Reader’s links for September 4 – 2016

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In order to preserve the flow of conversation about various posted items, and also in order to make it easier for visitors to find the list of related links being shared by other readers, regulars and interested parties in one place, each day a post is automatically created at a minute past midnight ET.

This way, under the various posts of the day, conversation can take place without as much ‘noise’ on the various links and articles and ideas in the main posts and all the news links being submitted can be seen under these auto-posts by clicking on the comments-link right below these ones.

Thank you all for those that take the effort to assist this site in keeping the public informed. Below, typically people can find the latest enemy propaganda, news items of related materials from multiple countries and languages, op-eds from many excellent sites who write on our topics, geopolitics and immigration issues and so on.

About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

83 Replies to “Reader’s links for September 4 – 2016”

  1. Meet the New Tourists in Paris:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmZIZM_CFKw

    Migrants: “La vérité” (Stalingrad 75019 Paris) – 02/09/2016

    English translation per g.o.o.g.l.e. translate:
    Here is the video that the media and the state do not want to show!
    In the heart of Paris’ 19th arrondissement (avenue of Flanders, between the subway and Stalingrad Riquet metro line 7) you will discover a migrant camp.
    hundreds of young men (20-30 years old) sleeping in the streets, on cardboard, such animals.
    Unsafe, insecurity and disease appointment.
    the 19 arrondissement (Stalingrad) is already a popular area (or it is good to live, I must admit, because I live for over 20 years). Today, back to school day, our children will discover the joy of human misery, accepted by our state and our leaders and validated by all people “the good heart” who think we can not leave people suffering from countries at war without help ….
    I wonder: or reception in the giving of inhuman living conditions for these people? Do they come from “all” of countries at war or just poor country (in which case India, the middle east and China should put it too …) Why are there only men young?
    I pay the taxes (I am one of the 48% of idiots) and as manager of a TPE, my company also pays taxes.
    I want to thank the Mayor of Paris (ANNE H) and Mayor 19th arrondissement (François D) to allow me to suffer every day this misery.
    on RTL, the mayor of Paris speaks 1619 migrants at Stalingrad (she counted them one by one?)
    Anyway, thank you to the people at large heart (I cordially invite to come to stalingrad avenue of Flanders between 22h and midnight to discover the “real”), our leaders and our maires.Merci MUCH!

    Original in French:
    Voici la vidéo que les médias et l’état ne souhaitent pas montrer!
    En plein coeur de Paris, dans le 19eme arrondissement (avenue de Flandre, entre le métro Stalingrad et Riquet, ligne 7 du métro) vous pourrez découvrir un camp de migrants.
    Des centaines de jeunes hommes (20 – 30 ans) dorment dans la rue, sur du carton, tel des animaux.
    Insalubrité, insécurité et maladie au rendez-vous.
    Le 19 eme arrondissement (Stalingrad) est déjà un quartier populaire (ou il fait bon de vivre, je dois l’avouer car j’y habite depuis plus de 20 ans). Aujourd’hui, jour de rentrée scolaire, nos enfants auront la joie de découvrir la misère humaine, acceptée par notre état et nos dirigeants et validé par tout les gens “au bon coeur” qui pensent qu’on ne peut pas laisser les gens en souffrance en provenance de pays en guerre sans aide….
    Je m’interroge: ou est l’accueil dans le fait de donner des conditions de vie inhumaine à ces personnes? Proviennent-ils “tous” de pays en guerre ou simplement de pays pauvre (dans quel cas l’inde, le moyen orient et la chine devrait s’y mettre aussi…) Pourquoi n’y a t-il que des hommes jeunes?
    Je paye des impots (je fais parti des 48% d’idiots) et en tant que gérant d’une TPE, ma société paye également des impots.
    Je tiens donc à remercier Madame le maire de Paris (ANNE H) ainsi que le maire du 19 eme arrondissement (François D) de me permettre de subir au quotidien cette misère.
    Sur RTL, la maire de Paris parle de 1619 migrants à Stalingrad (elle les a compté un par un?)
    Bref, merci au gens au grand coeur (que j’invite cordialement à venir avenue de flandre à stalingrad entre 22h et minuit pour découvrir le “réel”), à nos dirigeants et nos maires.Merci BEAUCOUP!

  2. “This is our country”

    HANGZHOU, China — If President Barack Obama was hoping for a graceful start to his final trip to Asia as commander in chief, this wasn’t it.

    A confrontation between a White House aide and a Chinese official, and other diplomatic dust-ups were out in the open from the moment Air Force One landed in Hangzhou, site of an economic summit.

    The first sign of trouble: There was no staircase for Obama to exit the plane and descend on the red carpet. Obama used an alternative exit.

    http://nypost.com/2016/09/03/this-is-our-country-tempers-flare-as-obama-arrives-in-china/

    • Obama dissed at G20: Denied red carpet arrival; delegation shouted at, harassed
      By J.E. Dyer September 4, 2016

      The diplomatic world is one of rigid protocol and convention, and when both are breached, you know something serious is going on.

      Dignitaries arriving in Hangzhou, China for the G20 summit this weekend have been accorded all the expected honors. Well, most of them have been. But U.S. President Barack Obama was not.

      You might have seen something already about a Chinese official mixing it up with National Security Adviser Susan Rice. Another Chinese official reportedly yelled at a White House aide when the two got into a confrontation over the placement of media waiting for Obama’s arrival.

      But those encounters have overshadowed what is so far the most marked sign of disfavor from China: not providing the ceremonial jet stairway for Obama to descend to a red carpet for his arrival.

      That literally happened. Obama ended up having to come down a utility stairway from the back of Air Force One.

      The AP story contains that nugget, and it’s confirmed by video of Obama’s

      http://libertyunyielding.com/2016/09/04/obama-dissed-g20-denied-red-carpet-arrival-delegation-shouted-harassed/

      • This is another one of hers that everyone should read, it gives a new dimension to what the Chinese did and why we should be upset.

      • There is a rear stair that can be let down, it is normally used to bring food and drink on board, making him use that caused him to lose serious face.

  3. Row on tarmac an awkward G20 start for U.S., China

    A Chinese official confronted U.S. President Barack Obama’s national security adviser on the tarmac on Saturday prompting the Secret Service to intervene, an unusual altercation as China implements strict controls ahead of a big summit.

    The stakes are high for China to pull off a trouble-free G20 summit of the world’s top economies, its highest profile event of the year, as it looks to cement its global standing and avoid acrimony over a long list of tensions with Washington.

    Shortly after Obama’s plane landed in the eastern city of Hangzhou, a Chinese official attempted to prevent his national security adviser Susan Rice from walking to the motorcade as she crossed a media rope line, speaking angrily to her before a Secret Service agent stepped between the two.
    ADVERTISING
    inRead invented by Teads

    Rice responded but her comments were inaudible to reporters standing underneath the wing of Air Force One. It was unclear if the official, whose name was not immediately clear, knew that Rice was a senior official and not a reporter.

    The same official shouted at a White House press aide who was instructing foreign reporters on where to stand as they recorded Obama disembarking from the plane.

    http://www.reuters.com/article/us-g20-china-hangzhou-usa-idUSKCN1190AT

    • The wrong stairs, trying to keep the aids and advisers from being near the President. This was a deliberate insult to Obama and the US, not only were they saying that that is their country they were saying that the US has no interest or business in that region.

    • China’s Xi at G20 says world economy at risk, warns against protectionism

      HANGZHOU, China (Reuters) – The global economy is being threatened by rising protectionism and risks from highly leveraged financial markets, Chinese President Xi Jinping said at the open of a two-day summit of leaders from G20 nations.

      His warning on Sunday followed bilateral talks with Barack Obama that the U.S. president described as “extremely productive”, but which failed to bring both sides closer on thornier topics such as tensions in the South China Sea.

      With the summit taking place after Britain’s vote in June to exit the European Union and before the U.S. presidential election in November, observers expect G20 leaders to mount a defense of free trade and globalization and warn against isolationism.

      The global economy has arrived “at a crucial juncture”, Xi said, in the face of sluggish demand, volatile financial markets and feeble trade and investment.

      “Growth drivers from the previous round of technological progress are gradually fading, while a new round of technological and industrial revolution has yet to gain momentum,” he said.

      G20 countries are set to agree in a communique at the end of the summit that all policy measures – including monetary, fiscal and structural reforms – should be used to achieve solid and sustainable economic growth, Japanese Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Hagiuda said.

      http://www.oann.com/obama-says-will-have-candid-talks-in-china/

      • He wants the rest of the world to keep damaging their economy so China can get more money adn power.

  4. Venezuelan President Is Chased by Angry ProtestersCARACAS, Venezuela — President Nicolás Maduro was chased at a routine political event by a crowd of angry protesters banging on pots and yelling that they were hungry, just days after thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets to call for his ouster, local news media reported on Saturday.

    Scenes from the confrontation late Friday, which also appeared in videos uploaded to social media, captured the attention of Venezuelans, many of whom blame the unpopular president for the country’s food shortages.

    In one video, Mr. Maduro tries to calm the pot-bangers by walking among them, only to be surrounded as the furious crowd yells obscenities.

    “What is this?” an astounded voice behind the camera asks in one of the video clips.

    Mr. Maduro had traveled from the capital, Caracas, to Margarita Island off Venezuela’s northern coast to inaugurate a number of new public housing units and give a televised address.

    During the speech, he denounced his opponents’ calls for his removal from office, calling them “vampires” and saying they were preparing for violence.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/04/world/americas/venezuelan-president-is-chased-by-angry-protesters.html?_r=0

    video at site

  5. Passengers were forced to flee when the bus was surrounded and vandalized in Södertälje
    Published September 4, 2016 at 10:46
    By Mattias Albinsson ?

    Domestic. For the second night in a row Sodertalje shaken by unrest. This time it was Hovsjö affected by the violence.

    Riots in Södertälje

    Police to hospitals and residents attacked during riots in Södertälje

    It started at midnight. A SL bus on its way through the immigrant suburb sounded the alarm since encircled in Hovsjö center of a gang of rioters. Car tires had been rolled out on the street and the bus stuck in the fire.

    – It was basically shut up, you could say, and they threw stones at the bus, says Sven-Erik Olsson of the Stockholm police for Free Times.

    – Passengers remained on the bus had run out, he continues.

    One or more windows on the bus were smashed by vandals.

    Target: Fire department
    Aftonbladet writes that a trap had been set for the fire department. Firefighters avoided, however, run into Hovsjö to extinguish arson so that not even they would be surrounded.

    – We could stay out of reach and wait for the police, said Roger Magnusson, chief operating officer at Södertörn Fire Department.

    When police arrived on the scene they were subjected to stone-throwing and there were also subjected to so-called percussion caps (fire crackers) against them.

    “Epidemic” effect
    On the night between Friday and Saturday was the unrest in Brunnsäng center, on the other side of town. But the police do not think it’s the same people who are behind.

    – No, but these events seem to have some sort of epidemic impact. It starts in one place so it is others who take up this says Olsson.

    According to witness statements attended anything between 5-10 people up to 30 or so in the unrest in Hovsjö.

    At two o’clock at night had the unrest subsided. Police have failed to arrest any of the rioters. No one came to damage in connection with the riots.
    Google Translate
    http://www.friatider.se/passagerare-tvingades-fly-nar-buss-omringades-och-vandaliserades

  6. Le Pen promises French referendum on EU if elected president

    PARIS (AP) — The leader of France’s far-right National Front set the tone for her campaign for the French presidency Saturday, calling to fight an Islamist “offensive” and promising to hold a nationwide referendum on European Union membership if she is elected next spring.

    At a rally in a small eastern village, Marine Le Pen focused on her favorite issues, such as national sovereignty, immigration control, Islamism and what she calls “savage globalization.”

    The far-right candidate for the April-May election pledged to back the “France of the forgotten, the abandoned and the voiceless.”

    Le Pen, who announced her presidential bid months ago, delivered her annual speech in Brachay, a hamlet of a few dozen inhabitants and the French municipality where she symbolically won the largest share of votes in the last election.

    http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_FRANCE_PRESIDENTIAL_CAMPAIGN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-09-03-08-25-47

  7. Now the world will learn what the French people think about the EU, I don’t know enough about France to know what the result of the vote will be.

  8. Defiant Merkel says refugees not taking away benefits from Germans

    BERLIN (Reuters) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose conservative party faces possible defeat in an election in her home state on Sunday, rejected charges by anti-immigrant critics that her government was spending less on Germans due to a large influx of refugees.

    In an interview published in Saturday’s edition of Bild newspaper, Merkel also strongly defended her decision, one year ago this weekend, to open the door to hundreds of thousands of refugees mostly fleeing conflicts in the Middle East.

    “We did not reduce benefits for anyone in Germany as a result of the aid for refugees. In fact, we actually saw social improvements in some areas,” Merkel said.

    “We took nothing away from people here. We are still achieving our big goal of maintaining and improving the quality of life in Germany,” she said, a day before a critical vote in the eastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

    The big influx of refugees and migrants has dragged her approval ratings to a five-year low of 45 percent, but Merkel was unapologetic and said, faced with the same situation today, she would act no differently.

    https://www.yahoo.com/news/defiant-merkel-says-refugees-not-taking-away-benefits-112730370.html

  9. Here are a bunch of ways Hillary Clinton has avoided talking to journalists

    Hillary Clinton’s campaign announced Thursday their candidate would begin flying on a larger plane with room for media to tag along starting on Labor Day. That’s newsworthy because it has been nine months since Clinton held a press conference, and what interactions she does have with the media are notoriously well-controlled by her staff.

    In New Hampshire last year, Clinton’s aides actually used a rope to hold reporters away from her, an experience that is more the rule than the exception. In that vein, Politico has compiled a fascinating list of other times the campaign made covering Clinton “like a sensory deprivation experience” for print pool journalists. Here are a few of the most bizarre anecdotes:

    http://theweek.com/speedreads/646898/here-are-bunch-ways-hillary-clinton-avoided-talking-journalists

  10. Hillary Clinton, rarely seen, rarely heard

    The Democrat lets reporters trail her but tucks them away to keep them out of sight and herself out of reach.

    By Annie Karni

    09/03/16 07:46 AM EDT

    Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/hillary-clinton-reporters-press-227700#ixzz4JIKLZ9TF
    Follow us: @politico on Twitter | Politico on Facebook

    Hillary Clinton has never felt comfortable with the traveling political press.

    As first lady, she would sometimes arrange travel for herself and Chelsea separate from her husband, partly to avoid the protective pool of reporters assigned to the president. In 2008, she “fought tooth and nail,” former aides said, to avoid sharing the plane with her press corps and relented only when her campaign was running out of money and had to either bring the reporters on board or downgrade to commercial.

    Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/hillary-clinton-reporters-press-227700#ixzz4JIKXffdG
    Follow us: @politico on Twitter | Politico on Facebook

  11. Where Has Hillary Clinton Been? Ask the Ultrarich

    By AMY CHOZICK and JONATHAN MARTINSEPT. 3, 2016
    Continue reading the main story
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    At a private fund-raiser Tuesday night at a waterfront Hamptons estate, Hillary Clinton danced alongside Jimmy Buffett, Jon Bon Jovi and Paul McCartney, and joined in a singalong finale to “Hey Jude.”

    “I stand between you and the apocalypse,” a confident Mrs. Clinton declared to laughs, exhibiting a flash of self-awareness and humor to a crowd that included Calvin Klein and Harvey Weinstein and for whom the prospect of a Donald J. Trump presidency is dire.

    Mr. Trump has pointed to Mrs. Clinton’s noticeably scant schedule of campaign events this summer to suggest she has been hiding from the public. But Mrs. Clinton has been more than accessible to those who reside in some of the country’s most moneyed enclaves and are willing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to see her. In the last two weeks of August, Mrs. Clinton raked in roughly $50 million at 22 fund-raising events, averaging around $150,000 an hour, according to a New York Times tally.

    And while Mrs. Clinton has faced criticism for her failure to hold a news conference for months, she has fielded hundreds of questions from the ultrarich in places like the Hamptons, Martha’s Vineyard, Beverly Hills and Silicon Valley.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/04/us/politics/hillary-clinton-fundraising.html

  12. VLADIMIR SHOOTIN’ Russian president is gearing up for atomic war with the West by building top-secret nuclear shelters, security experts fear

    West and Russia currently at loggerheads over Syria, Ukraine and Nato drills in the Baltic

    VLADIMIR Putin is preparing for war with the West, security experts fear.

    The Russian president has invested heavily in decking out top-secret facilities around Moscow in the event of war.

    He has even ordered the building of a 400-square mile facility in the remote wastes of the Ural mountains from where any future conflict could be directed.

    Satellite images reveal the location of the huge centre near Mount Yamantau.

    And the nuclear power is in the process of building the world’s most powerful nuke – the Satan-2.

    The deadly warhead is believed to be big enough to destroy an area the size of France.

    The ramping up in military facilities comes at a time when tensions between the West and its Cold War foe are at their lowest ebb for a generation.

    https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/1720691/russian-president-is-gearing-up-for-atomic-war-with-the-west-by-building-top-secret-nuclear-shelters-security-experts-fear/

    • The building a bunker to survive a nuclear attack is nothing new for the Russians, During the Cold War when the left had the US and to a lesser extent Western Europe doing nothing to protect our populations in case of a nuclear exchange Russia built radiation shelters and kept them stocked with food and medicine. So this action is nothing new, and while the SUN is saying this is for a war with the west it is just or even more likely that the bunker is being prepared for a nuclear exchange with Iran and/or Pakistan.

      • And to get articles like this in our papers.
        Wicked tease, our Uncle Vlad. I’ve read what some – not I !! – might call sadistic tricks that he’s pulled to throw foreign rivals off balance when they’re visiting in Russia.

        • He is a master at the Game of Thrones and Obama, Kerry and Hillary are rank amateurs. Trump as a successful businessman will be much better.

        • OT You and Babs are worried about the election well here is something the media is ignoring: This isn’t a two person race in all of the states, depending on the state laws about getting on the ballot it is a 2 to 5 person race. in the states with more then 2 all Trump has to do is take more votes then any other person on the ballot. Also according to the polls the third party candidates are taking a lot more votes from Hillary then from Trump. The polls showing her winning are based on having just two people on the ballot.

          I don’t know about your states but Missouri will have at least 3 people on the ballot.

          • But thank you, Richard. I know you want us to feel better.
            After listening to Ace Lyon’s presentation, I’m even more convinced we’re on the side of the angels.
            ~~ May the Lord have mercy on Japan and the Philippines (for starters). Let us build our navy so they're not overwhemed by China-monster. ~~

  13. Beggar raped woman at knifepoint after she stopped to give him change in ‘horrific’ attack in north London (dailymail, Sep 4, 2016)
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3772535/Police-hunt-man-woman-raped-knifepoint-horrific-attack-north-London.html

    “Police are hunting a man after a woman was raped at knifepoint when she offered him some change.

    The victim, in her late 50s, was subjected to a ‘horrific’ attack in an alleyway of Essex Road in Islington, north London, at around midnight on Thursday.

    The man then emptied her bag onto the floor and stole some valuables before fleeing the scene.

    Described as dark skinned, around 5ft4ins in height and of medium build, the attacker was wearing dark clothing and looks like he is between 30 and 40 years old…”

  14. Page 3 Girl ‘is being groomed to be a jihadi bride’: Kimberley, 27, from Bradford is warned by MI5 she faces arrest if she continues to contact terrorist recruiters (dailymail, Sep 4, 2016)
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3772971/Page-3-Girl-groomed-jihadi-bride-Kimberley-27-Bradford-warned-MI5-faces-arrest-continues-contact-terrorist-recruiters.html

    “A former Page 3 model is reportedly being groomed online by Isis to become a jihadist bride.

    Kimberley Miners, who has posed topless for the Sun, has been using Facebook to speak with a British fighter in Syria who is trying to recruit women to the ‘caliphate’.

    Anti-terror police are said to be fearful the 27-year-old is being groomed.

    Speaking to Dipesh Gadher and Jonathan Corke for the Sunday Times, Ms Miners said her interest in Islam was sparked last year and she found ‘peace’ through it.

    She has been to Turkey twice and ended up at refugee camps close to the Syrian border.
    She said: ‘I’ve shared a lot of bombs and stuff [on Facebook]; I’ve shared a lot of videos.’

    Ms Miners said she was told Isis is there to protect the religion but not really knowing as ‘got her into trouble’.

    She said: ‘I’ve gone from glamour model to something completely different. But that again makes you wonder. You don’t get s*** for wearing nowt but the second you start wearing the veil you get accused of extremism.’…”

  15. Carnage in Calais: Horrific crash as jungle migrant gangs target tourists in cars in terrifying new AMBUSH technique that left our journalists covered in blood after narrowly escaping death (dailymail, Sep 4, 2016)
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3772571/Carnage-Calais-Horrific-crash-jungle-migrant-gangs-target-tourists-cars-MoS-journalists-badly-hurt-terrifying-new-ambush-technique.html

    “Migrants from the Calais Jungle camp are using a deadly new tactic in their attempts to get to Britain.

    Ruthless gangs are deliberately causing crashes on the roads to the French port by hurling large objects at cars – then sneaking on to lorries caught up in the resulting tailbacks.

    Home Secretary Amber Rudd has spoken out after a team of Mail on Sunday journalists narrowly escaped death last week when three migrants threw a log at their car, forcing it into the path of a 38-ton juggernaut.

    After being briefed about the incident, Ms Rudd issued a statement describing the development as ‘extremely concerning’.

    She added: ‘It’s vital that people feel safe when using the Channel ports. This shows just how it is in all our interests to combat attempts to enter the UK illegally.’

    Reporter Ben Ellery, 32, and photographers Steve Burton and John McLellan were all injured when their British-registered Audi swerved to avoid the missile…”

  16. France must tackle this anarchy before it’s fatal: Dover MP says it is only a matter of time before someone is killed (dailymail, Sep 4, 2016)
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3772635/France-tackle-anarchy-s-fatal-Dover-MP-says-matter-time-killed.html

    “Hurling logs at cars to deliberately cause a crash marks a horrific escalation of the danger facing drivers in Calais.

    The evidence obtained by The Mail on Sunday makes me fear that unless action is taken – and now – by the French authorities, then it is only a matter of time before someone is killed.

    This is why I will be going into the Home Office this week to urge the Government to put more pressure on the French to tackle the anarchy…”

  17. Revealed: ‘Sweet shop’ jihadi boss is the elder brother of jailed hate preacher Anjem Choudary (dailymail, Sep 4, 2016)
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3772778/Sweet-shop-jihadi-boss-elder-brother-jailed-hate-preacher-Anjem-Choudary.html

    “The businessman who bankrolled some of Britain’s most notorious extremists with more than £1 million of taxpayers’ money can today be revealed as the elder brother of jailed hate preacher Anjem Choudary.

    Yazdani Choudary, 53, employed at least 12 extremist associates of his 49-year-old brother, all of whom are now either in prison or have fled to Syria to fight for the Islamic State terror group.

    The 12 were employed by the businessman at three ‘front companies’ which included an IT training firm, a printing business and a halal sweet shop, all housed in a building in Whitechapel, East London.

    The Mail on Sunday revealed last week how the extremists were able to use the nondescript premises of the three firms to plot jihad on the streets of Britain as well as run ‘sharia surgeries’ in its basement.

    Now we have overturned a High Court ban which prevented us from identifying Yazdani Choudary as the owner of the three companies.

    We can now also reveal that he had an asset-freezing order imposed against him by the Treasury, as MI5 and anti-terrorist police feared he was a fundraiser for his younger brother’s banned organisation, Al-Muhajiroun.

    Despite the accusations, he was never charged with any offence and has now won his appeal against the Treasury’s freezing of his assets…”

  18. China, U.S. commit to refrain from competitive currency devaluations

    http://www.oann.com/china-u-s-commit-to-refrain-from-competitive-currency-devaluations/

    HANGZHOU, China (Reuters) – China and the United States on Sunday committed anew to refrain from competitive currency devaluations, and China said it would continue an orderly transition to a market-oriented exchange rate for the yuan .

    A joint “fact sheet”, issued a day after U.S. President Barack Obama and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping held talks, also said the two countries had committed “not to unnecessarily limit or prevent commercial sales opportunities for foreign suppliers of ICT (information and communications technology) products or services”.

    While China and the United States cooperate closely on a range of global issues, including North Korea’s disputed nuclear program and climate change, the two countries have deep disagreements in other areas, like cyberhacking and human rights.

    Both countries said they would “refrain from competitive devaluations and not target exchange rates for competitive purposes”, the fact sheet said.

    Meanwhile, China would “continue an orderly transition to a market-determined exchange rate, enhancing two-way flexibility. China stresses that there is no basis for a sustained depreciation of the RMB (yuan). Both sides recognize the importance of clear policy communication.”

    • China wary as Hong Kong election exposes underlying strains

      HONG KONG (Reuters) – Hong Kong voted on Sunday in its first major election since pro-democracy protests in 2014 and one of its most contentious, with a push for independence among disaffected younger candidates and voters stoking tension with China’s government.

      The vote is for a 70-seat legislative council in which Hong Kong’s pro-democracy opposition is hoping to maintain a one-third veto bloc in the face of better mobilized and funded pro-Beijing and pro-establishment rivals.

      The former British colony was handed back to China in 1997 under a “one country, two systems” agreement that promised to maintain the global financial hub’s freedoms and separate laws for at least 50 years, but gave ultimate control to Beijing.

      Long queues formed outside some polling stations as voters flocked to cast ballots for a record number of candidates who fanned out across the city of seven million on election day.

      Much attention focused on a group of about 20 pro-democracy “localists” pushing a more radical, anti-China agenda who could become a fledgling new force in the legislature.

      A growing yearning for independence and animosity towards Beijing in the southern coastal city pose one of the central government’s most pressing domestic political issues.

      http://www.oann.com/china-wary-as-hong-kong-election-exposes-underlying-strains/

  19. ‘More will come’ ISIS warns 100s of jihadis have snuck into Schengen to attack Europe & UK (express, Sep 4, 2016)
    http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/706845/Islamic-state-ISIS-terrorist-attacks-smuggled-thousands-extremists-snuck-Europe-migrants

    “EXCLUSIVE: ISIS supporters have gloated about sleeper cells nestled in Europe which are poised to carry out horror attacks on innocent civilians.

    And most frighteningly of all – terror experts have backed up the chilling claims.

    During the migrant crisis it was feared jihadists could sneak through the European Union’s porous borders as thousands arrived into the continent daily from war-torn nations.

    This included in July, Mohammad Daleel, a 27-year-old failed asylum seeker, who blew himself up outside a party in Ansbach, Germany.

    ISIS later said he was a “soldier of the Caliphate”.

    There was doubt around the claims as the man was said to have mental health issues and had previously attempted suicide.

    But now Express.co.uk has seen online material from ISIS supporters, claiming sleeper cells are waiting to attack.

    One ISIS supporter boasted over Telegram app about upcoming attacks which he claimed would be as deadly as those in Nice and Paris.

    He said: ”There are many cells being set up.

    “That Islam will bring fear upon their land and each home.

    “And many more attacks are carded.

    “And on the way in many forms and fashions.

    “Until they stop.”

    The jihadist, who claims to be 28, said Muslims who support the caliphate attack Europe because of the war in Syria.

    He also claimed those killed in Nice and Paris should have stopped their national governments from getting involved in the war in Syria.

    He said: “Victory is by Allah and with the Muslims.

    “What is to happen is to happen with no consequences to anyone

    “What makes the citizens normal or innocent?

    “When this is their rule or else stand up and abolish the governments.”

    Political scientist Colin Clarke from the American think-tank RAND has warned Europe not to take the claims lightly…”

  20. COLOGNE COPYCAT ATTACKS: Migrants grope and sexually assault women at German festival (express, Sep 4, 2016)
    http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/707054/Cologne-copycat-attacks-migrants-grope-sexually-assault-women-German-festival

    “IMMIGRANT men have groped and sexually assaulted a number of women in a German city in copycat attacks of the New Year’s eve sex frenzy in Cologne.

    Police said the four women who filed complaints after the incidents in Essen late on Friday could be “only the tip of the iceberg.”

    Women who may have been attacked at the Essen Original city party have been offered a confidential hotline by officers to contact them.

    The police presence at the festival was beefed up over the weekend as a result of the sexual assaults.

    All said that men came up to them in groups, danced around them, harassed and groped them.

    This mirrored the attacks in Cologne…”

  21. Around 100 Injured in Clashes in Indian Kashmir (abcnews, Sep 4, 2016)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/100-injured-clashes-indian-kashmir-41856573

    “Around 100 people were injured Sunday as Indian government forces fired tear gas and shotgun pellets to quell thousands of protesters who pelted rocks and burned a government office in the Indian portion of Kashmir, police said.

    Clashes erupted when police tried to stop the marchers heading to a village in Shopian district in response to a call from separatist groups challenging India’s sovereignty over Kashmir. The area is 70 kilometers (45 miles) south of Srinagar, the main city in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

    Also Sunday, key Kashmiri separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik refused to meet a group of Indian lawmakers who came from New Delhi as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to restore normalcy in the troubled region.

    In a joint statement, the leaders demanded that the Indian government address the “core issue of the peoples’ right to self-determination in Jammu-Kashmir.”…”

  22. Nigerian Military: Some Officers Selling Arms to Boko Haram (abcnews, Sep 4, 2016)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/nigerian-military-officers-selling-arms-boko-haram-41856473

    “Nigeria’s military says some officers are selling arms and ammunition to Boko Haram, indicating the corruption bedeviling the country’s fight against the Islamic extremists continues despite government efforts to halt graft.

    The admission comes three weeks after the Nigerian army said a military tribunal is trying 16 officers and troops accused of offenses related to the fight against Boko Haram, including the theft and sale of ammunition…”

  23. Aris Messinis: Lesbos migrant crisis photos win French award (BBC, Sep 4, 2016)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-37269632

    “A Greek photographer has won the Visa d’Or news photography prize for his coverage of the mass arrival of migrants on the island of Lesbos last year.

    Aris Messinis worked for the French news agency AFP and has won prizes before for images taken in war zones.

    He said he never thought he would cover this in his own country.

    Notably, he has at times stepped out from behind the lens and helped the people he saw in difficulty…”

  24. China: Russian-US cooperation in Syria hits stumbling block, announces Kerry

    US Secretary of State John Kerry revealed that talks between Moscow and Washington over Syria had hit a stumbling block on Sunday at the G20 in China. He was due to be joined by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, but instead came out alone to reveal “it would be fair to say there are a couple of tough issues.”

    Those “tough issues” now mean that the delegations will meet again on Monday morning before revealing the outcome of the Geneva talks. The closed-door meeting lasted for “a couple of hours” but during that time neither diplomat was able to move past certain questions, the nature of which Secretary Kerry did not reveal. The delegations plan to review Sunday’s meeting and attempt to make more headway.

  25. Greece: Golden Dawn commemorates battle of Thermopylae

    Hundreds of members of the far-right Golden Dawn party participated in a torch lit march at the Thermopylae Pass, some 200 kilometres (124 miles) from Athens, on Saturday, to commemorate the Battle of Thermopylae from 480 BC. The myth surrounding the battle retells how King Leonidas held out for three days with 300 only Spartans against thousands of Persians.

    • There are plenty of written accounts about the battle, the 300 could hold the narrow area against much greater odds because only a few could come against them. What isn’t normally told is that there were 4000 Greek troops from other city states that were backing up the 300.

      The basic facts are what the story says but it leaves out a lot, if you want to see the basic story the 1961 movie stays fairly close to the facts.

  26. ALLAHU AKBAR -Germany: Pro-democracy Turkish protesters rally in Remscheid

    Hundreds of Turkish protesters took part in a demonstration in Remscheid, Sunday, under the motto “Turks of Remscheid say yes to democracy.”

  27. To Iranian eyes, Kurdish unrest spells Saudi incitement

    BEIRUT (Reuters) – A decision by a Kurdish opposition group to take up arms against Iranian authorities has senior officials in Tehran worrying that Saudi Arabia is seeking to undermine its stability in a deepening of their regional rivalry.

    Riyadh denies the charge. But tension between the two countries is surging, with Saudi Arabia and Iran supporting opposite sides in wars in Syria and Yemen and rival political parties in Iraq and Lebanon. The contest has largely hewed along sectarian lines as mainly Shi’ite Iran and Saudi Arabia, a predominantly Sunni country, vie for influence.

    That competition, officials in Tehran worry, has now spread inside their borders, thanks to what they fear is Riyadh’s exploitation of the Islamic Republic’s communal rifts.

    They point to clashes — the first in almost 20 years — between the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) fighters and Revolutionary Guards in the northwest in June and July that left several dead on both sides.

    As fighting escalated, Iranian forces shelled suspected Kurdish military bases in northern Iraq, raising the prospect that the conflict could spread across the border.

    http://www.oann.com/to-iranian-eyes-kurdish-unrest-spells-saudi-incitement/

    • Turkish-backed rebels clear IS from Turkey’s Syrian border: state media

      ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkish-backed rebels on Sunday cleared Islamic State fighters from Turkey’s Syrian border, securing an area in northern Syria and making a substantial advance in an incursion by Turkish forces, state media reported, making

      The rebels, mainly Syrian Arabs and Turkmen fighting under the loose banner of the Free Syrian Army, took charge of the frontier after clearing out the Sunni hardline group, state-run Anadolu Agency said.

      The advance took place little more than a week after Turkey launched the Syrian incursion, called Euphrates Shield, deploying tanks and air power to support the rebels, who swept into the border town of Jarablus.

      On Saturday, Turkey and its rebel allies opened a new line of attack in northern Syria, rolling across the border some 55 km (34 miles) west of Jarablus.

      The rebels now appear to have secured a roughly 90 km stretch of land that Turkey has long wanted to control, to keep out jihadists and to stop the advance of U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters.

      Turkey is fighting a three-decade-old Kurdish insurgency in the southeast and fears that gains by the Syrian Kurdish YPG will embolden militants at home. Turkey considers the YPG a terrorist organization and an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

      http://www.oann.com/turkey-will-never-allow-artificial-state-in-northern-syria-pm-says/

      • The Kurds in Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran want their own nation made up of the Kurdish regoins inall 4 nations. None of the 4 want to give up land to the Kurds and both Turkey and Iran want to be the leaders in the new Caliphate.

        Is Saudi stirring the pot with the Kurds? They would be stupid not to and the 4 nations that the Kurds want to give up land are all enemies or client states except where the Kurds are concerned then they are allies. Welcome to the Middle Eastern game board for the Game of Thrones.

  28. The Kurds, against all odds

    Aided by the chaos in Syria, the Kurds have tried benefiting from all worlds. They are cautiously venturing to form autonomous institutions, while their militia is fighting to secure territorial continuity in the north, with aim of establishing a true autonomy there similar to the one that exists in Iraq. This endeavor, of course, was a call to arms for Turkey, which is fearful of Kurdish sentiments in Syria spilling over the border, and whose relationship with the Kurdish population at home is already at a boiling point.

    Thus the Kurds are maintaining a dialogue with the Syrian regime and with the Russians, who want to use them to hit the Syrian rebels — Arabs supported by Turkey and Arab states. Meanwhile, Washington has also come to their aid, coldly calculating that the Kurds can be used to fight Islamic State. As usual, however, when it comes to the Obama administration, American policy is shortsighted, merely capitalizing on a tactical and perhaps cynical opportunity that could end in the abandonment of the Kurds when American interests call for appeasing Turkey; or as part of a deal with Russia and the Assad regime to end the war in Syria.

    It appears the regional and global game is too big for the Kurds. When they are called to the table once the fighting ends, they are liable to discover they were invited to be part of the menu, not a fellow victor to feast on the spoils of war. But this is the painful reality in our region, and the Kurds are one of the more prominent examples of it.

    http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=17085

  29. U.S., Russia labor over Syria truce deal but battles rage on

    HANGZHOU, China/BEIRUT (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama said on Sunday that the United States and Russia were struggling to reach a ceasefire agreement on Syria as the two sides planned to meet again on Monday.

    “We’re not there yet,” Obama told reporters after a meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May on the sidelines of the G20 summit in the Chinese city of Hangzhou.

    “We have grave differences with the Russians in terms of both the parties we support but also the process that is required to bring about peace in Syria,” he said.

    On the battlefront, fighting raged. Syrian government forces and their allies scored an important victory by recapturing areas in southwestern Aleppo which rebels had seized last month, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

    An agreement that would stop the fighting and allow more humanitarian deliveries looked set to be announced by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Hangzhou.

    http://www.oann.com/obama-says-u-s-has-grave-differences-with-russia-over-syria/

  30. Philippines worried, says more Chinese boats spotted at disputed shoal

    VIENTIANE (Reuters) – The Philippines expressed “grave concern” on Sunday and demanded an explanation from China’s ambassador over what it said was an increasing number of Chinese boats near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.

    A Philippines air force plane flew over the rocky outcrop on Saturday and spotted more boats than usual in a flotilla China has maintained since seizing the shoal after a tense standoff in 2012, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said.

    “There were four Chinese coastguard ships and six other vessels, including blue-colored barges, around Scarborough Shoal,” he said in a text message sent to reporters.

    “The presence of many ships other than coastguard in the area is a cause of grave concern.”

    China’s embassy in Manila could not be reached for comment.

    Though the shoal is merely a few rocks poking above the sea, it is important to the Philippines because of its tranquil waters and rich stocks of fish. Manila says China’s blockade of the shoal is a violation of international law.

    The dispute has become more significant since the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) on July 12 ruled that no one country has sovereign rights over activity in the Scarborough Shoal, a traditional fishing ground for Chinese, Filipino and Vietnamese.

    China has refused to recognize the ruling and the latest comment from the Philippines could cause a stir ahead of two regional summits in Laos from Tuesday, where leaders of Southeast Asian states as well as China, Japan and United States will meet.

    http://www.oann.com/philippines-worried-says-more-chinese-boats-spotted-at-disputed-shoal/

        • My great-aunt raised her family there, her husband part of the huge American expat community. Such a colorful story-teller, I feel like it’s part of my own life.

            • Really! Great!
              Crib-language was Ladino, so Spanish came naturally, but the cousins associate Tagalog with the pure love poured into them from nursemaids.

  31. China is working to place fortified positions at all of the choke points for entrence and exit from the South China Sea. They are building artificial islands on the shoals and reefs and are then installing military airfields and harbors with indications that they are building ships with large nuclear reactors on them to power the installations.

    The US Navy in its weakened state can’t do much to help our allies so they are building a new alliance without the US.

    WWIII is ready to go kinetic just waiting for the right match on the right fuse.

  32. German anti-immigrant party beats Merkel’s party in her home state

    BERLIN (Reuters) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats fell to third place in a state election on Sunday behind the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) and anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, TV projections showed.

    In a stinging defeat for Merkel in her home district one year ahead of federal elections, the upstart AfD won 21.4 percent of the vote in their first election in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern by campaigning hard against the chancellor’s policies on refugees, according to a projection by ZDF TV at 1615 GMT.

    “This isn’t pretty for us,” said Michael Grosse-Groehmer, one of Merkel’s top deputies in parliament in Berlin in a ZDF TV interview. “Those who voted for the AfD were sending a message of protest.”

    The election took place exactly a year after Merkel’s decision to open Germany’s borders to hundreds of thousands of refugees and the discontent in the state was palpable.

    “This is a slap in the face for Merkel – not only in Berlin but also in her home state,” said Frauke Petry, co-leader of the AfD. “The voters made a clear statement against Merkel’s disastrous immigration policies. This put her in her place.”

    http://www.oann.com/anti-immigrant-party-poised-for-huge-win-in-german-state-election/

  33. Five contentious issues for Obama and Turkey’s president to discuss Sunday
    President Obama will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Hangzhou, China, on Sunday in the midst of the rockiest relationship the two NATO allies have faced in years.

    Here are five contentious issues they’re likely to confront:
    1- Turkey vs. the Kurds
    2- U.S.-Turkish discord since a coup attempt
    3- Turkey cozying up to Russia
    4- Turkish overtures to Iran
    5- The future of Incirlik air base
    http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/09/02/five-contentious-issues-obama-and-turkeys-president-discuss-sunday/89769352/

  34. ISNA Convention – Debating CVE: Engagement with Law Enforcement, Harm or Benefit?
    ( 58 min )

  35. Pakistani ‘billionaire’ unfazed about gold-plated Maserati being impounded in London (tribune, Sep 4, 2016)
    http://tribune.com.pk/story/1175787/pakistani-origin-billionaire-uninsured-supercar-impounded-london/

    “A Pakistani ‘billionaire’ was pulled over by police last week while cruising in his gold-plated Maserati GranCabrio through Kingston with L-plates on.

    The 19-year-old, Hamza Sheikh told the Evening Standard, “I have a Rolls-Royce and a Range Rover. I am just waiting for my new gold Lamborghini to be delivered in the meantime. Since I was young I have been learning to drive in supercars — I’ve also learnt in a Porsche Panamera, so a Maserati is a piece of cake.”

    “No Maserati, I’ll just learn to drive in a Rolls-Royce with insurance,” added Sheikh, who is a business management student at Regent’s University and a property developer. “I was informed by my staff that the police were watching my car for more than an hour. I have security with me wherever I go and I’m very happy that I’ve got my car back, but I was not without a car — I drove my Rolls-Royce with my security.”…”

  36. 5 Afghan refugees detained in Austria following sexual assaults (RT, Sep 4, 2016)
    https://www.rt.com/news/358243-refugees-austria-sexual-assault/

    “Police in northern Austria have detained five migrants from Afghanistan over accusations of sexually harassing women during a wine festival in the city of Wels. The mayor demanded “zero tolerance” in the wake of the alleged assaults.

    According to various Austrian media outlets, police said five Afghan asylum seekers were detained Sunday over links to the sexual assaults, which were said to have happened early Saturday.

    Four of the alleged perpetrators appeared to be unaccompanied teenage refugees, aged between 15 and 16, while the fifth is 22 years old. “An assailant aged 15 was identified by one of the victims and accused of” sexually harassing her, DiePresse reports.

    According to police, the affected women, eight so far, have reported that the group of assailants included at least two more males. Law enforcers are currently checking this information, while calling on potential victims and eyewitnesses to forward any information to police.

    The assaults in Wels happened in a packed celebration tent during a wine festival. “The women reported that the men held them and grabbed between their legs,” Nachrichten.at cited police as saying…”

  37. RE: Fox
    Confirmed: Rupert Murdoch Instructed Fox News To Take Down Donald Trump August 2015…
    In an extensive article within New York Magazine, mostly outlining the rather sordid details of Roger Ailes, readers may also note specific confirmation of something we outlined in August of last year (2015). Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch instructed Fox News executives to take down Donald Trump.
    https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2016/09/03/confirmed-rupert-murdoch-instructed-fox-news-to-take-down-donald-trump-august-2015/

    Good linked stuff, click through-

  38. Leaked Documents: Soros Group Spent $600K To Mainstream Pro-Refugee Attitudes

    Leaked documents from left-wing financier George Soros’s Open Society Foundations continue to reveal the extent to which the group has influenced the political response to Europe’s refugee crisis. Internal documents show OSF used $600,000 in reserve funding in March 2016 to bring pro-refugee positions into the “political mainstream.”

    Jordi Vaquer, OSF’s regional director for Europe, approved a $600,000 proposal entitled, “Countering the anti-migrant rhetoric and toxic narratives surrounding migration in Europe.”

    According to OSF documents, half of the $600,000 would go towards lobbying efforts. All $600,000 came from OSF’s “Europe Reserve Fund.”

    A summary of the proposal notes that “the proposed reserve fund allocation will allow for additional resources to be allocated towards countering xenophobic attitudes in Europe, move parts of the political mainstream towards more pro-refugee positions, and build constituencies around a more progressive approach to migration and asylum.”

    A section of the proposal titled “Unforeseen need” explains that the money is needed because of the loss of sympathy for refugees in due in part to the November 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris.

    The debate around migration in Europe has become increasingly anti-migrant both at the political and public level. In 2015, the high number of refugee arrivals and the terrorist attacks in Paris in November, have eroded much of the sympathy towards refugees that was present earlier that year.”

    The proposal notes, “While Germany started in mid-2015 with a widespread welcoming attitude towards refugees, by now general sentiment leans towards closure of borders.” The proposal claims that “Sweden, the other traditional stronghold of solidarity towards refugees, is facing similar challenges.”

    As originally reported by The Daily Caller, a leaked OSF memo from May 2016 argues that Europe’s refugee crisis should be accepted as a “new normal,” and that the refugee crisis means “new opportunities” for Soros’s organization to influence immigration policies on a global scale.

    That memo made three key points: OSF — the nation’s least transparent think tank — has been successful at influencing global immigration policy; Europe’s refugee crisis presents “new opportunities” for the organization to influence global immigration policy; and the refugee crisis is the “new normal.”

    Another leaked memo reveals that OSF is anticipating an increase in “migration pressures in the coming decades” due in part to “globalization.”

    The OSF documents were released by “hacktivist” group DCLeaks, which publishes documents from powerful political figures around the world.

    http://dailycaller.com/2016/09/04/leaked-documents-soros-group-spent-600k-to-mainstream-pro-refugee-attitudes/