an emerging threat from Africa.”

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Islamic State (Daesh) fighters who find it increasingly difficult to enter Syria are now flooding into Libya, along with members of the Boko Haram terror group in Nigeria, US envoy to the global coalition against the Islamic State Brett McGurk said on Wednesday.

“The ISIL [Islamic State or Daesh] core in Libya… drew a lot of recruits like a magnet,” McGurk told a hearing of the US House of Representatives Foreign Relations Committee. “They are now telling their fighters don’t come into Syria, go to Libya.”

The situation in Libya was also getting more serious because members of the similarly notorious Boko Haram terrorist organization in Nigeria and other aspiring jihadists from countries across sub-Saharan Africa were joining the Islamic State forces there, McGurk noted.

“Libya is an emerging threat from Africa because a lot of the guys are pooling up to Libya from Africa,” he warned.

McGurk confirmed reports that the Islamic State and Boko Haram both sold women in slave markets and sought to slaughter Christian groups wherever they could.

The US Department of State are yet to decide whether those actions constituted genocide, McGurk added.

           — Hat tip: C. Cantoni [Return to headlines]
 

Saudi Arabia’s “Religious Police” Arrest Doll Mascot for Breaching Sharia Law

A doll mascot has been arrested by Saudi Arabia’s Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice for not wearing Islamic dress and disobeying Sharia Law.

The female doll figure, dressed in a floor length blue and white costume and a hair band, was promoting the opening of a sweet shop in the capital Riyadh. Inside the costume however, was a man who was reportedly making inappropriate gestures to his male mascot companion, according to Global Voices.

The Committee — also known as the “religious police” or “mutaween” — issued a statement on the incident, saying they received a number of reports about the two figures making unacceptable gestures in front of Sanabil Al Salam shop.

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

UAE: Ministries of Happiness, Tolerance Created

Sheikh Al Maktoum, for wellbeing and satisfaction of society

ROME — Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and head of state of Dubai, has announced on Twitter the creation of two new ministerial posts, of happiness and tolerance.

The first, according to the sheikh, will guide the “government’s politics to create society’s wellbeing and satisfaction”. The minister of tolerance will instead “instill tolerance, a fundamental value in the UAE”, a country where many religions and ethnic groups cohabit.

In his tweets, which coincided with the World Government Summit hosted by the UAE, the premier did not say when these reforms will be implemented. The sheikh said the initiative follows consultations with the crown prince of Abu Dhabi (one of seven federated emirates making up the UAE), Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nayhan.

Last week, Al Maktoum launched, also on Twitter, the search for a new minister of youth whose main requirement was to have less than 25 years of age.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Russia to Replace US Soybean Imports With Deliveries From Latin America

Agriculture Minister Alexander Tkachev said that Russia is planning to substitute imports of soybeans from the United States with deliveries from the Latin American countries as the US produce does not meet Russian food safety standards.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia is planning to substitute imports of soybeans from the United States with deliveries from the Latin American countries as the US produce does not meet Russian food safety standards, Agriculture Minister Alexander Tkachev said Wednesday.

“We will import soybeans from Latin America,” Tkachev said in an interview with Rossiya 24 television.

Russia’s agriculture watchdog, Rosselkhoznadzor, earlier said it would impose, starting February 15, a temporary ban on imports of corn and soybeans from the United States, citing bacterial contamination in recent shipments of corn and soybeans from the US.

           — Hat tip: C. Cantoni [Return to headlines]
 

Hindu Businessman Beheaded in Gruesome Way in Islamic Bangladesh

HENB | Gaibandha (Islamic Bangladesh) | February 10, 2016:: Gobindaganj Police contingents recovered a beheaded body from Gobindaganj Town in Gobindaganj upazila on Monday morning, reports UNB.

Officer-in charge of Gobindaganj Police Station Aminul Islam said on information, police recovered the throat-slit body of Tarun Datta, aged about 45, son of Hirendranath Datta of Moddhopara area in the upazila, from College Road area from a ditch at Bardhankuti locality of Gobindaganj town around 7am. By profession Tarun was a businessman dealing with hardware and sanitary fittings etc.

           — Hat tip: Upananda Brahmachari [Return to headlines]
 

India: Israel Prepare $3-Billion Defense Deals

India is preparing to conclude a set of bilateral defense agreements with Israel, worth $3 billion, local media reported Tuesday.

NEW DELHI (Sputnik) — At least three deals with Israel are on their way to India’s Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) for final approval, The Economic Times daily reported, citing sources in the Indian Defense Ministry.

One of the joint projects will deal with the development of medium-range air defense systems, with some $1.4 million to be invested by both sides.

India is also expected to purchase 164 laser-designation targeting pods, advanced Litening-4, as well as 250 Spice guidance kits for converting air-droppable unguided bombs into precision guided bombs.

Moreover, the sides hope to jointly develop medium-range surface-to-air missiles for the Indian Army.

There has also been some progress made on a deal to deliver Spikes, which are Israeli-designed anti-tank guided missiles, to India, the newspaper said.

India’s relations with Israel have improved in recent years, underpinned by growing cooperation on defense and security, as well as the need to unite against the common threat of global terrorism, particularly the Daesh militant group, which is outlawed in Russia and many other countries.

           — Hat tip: C. Cantoni [Return to headlines]
 

China Recruits Male Teachers to ‘Salvage Masculinity in Schools’

Chinese education officials are aggressively recruiting male teachers to serve as assertive and “manly” role models to young boys as a means to counter the trend of increasing numbers of timid and effeminate young males.

Prompted by reports from Chinese news media of a need to “salvage masculinity in schools,” officials are seeing a stepped-up debate about gender equality and social identity just as government leaders are seeking a labor market that first rewards achievement and ability over fairness.

Sixth grade teacher Lin Wei, 27, one of few male teachers at the primary school level in Fuzhou, China, teaches, “Men have special duties. They have to be brave, protect women and take responsibility for wrongdoing,” reports the New York Times.

China’s longstanding one-child policy has produced a population where boys far outnumber girls. Yet teachers are predominantly female and boys have consistently fallen behind in academic performance — with disparities in performance seen as early as third grade — causing concern for many parents who are now pressing for more assertive male role models in classrooms. The recruiting effort — that has included relaxing college admissions requirements and providing full scholarships with job guarantees to male applicants — has been labeled, by some, as “sexist.”

           — Hat tip: AF [Return to headlines]
 

Los Zetas Cartel Used Network of Ovens to Hide Mass Extermination in Mexico’s Coahuila

PIEDRAS NEGRAS, Coahuila—The Mexican Los Zetas cartel used a network of oven facilities to cover-up the systematic mass extermination of innocent people during the 2011-2013 period when the cartel had complete governmental control over most of the Mexican state of Coahuila. From the then-governor of Coahuila, down to the city jails, Los Zetas had complete control of every aspect of governmental process and of the lives of Mexican citizens—including news media. Their atrocities in Coahuila have remained largely unreported and undocumented by any governmental agencies; local, state, federal, or international.

           — Hat tip: AF [Return to headlines]
 

EC Slams Italy on Migrant Repatriations

But Avramopoulos says Rome needn’t worry about proceedings

(ANSA) — Brussels, February 10 — The European Commission criticised several aspects of Italy’s handling of the waves of asylum seekers to arrive on its shores in a report on Wednesday.

It said Rome’s efforts to repatriate asylum seekers whose requests had been rejected were not good enough and complained that the programme to resettle asylum seekers from Italy was well behind schedule.

The report comes after months of high tension between Rome and Brussels over several issues, including the refugee crisis, budget flexibility and bank rescues.

Premier Matteo Renzi has repeatedly complained that the European Union left Italy alone for too long to cope with the Mediterranean migrant crisis and then added insult to injury last year by opening an infringement procedure against Rome for failing to comply with regulations on taking asylum seekers’ fingerprints.

“Italy has carried out over 14,000 forced returns of persons with no right to asylum in 2015, and participated in 11 Frontex joint return flights of rejected asylum seekers from other Member States. This remains insufficient in the context of over 160,000 arrivals in 2015,” the report said. “Despite the fact that relocation from Italy started a few weeks earlier than from Greece, it is still far behind the rate necessary to achieve the overall target to relocate 39,600 people in need of international protection in two years. In total, 279 applicants have been relocated to date, with 200 outstanding relocation requests having been sent to other Member States,” the report said.

“Until today, only 15 Member States have made relocation places available with pledges to receive 966 people, while 20 Member States have appointed Liaison Officers to support the process on the ground. “The low implementation rate is largely due to the limited arrivals of eligible migrants on the Italian territory”.

But the EC also some encouraging words for Italy though.

It said it had written to the 38 Member States to remind them of their obligations on migrant relocations.

And Dimitris Avramopoulos, the European migration and home affairs commissioner, said Rome had nothing to worry about regarding the fingerprint infringement procedure. “When the next assessment takes place, there won’t be any clouds over this issue, which upset the premier,” Avramopoulos said.

“Like all the member States, Italy is working to respect its commitments and so there is no reason to worry”. Wednesday report said that Italy’s two fully operational asylum-seeker hotspots in Lampedusa and Pozzallo have reached a 100% fingerprinting rate for the most recent disembarkations.

It also said that the proportion of migrants fingerprinted has risen markedly from 36% in September 2015 to 87% in January 2016. Once fully operational and equipped, the hotspots in Italy are expected to have a fingerprinting capacity of 2,160 migrants per day, which is well above the average arrival numbers for January, the EC said.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Europe Threatens to Quarantine Greece Over Immigration Fiasco

The Commission of the European Union (EU) has told Greece that it has three months to come into compliance with its system of registering and processing migrants, or its borders will be sealed and migrants will be forced to remain where they landed.

The new Commission report, signed by Federica Mogherini and Frans Timmermans, demands that Athens act immediately to “regain control of its borders” to prevent migrant flight to central and Northern Europe.

The latest decision by the European Commission represents the culmination of growing frustration with Greece’s handling of the migrant crisis, with Commission officials already accusing Athens last month of having “seriously neglected” its duty to protect the bloc’s external borders.

           — Hat tip: AF [Return to headlines]
 

Germany: Plagues, Tiger Tanks, U-Boats: Carnival Panic

In the town Wasungen Erfurt, Thuringia, a float made up as a train with the inscription “Balkan Express” on its side and the slogan “The Plague Comes” on the front was the first to draw attention.

In the town of Ilmtal, in the district Weimarer Land, also in the state of Thuringia, a float appeared made up as a World War II Tiger Tank, complete with camouflage-wearing crew, and the slogan Ilmtaker Asylabwehr (“Ilmtal’s defense against asylum seekers”) on the side, and “Asylum Package III” on the front.

In Solingen, a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, yet another float appeared, this time in the shape of a U-Boat. Sporting a serial number U-96 (the same one made famous by the Das Boot movie), this float carried the unequivocal message, “They should be fighting for their land, instead of groping with their hand” on the side—a direct reference to the mass sex-attacks being carried out by the nonwhite invaders since their arrival in Germany during 2015.

Yet another float showed three mullahs in the form of the “three wise monkeys” meme with hands on eyes, ears, and mouth. On each mullah’s hat was written a message, “terror has nothing to do with religion.”

           — Hat tip: AF [Return to headlines]
 

Hungary’s Border Fence Under Strain as Illegal Migrant Crossings Grow

Over 1,000 people have been arrested at the border of Hungary and Serbia and according to the Hungarian government the numbers of migrants attempting to cross illegally continues to grow.

In spite of the controversial border fence — erected by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in defiance of the policies of open borders and Angela Merkel’s blanket welcome all migrants — the number of migrants trying to climb the fence is steadily increasing according to Hungary Today.

The numbers given only represents those who have been caught, and who have received sentences from Hungarian courts since September of last year. The number of those managing to enter, and/or those who tried and turned back, could be much higher.

           — Hat tip: AF [Return to headlines]
 

Italy, Greece Migrant Hotpots Improving Says EU Draft

External border countries must do more

(ANSA) — Brussels, February 9 — The process of creating and operating “hotspot” centres for identifying and processing migrants and asylum seekers in Italy and Greece is improving, according to the draft conclusions of the Feb 18-19 European Council summit seen by ANSA on Tuesday.

“With the help of the EU, the creation and functioning of hotspots in Italy and Greece is gradually improving in terms of identification, registration and the taking of digital fingerprints,” the draft conclusion reads.

The draft added “a lot remains to be done” to improve migrant reception centers, where asylum seekers are held pending resolution of their claims for protection.

The draft says that all Schengen Area countries with external borders must refuse entry to third-country citizens who “do not satisfy the entry prerequisites or who have not made an asylum claim despite having had the opportunity to do so”.

It says that while the flow of migrants from Turkey remains too high, Turkey has made “important steps” forward in granting refugees access to the labour market, and in sharing data with the EU.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Italy: Official Denies Saying ‘Would Burn Gay Son to Death’

‘Homosexuality a vice without a cure’ says Di Paoli (LN)

(see related)(ANSA) — Genoa, February 10 — A rightwing regional councillor on Wednesday denied saying if he had a gay child he’d burn him to death.

“I said the exact opposite,” said Liguria regional council member Giovanni De Paoli, who is from the rightwing, anti-immigrant Northern League party.

“Specifically, I said ‘if I had a gay son, I wouldn’t burn him in the oven’.” “I admit I am a traditionalist,” De Paoli continued. “You think I exaggerated? I always tell the truth. It’s what people think. Family is a father and a mother…What would I do if I had a homosexual son? If it were a disease I would cure him, but I think it’s a vice and there is no cure for it,” he told La Repubblica paper online.

“I won’t apologize to anyone,” he added.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Sweden Arrests 14 for Plotting to Attack Migrant House With Axes, Iron Pipes

On Tuesday, in the latest sign that Swedes are becoming increasingly fed up with their government’s policy on refugees, more than a dozen people were arrested for planning an attack on an asylum center. Apparently, the men were plotting to use “axes, knives, and iron pipes” against a refugee shelter in Nynashamn, which is located some 60 kilometres (37 miles) south of Stockholm.

“Swedish police said Tuesday they had arrested 14 men for allegedly planning to attack an asylum centre after finding axes, knives and iron pipes in their cars,” France 24 reported.

“We believe that the migrant centre was the target of the attack,” a police spokesman Hesam Akbari told AFP. Here’s more from The Local:

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

Trump Slams Merkel as He Warns Refugee Crisis Could Trigger the End of Europe

The outspoken billionaire — who last night romped home to a decisive victory in New Hampshire’s Republican primary — said German Chancellor Angela Merkel was wrong to let in more than one million migrants last year.

Trump added that Vladimir Putin had said he was “brilliant” and that a thawing of chilly Russian-American relations would be good for both countries.

Turning his fire on Merkel, he said: “I think Angela Merkel made a tragic mistake with the migrants.

“If you don’t treat the situation competently and firmly, yes, it’s the end of Europe.”

Citing concerns that European cities such as Brussels had become a breeding ground for terrorists, he added: “You could face real revolutions.”

Trump also warned that some neighbourhoods in Paris and elsewhere in France had become no-go zones.

And the outspoken gun control opponent — who has previously boasted publicly about his concealed carry firearms license — said tight French laws on gun ownership were partly responsible for the killing of dozens of people at the Bataclan concert hall last November by Islamist militants.

He said: “I always have a gun with me. Had I been at the Bataclan, I can tell you I would have opened fire.”

           — Hat tip: AF [Return to headlines]
 

US Christian Churches Back Muslim Invasion

All of the major Christian churches in America have come out in favor of importing hundreds of thousands of Muslims into the US from the Middle East, even though such a move will speed up the extinction of both European-Americans and Christianity itself.

The Lutheran church in America has become the latest Christian denomination to make a formal appeal to Congress to allow even more Muslim “refugees from Syria” into the US, according to a report on the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service website.

The Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS), which is made up of a partnership between the three largest Lutheran Churches in America, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod LC-MS, and the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (LELCA), brought together over 30 Lutheran bishops, pastors, service partners, and leaders for the annual Lutheran Immigration Leadership Summit (LILS) On October 26-27.

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

How the Satanic Temple Forced Phoenix Lawmakers to Ban Public Prayer

From now on, lawmakers decided in a 5-4 vote, council meetings will no longer begin with a traditional prayer, but instead open with a moment of silence.

Although the decision may block the Satanic Temple’s Feb. 17 invocation, it prompted outcries from some Phoenix residents and city officials who believe the prayer ban is a de facto victory for the Satanists.

“This is what that Satanist group wants,” Councilman Sal DiCiccio told the Arizona Republic. “A moment of silence is basically a banning of prayer. It’s to agree to the Satanic goal to ban prayer.”

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

More PC Insanity: College Students Banned From Using “Mom” Or “Dad” Because it’s Not “Inclusive” Enough

Word by word, the language is being picked apart by the politically correct police on the most ridiculous grounds possible. Pretty soon we aren’t going to be able to use very many words anymore… not unless we want to (GASP!) offend someone.

In a world where governments are blowing up children with drones and calling them collateral damage in phony terror wars on a daily basis, social engineering has turned average people into walking arguments that the film Idiocracy was actually a documentary, busily wasting their time fretting over how offensive otherwise innocuous words are.

Human beings are mammals. A female mammal who has children has traditionally been called a “mother” or “mom,” to separate this mammal linguistically from the male version, who has traditionally been called a “dad” or “father”.

Well, not anymore in one Florida college classroom where a professor has decided that language is offensive because it isn’t “inclusive” enough.

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

Report: Anti-White Agenda Revealed at GitHub’s Diversity Team

GitHub’s Social Impact Team, which is “in charge of figuring out how to use the product to tackle social issues” has also faced heavy criticism. Headed by diversity consultant Nicole Sanchez, the team’s previous achievements include working with the White House to fit “low-income homes” with free Wi-Fi around the country, but the team is now focused on diversifying the company’s workforce.

“It is very hard to even interview people who are ‘white,’“ claimed an anonymous GitHub employee speaking to Tech Insider. It’s a claim that seems shocking but should come as no surprise considering Sanchez’s previous outspoken statements on diversity.

Danilo Campos, the technical director at GitHub’s Social Impact Team, is also no stranger to controversial comments about race.

“Don’t think we’ll succeed teaching white, male middle managers empathy and compassion anytime soon. So let’s limit their scope of damage,” wrote Campos in one tweet.

Diversifying the workplace is not uncommon in today’s technology landscape, with leading giants such as Twitter, Dropbox, and Yahoo engaging in a variety of diversity programmes, but GitHub seems to have taken the mantle for most racially controversial. Many users on social media, including regular users of GitHub, have expressed outrage.

           — Hat tip: AF [Return to headlines]
 

ISIS to Sleeper Cells: Shave and Wear Crosses to Blend In

(TRUNEWS) ISIS has given permission to followers in the west to shave and wear crosses.

The advice comes in a 58-page booklet, written in English, titled “Safety and Security Guidelines for Lone Wolf Mujaheddin”, which was written to help jihadis carry out attacks undetected by blending in, according to the Jerusalem Post.

The manual was distributed on social media sites.

The terror handbook also advised the potential attackers to wear cologne, even though most contain alcohol, which is prohibited in Islam. Eliminating the long tunic is also included in the list of recommendations.

           — Hat tip: JD [Return to headlines]
 

3 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 2/10/2016

  1. Sharon and James Reed are the third and fourth murder victims to be decapitated in Oklahoma in the past 16 months, according to KOKH-TV.

    In September 2014, police said Alton Nolen attacked two co-workers at Vaughan Foods, beheading one before being shot by the COO of the company. He had previously been fired. He has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, the news station reports.

    About one month later, 19-year-old Isaiah Marin was accused of murdering his friend, Jacob Crockett. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

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