Seventeen students at a south Florida high school were shot to death and at least fourteen more wounded by a 19-year-old former student named Nikolaus Cruz, who had previously been expelled from the school. Mr. Cruz pulled a fire alarm, and then started firing a rifle at students as they hurried to exit the school. The shooter was taken into custody by police not far from the school.
In other news, the number of illegal immigrants crossing the Mediterranean to Italy doubled to more than 4,800 in the space of a month.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to C. Cantoni, Charles Low, Dean, Insubria, JD, JLH, LP, 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.
Arizona, Colorado, & Wyoming Push Legislation Supporting Cryptocurrency
Lawmakers in Arizona, Colorado, and Wyoming have all recently taken legislative action that seeks to further support cryptocurrency.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italy’s GDP Up 1.4% in 2017, Highest in 7 Years — ISTAT
But economy still has not returned to pre-crisis level
(ANSA) — Rome, February 14 — Italy’s GDP rose by 1.4% in 2017 with respect to the previous year, according to a preliminary unadjusted estimated based on quarterly data released by ISTAT on Wednesday. This is the highest level since the Italian economy grew by 1.7% in 2010. The national statistics agency’s calendar-adjusted growth estimate was a rise of 1.5% last year — there were two working days fewer in 2017 than 2016.
The government forecast growth of 1.5% for last year.
However, Italy’s gross domestic product has still not yet recovered to its pre-crisis level, ISTAT said.
The agency said the country’s GDP for the fourth quarter of 2017 was 5.7% down on the peak reached in the first quarter of 2008. Italy’s GDP was up by 0.3% in the fourth quarter of 2017 compared to the previous three months and by 1.6% with respect to the same period in 2016, according to a flash estimate released by ISTAT. The quarter-on-quarter rise was slightly lower than the 0.4% registered in the third quarter, as was the year-on-year figure, which was 1.7% for the July-September period.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
At Least 17 Dead in Florida School Shooting, Law Enforcement Says
(CNN) At least 17 people were killed Wednesday in a high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said.
The suspect, 19-year-old former student Nikolaus Cruz, is in custody, the sheriff said. The sheriff said he was expelled for unspecified disciplinary reasons. Police are investigating his digital profile, he said. So far, what they’ve found is “very, very disturbing,” Israel said.
Law enforcement transport the suspect in Wednesday’s school shooting.
At least 17 people have been taken to area hospitals, said Dr. Evan Boyar of Broward Health.
Law enforcement responded to reports of a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shortly before 3 p.m. The shooting sent students and staff streaming out of the school in a panic.
The victims included students and adults, Israel said. Twelve were killed inside the building and two died outside, he said. One died in the street and two died at the hospital, the sheriff said…
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Box Office: ‘15:17 to Paris’ Opened Well for a Clint Eastwood Movie Without Clint Eastwood
The 15:17 to Paris isn’t anyone’s idea of a critical darling or a blockbuster. But the Warner Bros./Time Warner Inc. release opened to $12.55 million over the weekend despite little buzz, no star power and mostly negative reviews. As a recreation of a true-life story of heroism, with the catch being that director Clint Eastwood had the three real-life U.S. servicemen play themselves, the only selling point was the notion of Mr. Eastwood behind the camera. And in the somewhat rare sub-genre of movies directed by, but not starring Clint Eastwood, said Fri-Sun debut was actually pretty good.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Florida Shooting: Suspect Nikolaus Cruz in Custody, At Least 17 Dead
PARKLAND (CBSMiami) — Investigators are trying to figure out what led a gunman to open fire at a Parkland high school killing 17 people.
Deputies confirmed 17 have died and at least 14 people were injured in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Broward Sheriff Scott Israel said 12 people died inside the school, 2 died outside of the school, 1 person died on the corner near the school and 2 people died at hospital.
The suspected shooter, identified as Nikolaus Cruz, 19, is in custody.
Cruz, a former student, used an AR-15 rifle and had multiple magazines on him, Israel said. He said earlier he was not sure why Cruz was kicked out of the school.
“He always had guns on him and stuff like that,” said a student who knew Cruz. “He was a little bit of a troubled kid.”
The student said nobody in the school would pick on him.
Early Wednesday evening, medical examiners were still walking through the building, looking for any other victims, said Broward Mayor Beam Furr, who was a teacher for 25 years…
| — Hat tip: LP | [Return to headlines] |
Grand Theft Auto Chicago: Car-Jackings Surge to Decade Highs
According to the Wall Street Journal, a surge in carjackings in Chicago has led to the highest number of car thefts in more than a decade, terrifying residents who are often traumatized about the explosion in homicides and shootings over the past two years.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Here’s Everything We Know About the Florida High School Shooting Suspect
More details are emerging about the suspect in a shooting that killed at least 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida Wednesday.
His Name And Age
The suspect has been identified by the Broward Sheriff’s Office as 19-year-old Nikolaus Cruz.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
How Our Dependence on Global Shipping Will Come Back to Bite Us
If the general public understood how vulnerable our reliance on global shipping made us, they’d all become preppers overnight. Trucks, planes, and cargo ships are responsible for just about everything modern life depends upon. This reliance on global goods and long-distance shipping puts us all at risk.
| — Hat tip: Charles Low | [Return to headlines] |
Leaked Assange Messages Pour Cold Water on One Trump Collusion Theory
One theory of President Donald Trump’s campaign collusion holds that longtime Trump pal Roger Stone worked with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to release Democrats’ hacked emails during the 2016 presidential campaign.
A new leak of private Assange messages pours cold water on that idea.
In private Twitter messages exchanged in Aug. 2016, Assange referred to Stone as a “bulls***ter” who falsely implied in public statements that he was communicating with WikiLeaks, The Intercept reported Wednesday.
“Stone is a bulls***ter,” Assange wrote to an associate in a private group chat.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Milo is Back! UCLA Announces Yiannopoulos’ First Campus Event of 2018
Conservative provocateur and campus free speech activist Milo Yiannopoulos is set to speak at the University of California, Los Angeles on Monday, Feb. 26. Yiannopoulos, who has frequently made international headlines for his visits to college campuses, is scheduled to give a talk entitled “10 Things I Hate About Mexico” to the Bruin College Republicans.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
One Injured in Shooting at Fort Meade, SUV Stopped at NSA Security Gate — Baltimore Sun
One person was injured and police are investigating a shooting at a security gate to the NSA campus at Fort Meade in Anne Arundel County, officials said.
One person was injured and taken to a hospital, Fort Meade officials confirmed. The incident took place at the Canine Road gate, where authorities surrounded a handcuffed man after a black SUV ran into a concrete barrier.
“NSA police and local law enforcement are addressing an incident that took place this morning at one of NSA’s security vehicle entry gates. The situation is under control and there’s no ongoing security or safety threat,” an NSA statement said.
President Donald Trump has been “briefed on the shooting at Ft. Meade,” and the White House offers thoughts and prayers with those who have been affected, spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Parents of Sons Involved With Islamic State Get Prison Terms
A Texas couple have been sentenced to prison terms for lying about the Islamic State group activities of their two sons in the Middle East.
Prosecutors say 57-year-old Mohommad Ali was sentenced Tuesday to one year in prison. His wife, 49-year-old Sumaiya Ali, received 30 months.
The Plano couple pleaded guilty last year to making false statements to the FBI related to international terrorism.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Caine, Cleese and Daltrey Lead Pro-Brexit Crusade Against Lefty Luvvies
SIR Michael Caine, Roger Daltrey and John Cleese have inspired a pro-Brexit showbiz crusade to take on Left-leaning luvvies over Brexit. The stars were the first among a group of famous names to insist the UK can forge ahead without Brussels.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Calenda Calls on EU to Look at Slovakia Incentives
Minister writes letter following Embraco and Honeywell cases
(ANSA) — Brussels, February 14 — Industry Minister Carlo Calenda has written to European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager asking the EU to monitor the “fiscal and direct incentives policies” of Slovakia to ensure they respect European law, sources said Wednesday.
The letter seeks to “draw attention” to the “repeated relocation” of firms from Italy to Slovakia, following the Embraco and Honeywell cases.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
France: Islamic Extremist Policewoman Arrested in Paris No-Go Zone Suburb After Stealing Firearms
A 20-year-old policewoman, who has been described as “radicalised” by colleagues, has been arrested in the heavily migrant-populated Paris suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis after being accused of stealing firearms.
The 20-year-old woman was arrested late last week for allegedly stealing two Sig Sauer 9mm calibre pistols. Three other suspects have also been arrested in connection with the case including a member of the French military, Le Parisien reports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
France: Paris Attack: Knife Attacker Goes on Rampage Stabbing Six People Near Eurostar Station
A KNIFEMAN has stabbed at least six people in a rampage through northern Paris just yards from the Eurostar’s station Gare du Nord, according to reports.
The incident began at 11pm local time (10pm GMT) on Tuesday in the downmarket area around Rue Max Dormoy near the Eurostar staton, Gard du Nord, in the city’s 18th arrondissement
Those stabbed were rushed to hospital for treatment to cuts which authorities have described as non-life threatening.
A suspect has been arrested and he was held in police custody overnight.
Local reports claim officers were waiting for the man, suspected of being drunk, to sober up before they interrogated him.
Police have not yet commented on whether the attack was terror-related.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Geert Wilders Returns: Dutch Crisis as Coalition at Risk Over No Confidence Vote
Geert Wilders triggered a political coup in the Netherlands by launching a vote of no confidence against the country’s prime minister.
The hard-right politician was thrust back into the political mix after Dutch Foreign Minister Halbe Zijlstra resigned, activating a political explosion.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte overwhelmingly survived the vote brought by his arch-foe Mr Wilders, with 101 MPs against and only 43 in favour.
But the scandal which has erupted in the Netherlands threatens to undermine Mr Rutte’s fledgling and fragile four-party coalition.
The drama came after Mr Zijlstra admitted he had falsely claimed to have attended a 2006 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He told the lower house of parliament: “This is by far the biggest mistake I have made in my career.” He adding tearfully that he had no option but to resign.
Mr Rutte then found himself in the firing line, when MPs grilled him about why he had not informed parliament sooner after being told about Zijlstra’s deception on January 29.
Mr Rutte said: “It was an error of judgement on my part.”
“I didn’t think this affair would have such a political fallout. I underestimated the impact of this lie.”
Mr Zijlstra, a member of Rutte’s Liberal VVD party, had only been in the post for four months, and his appointment in October had already raised eyebrows due his lack of experience.
His resignation came just hours before he was set to leave for Moscow to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
They had been due to discuss among other things the 2014 downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 shot down by a missile fired from territory held by pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine.
The tragedy in which all 298 people on board died, most of them Dutch, has soured ties and led to accusations that Moscow is not being truthful about the events.
A Dutch foreign ministry official said that the Moscow “meeting will not go ahead, for obvious reasons” and they would try to look “at a later date”.
Stepping down yesterday, Mr Zijlstra told MPs that the credibility of the country’s foreign minister must be “beyond doubt, both inside and outside of the country”.
He resigned after finally admitting that his long-held claim to have attended a 2006 meeting in Mr Putin’s dacha, which included Jeroen van der Veer, Shell’s former chief executive, was false.
Mr Zijlstra told MPs: “I have spoken about an incident of great importance, saying I was there in person, while that was not the case.”
“I wanted to tell this story convincingly without revealing my source, it was obviously the wrong choice. I should not have done it. I am sorry.”
A former Shell contractor, Zijlstra told a VVD party congress in 2106 that during the meeting Mr Putin allegedly spoke about his definition of a “Greater Russia”.
Mr Putin “wants to go back to a ‘Greater Russia’ and his answer was that it included Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and the Baltic States,” Zijlstra had claimed.
The Russian embassy angrily waded into the scandal on Tuesday, accusing the Dutch of spreading “fake news”…
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Germany’s Merkel: We Need Quiet Times
Tells politicians, get back to real work
(ANSA-AP) — BERLIN — “We live in a wonderful country, we love our country, and we need quiet times”, said German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
After months-long negotiations to form a new government, the country’s politicians should now get back to real work: in a traditional Ash Wednesday address in Demmin in eastern Germany, Merkel referred to a speech by former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, saying: “Ask what I can do for this country … it’s the job of politics to serve the country. Stop complaining.” Merkel’s conservative bloc secured an agreement to form a new coalition government with the Social Democrats last week. The deal would continue their partnership in the last four years, but still needs approval from Social Democrat members.
Top members from Merkel’s party had criticized her for not achieving a good deal and leaving the finance ministry among others to the Social Democrats.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Germany’s SPD Vows to Clash With ‘Down for the Count’ Merkel
SCHWERTE, Germany (Reuters) — Germany’s Social Democrats (SPD) will clash over policy with Angela Merkel in the next government, the main candidate to lead the center-left party said on Wednesday, adding that the conservative chancellor was approaching the end of her career.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Election 2018: Centre-Right Manifesto
Flat tax, migrant hard line, but differences on deficit,pensions
(ANSA) — Rome, February 14 — The centre-right coalition is the political bloc seen as mostly likely to come first in Italy’s March 4 general election on the basis of the opinion polls, although there is uncertainly about whether the alliance will have a working majority in parliament, even if it comes first.
The block is made up of three-time premier Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia (FI), Matteo Salvini’s Euroskeptic, anti-migrant League, Giorgio Meloni’s rightwing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party and a small group of centrists.
At the time of writing, the coalition had not said who its premier candidate is.
Berlusconi is currently ineligible to stand, although he is appealing to the European Court of Human Rights against a ban stemming from a tax-fraud conviction.
He has said European Parliament President Antonio Tajani would be a good premier, while Salvini has said he should lead the government if the League overtakes FI and wins more votes that its coalition ally in the election.
The programme was agreed on in January although there are differences on how it is being interpreted, especially between Berlusconi and Salvini.
The media billionaire, for example, pledged that the centre right would respect the EU’s 3%-deficit-to-GDP ratio limit when he presented the manifesto to the European People’s Party (EPP).
Shortly after Salvini said that, as far as he was concerned, Italy should feel free to ignore the threshold if it was in its interests to do so.
The programme itself simply says the centre right is against austerity.
One of the key points is the pledge to introduce a flat tax on business and households, which Berlusconi has said should be at a rate of 23%.
The centre right is also promising to abolish taxes on donations, inheritance, people’s first homes, cars and savings.
Another key plank of the manifesto is the commitment to scrap the 2011 Fornero pension reform which introduces a mechanism to raise the retirement age in relation to life expectancy to make the system sustainable.
This is another area where differences have emerged. Salvini has said that the reform must be abolished completely, while Berlusconi has said it should be largely revised, with some parts being kept.
The proposals for the flat tax and the abolition of the Fornero law have been criticised on the grounds that the promises cannot be kept because they would cost the State many billions of euros. The programme promises to increase minimum pensions and revise the Good School reform introduced by the centre left, giving greater freedom to families in education choices. The centre right are vowing to take a hard line with the migrant crisis and “block the landings with assisted push-backs and treaties with the countries of origin of the economic migrants”. Another priority is security, with “district” police and Carabinieri officers and extension of the ‘Safe Streets’ programme to use the armed forces in all cities.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: I’ll be Premier if League Beats FI — Salvini
Italians will get Tajani if they vote Forza Italia — League head
(ANSA) — Palermo, February 14 — League leader Matteo Salvini said Wednesday that he will be Italy’s next premier if the centre right wins the March 4 general election and his party gets more votes than Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia (FI). “If the centre right wins, and it will win, and the League gets one more vote, the premier candidate is Salvini,” he said in Palermo.
“If the Sicilians or the Italians prefer (European Parliament President) Antonio Tajani they should vote Forza Italia. “In democracy, the one who gets one vote more between the League and Forza Italia is the one who is right”.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: I Was Wrong to Trust on Repayments — Di Maio
M5S premier candidate says list of cheats will be released
(ANSA) — Rome, February 14 — 5-Star Movement (M5S) premier candidate Luigi Di Maio said Wednesday that it had been mistake to trust all the lawmakers for the anti-establishment group to respect a pledge to pay back part of their salaries. But he said he would remedy the situation and promised that a list of pledge-cheats would be shown “today”. “I was wrong to trust the human being,” Di Maio said.
“But there is time to fix things. These people have been kicked out”. The back-payment-pledge furore is embarrassing for the M5S, which prides itself on its “honesty”.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Norway Wealth Fund Tells Companies to Fight Corruption
Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, the world’s biggest, on Tuesday told the 9,000 firms that it owns stakes in to boost their anti-corruption measures, including by offering whistleblowers better protection against reprisals.
| — Hat tip: Charles Low | [Return to headlines] |
Polish President’s Popularity Remains High: Survey
Sixty-five percent of Poles have a positive view of the performance of Andrzej Duda as president, according to a survey.
The CBOS Institute pollster found that Duda’s popularity rating is down one percentage point compared to a similar poll a month ago.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sweden’s Liberal Church ‘Set to Lose Over a Million Members in Next Decade’
The Church of Sweden will have to start selling its real estate, suggested research which shows the liberal, left-wing church “will lose well over one million members within a 10-year period”.
Börje Holgersson, chairman of the church council of Lima-Transtrand in Västerås — one of the worst affected by the collapse in church membership — said that the parish “simply can’t afford to make ends meet”.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Swedish Bishop Welcomes Muslim Call to Prayer as “Good” For Society
A Swedish Bishop has responded to an application to have the Muslim call to prayer broadcast in the immigrant suburb of Araby, Växjö by welcoming the move as a positive sign of multiculturalism.
“Muslims are not visitors in Växjö, we live here,” said Imam Ismail Abu Helal, asserting that, “The Islamic community should be proud of their culture, and not feel like they have to hide.”
Fredrik Modéus, the Bishop of Växjö, endorsed the proposal.
“It is natural in a multicultural and multi-religious society that different traditions and religions are heard, are visible and are interacting for a good society,” said Modéus in a statement, adding, “I therefore welcome the application for call to prayer.”
The Bishop said the call to prayer was no different to church bells and should be embraced.
The application is likely to be granted because others have already been approved in Stockholm. This means that the call to prayer, known as the adzhan, which is broadcast five times a day in Islamic countries via loudspeakers and usually begins with the refrain “Allahu Akbar,” will soon ring out across Swedish towns and cities.
Respondents to the Bishop’s statement were not so positive.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
The Dead of Dresden, And the Dupes
by Diana West
This week marks the 73rd anniversary of the British and American firebombing of Dresden.
American Betrayal makes the case that it was Stalin’s sophisticated campaigns of deception against his allies (his enemies, too), led in the US by his agents of influence inside the Roosevelt administration, that prolonged the fighting in WWII for the express purpose of allowing the Soviet Union and its communist allies in Europe and Asia to reach and seize much of Europe and Asia, exactly as they did.
A brief excerpt to mark the barbarous carnage and destruction, which conventional wisdom extols for saving civilization….
| — Hat tip: JLH | [Return to headlines] |
UK Court Hears of Plot to Rape, Dissolve in Acid Children for Pleasure of Unnamed ‘Top Politicians’
Gihan Muthukumarana told undercover police they could make £10 million raping children on video for “top political people”, a court has heard.
The 28-year-old, who appeared in court this week accused of plotting to kidnap, rape, and beat young girls, allegedly claimed that footage of the abuse could be sold for “ridiculously big” sums of money if they “got rid” of the victims by dissolving their bodies in a vat of acid afterwards, Court News UK reports.
Southwark Crown Court heard that police were tipped off after it emerged the 28-year-old had divulged his plans to an escort who he regularly met for sex, at meetings in Hounslow, west London.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Grooming Gang Pleads Guilty to Sexual Activity With Four Underage Girls
Taiyab Hussain, Mohammed Hizar Rizwan, Shaheem Ratyal, and Sohail Raja Ali pleaded guilty to sex offences against four girls aged between 13 and 14 years old.
The four men, aged 18 to 19, admitted to a range of offences including sexual activity with a child, possessing indecent photographs of children, and causing a child to engage in sexual activity at Stafford Crown Court on Friday.
The four men resident in Burton upon Trent, West Midlands, England, were only brought to justice after one of the young victims watched a film that warned girls could be groomed without realising it, and then told her father that she was being abused.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A pub landlord has refused to remove 15 golliwogs from behind his bar despite complaints to the council.
Chris Ryley and his wife Benice said they were left reeling after the local authority received an anonymous complaint about the White Hart pub in Grays, Essex.
The couple face a nervous wait to see if their licence will be effected but have also promised not to back down after receiving the dolls as gifts from customers.
They are unaware of who made the anonymous complaint but believe it was an employee from Thurrock Council who popped in for lunch.
The couple also claim that the same whistleblower called police claiming the golliwogs represent a racially aggravated crime.
The pub, just a stone’s throw from The River Thames, has 15 golliwogs of various sizes in full view behind the bar.
| — Hat tip: Seneca III | [Return to headlines] |
Israeli MP Urges His Country to Drop Its ‘Absurd’ Boycott of Austria’s Foreign Minister
An Israeli MP called his country’s boycott of Austria’s foreign minister “absurd” on Tuesday after meeting with the Austrian vice chancellor and head of a far-right party founded by former Nazis.
| — Hat tip: Charles Low | [Return to headlines] |
In a stunning turn of events that has thrown Israel into a state of chaos, Israeli police revealed Tuesday that they believe that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be charged in multiple corruption cases that involved alleged bribery of media outlets and others the powerful politician sought to control.
| — Hat tip: Charles Low | [Return to headlines] |
Europe and Turkey at Loggerheads Over Cyprus Gas Fields
For several days, the Eni Saipem 12000 drill ship has been held up in the eastern Mediterranean, 50 km off the coast. Block 3 in Cyprus’s EEZ is at the heart of the controversy. The Cypriot government signed an agreement with the Italian energy giant, but Turkey wants all activity in the area stopped, insisting on its right to it.
Ankara (AsiaNews) — Energy could cause another flare-up in the Eastern Mediterranean. First came the Block 9 issue between Lebanon and Israel, now it is the turn between Europe and Turkey.
ENI’s Saipem 12000 drill ship is now in the middle of a controversy after the Turkish Navy stopped it on its way to Block 3 in Cyprus’s Economic Exclusion Zone (EEZ), which Turkey claims.
The geopolitics of energy is at the heart of the dispute that could escalate at both regional and international levels. More specifically, it involves ENI’s exploration rights in the area.
Turkey, which occupied the northern part of Cyprus in 1974, claims that those rights belong to the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which rules the northern part of the island. However, Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants to develop the gas fields to ensure his country’s energy independence.
In July, the “sultan” warned energy companies not to sign any off-shore exploration and drilling agreements with the Republic of Cyprus or risk losing Turkey’s friendship. The former rules the Greek side of the island, and is the island’s only internationally recognised government.
Last week Erdogan warned the Italian government not to engage in any unilateral actions near Cyprus. In his meetings with Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, he expressed concerns regarding ENI’s activities in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Italian energy giant plans to invest 150 million euros (US$ 185 million) in the area.
For Erdogan, any actions would be seen as a “threat” to Northern Cyprus and Turkey. Since then, the Turkish government took action. On Saturday, its Navy intercepted the ENI drill ship on its way to Block 3 under license of the Cypriot government.
For the past few days, the Saipem 12000 drill ship has been held up in the eastern Mediterranean and so far, nothing indicates any possible avenue for a solution to the controversial situation.
According to a Cypriot TV report, the ship is located about 50 km from its intended area of operation south-east of the island.
A Cypriot government spokesperson said that Turkey’s notice reserving areas for naval exercises that include Block 3, which expires on 22 February, violates international law. Cyprus wants to ensure that it can work with ENI so that the Saipem 12000 drill ship can begin its operations.
ENI has been present in Cyprus since 2013 and holds interests in six licenses, located in the island nation’s exclusive economic zone (blocks 2, 3, 6, 8, 9 and 11), five of which are operated.
In early February, the company announced that one gas reservoir was discovered in Block 6, offshore Cyprus, with Calypso 1 NFW. More exploration is needed to determine its size.
At the Egypt Petroleum 2018 show in Cairo, ENI’s CEO Claudio Descalzi said that operations are taking place within Cyprus’s EEZ. In Rome Italian authorities have activated their diplomats to protect the interests of one of Italy’s largest conglomerates.
The European Union has also waded into the affair. “The EU also stresses the need to respect the sovereignty of member states over their territorial sea and airspace,” European Commission Spokeswoman Mina Andreeva said. Turkey, she added, needs to “avoid any kind of source of friction, threat, or action directed against a member state”.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
‘Halal’ Mozzarella Arrives at Gulfood in Dubai
Italy present with 182 exhibitors
NAPLES — Some 182 exhibitors from Italy including firms, consortiums and producers’ associations will be present at Gulfood, the largest Middle Eastern trade fair devoted to food, from February 18-22 at the World Trade Center in Dubai. Mozzarella from Caserta, Parma ham, tomatoes and citrus fruit from Sicily are just some of the products that will land in the wealthy market representing the principal doorway to the Asian markets of the Near East. At least 97,000 visitors from 185 countries are expected at the 23rd edition of the fair, which will also host representatives from Serbia, Slovakia and Estonia for the first time. Italian cheeses will be presented by the Italian association of PDO cheeses Afidop at a collective stand, and there will also be guided tastings and other events aimed at informing the public and sector representatives about Italy’s trademark dairy products. “The market for PDO buffalo mozzarella from Campania is growing rapidly in the Arab Emirates, even though logistical problems are reflected by the quantities,” Afidop president Domenico Raimondo said. “The Emirates are an important logistical hub not only for the Middle East and Arabian Peninsula, but also for South East Asia and as far as Australia. We are also investing in view of Expo 2020, which is to be held in Dubai and is expected to attract 25 million visitors,” he continued. One of the export products showing considerable growth is ‘halal’ buffalo mozzarella, which is produced according to the rules of Islam. The number of Muslim consumers is rising sharply, to the extent that 25% of PDO mozzarella is destined for the Islamic world. The number of halal-certified dairies is also rising and now represents 20% of all consortium members.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Juncker Says ‘Strictly Against Behavior of Turkey’
Criticises Turkey for blocked ENI rig and Imia incident
(ANSAmed) — BRUSSELS, FEBRUARY 14 — European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Wednesday said he is “strictly against the behavior of Turkey” when asked about recent events involving the blocking of an Italian drilling rig and a clash between Turkish and Greek coast guard vessels.
Greece said a Turkish Coast Guard patrol boat rammed a Greek Coast Guard boat near the Imia islets on Monday night.
The Turkish Navy has blocked Italian energy giant ENI’s drill ship Saipem 12000 off Cyprus since last Friday, preventing it from reaching the area planned for drilling licensed by the Nicosia government.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Robert De Niro During United Arab Emirates Visit: America is “Backward”
Robert De Niro dissing the USA in the sharia-riddled UAE. What a pig.
| — Hat tip: Charles Low | [Return to headlines] |
Turkey Has ‘Legitimate Security Concerns’, NATO Chief Says
‘But we expect it to respond in proportionate and measured way’
(ANSAmed) — BRUSSELS, FEBRUARY 14 — The security concerns Turkey of are ‘legitimate’ but the country must act proportionately, NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday prior to the meeting of Defence Ministers in Brussels.
“Turkey has some legitimate security concerns. No other NATO Ally has suffered more terrorist attacks, but we expect Turkey to respond in proportionate and measured way” in northern Syria, Stoltenberg told reporters. “There are contacts between the United States and Turkey, addressing the challenges we see in northern Syria, but as I said NATO is not present on the ground.
But Turkey has briefed NATO Allies on their Operation Olive Branch, and I expect Turkey to continue to brief NATO Allies on the operation in northern Syria,” he added.
The two-day gathering will “begin with a meeting of the Nuclear Planning Group. Part of our regular consultations to keep NATO nuclear forces safe, secure and effective,” Stoltenberg said. “We will also take decisions to modernise NATO’s Command Structure. I expect we will agree to establish two new Commands. One for the Atlantic. And a support command for military mobility within Europe. As well as a new Cyber Operations Centre,” he continued. Other topics for discussion include defence spending and burden-sharing among Allies.
“To keep our nations safe, we need more defence spending, investment in key capabilities, and forces for NATO missions and operations. In other words, more cash, capabilities and contributions,” concluded the NATO chief.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Bangladesh: More Than 200 Catholics Pray and March in Silence Over Looted Church (Video)
The faithful show their sadness over the desecrated hosts. The parish priest is grateful to his parishioners for their prayers and to God for saving him from death. Anger is directed at police, deemed as negligent. The deputy police commissioner promises security cameras and a commitment to finding the thieves.
Dhaka (AsiaNews) — More than 200 Catholics from the of Canterbury St Augustine Church, including two priests and four nuns, marched in silence and stood in prayer in response to last week’s attack and looting.
The ceremony took place yesterday, promoted by the parish priest and the local congregation. Participants wore black as a sign of mourning. Some participants spoke to AsiaNews about their sadness over the desecration of the hosts (picture 3).
“The thieves not only hurt our parish priest, but also our Lord Jesus Christ”, said Momota Costa, a housewife. Another Catholic, Shipra Serao, said she wept for the incident and fasted, eating only vegetables.
Fr Chanchal Hubert Pereira thanked his parishioners for their prayers and for taking part in the peaceful march. “I am grateful to God,” he said. “The thieves could have killed me, but God saved me. We continue to pray for our church and to honour the holy hosts.”
Some local leaders vented their anger at the authorities. “It’s been five days, and the police have not arrested anyone. I think they are neglecting to catch the thieves, “said Hamanto Corraya, a parishioner and general secretary of the Bangladesh Christian Association (BCA).
Corraya added that if the police fail to catch the culprits within 15 days, he will organise a protest in Dhaka, in front of the National Press Club.
Domonic Ronjan Purification said that people do not feel safe because the Christian village is undergoing industrial redevelopment, and filling up with new people who inspire fear.
In the evening, Deputy Police Commissioner Navid Kmal from Dhaka’s Uttara district visited the church (picture 4) with 12 policemen.
“We will install five CCTV cameras at the entrance to the church,” he said insisting that they “are honestly trying to catch the thieves.”
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Year of the Dog Images Removed in Malaysia as it’s Deemed Too Offensive to Muslims
BUSINESSES marking the coming Chinese Year of the Dog in Malaysia have stopped displaying images of canines on their decorations and souvenirs over fears it will upset Muslims who live in the country and consider the animals unclean.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
FBI Warns Chinese Spy Operatives Have Infiltrated American Universities
BI Director Christopher Wray informed the Senate Intelligence Committee that Chinese intelligence operatives have infiltrated American universities, “whether its professors, scientists, students;” the FBI must launch surveillance operations from its fifty-six field offices to monitor the situation. Wray emphasized that China is determined to dethrone the United States as a global superpower through unconventional means.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
An Islamic teacher who covers her face with a niqab has written a poem describing Valentine’s Day as immoral. The convert from western Sydney also said Muslim women couldn’t be girlfriends.
| — Hat tip: SS | [Return to headlines] |
Bolivia Carnival Explosion in Oruro Caused by Explosives Kills Four; 2nd Deadly Blast in Days
LA PAZ, Bolivia — Bolivia’s defense minister says an explosive was used in a blast that has killed at least four people during Carnival celebrations — the second deadly explosion to hit the city of Oruro during the celebrations.
Javier Zabaleta told ATB television on Wednesday that the explosion caused a hole so large that officials don’t believe it could have been caused by a gas leak, as was originally thought. In his words: “It wasn’t a gas leak. We’re dealing with an explosive.”
He says officials are trying to determine if Tuesday night’s explosion is related to another, nearby blast that killed at least eight people Saturday.
Zabaleta didn’t speculate on a possible motive for an attack. But Interior Minister Carlos Romero has said three people have been detained in the investigation.
| — Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Germany: Women Barred From Entering Turkish Bar in Berlin Migrant Suburb
Women are not allowed to enter a bar in one of Berlin’s migrant suburbs, newspaper the Berliner Kurier reports.
One of the newspaper’s reporters was waiting in front of the bar when a woman asked if he could buy her some cigarettes. When the reporter asked why she couldn’t do it herself, she said: “Women are not allowed to go inside.”
The reporter asked the woman if she wasn’t even allowed to buy cigarettes. The woman said, “No that won’t work” and added “Some Turkish men are like that.”
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Italian Criminologist: Ruthless Nigerian Mafia Has Reached Italy and is Colonising the Country
Italian criminologist and psychiatrist, Alessandro Meluzzi, firmly believes that the murder of the 18-year-old Pamela is tied to the Nigerian mafia, which has recently reached Italy and is quickly becoming stronger and very dangerous.
“The Nigerian Mafia, the most ruthless mafia in the world, killed Pamela. Its sects are colonising Italy and stealing business from the traditional mafia families”, strong words coming from Meluzzi, during an interview given to ItaliaOggi and then reported on Libero.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Number of Illegal Migrants Crossing Sea to Italy Doubles in One Month
The EU Border Agency (Frontex) says the number of illegal migrants crossing the Mediterranean to Italy has doubled in the space of a month.
“The number of migrants arriving in Italy via the Central Mediterranean route in January rose to more than 4,800, double the figure from the previous month, when smuggling activities were affected by fighting near the departure areas and poor weather,” the agency reported.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Some 1,400 Undocumented Migrants Held in Turkey
The Turkish Coast Guard held 43 undocumented migrants trying to reach Greece using a dinghy in the Aegean Sea on Tuesday, according to a security official.
The incident took place off Dikili in the Izmir province, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.
Among the migrants were two Syrians, 10 Eritreans, four Yemenis, two Somalis, and a Senegalese, who were later taken to a provincial migration authority.
A total of 1,352 migrants were also held in other operations, according to security sources.
[Comment: The news seems repetitive sometimes.]
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Swedish police officer Peter Springare has been reported to police and will likely be investigated after he said the country’s gang rape problem is linked to migration and was a “cultural phenomenon”.
Springare, who gained global attention after blowing the whistle on the extent of migrant crime in Sweden last year commented on the issue of gang rapes earlier this month claiming such attacks were “new” and were a consequence of the last 10 to 15 years of immigration policy, Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reports.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Swedish Pro-Migration Party Admits: Costs of Migrants Are Too High and Will Skyrocket
Sweden’s Moderate Party wants a survey on the costs of immigration as they seem to spiral out of control.
The party, known for its pro-migration ideas, implicitly admits the costs are too high: “We have had a tendency not to talk about immigration costs. However, we wouldn’t let another area increase in costs so dramatically without following up on it,” Moderate Party member, Elisabeth Svantesson, said to Dagens Nyheter.
| — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Scientists Warn: Prepare Now for a Mini Ice Age as the Sun Cools
Scientists are all seemingly on the same page for once and declaring that the sun’s decreased output could fling Earth into a mini ice age. The scientists determined, based on 20 years of observations and collected data, that the sun will be nearly seven percent cooler and dimmer by 2050 causing a mini ice age.
| — Hat tip: Charles Low | [Return to headlines] |
Sweden’s Liberal Church ‘Set to Lose Over a Million Members in Next Decade’
Good, a Church that doesn’t follow the Bible will die, because God won’t let anyone to abuse his name for long. In fact, he will hold guilty those who use his name in vain. Maybe that is why the Swedish Church officials want to remove crosses, not to confuse anyone that might think they are “Christian”?
In the words of Apostle Paul:
“But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety. “
You – and Paul – are quoting only one version of the creation story in Genesis. There are two of them, set side by side in an effort to satisfy two strands of an ancient tradition. Who knows how old those stories are? But both are powerful. One of them says they were created equal and at the same time.
There is much in Paul to be admired, but his misogyny isn’t one of them. Women shall be “saved” in childbearing?? Surely you jest. I believe in the necessity for a nuclear family as the ideal ‘nest’ for human beings. However, to reduce women’s salvation to childbearing is damaging beyond words. Not all women should be mothers; there are plenty of victims of maternal cruelty who could enlighten you and Paul.
Sheesh.
Don’t know if we have an equivalent of “sheesh” in the UK, but we probably should. Meanwhile, “sheesh” again!
Isn’t there only one Genesis? So what is the second version?
And – are you really really sure men and women are equals? I mean, one is usually stronger, the other weaker, or is it not so?
Remember the Animal farm? Is equality such an important thing for you that you consider every claim otherwise a “misogyny”?
Sheeh!
Those who claim to be Christians should be able to read the Bible, and to claim there is absolute equality (maybe we should call it “identicality”?) between the sexes in the Bible – where is it?
There is only one book in the Bible named Genesis. Within that book are a number of ancient stories, including the two versions of creation.
Here is a link which describes the stories, and compares them:
https://biologos.org/blogs/archive/israels-two-creation-stories-part-1
The author says:
The book of Genesis includes two very different creation stories. The first, “Genesis 1” runs from verse 1:1 to the middle of 2:4 (2:4a). The second, “Genesis 2,” runs from verse 2:4b to 2:25.
“Equality” does not mean “exactly the same”. Men and women have complementary differences and one is meant to ‘complete’ the other. As for absolutes in the Bible, check out the Ten Commandments. And for Christians, the Great Commandment. In the latter, it is as Augustine defines it: “Love and do what you will”.
If someone “claims” to be Christian then I take them at their word. But I also notice what they do and say; this is the faculty of discernment. The ones who claim women are to “submit” to men are the people I avoid.
Sarah Rudden has written an immensely readable life of Paul, here:
http://amzn.to/2Ex3Vl1
Paul Among the People: The Apostle Reinterpreted and Reimagined in His Own Time 1st Edition
One reader says:
…I had always been puzzled by the question of how such a negative, preachy downer like Paul could have captured so many minds and played such an enormous role in turning Christianity from one competing sect among many into the religion that ended the Roman Empire and polytheism.
Nietzsche can get you part way to that answer in his Genealogy of Morality, but the Paul I knew didn’t match up so well with the project he had accomplished. Ruden’s book fills in those pieces.
Her basic argument is that, contrary to what a modern reader would surmise, Paul was actually putting the Gospels’ theory quite effectively into practice: we see him today as an anti-feminist, pro-slavery homophobe, but this comes from an inadequate understanding of what homosexual practice really meant at the time, and what it meant to be a woman or a slave. Ruden shows quite well how Paul’s practical program was not just a progressive advance in the lives of the people he converted but was, in fact, a revolutionary transformation in how people could live.
Far from being a sexist, homophobic apologist for slavery, he initiated a way of looking at women, slaves, and homosexual practice that was enormously liberating for the people of his time. Come to think of it, Ruden’s book works quite well alongside Genealogy of Morality — it makes the pieces fit together, and shows the positive side of Paul’s program.
—————–
Like the archaic Creation stories in Genesis, Paul’s letters were written to different communities for their own use. As Genesis is the oldest of the stories, Paul’s letters are the first explanations of Christ’s messages. They were written to Hellenic Jews who were turning toward his views of Christ. It may be that John’s Gospel, written on Patmos, was earlier, though scholars disagree -the Johannine version used to be considered the last, but theories change as scholarship advances.
Whatever. For a Christian, the founding “document” about how to be in the world is Matthew, Chapter Five. It is the Christian “Constitution”…
These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, 5And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.
– Well, to me Genesis 2:4 quite clearly says that the LORD invented all generations even before he put them in Heaven and Earth. I don’t see any contradiction, just one account of heavy manual labour, and another account of the planning and preparing. I might be wrong, but my point is I don’t really trust your “two different stories” take on this issue.
““Equality” does not mean “exactly the same”. Men and women have complementary differences and one is meant to ‘complete’ the other. ”
– Have I said something otherwise? Have you considered that part of the complementary differences might be a God given natural hierarchy? Lobsters, anyone? Father, Son, and The Holy Spirit – are they all equal?
“If someone “claims” to be Christian then I take them at their word. But I also notice what they do and say;”
– Yes I also have noticed you don’t trust the Bible, like I do 😉
“The ones who claim women are to “submit” to men are the people I avoid. ”
– ok then, let’s avoid each other, for all I can say is that your take on the issue is in direct opposition to the LORD’s judgement after the fall in Eden:
“Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”
PS: For a Christian, I believe, the founding principle is the life of Jesus, our Lord.
PSS: One last point on the edge of women and submission: Why is it so popular by the women themselves?
wikipedia
Fifty Shades of Grey has topped best-seller lists around the world, selling over 125 million copies worldwide by June 2015. It has been translated into 52 languages, and set a record in the United Kingdom as the fastest-selling paperback of all time.
Archbishop Dennis Schnurr of Cincinnati said in an early February 2015 letter, “The story line is presented as a romance; however, the underlying theme is that bondage, dominance, and sadomasochism are normal and pleasurable.”[42] The feminist anti-pornography organisation Stop Porn Culture called for a boycott of the movie based on the book because of its sex scenes involving bondage and violence.
Several critics and scientists have expressed concern that the nature of the main couple’s relationship is not BDSM at all, but rather is characteristic of an abusive relationship. In 2013, social scientist Professor Amy E. Bonomi published a study wherein the books were read by multiple professionals and assessed for characteristics of intimate partner violence, or IPV, using the CDC’s standards for emotional abuse and sexual violence. The study found that nearly every interaction between Ana and Christian was emotionally abusive in nature, including stalking, intimidation, and isolation. The study group also observed pervasive sexual violence within the CDC’s definition, including Christian’s use of alcohol to circumvent Ana’s ability to consent, and that Ana exhibits classic signs of an abused woman, including constant perceived threat, stressful managing, and altered identity.[45][46]
Let me guess, the perp is a registered democrat, possibly Antifa. Socially disturbed, frequently pose with weapons and active on social media as Clinton or Sanders supporter. He threatened people before. (Note: I just seen this news and I based my analysis purely on previous events)
Here is a picture from the guy in Florida: https://magyaridok.hu/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Cruz2-780×780.jpg
He doesn’t look much like the fellow whose picture I saw on some of the major sites. The coloring is different, shape of face. Not that your link is wrong; people can show different aspects in photographs.
FBI was warned:
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-02-15/shock-anger-after-florida-teen-charged-17-counts-murder-fbi-was-warned
I guess the treasonous effort to stage a coup was more important than the lives of young Americans.
https://fredoneverything.org/an-impolitic-slumgullion-diverser-is-worser-and-now-what/
One of Fred’s more pointed and poignant posts.
Fred has been a favorite for many years. I’m glad he’s still extant if less than prolific these days.
An alliance to speed the Reconquest of the US Southwest is forming:
https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/02/08/584057034/building-a-latino-muslim-coalition-with-tacotrucksateverymosque
For a moment there, the word ‘Reconquest’ gave me some hope.
Then I clicked the link.
Outlaw Mike, had you seen “npr” in the URL, you’d have known that’s our government-subsidized leftist radio. I never go there on purpose.
More traumatic news, involving the slow and painful death of the nation once known as, ‘Sweden’:
http://www.breitbart.com/london/2018/02/15/swedish-bishop-looking-forward-muslim-call-prayer-sweden/
Chinese Marxists infiltrating US universities, decades after American Marxists seized control. Hardly news.