As Catalonia comes down to the wire on its independence referendum, the Spanish government has taken concerted actions in an attempt to prevent the vote from taking place. Catalan activists occupied school buildings that will be used as polling places, to prevent the Madrid government from shutting them down.
In other news, a man who was stabbed outside a mosque in the English city of Birmingham is fighting for his life. Police have a suspect in custody, and are investigating a possible racial or religious motive for the incident.
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Thanks to Dean, DV, Insubria, LP, Reader from Chicago, SS, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.
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Air France Passengers Describe Mid-Air Drama as Engine Disintegrates Over Atlantic
An Air France flight from Paris to Los Angeles was forced to make an emergency landing in Canada on Saturday after an engine apparently disintegrated over the Atlantic.
Passengers said they heard a thud and vibrations rattled through the cabin as the A380 plane lost altitude.
“We heard a big popping sound and the airplane basically dropped and it was trembling. You could definitely tell something was different and it wasn’t just turbulence,” Sarah Eamigh told the New York Daily News, adding that the plane shook for 20 minutes before stabilising…
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Amid Outcry Over Confederate Markers, New Ones Are Going Up
ATLANTA (AP) — While Confederate statues and monuments around the nation get removed, defaced, covered up or toppled, some new memorials are being erected, by people who insist their only purpose is to honor the soldiers who died for the South.
Supporters of these new Civil War monuments describe a determination to hold onto their understanding of history.
“What I want to get across is how much the South suffered, not only through the war but after the war, during the Reconstruction years,” said David Coggins. His Confederate Veterans Memorial Park in Brantley, Alabama, dedicated a memorial to “Unknown Alabama Confederate Soldiers” in September.
Others say race has nothing to do with these new monuments, unlike those erected in the early 20th century.
“The problem was with some of the other statues that were put up, that were basically intended to intimidate people,” said Danny Francis, commander of a Sons of Confederate Veterans unit in South Carolina. “We’re not trying to oppress anyone — we’re just historians. We welcome everybody.”
Francis’ group dedicated a granite memorial Saturday on private land where Civil War enthusiasts from North and South re-enact the Battle of Aiken each year. The marker says: “Dedicated to the immortal spirit of the Confederate Cause, and to those men and women who gave so much to save what they considered so dear…
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
Antifa Planning Communist Revolution for America on November 4
The communists in the Antifa crowd are planning to begin a revolution in America on Saturday, November 4 — almost exactly 100 years after the Bolshevik Revolution that took Russia out of the frying pan of Tsarist rule and into the fire of communist totalitarianism. While some see Antifa activists as the modern heroes of anti-Fascism — fighting against racism, sexism, and a litany of other “isms” — and others see them merely as the snowflake crowd of spoiled brats demanding free everything, the reality is that Antifa is one tool in the communists toolbox to bring America to her knees. And Saturday, November 4, 2017, is the day they have chosen for the opening salvo in the American Bolshevik Revolution.
On Tuesday morning, September 26, the Antifa group Refuse Fascism blocked rush-hour traffic on the 101 freeway for about a half an hour. Stretched out across the highway, holding signs spelling out, “NOV 4 IT BEGINS,” eight people chanted slogans such as “No Trump, no KKK, no fascist U.S.A.” and “Whose streets? Our streets!” Many others lined the areas above the freeway, holding banners demanding an end to the “Trump/Pence Regime” and shooting video of the blockade.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Berkeley Antifa Stalk College Republicans
Antifa in Berkeley has been stalking University of California — Berkeley College Republicans, listing them by name and alerting others to their physical whereabouts in real time.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Assange Accuses Spain of Conducting ‘World’s First Internet War’
The world’s first internet war is raging in Spain ahead of Sunday’s Catalan independence referendum, according to Julian Assange
In a series of tweets on Saturday, Assange outlined how hundreds of websites have been censored by Spanish authorities, who have also suspended the use of 29 Catalan government apps relating to the referendum and occupied telecoms buildings.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Austria Election 2017: Is Austria About to Elect Far-Right Nationalists?
With voters going to the polls on October 15, the Freedom Party (FPO), a far-right group founded in the 1950s by a former SS officer, stands to become kingmaker in an ultra-conservative coalition.
The FPO is currently fighting for second place with the Social Democrats (OVP), according to polls, with the anti-immigration FPO expected to become the largest Parliamentary group.
Austria’s FPO is poised to become kingmaker as a junior coalition party, with conservative front-runner Mr Kurz expected to gain around a third of the vote with his tough rhetoric on fighting immigration and Islamic “parallel societies”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Catalonia’s Bonds Almost Catatonic About Independence
Catalonia plans to hold a referendum this weekend on seceding from Spain. Bookmakers reckon the vote will pass; but while yield spreads on the region’s bonds have risen, they remain well below the levels of even a year ago. What gives?
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Spanish ambassador to UK, Carlos Bastarreche, has warned Catalan government’s move will have ‘serious implications’ for European stability…
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Catalan Leader ‘Won’t Give Up’ as Police Seal Off Polling Stations
Barcelona (AFP) — Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont said Saturday he and his supporters would not “give up” their rights, speaking on the eve of an independence vote that Madrid has banned and is trying hard to block.
By Saturday, the interior ministry said it had sealed most of the 2,315 polling stations in the wealthy northeastern Spanish region in an effort to prevent Sunday’s referendum.
However, teachers, parents, students and activists have leapt into action, defying warnings of repercussions by occupying at least 160 schools designated as polling stations.
In an interview with AFP, Puigdemont insisted that his government had “everything in place so that everything takes place normally”, vowing that supporters of the referendum would not “go home” or give up on their rights.
But he also called on mediation over the crisis that pits his separatist executive against Madrid in what has become one of the biggest crises to hit Spain in decades…
| — Hat tip: DV | [Return to headlines] |
Czech Republic Election 2017: Anti-EU Party Looks to Take Power
Billionaire former finance minister Andrej Babis is heading up a campaign steered towards Czechs who feel forgotten by the Brussels club, and his anti-EU rhetoric is gathering momentum, as polls predict he will seize power in the October elections.
His anti-establishment party ANO (Yes) boasts a list of policies, which outline plans to stamp out Brussels authority, including the rejection of the euro because it would “be another issue that Brussels would be meddling with”.
Mr Babis’ victory would be a crushing blow for the embattled bloc, which is already trying to stem growing populism, just recently highlighted in Germany after the AfD got 12.6 per cent of the vote in the German elections.
A decisive ANO victory on October 20 could further cement the Czechs’ anti-European Unionviews at a time when France and Germany are calling for greater Brussels integration in a bid to rebuild the bloc.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Del Turco Cleared of Criminal Association Charge
Jail term cut to 3 yrs 11 mths
(ANSA) — Perugia, September 27 — A Perugia appeals court on Wednesday dropped a criminal association charge against former Abruzzo governor Ottaviano Del Turco in relation to a health sector corruption case in the southern Italian region. Del Turco’s conviction was cut from nine years and nine months to three years and 11 months. “The last piece in a mountain of evidence has been disproved,” said Del Turco’s lawyer.
In December 2016 the supreme Court of Cassation upheld a corruption charge against Del Turco but scrapped the more serious conviction for criminal association and ordered a repeat of the appeals level trial. Del Turco, a former Socialist trade union leader and ex-finance minister, was sentenced to nine years, nine months in prison in July 2013.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: AMA Signs ‘Historic’ Deal With Cerroni Trash Group
For Malagrotta dump
(ANSA) — Rome, September 27 — Rome municipal waste management company AMA on Wednesday signed its first-ever deal with the Colari consortium of ‘rubbish czar’ Manlio Cerroni which runs the huge Malagrotta dump despite being under an anti-mafia restraining order.
Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi described the deal, which aims to ease the Italian capital’s rubbish woes, as “historic”.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: CEI Sets Up Working Group on Priest Sex Abuse
Bishops group appoints Msgr Ghizzoni to lead panel
(ANSA) — Rome, September 28 — The Italian Bishops’ Conference (CEI) on Thursday set up a multidisciplinary working group to help dioceses combat clerical sex abuse and train priests against it, Secretary-General Msgr Nunzio Galantino announced at the end of a CEI meeting. The commission pointman will be Msgr Lorenzo Ghizzoni, archbishop of Ravenna-Cervia. Pope Francis recently said there would be no clemency for predator priests, stiffening the Catholic Church’s campaign to wipe out sex abuse by priests.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
OSCE: ‘The Threat of Terrorism Will Occupy Europe for Many, Many Years’
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the world-leading security organisation has warned the spectre of terrorism will continue to haunt Europe for many years to come against an increase in radicalisation in European nations.
Speaking with Austrian foreign minister at the Vienna launch of the new OCSE report Friday, academic Peter Neumann said the threat of terror “will continue to occupy us for many, many years,” as he warned of the enduring danger of hardened militants returning to Europe from the Islamic State.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Man Arrested After Boy of 14 Stabbed Outside Idaara Maarif-e-Islam Mosque in Small Heath
Teen was repeatedly knifed as his dad looked on
A man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a boy of 14 was stabbed outside a Birmingham mosque as his horrified father looked on.
The victim was fighting for his life following the attack, which happened near the Idaara Maarif-e-Islam mosque in Small Heath at around 1am on Saturday.
He was understood to have been knifed in the head and neck on the pavement and remained in a critical condition in hospital on Saturday afternoon.
The mosque was busy with worshippers, despite the late hour, as families celebrated the start of the Islamic Holy Year.
The teenager was rushed to hospital in a critical condition.
The area was sealed off and forensics examinations were taking place…
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Trump Administration Confirms it is in Direct Talks With North Korea Over Nuclear Programme
The United States is communicating with North Korea as it seeks to encourage the regime to abandon its build up of nuclear weapons, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said.
Mr Tillerson made his comments in Beijing after holding talks with Chinese leaders on Saturday amid rising concerns over Pyongyang’s military programme.
Washington is known to have back channels which it uses to help negotiate the release of US citizens who have been held captive in the North.
But Mr Tillerson’s disclosure suggests US officials are also using secret talks to convince Pyongyang to hold official negotiations aimed at easing tensions.
“We are probing, so stay tuned,” he told reporters.
“We ask. We have lines of communication with Pyongyang. We’re not in a dark situation, a blackout, we have a couple, three channels open to Pyongyang.”
“We can talk to them, we do talk to them,” he said…
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Indian Uber Driver, 24, ‘Locked Doors of His Taxi and Raped a 20-Year-Old Woman’
A Gold Coast Uber driver, 24, allegedly locked the doors to his car before raping a 20-year-old female passenger on September 23 and has been denied bail.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Pope Francis: Unease With Mass Migration Due to ‘Innate Fear of the Foreigner’
In an address in the Vatican Saturday, Pope Francis seemed to attribute people’s concerns with Europe’s migrant crisis to xenophobia, suggesting that a “culture of encounter” could remedy opposition to migration.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Only the Bishop of Rome…
“They attack us, kill and burn our cities, steal and rape our children, and expect to be loved!?”
Julian The Apostate Circa 350AD
One wishes that the Spanish government could be so muscular against Islamists… funny how they’re not.
Has the Spanish government really changed that much from the days of Franco? Islam and Fascism/Nazism, go hand in hand.
Last night a terror attack in Edmonton, Alberta – Canada
https://twitter.com/JSJamato/status/914341200907223040
I wonder if the Pope has to worry about the physical threat from “the foreigners.”
Only when those ‘foreigners’ believe that they hold the upper hand.
The wages of Islam:
Knife murder of two young women, one still a teenager, in Marseille, France:
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-security-marseille/knifeman-yelling-allahu-akbar-shot-dead-after-killing-two-in-france-idUSKCN1C61DC?il=0
More details on the ISIS van attack in Edmonton:
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-10-01/isis-flag-toting-attacker-stabs-cop-rams-crowd-pedestrians-edmonton
Well done to the Canadian police forces, who managed to end the incident without fatalities that we know of.
In a sane world the Catalan referendum would have ended quite different.
Madrid would have issued a statement saying; “sorry folks but your little referendum is illegal and we do not acknowledge the results and therefore we will not enter secession negotiatons with you. If you truly want independance you better bring a large army, other than that no hard feelings and have a nice day.”
And that would have been the end of it.
The EU mandarins on the other hand ordered the abject violence we have seen yesterday and Madrid obligingly obliged.
Imagine people determining their own future. We can’t have that now can we? The whole EU could fall apart. We have to nip this thing in the bud. Stamp out this talk of sedition and set an example. Crush it while we still can.
And crush it they did.