The Turkish military continues its blockade off the coast of Cyprus that is preventing the Italian energy giant ENI from drilling for natural gas. The Italian foreign ministry said that it will use all possible diplomatic means to resolve the standoff.
In other news, a float in a Carnival parade in Dusseldorf portrayed Chancellor Angela Merkel as a giant black widow spider with the skulls of her enemies at her feet.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to AF, C. Cantoni, Charles Low, Dean, Insubria, JD, KS, Reader from Chicago, Seneca III, SS, 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.
Italy: MPS Posts 3.5 Bn Loss in 2017
‘Will become ever more vital’ — Padoan
(ANSA) — Milan, February 9 — Italy’s third-biggest bank Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS) posted a 3.5 billion euro loss in 2017, up from 3.2 billion in 2016, the bank said Friday.
Adjustments worth some 5.4 billion euros were put on the balance sheet in 2017, MPS said.
In the last quarter of last year it posted a loss of 502 million euros due to the sale of its NPL platform. Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan said the bank, which has been through an expensive turnaround, “will become ever more vital”.
Its management was “working flat out,” he added.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Barclays Bank Charged Over Qatar Loans
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has charged Barclays Bank PLC with “unlawful financial assistance” related to billions of pounds raised from Qatar in 2008.
The same charges were bought against Barclays PLC in June last year.
The move to charge Barclays Bank as well is significant because it holds the banking licence that allows it to operate in different countries.
So, if Barclays was found guilty, it could lose that crucial licence.
In 2008, to avoid a government bailout, Barclays took a £12bn loan from Qatar Holdings, which is owned by the state of Qatar.
Under that deal Barclays loaned £2.3bn back to Qatar Holdings.
The SFO alleges that loan was used either directly, or indirectly, to buy shares in Barclays, which the SFO says is “unlawful financial assistance”.
In response, Barclays said: “Barclays PLC and Barclays Bank PLC intend to defend the respective charges brought against them.
“Barclays does not expect there to be an impact on its ability to serve its customers and clients as a consequence of the charge having been brought.”
Other than the charge, the SFO has released very little information about its investigation…
| — Hat tip: Seneca III | [Return to headlines] |
Athens Police Investigating Bomar Inn Fire, Possible Explosion
ATHENS — Athens police are investigating a fire that was extinguished by firefighters this morning at Bomar Inn on U.S. 31.
Police received a request for assistance at 9 a.m., police Chief Floyd Johnson said, and also received multiple reports of smoke coming from one of the rooms.
Firefighters advised the fire originated near or on a bed in the unoccupied room, Johnson said.
“Investigation of the scene by fire department personnel and our investigators determined there is a high probability there was an explosion in the room,” Johnson said in a statement. “Investigators gathered evidence and it will be sent to the lab to determine the substance in the containers and hopefully the cause of the fire and explosion.”
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
He Wanted to Join Islamic State. He Got as Far as Airport Security.
A West Palm Beach man’s desire to join the Islamic State ended in a federal court guilty plea last week to conspiring to provide material support to the terrorist group.
Gregory Hubbard, 54, was arrested at Miami International Airport on July 21, 2016.
Hubbard, who also went by “Jibreel,” along with Dayne Christian (“Shakur”) and Darren Jackson (“Daoud”), were arrested and charged with conspiracy to help the Islamic State.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
‘Homeland’ Season Premiere Takes on ‘Paranoid, ‘ ‘Fascist’ President
While the the liberal media lauds fascist dictators at the Winter Olympics, liberal Hollywood lectures us (with a wink and a nod) about fascist presidents on Showtime’s Homeland.
The February 11 season premiere “Enemy of the State” continues after the shocking season six finale when President Elizabeth Keane (Elizabeth Marvel) ordered the sudden arrest and detainment of 200 intelligence officers for allegedly being connected to her attempted assassination.
Despite the attempted parallels to Hillary Clinton from the previous season, the show now seems determined to portray Keane as the paranoid, tyrannical figure that liberals imagine Trump is. Observe how she behaves upon being questioned for suggesting a former general be executed.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
ISIS Bro Back in Prison for Gun Offense
The Justice Department threw a convicted Islamic State supporter back in prison Monday after he broke parole less than three weeks after being released.
Casey Charles Spain, 29, of Virginia was found in possession of a firearm, the DOJ announced Monday. This act was in violation of his parole and also illegal for felons in the state. The incident occurred less than three weeks after he finished serving seven years in prison for abducting and attempting to rape a child. U.S. District Judge John Gibney, Jr. sentenced Spain to another 10 years in prison in accordance with the mandatory minimum sentence for gun crimes.
Spain became a radical Muslim while in prison, pledging support for the Islamic State and getting an ISIS flag tattooed on his back. Spain revealed to fellow inmates that he would try to travel to Syria and join ISIS upon his release, or commit acts of terrorism in the U.S. if he was prevented from traveling.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Maryland Man Who Supported ISIS Plotted Major Attack, Feds Say
A Maryland man who pleaded guilty last year to conspiring to provide material support to the ISIS terror network was planning to carry out bloodshed in the U.S., prosecutors revealed Monday.
Mohamed Elshinawy is tentatively scheduled to be sentenced March 9, but CBS Baltimore reported that prosecutors were trying to convince a judge to apply a federal terrorism enhancement to ensure a longer jail term.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
59,300 Part-Time Jobs Cut in January as Minimum Wage Jumps to $14
Ontario shed some 59,300 part-time jobs in January, the same month the province hiked minimum wage about 20% to $14 an hour — but experts say it may be too soon to know how much the two are correlated.
The province shed 50,900 jobs total from December 2017, according to the Statistics Canada report.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Toronto: Special Banking Favors for Muslims Only — If You Convert, Your Interest Rates Drop to 0%
Zero Mortgage Halal Financing: it’s a great deal, with interest rates on mortgages, loans and credit cards. lower then any bank. 2.9% on all three. But it is not offered to just anyone. You have to be a practicing Muslim to get in on the deal.
To qualify, you have to be sponsored, speak to the local imam, and if you’re a kaffir and convert to Islam on the spot, your interest rates drop to 0% — which strongly encourages conversion to Islam.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Benedict Told Francis, “I Promise My Total Obedience”
Fifth anniversary of the renunciation: former Secretary Xuereb recounts those “strong moments” to Vatican news: that phone call from the new Pope with the cordless phone after dinner
“I had my cordless phone with me, this call arrives so I pass the phone to Pope Benedict and I hear him say, “Holiness, I promise from now on my total obedience and my prayer”. These are moments I cannot forget… These were Pope emeritus’ first words to his successor Francis on the evening of his election. He pronounced them right after dinner, using a cordless phone. Ratzinger was able to repeat to the newly elected Bishop of Rome, the words he had spoken at his last meeting with the cardinals before leaving the Apostolic See, when, without knowing who would his successor be, he had told them, “Among you there is also the future Pope to whom I promise my unconditional reverence and obedience”.
Monsignor Alfred Xuereb, today secretary general of the Secretariat for the Economy, formerly special secretary of Benedict XVI (2007-2013) and also in the early months of Francis, tells us in detail what happened in Castel Gandolfo on the evening of March 13,2013. Xuereb was interviewed by Alessandro Gisotti for Vatican news, the Holy See’s unified media portal.
“What are the strongest moments?” “Obviously — Xuereb says — “those tied to his renunciation. I remember very well on 5 February 2013 when Pope Benedict invites me to sit in his studio and announces the great decision of his renunciation. At first, it almost came naturally to ask him, “But why don’t you think about it a little bit? But then I refrained [from asking] because I was convinced that he had been praying for a long time. On the contrary, at that very moment I was reminded of a detail. For a fairly long period, when he, in the sacristy, before he began to celebrate mass in the private chapel, remained in prayer for a long time; and despite the clock striking the hour of the beginning of mass, he ignored it and remained gathered in front of the crucifix in the sacristy. I believed, then, that he was praying for something very important. That 5 February, when I was listening to Pope Benedict’s great decision, I thought, “So, most probably, he was praying for this very reason! Then, of course, another strong moment was the public announcement during the consistory of February 11th. I cried the entire time, and even during lunch he understood that I was very emotional and I told him, “Holy Father, but were you calm, were you serene? And he answered me with a firm “yes”, because he had already gone through his labor. He was serene precisely because he was sure that he had examined the thing well and that he was in peace, in God’s will!”…
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Catalan Carnival Children Dress up as Baton-Wielding Spanish Police
A Catalan carnival float has drawn criticism for depicting children as baton-wielding Spanish police, as tensions surrounding the independence crisis burst into this year’s parades.
The float, styled as the much-mocked cruise ship on which Spanish police were deployed to Catalonia in October, drew cheers of delight from many onlookers as it rolled through the town of Torrelles de Llobregat.
But critics seized on the float — manned by around a dozen children in full riot gear and bedecked with the independence flag — as another example of what they say is rampant political indoctrination in Catalonia.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Could Julian Assange be on Brink of Freedom?
LONDON (Reuters) — A London court will rule on Tuesday whether it would be in the interests of justice to pursue action against WikiLeaks’ founder Julian Assange for failing to surrender to bail back in 2012.
If the judge rules in his favor, then Assange, 46, would be free to leave the Ecuadorean Embassy in London where he has been holed up for more than five years.
However, he might still elect to remain in the embassy, where he has been granted political asylum, because he fears Britain would arrest him under a U.S. extradition warrant, the existence of which has neither been confirmed nor denied.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The irony, of course, is that so many people, have adopted a way of interpreting human rights and liberal values in a manner that often undermines them.
It is time for some home truths. Islam has been at war with the West for some 1,384 years, with very little respite. When Muslim Arab armies invaded Syria in 634, went on to destroy all but a rump of the Christian Byzantine empire (which it finally defeated when the Ottoman Turks conquered Constantinople in 1453), took control of Spain, Portugal, Sicily and other lands on the north Mediterranean coast, it was the start of endless jihad wars.
Most importantly, we seem unable to understand that Islam is, above all else, a totalitarian project covering all aspects of human life from the spiritual to the material, from law to government to clothing to food to sex to taxation and more. This totalitarianism rejects democracy in the most basic way, as having come from mere humans rather than divinely, from Allah.
Unfortunately, concluding that modern terrorism “has nothing to do with Islam” or that “Islam is a religion of peace” visibly contradicts the historical record.
| — Hat tip: AF | [Return to headlines] |
Environmentalists Criticise Norwegian Salmon Farmers Over Cormorant Shooting
Several salmon farmers in Norway applied this winter for permission to shoot birds that have caught fish from their facilities, according to a report.
| — Hat tip: Charles Low | [Return to headlines] |
Facebook Can’t Force Germans to Use Their Real Names, Court Rules
A German court has found Facebook is breaching data protection rules with privacy settings that over-share by default and by requiring users to give real names, a consumer rights organisation said Monday.
| — Hat tip: Charles Low | [Return to headlines] |
George Soros Hits Back at ‘Toxic’ Criticism as He Gives Another £100,000 to Stop Brexit
BILLIONAIRE investor George Soros is to pump another £100,000 into campaign group Best for Britain to accelerate his effort to stop Brexit after he came under heavy criticism for interfering in the democratic will of the people, it has been revealed.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Anti-Terror Chief Warns of ‘Complex Attacks’ In the Near Future
Olaf Lindner, the new president of the German Federal Police Special Forces Directorate, has warned that German authorities expect “complex” terror attacks to be attempted in Germany in the future.
Lindner, the former head of Germany’s top anti-terror unit GSG 9, made his remarks at the European Police Congress in Berlin this week, Kronen Zeitung reports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Syrian Migrant Kills Defenceless Dog by Throwing Him Out of a High Window
A French bulldog has been killed in the German town of Straubing. German media say the perpetrator is a migrant of Syrian origin.
On Friday night, the man threw the dog out of a window from the third floor after he was “annoyed by its presence”. He lived in a shared flat in Straubing and the dog probably found his way to the 27-year-old animal hater’s apartment.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
German Carnival Parade Portrays Merkel as Giant Black Widow
German carnival is in full swing with festivities and parades in several cities. Hundreds of thousands celebrate the Rose Monday parades in Germany’s Rhineland.
In Dusseldorf several political leaders were mocked, but a lot of attention went to Germany’s new coalition members Merkel and Schulz.
Merkel was portrayed as a giant black widow with the skulls of her political victims at her feet.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italian Elections: 23 Days to Go. Where We Are At
Let’s take a look at our last survey on Italian’s political preference after the racist attack in Macerata, which saw a 28-years-old man belonging to the far-right open fire against “anyone who was black” wounding 6
It seems that the shooting and political controversy following the attack did not influence much the voting intentions of the electorate. The quotas of the 12 — more or less — major parties (of which 8 are grouped in the two main coalitions) running for the Italian government remain fairly stable, with some positive effects in favor of both the center-right (36,5%) and center-left coalitions (29,8). Both major political areas infact, gain something at the expense of the 5 Stars Movement (27%) and the marginal minor forces. Certainly, it won’t be with a plus or minus 1% that the coalitions will win the cake. i.e. reach the absolute majority of seats in the Chamber of Deputies and in the Senate.
At this moment, the center-right coalition’s reach is around 285 seats, far from the 316 needed to win in the Chamber.
Yet, nothing is impossible. Looking carefully at the gathered data, it emerges that with the new mixed voting system — “Rosatellum” — one of the three political forces, namely the Centre-right coalition with (Berlusconi’s Forza Italia and Salvini’s Lega Nord plus two other parties), might have the chance to reach 316 seats in the Chamber and the 158 seats in the Senate and thus literally have the numbers to rule the Country…
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Minniti Vows to Catch Protesters Who Hurt Carabiniere
‘We shall not rest’ until culprits in Piacenza attack found
(ANSA) — Bologna, February 12 — Interior Minister Marco Minniti on Monday vowed “not to rest” until the leftists who attacked and injured a Carabiniere in Piacenza on Saturday are caught.
“We will not stop until we have identified the culprits,” Minniti said after visiting the injured officer at his barracks in Bologna.
The policeman was surrounded and attacked on the ground by leftist and anticapitalist squatters from so-called ‘social centres” protesting the opening of a chapter of the neo-Fascist CasaPound group in Piacenza.
The officer has drawn sympathy from all political sides.
Matteo Renzi, leader of Minniti’s Democratic Party (PD) said Monday “those who attack police are criminals”.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Over 1 Mn in Backpayments Missing, M5S Admits
Party reps in breach of rules out, Di Maio says
(ANSA) — Naples, February 12 — Checks by anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) leaders into statutory voluntary expenses reimbursements following recent media claims of alleged “lies” by party representatives have shown that “more money is missing than has been reported by the press”, and could add up to over one million euros, party sources said Monday.
Premier candidate Luigi Di Maio said all MPs, MEPs and local councillors found in breach of internal party regulations concerning reimbursements would receive the same treatment as Andrea Cecconi and Carlo Martelli, who were made to withdraw from the March 4 election campaign on Sunday following claims by an ex party militant broadcast by satirical television programme Le Iene that they had pretended to reimburse nearly 100,000 euros collectively in expenses payments.
“All rotten apples will be thrown out, no one will taint the good name of the M5S,” Di Maio said.
“In our movement they are thrown out, in the other parties they are made ministers,” he said.
Di Maio initially dismissed the claims as “just an accounting problem”. M5S, Italy’s biggest party, has styled itself as a ‘clean’ alternative to conventional political parties with a strong code of ethics, but it has been increasingly prey to scandal.
Di Maio also said Monday that Catello Vitiello would no longer be able to run for the Lower House for the anti-establishment groups due to his links with the Freemasons.
“As far as we are concerned, he is a person who didn’t tell us that he was part of a Masonic lodge and for this reason he cannot be in the movement,” Di Maio said.
“We have barred him from using the (M5S) symbol, so it’s game over for him”. Vitiello told Monday’s Corriere della Sera that he had not done anything wrong and did not intend to withdrawn his bid to become an MP.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Civil Service Pay Rise Inked
85 euros a month rise for 250,000 civil servants
(ANSA) — Rome, February 12 — A 85-euro-a-month pay rise was inked Monday as the government and unions signed a new national contract for Italy’s 250,000 civil servants. The contract was signed by the Cgil, Cisl, Uil, Confsal and Cisal unions and by ARAN, the public agency that negotiated on behalf of Civil Service Minister Marianna Madia. The monthly pay rise will kick in starting in March while a one-off payment of arrears (from 370 to 712 euros) should arrive at the end of this month, sources said.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: You Should Boost Birth Rate, Meloni Tells ANSA
Patriots should urge EU to do this
(ANSA) — Rome, February 12 — Brothers of Italy (FdI) leader Giorgia Meloni told a Facebook-ANSA live forum Monday that “a government of patriots should go to Europe and ask that the incentive for births be a priority for Europe”. Meloni said “specific funds are needed, the problem of a dwindling birth rate is not just Italy’s.” ISTAT said recently that Italy’s birth rate was continuing to decline, making for an increasingly greying population. Italy has long been among the world’s countries with the lowest birth rates.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Roman Colosseum to be Lit Blood Red for Persecuted Christians
The Roman Colosseum along with two churches in Mosul and Aleppo will be lit up by red lights later this month to draw attention to the global persecution of Christians.
“Christians are the victims of at least 75 percent of all religiously-motivated violence and oppression,” declared the latest report from Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), the group organizing the event, and moreover “the extent of this persecution is largely ignored by our media.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italy Election: Is Anti EU Five Star Party Threatening Euro Debt Rebellion?
Five Star, initially seen as simply eurosceptic outsiders but now leading in opinion polls, have warned the bloc it is “ripe for change”.
Today one of the party’s economic advisors sent a warning shot to Brussels — and to Italy’s pro-EU parties.
Some observers have seen the cryptically-worded message as an opening shot in a bid to wipe Italy’s Euro-debt clean.
With just three weeks to go until the March election, the party warned the “time is right” for a debate on the EU’s debt restructuring programme.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Lawless London: 19-Year-Old Stabbed to Death in Streatham
Yet another teenager has been stabbed to death in London, this time outside a house in Streatham.
The 19-year-old is believed to have been involved in an altercation inside a property on Hopton Road before collapsing outside — he was pronounced dead at the scene. A 23-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
One Killed, 22 Injuried in Austrian Train Collision
Two passenger trains collided Monday in central Austria, killing one person and injuring 22 others, the police told AFP.
| — Hat tip: Charles Low | [Return to headlines] |
Saudi Arabia Gives up Control of Belgium Mosque After Fears it Was Breeding Radicals
Belgium leased the Grand Mosque to Riyadh in 1969, giving Saudi-backed imams access to a growing Muslim immigrant community in return for cheaper oil for its industry.
But it now wants to cut Riyadh’s links with the mosque, near the European Union’s headquarters in Brussels, over concerns its ultra-conservative brand of Islam breeds radicalism.
The mosque’s leaders deny it espouses violence, but European governments have grown more wary since Islamist attacks that were planned in Brussels killed 130 people in Paris in 2015 and 32 in the Belgian capital in 2016.
Belgium’s willingness to put its demands to oil-producing Saudi Arabia, a major investor and arms client, breaks with what EU diplomats describe as the reluctance of governments across Europe to risk disrupting commercial and security ties.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Stress: One in Ten People at Work in Denmark on Medication, Says Report
A large proportion of people working in Denmark take medicine daily to help them cope with the strain of work and everyday life, according to a study.
| — Hat tip: Charles Low | [Return to headlines] |
UK Will Have Global Influence, Make ‘A Lot’ of Bilateral Trade Deals After Brexit: BP Exec
The United Kingdom will continue to influence the world and “a lot” of countries will want bilateral trade deals with her after Brexit, according to BP boss Bob Dudley.
“There are a lot of countries around the world that would like trade deals with Britain bilaterally down the road, I hear that a lot,” the American chief executive told The Times.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Bryan Broom, 77, said he loved his job but he could no longer work in a world so politically correct that he could no longer express his personality.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Police Investigating After ‘Man Tries to Rape Primary School-Age Girl in Broad Daylight’
Police are investigating after a man attempted to rape a child in broad daylight in a terrifying attack in Openshaw.
Police say the girl, who is primary school age, had become separated from her friends when a man approached her and attempted to rape her on ‘open land’ near Kincraig Close.
Thankfully the brave youngster managed to run away, and stopped a dog walker to ask for help.
Police were immediately called and carried out a search in an attempt to find the offender, but he remains at large, and extra officers are now patrolling the area.
The attack took place at around 2pm on Saturday, February 10.
The man is described as being ‘of Asian appearance’, in his 20s with a slim build, and wearing a dark coat.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A terror suspect and sex offender with 17 aliases has reportedly been working at Britain’s busiest airport in an alarming security breach.
Career criminal Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamud is said to be on an official terror watchlist but reportedly had access to Heathrow’s runway.
Mohamud, 31, has a criminal record stretching back 11 years including robbery, assault, money laundering and threats to kill.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Viktor Orban and Sebastian Kurtz Will be on a Two-Day Working Visit in Sofia
On February 19 (Monday) and February 20 (Tuesday) Viktor Orban, Prime Minister of Hungary, and Sebastian Kurtz, Austrian Chancellor, will be on a working visit in Sofia, the government’s press service announced.
Novinite.com reminds that the last big forum, in which Prime Ministers Viktor Orban and Boyko Borissov participated, was in Budapest on November 27, 2017, when they had joint statements. Then officially announced the hosting of Bulgaria at the next summit in the “16 + 1”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Former Head of IDF Intelligence: ‘Major Strategic Clash’ With Iran ‘On the Horizon’
by Benjamin Kerstein
Israel and the Islamic Republic of Iran are on a collision course, a leading expert said on Sunday in the wake of Saturday’s clash between the Jewish state and forces loyal to Iran in neighboring Syria.
There is “a major strategic clash on the horizon,” said Amos Yadlin, the former head of IDF Intelligence and Executive Director of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS).
Yadlin made his comments to the Hebrew-language daily Maariv the day after Israel shot down an Iranian drone over its territory and then retaliated with major airstrikes in Syria.
“We are speaking about an attempt that has never been made before,” Yadlin said of the drone infiltration, and added that the likely motivation was Iran’s desire to prevent Israel’s ongoing attempts to prevent weapons transfers to the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanon.
“The Iranians are not satisfied with the freedom of action Israel has taken and thus wanted to show Israel that it is also capable of attacking [Israeli] territory,” Yadlin commented.
The Iranians hoped that Israel would not respond to the escalation, but were quickly proven wrong.
“There is no other air force in the world capable of achieving a goal like this within two hours,” Yadlin said of Israel’s response.
| — Hat tip: KS | [Return to headlines] |
Lebanon: Teenagers Who Desecrated a Statue of Our Lady Required to Learn the Quran as Punishment
In one Surah, Mary is described as one of God’s purest creatures. This is the first time that a judge imposes a “pedagogical” sentence. Political and religious leaders praise the ruling.
Beirut (AsiaNews/Agencies) — A Lebanese court has sentenced two teenagers to the study of the Quran in order to learn what the sacred text says about Our Lady.
Judge Jocelyne Matta convicted two young Muslims, aged 17 and 18, for desecrating a statue of the Virgin in their village, Akkar district, northern Lebanon.
Ten days ago, the duo went inside a church in their predominantly Christian village, where they threw the statue to the ground, kiss it and carried out lewd acts. The two recorded their stunt, and posted it on WhatsApp.
Alerted, the police eventually took them into custody and brought them before a prosecutor, who turned them over to a magistrate.
Faced with the case, the judge cited a surah (a chapter in the QurÊ3/4Än), ‘The family of Imran’, in which Mary is defined as one of God’s purest creatures. She ruled that the two teenagers had to read, learn, and recite the verses in question.
The accused were later seen in the courthouse in Tripoli trying to learn the sacred passages in front of juvenile officers under close police watch. After purging their “sentence”, they expressed their remorse to the magistrate.
This is the first time that a Lebanese judge issued a “pedagogical” ruling rather than impose a prison sentence, taking advantage of article 111 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which authorises examining magistrates to replace a custodial sentence with a commensurate one.
The decision was welcomed in various political and religious circles. Prime Minister Saad Hariri described the ruling on twitter as “a summit in justice and teaching common concepts between Muslims and Christians”.
Speaking to Lebanese French-language daily L’Orient le Jour, Mgr Georges Abou Jaoudé, Maronite bishop of Tripoli, praised the decision because “it raises awareness among young people, whose behaviour often shows ignorance.”
As a way to encourage outreach among the new generations, the bishop and the mufti of Tripoli, Sheikh Malek Chaar, have set up an inter-religious commission.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Refugees and Business on Polish PM’s Agenda in Lebanon
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki is headed for an official visit to Lebanon on Monday to survey aid programmes targeting Syrian refugees based there and to discuss business collaboration.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Syria: ‘Over 1,350 Terrorists Killed in Afrin’, Turkey Says
‘New air raids overnight, 15 targets destroyed’
(ANSAmed) — ISTANBUL, FEBRUARY 12 — Turkish armed forces said they have “neutralized” — killed, wounded or imprisoned — 1,369 “terrorists” with the Kurdish YPG and ISIS since the start of their offensive on the Kurdish-Syrian Afrin enclave on January 20, according to a statement.
The statement also said that new air raids on the area were carried out last night, destroying 15 targets including refuges and armed and munitions depots. The report can’t be independently verified on the ground and widely differs with reports from other local sources.
According to Ankara, at least 13 Turkish soldiers died in the ‘Olive branch’ operation.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Turkey Must ‘Avoid Action That Might Damage Relations’ — EU
Call after military blocks ENI ship exploring in Cyprus
BRUSSELS — The European Commission on Monday called on Turkey “to refrain from any actions that might damage good neighbourly relations” after Cypus said the Turkish military had obstructed a ship contracted by Italian oil company Eni to explore for natural gas.
“Turkey needs to commit unequivocally to neighbourly relations and avoid any kind of source of friction, threat or action directed against a member state,” a spokeswoman for the executive European Commission said. “The EU also stresses the need to respect the sovereignty of member states over their territorial sea and airspace.”
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Turkish Blockade of ENI Rig for Cyprus Drilling Continues
Ankara opposed to activity
(ANSA) — Rome, February 12 — A Turkish military operation to block a rig belonging to Italian energy giant ENI in the eastern Mediterranean continued on Monday.
The Saipem 12000 rig was halted Saturday by a Turkish Navy ship while on its way to Block 6 to start activity under a license provided by Cyprus. Ankara is opposed to the activity, saying it affects natural resources of Turkish Cypriots on the north of the island.
The rig is currently staying put while awaiting instructions.
The Italian foreign ministry is following the case “at the highest levels” and is in contact with the Italian embassies in Turkey and Cyprus while pursuing “all possible diplomatic steps to resolve the issue”.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his opposition to ENI’s operations in meetings with President Sergio Mattarella and Premier Paolo Gentiloni during a recent visit to Italy.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
As Mahmoud Abbas Travels to Moscow Seeking Russian Support, Tensions Between Israel and Iran Rise
The Palestinian leader is set to meet Putin to boost ties with Russia ahead of UN Security Council meetings. For the first time Trump criticises Israel over the settlements and the failed peace process with the Palestinians. Iranian drone entered into Israel, but Tehran denies the claim. Israeli fighters carry out strikes in Syria; one is shot down.
Jerusalem (AsiaNews/Agencies) — In a Middle East increasingly torn by wars and divisions, regional and global leaders are trying to boost (old) alliances and dampen new sources of tensions.
Against this backdrop, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas flew to Russia on an official visit today. In Moscow, he is set to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin just two weeks after the visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Russian capital.
The Palestinian leader is seeking the Kremlin’s support against the Israel-US axis. The relationship is stronger today after a period of crisis during the previous Obama administration and especially since US President Donald Trump decided to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move the US embassy to the city.
Following statements from the White House, Palestinian leaders have cut off all relations with the United States, whom they no longer deem a credible mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
This explains why Mahmoud Abbas is trying to renew relations with Russia and have a strong ally in the UN Security Council where he is expected to speak on 20 February.
Analysts and experts see Abbas’s visit as an attempt to reinforce ties between Moscow and the Palestinians in order to counter the effects of improved relations between Russia and Israel.
However, although the meeting with Putin may be a necessary political step, its effects on international relations and the balance of power in the Middle East will be marginal at best.
In fact, last month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov estimated the chances of resuming direct talks between Israel and Palestine as “close to zero”.
Amid the war of words and fluid alliances, US President Donald Trump appears to have taken a step back from Israel’s leaders for the first time.
In an interview, he said he was “not necessarily sure” Israel was seeking to reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians.
Previously Trump had accused Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian leaders for what he saw as their unwillingness to negotiate peace, but had refrained from criticising Israel’s positions.
Now the US leader expressed concerns over Israeli settlement activity in Jerusalem and the West Bank, which the Netanyahu government has been intensifying.
“The settlements are something that very much complicates and always have complicated making peace, so I think Israel has to be very careful with the settlements,” Trump said.
Meanwhile, tensions are rising in Syria, with a confrontation between Israel and Iran becoming increasingly possible.
After carrying out what appear to be the largest strikes in Syria in decades, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said “We inflicted on Saturday a heavy blow to Iranian and Syrian forces”, adding that his country would defend itself “against any attack”.
Israel carried out attacks in Syrian territory against Iranian targets after an Iranian drone entered Israeli airspace, a claim Iran immediately dismissed.
In a joint statement Iran, Russia and Lebanon’s Shia movement Hezbollah said that Israel’s airspace had not been violated, accusing Israel of lying in order to have an excuse to carry out its operations in Syria.
During the raids in Syria on Saturday, an Israeli F-16 fighter jet was shot down by Syria air defences, believed to be the first time Israel has lost a jet in combat since 2006.
According to an Israeli military spokesperson, the pilots ejected from the plane in Israel and were taken to hospital, one of them in serious conditions. (DS)
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Swiss National Among Victims of Russia Plane Crash
A Swiss national was among those killed in a plane crash in Russia on Sunday, Switzerland’s foreign affairs department has confirmed to The Local.
| — Hat tip: Charles Low | [Return to headlines] |
Indonesia: Buddhist Monk Threatened by Islamists (Video)
He is accused of proselytism. Wrath of the radicals sparked by his charity work, he was forced to read and sign an admission of guilt. Authorities rule that the allegations made by the fundamentalists are groundless.
Jakarta (AsiaNews) — In the village of Kebon Baru (Banten province), an unknown radical Islamic group forced the Buddhist monk Mulyanto Nurhalim to sign an agreement, in which the religious committed himself to abandon his home following accusations of proselytism . The episode happened last February 4, but was unearthed only six days after an online video that portrays the monk reading and signing the document went viral.
To wrath of the Islamists was sparked by a charity project undertaken by the Buddhist monk. Spreading fish eggs, he intended to transform an abandoned ditch, where the villagers once used to extract sand, into a peach nursery to be made available to the community. The extremists have however accused Mulyanto Nurhalim of wanting to proselytize local Muslims through his “emotional solicitation”.
“I declare my intention to leave my house in Babad, Legok district, by February 10th — the monk states in the video reading a document — I undertake not hold rituals or recitations of prayer (at my house), since other Buddhists (from neighboring villages) have regularly visited to join me. Third parties consider their visits ‘prayer activities’ and raised the immediate concerns of the local population. If I violate this ‘agreement’, I will not object to legal action against me. This letter is signed without any intimidation”. “Is it okay like that?”, The monk exclaims towards the end of the movie, while a voiceover presses him to sign the sheet that he holds in his hands. “First you have to sign it, come on, sign it!”, responds a man.
On February 7, local authorities held a clarifying meeting in the presence of the monk and “third parties”. Some villagers have accused the Buddhist religious of having used his home as a “secret prayer center” and have requested that no more sacred objects and accessories be introduced. Mulyanto Nurhalim rejected the accusations, saying that the Buddhists used to bring only food and other basic necessities. At the end of the discussion, the authorities decided that the accusations made by the fundamentalists are groundless and that regular visits by Buddhists can not be considered religious activities.
The concern of Indonesian civil society is the increase in episodes of religious intolerance towards minorities. Last December 27 in Banguntapan, a suburb of Yogyakarta (on the island of Java), groups of Islamic fundamentalists have disturbed and protested against the charitable works organized by the Catholic community of St. Paul’s Pringgolayan. Moderates also expressed harsh criticism at the address of Sultan Hamengku Buwono X, governor of the special statute region. Commenting on the affair, the monarch had declared that “there is no need to express one’s religious identity, when doing charity”.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
American Propagandists Fall for Propaganda
If there’s one thing North Korea will learn during the Olympics it’s that the American news media are the most gullible suck-ups ever. These idiots have actually been taken in by that dictatorship’s carefully-staged propaganda.
When I saw this tweet from CNN, I couldn’t even pretend to be surprised.
You’d think the American propagandists would know better than to fall for propaganda.
But apparently not.
Though, I think for the American news media, it isn’t just that they’re falling for propaganda. There’s more to it than that.
For them, this slavish response to obvious propaganda has a lot more to do with their obsessive need to take the other side against Donald Trump. No matter who the other side is.
As Daniel Greenfield pointed out this week in his excellent column The ‘Abnormalization’ of Trump, the news media has to make everything about Donald Trump aberrant.
Trump is calling out this brutal regime in North Korea, therefore the news media must rush to the side of the brutal regime.
Even if that means gushing over Kim’s murderous sister and getting suckered by obvious propaganda.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
If members of the American public have been inured to the grotesque, they might be forgiven. As the daily dosage of the media’s inane and trivial reportage might become desensitizing for those of a more passive constitution, it is challenging to highlight the depraved in a meaningful way.
The U.S. media’s coverage of the 2018 Olympics has surpassed expectations with its ‘theater of the absurd’ re-imagining of North Korea. It has seemingly transformed overnight from nightmarish communist hellscape to plucky underdog story, replete with charming monochromatic state slaves marching lockstep towards their brighter socialist future.
A handful of examples suffices to draw out this ghastly display of real-time historical revision.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Circular Quay Building Fire May Have Been Triggered by Explosion
Workers at a building site at Sydney’s Circular Quay have been evacuated, and more than a dozen people treated for smoke inhalation, after a fire took hold this morning, sending thick black smoke into the CBD.
Crews responded to the blaze about 8:45am after protective mesh surrounding scaffolding on the building caught alight.
It is not yet known how the fire started, but one person who works in a building nearby told the ABC they heard several small explosions coming from the construction site.
Nearby buildings were also evacuated, including the Marriott Hotel and 47-storey Gateway Tower, a woman staying in one of the hotels said…
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
The group of teenage girls can be seen on Melbourne’s South Wharf Shopping Centre CCTV footage punching two young females in the head.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton says the ‘scourge’ of Islamic State will be with Australia for a long time, after another alleged terror attack in Melbourne that saw a 56-year-old man stabbed.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Vaccine Blamed for Sterilization of 500,000 Women & Children
State-sponsored sterilization exercise sold to country as tetanus vaccination
A state-sponsored forced sterilization on a massive scale has allegedly taken place in Africa according to opposition leaders and the public who are railing against the government.
An industrial pharmaceutical laboratory has since had its license suspended by the Kenya Accreditation Service as a result of the controversy. Kenya’s opposition leader Raila Odinga — who swore himself in as president on Tuesday — claimed that at least 500,000 young girls and women may be infertile, following a tetanus vaccine administered by the government in 2014 and 2015.
The controversy began coming to a head in 2016 when Agriq-Quest Ltd, a Nairobi-based pharmaceutical company got in a dispute with Kenya’s Ministry of Health over their tetanus and polio vaccinations. A group of Catholic doctors originally made the accusations claiming that the vaccines may contain a hormone that is dangerous to young women and can cause potential sterilization.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Afghan Refugee Prime Suspect in Murder Case of 71-Year-Old Greek
An Afghan refugee, who was arrested for the possession of explosive materials in January this year, could be involved in the murder of a 71-year-old Greek man as well.
On the 28th of January, the Afghan refugee was arrested for the possession of detonators and numerous gas canisters. The Greek anti-terror unit was mobilised to hold and question the man in the central police headquarters of Athens.
During this research, the police discovered that the Afghan’s DNA was found on a shotgun used in a murder of a 71-year-old Greek man near Athens. The elderly man was found murdered inside his house. The motive of the murder is uncertain but is thought to be armed robbery.
At the time of his arrest, the official Greek antifa webpage “Indymedia Athens” declared support to their “comrade”. A rather strange move, because the man possessed explosives and is now even suspected of murder.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Belgium: Antwerp: Muslim Refugee Removes Mezuzahs From Jewish Homes
Dozens of mezuzot were removed from Antwerp, Belgium, homes over the course of Shabbat (the Sabbath).
Shabbat begins each week at sunset on Friday, and ends on Saturday at nightfall.
The mezuzah contains parchment with verses from the Torah (Bible) and is an ancient tradition commanded by the Torah before the Exodus of Jews from Egypt. It is placed on the right side of every doorpost of Jewish homes, offices, schools, and other buildings.
Footage from security cameras in the area shows a Muslim refugee removing the mezuzahs from the homes of Jewish residents of Antwerp.
The same Muslim was arrested several weeks ago for placing Qurans in synagogues.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Fourth Nigerian Probed Over Macerata Homicide
Suspect questioned on Friday and Saturday
(ANSA) — Macerata, February 12 — A fourth Nigerian man is under investigation in relation to the death of Pamela Mastropietro, an 18-year-old whose dismembered body was found in two suitcases near the central city of Macerata last month, sources said Monday.
Like the three other Nigerians who have been detained, the fourth suspect is under investigation for alleged participation in homicide, hiding a body and contempt for a human corpse, as well as for drug pushing.
The suspect’s lawyer said he was questioned by investigators in Macerata on Friday and Saturday and he had his foot and fingerprints taken.
An expert will be tasked with running checks on his cell phone, the sources said.
A hearing will be held Tuesday in Ancona’s Montacuto Prison to confirm or reject the arrests of Desmond Lucky, 22, e Lucky Awelima, 27, in custody in the case since Saturday.
The first suspect is Innocent Oseghale, 29.
The men are believed to have stabbed Mastropietro to death and cut up her body in an apartment in Macerata’s Via Spalato.
The tests on the fourth man, who has not been arrested, are aimed at establishing if he was there too. A far-right extremist went on a racist shooting spree targeting migrants in Macerata following the Mastropietro case.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Migrant Ghettos ‘Nuclear Time Bomb’ May ‘Explode’ Due to Building Unrest, EU Official Says
MIGRANT ghettos could “become a nuclear bomb in the future”, a European Union official has warned as violence escalates near former settlement camps.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sweden: Dental Hygienist Proves “Child Refugees” Are Actually Adults, Gets Fired
Firing came after 10 years of service
It appears as if Swedish authorities are determined to ensure that Sweden commits national and cultural suicide, as aren’t going to allow anything to turn them from this determination.
“Bernt tried to stop age-faking — lost his apartment,” translated from “Bernt försökte stoppa Åldersfusket — kan förlora sin lägenhet,” Samhällsnytt, October 4, 2017 (thanks to Denny):
“A dental hygienist advised the Migration Board about “unaccompanied” adults — and was therefore kicked out of work. Now his entire family’s property can be confiscated by the region of Gotland, which has hired a star lawyer.”
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
UK Asylum Process a Rushed ‘Lottery’ Based on ‘Unrealistic’ Targets Say Whistleblowers
Britain’s asylum process is “a lottery” where approvals often rest on the personal views of decision makers, whistleblowers have claimed.
Home Office staff involved in deciding the outcome of asylum claims are overworked, underpaid, and forced to “rush” interviews as a result of “ridiculously unrealistic” productivity targets, former employees told The Guardian.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
It’s a crippling shame how Germany treats the people who reconstructed the country after World War II. Here is just one of many examples of how the country treats its elderly.
[Comment: Elites believe that the elderly have no place in their “glorious new world order”. Except for themselves of course, they are indispensible.]
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Catholic Bishop to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: You Can’t Bully Us Into Supporting Abortion
Catholic leaders are accusing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of bullying religious groups into supporting abortion on demand.
Trudeau’s administration is facing a huge backlash after it decided to begin forcing groups to affirm their support of “reproductive rights” on an application for grants for student summer jobs.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
The Canadian Catholic Church hasn’t excommunicated this Satanic puppy, this Trudeau?
Smote him…for Eternity, and for the next election!
UK: Police Investigating After ‘Man Tries to Rape Primary School-Age Girl in Broad Daylight’
And if they do get him you can expect that he will not be named, and this will be the way the arrest is announced:
“An Asian man with psychological issues has been arrested for mistakenly trying to rape a small white child thinking she was a goat. He says he’s very sorry and we do believe he is sincere and we will proceed accordingly.”
Then nothing will ever be heard again.
“The Turkish military continues its blockade off the coast of Cyprus that is preventing the Italian energy giant ENI from drilling for natural gas.”
The Turks want their jizya.