Each day at just after midnight Eastern, a post like this one is created for contributors and readers of this site to upload news links and video links on the issues that concern this site. Most notably, Islam and its effects on Classical Civilization, and various forms of leftism from Soviet era communism, to postmodernism and all the flavours of galloping statism and totalitarianism such as Nazism and Fascism which are increasingly snuffing out the classical liberalism which created our near, miraculous civilization the West has been building since the time of Socrates.
This document was written around the time this site was created, for those who wish to understand what this site is about. And while our understanding of the world and events has grown since then, the basic ideas remain sound and true to the purpose.
So please post all links, thoughts and ideas that you feel will benefit the readers of this site to the comments under this post each day. And thank you all for your contributions.
This is the new Samizdat. We must use it while we can.
Human Trafficking Reaches Record High in Finland – Report (sputniknews, Jan 16, 2020)
https://sputniknews.com/europe/202001161078049814-human-trafficking-reaches-record-high-in-finland–report/
“According to data from Finland’s Migration Board, the number of human trafficking victims has risen more than six times in merely five years. Most of these cases reportedly involve asylum seekers.
A record number of victims of human trafficking have been added into the human trafficking victim assistance system, Finland’s Migration Board (Migri) said.
As of December 2019, the human trafficking victim assistance system included 521 people plus their 155 minor children, which is more than twice as many as two years ago and more than six times as many as five years ago.
This figure includes victims of forced labour, prostitution, and forced marriage. Most were the victims of forced labour, working in the food, cleaning, and construction industries.
“Forced begging, forced criminal activity, and human trafficking related to sexual exploitation were also detected in Finland in 2019”, Migri said in a statement.
According to Migri superintendent Terhi Tafari, the figures don’t necessarily mean a two-fold increase, but may be due to increased awareness. Still, this is only the tip of the iceberg, Tafari admitted. The assistance system has no outreach activities, which is why awareness is crucial to identify such cases and arrange help for the victims.
The majority of those enrolled in the aid system are asylum seekers, and this is no coincidence. In a majority of cases, the exploitation took place abroad before arriving in Finland.
“The fact that the asylum seekers are in the majority is due to being asked by several agencies on arrival, meeting with health care providers and supervisors”, Tafari told the newspaper Hufvudstadsbladet.
Human trafficking also occurs on Finnish soil. Last year, the number of victims exploited in Finland reached 70, up from 52 victims in 2018 and 42 in 2016.
“The victims of sex-related human trafficking are often particularly difficult to reach, usually someone is required to intervene. The exploitation is so traumatising, and the victims are often so scared that they dare not tell”, Tafari explained.
Last year, two cases of forced begging were also identified for the first time in Finland. Another growing group are people forced into marriage.
“Forced marriages often occur in connection with violence in close relationships”, Tafari said.
A previous report on human trafficking released by the Council of Europe in June found that illicit activity had tripled in Finland between 2015 and 2018.”
It seems growing pot ain’t so green, after all. They should have left it illegal. Besides the massive electricity needs for indoor growth cited in this article, there are many other problems created. Landlords get complaints from tenants because other tenants stink the place up. Then, they can’t sell their condo because of the smell. Cops don’t know how to test for impairment while driving. Greater frequency of psychological problems are created because the THC content of modern weed is, some say, up to 20x’s higher than the average pot from the 60s and 70s. And these mental issues are most seen in youth because older pot heads have built up tolerance.
This is what happens when the Left wins, which they essentially have.
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/The-Cannabis-Industrys-Dirty-Energy-Secret.html
up to 20x’s higher than the average pot from the 60s and 70s
That’s because a bag of weed back then was mostly leaves, stalks and seeds.
No, it is from advanced genetic engineering as well as classical Mendelian breeding for attributes. It really is crazy strong now. It would not be in any way an exageration to say modern marijuana is a different drug than 1970s.
In the 70s, what they called, “Sensemilla” or pure buds, the strongest part of the plant, was 1 to 2% THC and hash, if its even still a thing, was around 5%.
You are correct, Eeyore. Pure Canadian ingenuity figuring out how to best grow indoors in cold winters hydroponically is largely responsible for a massive jump in thc content over the last 40 years.
I know a man (landlord) who is stuck with a tenant using medical marijuana. The tenant smokes non-stop. Everywhere, you smell pot.
The landlord ended up building a cubicle around the apartment to contain the smell. And he can’t evict the tenant.
Fabricating threats to impose draconian gun bans against peaceful people is too easy for leftist politicians. Meanwhile, commie maniacs like Jurek admit they’ll kill to get their way. This is not a good dynamic:
https://www.theorganicprepper.com/northam-declares-state-of-emergency-in-virginia-because-armed-militia-groups-plan-to-storm-the-capitol/
Listen to today’s Bongino podcast towards the end he talks about how the Dems are losing the Black Voters and it looks like they won’t be able to win a Presidential Election for decades. They were close to seizing total control in the US and are now desperate to try and maintain what power they still have.
Watch for violence on Monday and for the Commies in all of the campaigns to start violence either during the campaign season or after Trump wins. I will post the Liberty Dolls new videos as they appear on line, she is keeping up on all of the major threats to the Second Amendment.
https://mises.org/wire/european-green-deal-every-bit-bad-expected
Close the science and open the wallet. Keynesian printing paradise is the green road to bankruptcy hell.
South Tyrol: Muslim brutally kills his girlfriend — His father claims: “She was not worthy of him”
The Higher Regional Court has confirmed the first-instance verdict against Rabih Badr. The Moroccan, who is held responsible for the brutal murder of his girlfriend Marianne Obrist, is to be imprisoned for 30 years.The cruelty of the crime was decisive for the court’s decision, reports the broadcaster Rai Südtirol. The 39-year-old Marianne Obrist died violently in August 2017 in her apartment in Milland near Brixen.According to Judge Michaeler, her partner at the time had beaten her first with a stick, then with a baseball bat ” like a stray dog”. Badr is said to have stabbed the 39-year-old woman with a knife finally. The 34-year-old’s lawyers had announced an appeal against the prison sentence. According to Michaeler, the motive was not jealousy, but the complete control Badr wanted to exercise over Marianne Obrist.Although there are no indications of relations with other men, Rabih Badr’s father continues to denounce the alleged adultery of Marianne Obrist and protects his son. “This is his fault, he must be punished. But the punishment must not be excessive”, he demands in an interview with broadcaster Rai.”There was a problem between him and Marianne, namely the problem of adultery. She was not faithful to him, he dedicated his whole life to her, but Marianne was not worthy of him”.
More:
https://searchlight-germany.blogspot.com/2020/01/south-tyrol-muslim-brutally-kills-his.html
who beats a stray dog with a baseball bat?
Very sick people.
video – DEC 2018
https://www.rainews.it/tgr/tagesschau/video/2018/12/tag-Mordfall-Obrist-Rabih-Badr-9779d5b5-1a20-4939-bbfb-e132ffa8ac86.html
‘War on Terror to Continue Until We Get to Its Roots’ – India’s Chief of Defence Staff (sputniknews, Jan 16, 2020)
https://sputniknews.com/india/202001161078050384-war-on-terror-to-continue-untiil-we-get-to-its-roots—indias-chief-of-defence-staff/
“India’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat has called out all countries sponsoring terrorism and asked the international community to hold them accountable.
Participating in the annual multilateral Raisina Dialogue-2020 in New Delhi on Thursday, General Rawat said that the war on terror was nowhere near its end and added that there was an urgent need to understand the roots of this global menace and tackle it with a firm hand.
Indirectly targeting Pakistan, which India sees as a country that promotes terrorism from its soil, General Rawat said: “The war on terror is not ending, it is something which is going to continue, we will have to live with it until we understand and get to the roots of terrorism.”
Rawat further observed that countries around the world need to learn from the US experience of dealing with terror with an iron hand in the aftermath of the 11 September 2001 terror attacks that claimed nearly 3000 lives; maimed over 25,000 and damaged property worth over $10 billion.
“We have to bring an end to terrorism, and that can only happen the way the Americans started after the 9/11 terror attacks. They said let’s go on a spree, on a global war, on terror. To do that, you have to isolate the terrorists, and anybody who is sponsoring terrorism has to be taken to task,” India’s top military functionary said.
Radicalisation is happening in schools, universities and religious institutions, he further claimed, adding, “terrorism is here to stay so long as there are going to be states (Pakistan) that are going to sponsor terrorism.”
“If they are going to use terrorists as proxies, make weapons available to them, make funding available for them, then we can’t control terrorism,” General Rawat warned.
The general lauded the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the inter-governmental organisation, for its efforts in combating money laundering and terror financing.
He said: “We need to isolate terrorism. You cannot have countries which are partnering with you in the global war on terror and yet are sponsoring proxies and terrorism. For this, international messaging has to go – like blacklisting by the FATF – it was a good measure. Diplomatic isolation, you have to do this.”
General Rawat’s comments assume significance in the wake of the FATF repeatedly putting Pakistan on notice and applying diplomatic pressure to encourage Pakistan to deliver on combating terrorism allegedly emanating from its soil. Islamabad has been given time until the middle of February to hand over a progress report on this front.”
Erdogan Announces Turkey is Sending Troops to Libya (sputniknews, Jan 16, 2020)
https://sputniknews.com/world/202001161078051768-erdogan-announces-turkey-is-sending-troops-to-libya/
“Ankara and the UN-backed Government of National Accord previously signed an agreement to deploy Turkish troops to the war-torn country. Turkey noted though that the deployment would only happen if General Haftar’s army continues its offensive.
During a speech to the Annual Evaluation Meeting for 2019 at the Bestepe National Congress and Culture Centre in Ankara Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that the country will be sending troops to Libya under an agreement with the Government of National Accord. Erdogan added that Turkey will use both military and diplomatic means to ensure “stability” in Libya.
The president also noted that Ankara will start search and drill activities for gas reserves in the eastern Mediterranean in 2020 in line with the accord reached with the GNA and that the vessel Oruc Reis has already started seismic studies.
“After signing a maritime and security deal with Libya, it’s not legally possible to carry out exploration and drilling activities [for gas] or to lay a pipeline without the approval of both countries”, Erdogan said.
Conflict in Libya Continues as Parties Fail to Sign Ceasefire Accord
Earlier the two main sides to the internal conflict in Libya, the UN-Backed Government of National Accord controlling the country’s east and the Libyan National Army led by General Khalifa Haftar failed to negotiate a ceasefire during talks in Moscow. While the GNA signed the negotiated ceasefire agreement, Haftar didn’t. He returned to Libya and announced the continuation of hostilities.
The next attempt to reconcile the warring parties is to take place in Berlin, Germany on 19 January, where Germany, France, Turkey, Russia, the US, UK, China, and Italy will try to broker a new ceasefire deal.
Turkish authorities earlier said that military deployments under the agreement struck with the GNA would only commence if General Haftar continues his offensive on the GNA’s capital, Tripoli. The Libyan Parliament, which supports General Haftar’s army, denounced the military cooperation agreement between the GNA and Turkey voting unanimously to break off all ties with Turkey.
Libya has remained in a state of civil war with multiple parties, including the GNA and the LNA, fighting each other for control over the country ever since its last leader Muammar Gadhafi was murdered in 2011. He was killed by one of the militant groups, fighting to oust him with the support of western countries.”
German Defence Minister Confirms Reports of Trump’s Threats to Slap EU With Higher Tariffs Over Iran (sputniknews, Jan 16, 2020)
https://sputniknews.com/world/202001161078052193-german-defence-minister-confirms-reports-of-trumps-threats-to-slap-eu-with-tariffs-over-iran/
“US media outlets previously reported that President Donald Trump had demanded his European colleagues boost their pressure on Iran to seek a new deal concerning its nuclear programme, threatening to introduce additional punitive economic measures against the EU otherwise.
The German Defence Minister and head of a governing coalition party, the CDU, has confirmed that the US indeed threatened to slap import taxes on European cars, if Germany, France, and the UK don’t put more pressure on Iran regarding its nuclear activities. The minister didn’t elaborate about exactly when the threat was expressed, but stressed that Germany will not support Washington’s policy of “maximum pressure” against Iran.
She added, however, that the triggering of the Iran Nuclear Deal Dispute Mechanism was not a reaction to US President Donald Trump’s tariff threats. Kramp-Karrenbauer assured that the mechanism was triggered due to Iran’s recent decision to end its compliance with the nuclear accord in light of US sanctions and the EU’s inability to overcome them…”
‘We Did Not Think US Would Target Another Country’s Guest’ – Rouhani on Soleimani Assassination (sputniknews, Jan 16, 2020)
https://sputniknews.com/military/202001161078046890-we-did-not-think-us-would-target-another-countrys-guest-rouhani-on-soleimani-assassination/
“Qasem Soleimani, the former head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp’s Quds Force, was posthumously promoted to Lieutenant General. Incredibly popular amongst most Iranians, the late General was a key figure in coordinating anti-Daesh forces in Iraq and Syria.
Speaking to his cabinet on Wednesday morning Iranian President Hassan Rouhani hailed the late General Qasem Soleimani as “Iran’s border guard” and a symbol of “bravery” and “martyrdom”. The US assassination of the then head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force was blasted as an “act of war” by the Iranian government.
“We knew that America is a master criminal, but we did not think they would target another country’s guest” Rouhani said, adding that the late General was “a great commander of fighting terrorism”.
“The martyrdom of General Soleimani was retaliated from the military perspective and our armed forces and the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution [IRGC] responded to it by targeting Ain al-Assad base with missiles, showing that they will definitely get the response of their crime”, the president said.
Rouhani also suggested that major compensation for Soleimani’s assassination would be for regional peoples to try to expel the US…”
Egypt Rejects Turkey’s Criticism Over Detention of Anadolu Reporters – Foreign Ministry (sputniknews, Jan 16, 2020)
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202001161078051577-egypt-rejects-turkeys-criticism-over-detention-of-anadolu-reporters—foreign-ministry/
“Egypt rejects Ankara’s criticism over the arrest of Anadolu Agency workers in Cairo on suspicion of distorting Egypt’s international image, as all measures that were taken fell within the confines of the law, the Foreign Ministry said.
“Egypt has completely rejected the statements of the Turkish Foreign Ministry regarding the measures taken by the Egyptian authorities against one of the Turkish illegal electronic media committees in Egypt, working under the cover of Muslim Brotherhood terrorist group with Turkey’s support,” the ministry said in a statement.
The statement read that the group published false and fabricated information about the political, economic and security situation in Egypt and sent it to the agency headquarters in Ankara “in an attempt to discredit the country within it and in the international arena.”
According to the statement, all the measures taken by the local authorities were relevant and carried out in accordance with the country’s laws and regulations.
On Wednesday, the Turkish news agency reported that Egyptian police had searched its offices in Cairo. The Egyptian Interior Ministry announced shortly thereafter that it had detained four members of the so-called electronic media committee, one of them a Turkish national, over their alleged links to the Muslim Brotherhood (terrorist group, banned in Russia).
The same day, the Turkish Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the detention of the agency’s staffers and summoned the Egyptian charge d’affaires.”
Iran warns it is enriching more uranium now than it did before agreeing to a nuclear deal with world powers in 2015 (dailymail, Jan 16, 2020)
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7894689/Iran-warns-enriching-uranium-did-global-nuclear-deal-2015.html
“Iran’s president warned today there is ‘no limit’ on the country’s uranium enrichment programme since it abandoned the global nuclear deal in response to the killing of its top general in a US airstrike.
President Hassan Rouhani said in a televised speech: ‘We are enriching more uranium than before the deal was reached … Pressure has increased on Iran but we continue to progress.’
The speech increased fears Iran could be close to building its own nuclear weapons as European diplomats try desperately to salvage the 2015 deal which President Donald Trump withdrew from in 2018…”
BREAKING: Virginia Declares State of Emergency
“Nothing short of an act of provocation by Gov BLACK FACE KKK Northam. @GovernorVA. He is LYING about credible evidence of threats. Tell us specifically what the threats are then. He has no credibility. This is an over reaction to smear law abiding people.”
David A. Clarke, Jr. – January 16, 2020 – Twitter
https://twitter.com/SheriffClarke/status/1217800874493456384
It also disarms the protesters while leaving the criminal antifa armed to the teeth. This smells like a set up for some staged atrocity but this may not occur. If I was going to be there I would be watching my back the entire demonstration.
A decent Infra red camera like the Fleur or the Seek Thermal cam for phones will tell you who is carrying and who is not. A gun will show up even under clothing as being much cooler and gun shaped than the surrounding fabric or skin. I hope one of the 2A people has one. They could tell if its a set up way before anything happens.
With a little luck they will have some, this rally will have some well trained people among the 2A supporters and most of them are more paranoid then I am.
A muslim (looks like moroccan) grooming gang was busted in Belgium:
https://www.brusselstimes.com/brussels/89655/two-brussels-rappers-suspected-of-belonging-to-criminal-gang-who-bought-and-prostituted-french-minor-le-you/
“Two Brussels rappers are suspected of being part of a criminal gang recently dismantled and arrested for sexually exploiting an underage French girl, whom they “bought” for €2,000.
Rappers Le You and Aze2dine are among the seven people targetted by an arrest warrant after police discovered the group had forced a French minor into prostitution after she ran away from home with her boyfriend, RTBF reports.
Police on Wednesday said the unidentified victim had been found and rescued from a house in Uccle, where she was being imprisoned and prostituted against her will by the gang, who arranged nonconsensual sexual encounters through the escort website quartierrouge.be [..]”
Details and background of the gang, incl first names, in this article (in Dtucth):
https://www.bruzz.be/justitie/wie-zijn-de-leden-van-de-fioul-gang-die-een-16-jarig-meisje-kochten-en-misbruikten-2020-01
Song by rapper Aze2dine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Lqtr9DgcDY
Song by rapper Le You:
France: Police Arrest Man for Desecrating Church with Islamic Qur’an Verses (breitbart, Jan 16, 2020)
https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/01/16/france-police-arrest-man-desecrating-church-quranic-verses/
“Police in the French city of Toulouse have arrested a man in connection to a church desecration in which verses from the Islamic Qur’an were written on the walls of the church.
The church vandalism is said to have taken place several months prior in a church just north of Toulouse bordering on the Borderouge district. The suspect, a 25-year-old male, is believed to have taken part in the vandalism, France Bleu reports.
Around a dozen officers from the elite tactical National Gendarmerie Intervention Group (GIGN) are said to have raided the home of the 25-year-old on Monday, forcing themselves into the man’s apartment by knocking down the door. The suspect did not resist arrest and was placed into custody.
The arrest comes just under a year after another church in Toulouse, the Notre-Dame du Taur, was vandalised by an individual who wrote “Allah u Akbar” on the doors of the building.
Protège ton église (Protect Your Church), a group that aims to protect churches and holy sites in France, wrote: “This desecration is reminiscent of the place of Islamism in the acts of Christianophobes and the danger that this phenomenon represents for our churches and Christians around the world. France remembers Father Hamel murdered with this cry.”
Jihadists murdered Father Jaques Hamel in his own church in July 2016. The Catholic priest was later declared a martyr by Pope Francis.
Church attacks in France have become a major issue in the last several years, with a report from March of last year claiming that there are as many as three attacks on churches or graveyards per day on average, with a total of 1,063 cases in 2018.
While some attacks have been in connection with robberies, others have less clear motives, such as an attack in November that saw human faeces smeared into prayer books at a church in the commune of Tarbes.”
Italy Reopens Ports to Migrants, Looks at Increasing Migrant Programme Funding (breitbart, Jan 16, 2020)
https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/01/16/italian-pm-opens-ports-govt-plans-increase-migrant-programme-funding/
“Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has granted two migrant transport NGOs permission to drop migrants off in Italian ports as the country looks at renewing funds for a migrant agency previously defunded by Matteo Salvini.
The Italian leader granted port access to the Sea Watch 3 vessel with 119 migrants on board on Tuesday, with the vessel docking at the port of Taranto, while the port of Messina is expected to receive a vessel from the Spanish NGO Open Arms, Il Giornale reports.
“We are happy that our guests can finally step on safe land, but there is still a lot that needs to be changed: Shady deals with Libya, further ad-hoc agreements, EU-funded human rights abuses, this must stop!” Sea-Watch stated on Twitter.
The move comes as Democratic Party (PD) Chamber leader Graziano Delrio announced that the government would be looking at reintroducing the protection system for asylum seekers and refugees (Sprar) that had seen its centres closed and defunded by the security decree of former Interior Minister Matteo Salvini.
Giuseppe Civati, a former member of the PD, said that the Salvini migration and security decrees should be totally abolished and advocated the return of the so-called humanitarian protection residency permit which allows migrants who fail asylum claims because they are not legitimate refugees to remain in the country — a policy that was scrapped by Salvini.
A 2017 report claimed that in 2016 just 2.65 per cent of the migrants who entered Italy were genuine refugees, but 21 per cent were still allowed to remain in the country under the humanitarian protection policy.
While the number of migrants entering Italy was greatly reduced in the first half of 2019, thanks to the pro-border policies of Salvini, the number of new arrivals has risen since Salvini and his League (Lega) party left the government in September of 2019.
“From September to today, considering the immigrants arriving in Taranto, Italy has received 6,249 people. In the previous eight months, with the League in government and more favourable weather conditions for departures, there were 4,976 arrivals,” Salvini said last month.”
Afghan official: Roadside bomb hits government car, 5 killed (abcnews, Jan 16, 2020)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/afghan-official-roadside-bomb-kills-government-employees-68322073
Iraq’s top cleric recovering from surgery after accident (abcnews, Jan 16, 2020)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/iraqs-top-cleric-surgery-accident-home-68322072
“Iraq’s most revered Shiite cleric is recovering from surgery for a fractured bone following an accident in his home, officials said Thursday.
Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, who turns 90 later this year and whose opinion is often sought during troubled times, fractured a thigh bone when he slipped while bathing before evening prayers on Wednesday night, according to two officials close to the cleric, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss details with the media.
“The operation was successful,” said one official, adding that al-Sistani had regained consciousness following the surgery.
The surgery was considered risky for his age, and came amid ongoing tensions in Iraq following the U.S. killing of a top Iranian general and a popular protest movement against the country’s ruling elite…”
US says its pavilion at Expo 2020 in Dubai sponsored by UAE (abcnews, Jan 16, 2020)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/us-pavilion-expo-2020-dubai-sponsored-uae-68321109
“The United States said its participation at this year’s World’s Fair in Dubai is being made possible by “the generosity of the Emirati government.”
The U.S. State Department said Wednesday Emirati sponsorship of America’s pavilion, estimated to be at least $60 million, was made “in recognition of the strong partnership between the United States and the United Arab Emirates.”
The UAE’s sponsorship raises a number of questions, such as why American businesses are not paying directly to participate under the umbrella of the U.S. pavilion. Some leading U.S.-based brands could choose to participate independent of the U.S. pavilion.
Also, it’s unclear how the United States government will now decide which companies and products will be featured in the pavilion, and whether the host nation could have a say in the content that’s being showcased.
In response to questions from The Associated Press, Expo 2020 Dubai organizers said that, in line with regulations overseeing World Expos, the host organizers provide advice and guidelines on pavilion design, while the content of the pavilion itself is decided by the participating country…”
Turkey targets Kurdish rebels in Iraq, killing 4 Yazidis (abcnews, Jan 16, 2020)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/turkey-targets-kurdish-rebels-iraq-killing-yazidis-68324590
“Turkish airstrikes inside Iraq targeting members of an outlawed Kurdish rebel group have killed at least four minority Yazidi fighters allied with the rebels, an Iraqi army official said Thursday.
The strikes, which took place on Wednesday, hit a military pickup truck in the northern town of Sinjar in Nineveh province, said the army official, speaking on condition of anonymity under regulations.
The pickup was carrying members of the Iraqi Yazidi militia known as the Shingal Resistance Units, affiliated with the Kurdistan Worker’s Party, or PKK, which is fighting an insurgency in Turkey and has been outlawed by Ankara.
Kurdish television channels in northern Iraq reported that Yazidi commander Zardasht Shingali was among the dead and that another five fighters were wounded in the strikes.
In Baghdad, Iraq’s joint operations command said five people were killed in the attack in Sinjar. The different casualty tolls could not immediately be reconciled.
The Yazidi militia was formed in 2014, after the Islamic State group overran much of northern Iraq in August of that year and took over security in Sinjar after IS was pushed out of town in November 2015. It maintains strong relations with Kurdish groups such as the People’s Protection Units, or YPG, in Syria, and the PKK in Turkey.
Turkey has repeatedly struck the Yazidi militia positions in Sinjar in efforts to cut supply routes of the PKK. Also, a Turkish airstrike there last year killed Zaki Shingali, a PKK commander.
Elsewhere in Iraq, a car bombing wounded at least four Iraqi solders on a highway leading to a border crossing with Saudi Arabia, according to a statement from the Iraqi joint command.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but it was suspected to have been carried out by remnants of the Islamic State group.”
Germany’s foreign minister in Libya to push peace efforts (abcnews, Jan 16, 2020)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/german-foreign-minister-flies-libya-push-peace-effort-68321073
“Germany’s foreign minister arrived in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi on Thursday and met with one of the country’s rival leaders in a bid to push forward troubled efforts to secure a cease-fire in the North African country.
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas extended an official invitation to Libyan Gen. Khalifa Hifter to attend the upcoming conference in Germany, according to a military spokesman with Hifter’s forces.
The gathering in Berlin on Sunday is trying to bring together many of the countries that have interests in Libya’s ongoing civil war…”
UN body welcomes ‘milestone’ in Qatar labor reforms (abcnews, Jan 16, 2020)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/body-welcomes-milestone-qatar-labor-reforms-68321791
“Qatar abolished exit visa requirements for virtually all migrant workers on Thursday in a move the U.N. labor organization said was a “milestone” in reform efforts ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The ministerial decree allows nearly all migrant workers in Qatar to leave the country without first obtaining permission from their employers. The exit visas were part of the “kafala” system, which critics say restricts workers’ rights and leads to abuses.
However, Human Rights Watch said the latest reforms are “disappointing” and leave much of the “kafala” system intact.
Qatar changed its labor laws in October 2018 to remove the need for most private sector workers to obtain exit permits. The latest legislation expands those rights to domestic workers and those working in the public sector, the oil and gas industry, those employed at sea and those working in agriculture.
A government statement said the ministerial decree is “another important step taken by the Government of Qatar to create a modern labour system that strengthens Qatar’s employment laws and protects the rights of all expatriate workers.”
It said the decree would not apply to members of the armed forces, and that companies could designate 5% of their workforce which must still seek prior approval to leave, due to their importance in the running of the firm. It said domestic workers “should” notify their employers 72 hours before departure.
The International Labor Organization welcomed the changes.
“The ILO warmly welcomes these changes, which will benefit many migrant workers in Qatar,” said Houtan Homayounpour, the the head of the U.N. labor body’s office working with Qatar. “The removal of exit permits is an important milestone in the government’s labour reform agenda.”
Rights groups have long accused Qatar and other oil-rich Gulf nations — which rely heavily on migrant workers — of labor abuses. Qatar’s hosting of soccer’s world tournament in 2022 has shined a light on its practices and appears to have encouraged reforms.
Human Rights Watch said the latest reforms do not go far enough, and that Qatar has also been slow to introduce other reforms, such as employer consent to change jobs and a non-discriminatory permanent minimum wage.
“Even if the Qatari government introduced these promised reforms fully, it would still not mean an end to the exploitative kafala system,” said Hiba Zayadin, a Human Rights Watch researcher.
She said workers are still tied to their employers in terms of their legal status in the country and can still face arrest and deportation if they leave their employer without permission.”
US sentences 2 Iranian men to prison for spying (abcnews, Jan 16, 2020)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/us-sentences-iranian-men-prison-spying/story?id=68321523
“Two men have been sentenced to prison in the United States for conducting surveillance on behalf of Iran’s government.
Ahmadreza Mohammadi-Doostdar, 39, a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen, and Majid Ghorbani, 60, an Iranian citizen and resident of California, were sentenced to prison terms of 38 months and 30 months, respectively. Doostdar will also serve 36 months of supervised release and pay a fine of $14,153, while Ghorbani will serve 36 months of supervised release, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
An FBI investigation found that both men had been spying on American citizens who are members of the Mujahedin-e Khalq, or MEK, a group that advocates for the overthrow of the Iranian government.
“This case illustrates Iran’s targeting of Americans in the United States in order to silence those who oppose the Iranian regime or otherwise further its goals,” U.S. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Demers said in a statement Wednesday. “The defendants, working for Iran, gathered information on Americans that could then be used by the Iranian intelligence services to intimidate or harm them or their families. These prosecutions should serve as a reminder to anyone here working covertly for Iran that the American law enforcement will pursue you to protect this country, its citizens and the First Amendment principles upon which it was founded.”
In October, Doostdar pleaded guilty to one count of acting as an agent of the government of Iran without notifying the U.S. attorney general, in violation of a Foreign Agents Registration Act-related statute, and one count of conspiring to violate that statute. In November, Ghorbani entered a guilty plea to one count of willfully violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
As part of his plea, Doostdar admitted under oath that he had traveled from Iran to the United States on three separate occasions over the past few years in order to meet with Ghorbani and to convey directions for Ghorbani’s activities on behalf of the Iranian government.
On his first trip to the United States in July 2017, Doostdar met with Ghorbani at his workplace. Doostdar admitted that, during a subsequent conversation, Ghorbani had said he was willing to work for the Iranian government in the United States.
That September, Ghorbani attended a rally in New York City organized by the MEK where there were U.S. citizens denouncing the Iranian regime. Ghorbani photographed the attendees, including the group’s leaders. Under oath, Ghorbani admitted to attending the rally and gathering information to give to Doostdar and ultimately to individuals in Iran.
When Doostdar returned to the United States in December 2017, he met with Ghorbani and collected the photographs of the rally attendees, which included handwritten notes identifying the individuals. Doostdar paid him $2,000 for his work, which Doostdar admitted had been provided by his handler with the Iranian government.
Doostdar and Ghorbani also discussed Ghorbani’s plans to travel to Iran in March 2018, and Ghorbani offered to provide an in-person briefing on the rally attendees during this trip.
Later that same month, Doostdar departed the United States for Iran with the photographs and handwritten notes provided by Ghorbani.”
In May 2018, Ghorbani went to another MEK rally, this time in Washington, D.C., where he again gathered information on participants who appeared critical of the Iranian regime. Doostdar admitted that, following that rally, he and Ghorbani spoke by telephone and discussed the ways in which Ghorbani could provide the information to him in Iran.
“The sentences in this case illustrate the high cost to those who act as agents of the Iranian government in the United States or provide services that benefit the government of Iran, especially when those activities target the free speech and peaceful assembly rights of people in the United States,” U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Liu said in a statement Wednesday. “We will continue to thwart efforts by foreign governments to endanger our national security and to stifle the freedoms that all Americans cherish.”
The case comes amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran. Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered an airstrike in Iraq that killed Iran’s top military general. The Iranian government retaliated by firing multiple ballistic missiles into neighboring Iraq, targeting military bases housing American troops. There were no reported casualties.
“The FBI will not tolerate surveillance being conducted here in the United States at the behest of foreign nations like Iran,” Jay Tabb, executive assistant director of the FBI’s National Security Branch, said in a statement Wednesday. “Such activity is intimidating, particularly to individuals who exercise their constitutional rights to free speech and criticize the Iranian government. The FBI will continue to pursue such activity on U.S. soil and disrupt efforts by any individuals who take such actions on behalf of Iran.””
How frightening is this?
– Sheffield students paid to tackle racist language on campus –
A university is to hire 20 of its own students to challenge language on campus that could be seen as racist.
The University of Sheffield is to pay students to tackle so-called “microaggressions” – which it describes as “subtle but offensive comments”.
They will be trained to “lead healthy conversations” about preventing racism on campus and in student accommodation.
Vice-chancellor Koen Lamberts said the initiative wanted to “change the way people think about racism”.
The students will be paid £9.34 per hour as “race equality champions”, working between two and nine hours per week to tackle “microaggressions” in the university.
These are described as comments or actions which might be unintentional, but which can cause offence to a minority group.
It gives examples of what it means by microaggression – such as:
“Stop making everything a race issue”
“Why are you searching for things to be offended about?”
“Where are you really from?”
“I don’t want to hear about your holiday to South Africa. It’s nowhere near where I’m from”
“Being compared to black celebrities that I look nothing like”
Rather than being about controlling people’s speech, the university says it is “opening up a conversation”.
It says the equality roles are being created in response to demand from students, training them how “to help their peers understand racism and its impact”.
“We think it’s important to be open and honest about racism,” said Prof Lamberts.
More… https://www.bbc.com/news/education-51098539
human IED’s.
I was doing Tai Chi in a small public park. A few school girls walked by, I noticed, but didn’t pay attention.
I got a summons from the Rabbi. I knew I was in trouble, but had no idea what I’d done wrong.
Later I figured they thought it was Falun Gong. Something weird and alien. Perilously OTD – “off the derech” –
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Off_the_derech
Manchester Road Evacuated Over Bomb Threat, One Detained – Reports (sputniknews, Jan 16, 2020)
https://sputniknews.com/uk/202001161078053783-manchester-road-evacuated-over-bomb-threat-one-detained/
“Police responded to a report of “concern for the welfare of a man” in Dukinfield, Greater Manchester at about 12:45 p.m. on 16 January, the Daily Mail reported citing law enforcement.
A suspect was detained after law enforcement promptly arrived at the scene where a man was claiming to possess an explosive device, according to the Daily Mail.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said on Twitter that they had arrested a man on “suspicion of making a malicious communication”.
Reports say police have put a cordon in place on Birch Lane and are advising people in the neighbourhood to stay at home and lock their doors. Bomb disposal officers have reportedly arrived to assess a suspicious package at the scene.”
“Enemies Within: Robert Spencer, Director of Jihad Watch”
Sharia Crime Stoppers – January 15, 2020
Epstein Had Burst Capillaries In Eyeballs, Indicating He Was Strangled, Forensic Pathologist Says
A forensic pathologist says that burst capillaries in Jeffrey Epstein’s eyes are consistent with strangulation, not hanging.
Pathologist Dr. Michael Baden, the pathologist hired by Epstein’s brother to investigate his death, examined photographs of Epstein’s eyes during his autopsy, according to The Daily Mail, which reviewed an exclusive clip from a Dr. Oz special set to air on Thursday. Dr. Baden was among physicians in the room when Epstein’s autopsy took place.
Dr. Baden said the burst capillaries and “the fact that the color in his lower legs was pale and not purple or blueish” are indicative that which, he says, of strangling, not suicide by hanging — which authorities claim was the manner of death for the convicted pedophile.
“In a hanging, the arteries and the blood vessels, the veins are both clogged off and the person is pale. The face is pale,” Dr. Baden said. “It suffocates you, no blood goes up there,” Dr. Oz says. “That’s right. No blood coming in or out…. with a manual strangulation, there’s a backup of a pressure and the little capillaries can rupture and they’re best seen in the eye.”
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/01/epstein-had-burst-capillaries-in-eyeballs-indicating-he-was-strangled-forensic-pathologist-says/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=the-gateway-pundit&utm_campaign=dailyam&utm_content=daily
Flashback: Ukrainian Officials Speak Out — Say Schiff’s Surprise Witness Lev Parnas Is COMPLETE LIAR About Meeting with Zelensky and They Didn’t Believe His Words on Trump
On Monday Democrats released ‘notes’ by Lev Parnas that he claims show Rudy Giuliani ordered him to to call the President Zelensky of Ukraine and tell him aid would not be forthcoming if he didn’t agree to investigate the Bidens.
But this was not a new development.
This news was already reported in The New York Times back in November!
And Rush Limbaugh called it — Predicting in November that Democrats would come back and use Lev Parnas in their attacks on President Trump.
The legendary conservative radio host predicted on November 11th that indicted Ukrainian Lev Parnas will be the Democrats’ Great Ukrainian Hope.
On Wednesday night Rachel Maddow invited Lev Parnas on to discuss his evidence that will finally take down the Orange Man and his evil pro-American regime!
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/01/flashback-ukrainian-officials-speak-out-say-schiffs-surprise-witness-lev-parnas-is-complete-liar-about-meeting-with-zelensky-and-they-didnt-believe-his-words-on-trump/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=the-gateway-pundit&utm_campaign=dailyam&utm_content=daily
BREITBART – Ann Coulter: Impeachment — Do Republicans Have More Fun?
Impeachments aren’t what they used to be. Today, young people are supposed to be excited that the president withheld taxpayer money from Ukraine –- a half-billion-dollar foreign aid package that ticks off most Americans under any circumstances, going to a country notable for not being our country, and for a purpose other than the wall.
Now, Bill Clinton –- that was an impeachment!
First, there was the corpus delicti of the case — a White House intern, Monica Lewinsky, earning her “presidential kneepads” by sexually servicing the president.
The telephonic evidence wasn’t about “Burisma Holdings Limited” or a Ukrainian prosecutor whose name no one can remember. It was tapes of Monica blathering on and on about servicing the president, including such fascinating items as:
— Clinton couldn’t remember Monica’s name after their first two sexual encounters;
— Monica’s suggestion to Clinton that she be named “assistant to the president for b— jobs”;
— Her description of the presidential member (“think of a thumb”).
On Jan. 17, 1998, The Drudge Report broke the intern story. The following week, Clinton gave an impassioned, finger-wagging, squint-eyed address to the nation, saying:
“I want to say one thing to the American people. I want you to listen to me. I’m going to say this again. I did not have sexual relations with that woman — Miss Lewinsky.”
Clinton spent the next seven months dragging the country through his lies, followed by the unraveling of his lies, then more lies, followed by more unraveling.
By late summer, it turned out Monica had, in fact, kept the long-rumored “blue dress” with Clinton’s semen on it. The president was ordered to produce a sample of his DNA. It was one of many presidential “firsts” under Clinton.
A few weeks after producing his DNA, Clinton addressed the nation: “Indeed, I did have a relationship with Miss Lewinsky that was not appropriate.”
Contrary to the bilge put out by the legacy media ever since their baby boomer, draft-dodging, pot-smoking, Fleetwood Mac-listening president was caught committing numerous, serious felonies, Clinton was not impeached for having a sexual affair (as hilarious as that was).
He was impeached for his repeated perjuries and subornation of perjury in a citizen’s private civil rights suit against him.
In May 1994, Paula Jones had brought a lawsuit against Clinton under the 1964 Civil Rights Act — once considered more sacred than any other legislation passed in the 20th century. That law prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, including sexual harassment.
Jones alleged that, when Clinton was the governor of Arkansas –- a phrase that still has a rather disreputable ring to it — he had summoned her, a lowly state employee, to his hotel room, dropped his pants and said, “Kiss it.”
To prove her case, Jones had a right to collect evidence to show that he had made similar sexual advances toward other female underlings. This had been expressly confirmed by the Supreme Court’s May 27, 1997, unanimous ruling that her lawsuit could proceed without delay. (The court’s 9-0 ruling surprised every TV lawyer, but one.)
So Clinton lied. He lied to the country, to his Cabinet and, most important, to the court — under oath in a deposition presided over by federal judge Susan Webber Wright. (I’d add “to his wife,” but no one thinks she was fooled.)
During his deposition on Jan. 17, 1998, for example, Clinton gave these answers to Jones’ lawyers:
Q: At any time were you and Monica Lewinsky alone together in the Oval Office?
A: I don’t recall.
Q: At any time have you and Monica Lewinsky ever been alone together in any room in the White House?
A: I have no specific recollection.
The president had had Monica perform oral sex on him in the White House a half-dozen times, including while he was taking calls from members of Congress. On Easter Sunday, he’d sodomized her with a cigar. He’d just spent months orchestrating a massive campaign to ensure Monica would submit a perjurious affidavit to Jones’ attorneys, such as asking Vernon Jordan to arrange a job for her at Revlon in New York City.
To say that he “had no specific recollection” of being alone with Monica is blinding, inarguable perjury.
Liberals sneer that Clinton merely “lied about sex.” If it’s OK to “lie about sex,” then we can’t have laws about sex. No laws against sexual harassment, rape, child molestation, human trafficking, prostitution. (Oh sorry — I think I just listed the entire Democratic platform.)
Those are all “just about sex”!
That’s why Clinton heatedly insisted that his testimony was “legally accurate,” saying, “It depends on what the meaning of ‘is’ is.” Perjury is a very serious crime.
The Supreme Court sure thought so! (This is in contrast to the entire Democratic Party: Not a single Democrat voted against Clinton in the Senate impeachment trial, despite his screamingly obvious perjuries.)
Clinton’s first State of the Union address following his Senate trial happened to be the last one of his presidency. The entire Supreme Court boycotted the event. Even the two justices he’d appointed! The court’s gigantic message to the felon was conveyed to the sergeant-at-arms in a terse, two-sentence note expressing regrets.
We can’t have a legal system if people feel free to lie under oath.
Idiots keep announcing on TV that all impeachments are “political,” which they understand to mean “partisan.” No –- that’s not what it means.
As Alexander Hamilton explained in Federalist 65, impeachable offenses are “political” in the sense that they are attacks on the body politic — “injuries done immediately to the society itself.”
It doesn’t get much more injurious to a “nation of laws, not men” than to have the president of the United States perjuring himself over and over and over again in a citizen’s Supreme Court-approved lawsuit against him.
You see, kids? That was an impeachment!
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/01/15/ann-coulter-impeachment-do-republicans-have-more-fun/
Watch McCarthy Shut Down Adam Schiff
Trump speaks after Senate formally receives impeachment articles
Pelosi On Impeachment Witnesses: “It’s Not A Question” Of “Proof” It’s About “Allegations”
Straight out of Stalinist Russia and Nazi Germany, the accusation is enough to convict without any evidence to support it.
SERIOUSLY? Anti-Trump Treasury Staffer’s Criminal Case Is Being Prosecuted by Jim Comey’s Daughter and Other Deep State DOJ Attorneys
Crooked attorneys are running the FinCEN case out of New York where former Treasury employee, Natalie Edwards, pleaded guilty to leaking sensitive information to the press. Just another case of Deep State crooks saving their own.
We reported earlier this week that former US Treasury Department staffer Natalie Edwards pleaded guilty Monday to a single count of conspiracy after leaking classified documents to liberal reporters to hurt Donald Trump. Now we know that the attorneys running the case are all linked to the deep state as well.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/01/stunning-anti-trump-treasury-staffers-criminal-case-is-being-prosecuted-by-jim-comeys-daughter-and-other-deep-state-doj-attorneys/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=the-gateway-pundit&utm_campaign=dailyam&utm_content=daily
MEMRI –Erdogan’s Chief Advisor And Former General Tanriverdi Presents Vision – Reflected In Turkey’s Policy – Of A United Islamic Superpower Based On Shari’a Comprising 61 Countries And With Istanbul As Capital
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s chief advisor, retired Turkish general Adnan Tanriverdi, has been articulating a vision of a unified Islamic superpower through conferences and documents published by his organizations. This vision is reflected in President Erdogan’s foreign policy.
The Justice Defenders Strategic Studies Center (ASSAM), of which Tanriverdi is chairman of the board, has scheduled seven annual “congresses,” of which three have taken place, to work through the technical problems in the formation and governance of an “Islamic union.” At a recent ASSAM Congress, Tanriverdi called for the coordination of the joint manufacturing of weapons and military equipment among Islamic countries, saying: “States cannot stand tall against the countries whose weapons they use.” ASSAM has also published a 69-page draft of a constituion for a planned shari’a-based confederation of 61 Islamic countries. This constituion declares that “sovereignty belongs to shariah,” that Istanbul is to be the capital of the confederation, that the Arabic language would be taught in all of its schools, and that its name will be “Asrica,” which is formed from a combination of Asia and Africa.
more :
https://www.memri.org/reports/erdo%C4%9Fans-chief-advisor-and-former-general-tanr%C4%B1verdi-presents-vision-%E2%80%93-reflected-turkeys
Alert Issued for ‘Iranian Nationals Armed With Explosives’ at Mexican Border
A red alert was issued at the Mexican border town of Mexicali after the police chief received information that Iranian nationals armed with explosives may try to cross the border into the U.S.
The alert, issued by Customs and Border Protection in Arizona on January 10, was confirmed by Mexicali Police Chief Maria Elena Andrade. “We received reports that four nationals of Iran possibly carrying explosives were going to attempt to cross the border in the area of San Luis to Mexicali. We were told it was three men and a woman to be on the lookout for,” Andrade said.
“We have no incident that has happened as of now, we are responding accordingly and we will not underestimate these threats,” Andrade added.
“Operation Shield” was activated in Mexicali to counter the threat from the Iranian nationals, however details of the operation were not disclosed.
https://clarionproject.org/iranian-nationals-armed-explosives-mexican-border/?utm_source=Clarion+Project+Newsletter&utm_campaign=f82113f636-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_01_16_03_53&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_60abb35148-f82113f636-5908801&mc_cid=f82113f636&mc_eid=65230079c6
Turkey: Erdogan sending troops to ensure ‘survival and stability’ of Libyan govt.
Turkish troops are being sent to Libya ‘to ensure the survival and stability of the legitimate government,’ as the two countries prepare to grant licensing for drilling in the maritime area between the two, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced in Ankara on Thursday.
“We signed an agreement with Libya to delineate maritime borders. It is no longer legally possible to conduct exploration and drilling activities or to run pipelines in the region between the Turkish and Libyan coastswithout the approval of both countries. In 2020, we are licensing these areas and starting the search and drilling as quickly as ever. After the licensing work, for the first time the Oruc Reis seismic research vessel will conduct seismic studies in the region. We are sending our troops to this country to ensure the survival and stability of the legitimate government in Libya,” said Erdogan.
The statement comes after Libyan National Army (LNA) commander Khalifa Haftar decided not to sign a ceasefire deal after peace talks in Moscow on Monday, while head of the internationally-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) Fayez al-Sarraj did.
The Moscow talks were brokered by Turkey, which backs the GNA and Russia, which supports Haftar.
Rouhani also claims U.S. hackers hacked his T.V. last Saturday night, making him watch reruns of Obama playing golf.
https://summit.news/2020/01/16/iranian-military-now-claims-us-cyberattack-brought-down-passenger-plane/
John Kennedy And Tucker Carlson Discuss Upcoming Impeachment Trial
France faces more street protests as pension strikes continue on Thursday
Strikes on French public transport continued on Thursday as unions hold another ‘protest day’ including demonstrations and one-day walk-outs by teachers. Here’s what’s happening in France on Thursday.
Thursday sees the latest in a series of ‘protest days’ as mass transport strikes enter their 43rd day in the long-running dispute over pension reform.
In addition to the by-now-normal disruption, there will be demonstrations in French cities including Paris.
Several professions who have not taken part in the unlimited strike action have also called for one-day strikes on Thursday including teachers, so some schools are closed for the day.
On the railways there is a mini milestone as for the first time since December 4th – the day preceding the historic – strikes one part of the network are running normally.
Services on the budget Ouigo line are listed as ‘normal’ for Thursday, an improvement on the ‘quasi normal’ services that ran on Wednesday.
On other types of train services there is still disruption, however.
On the high-speed TGV services eight out of 10 of the normal services are running, with the same level of service on the local TER trains.
Three quarters of the normal Transilien trains, which serve the Greater Paris region, are running and three out of five of the normal Intercité routes.
French workers are not paid during strikes so the general pattern during long-term industrial action is that more and more people return to work as time goes on.
Previous ‘protest days’ have seen a dip in services as more workers take part in demonstrations, but it seems that neither SNCF or RATP are anticipating losing a significant amount of extra workers to the protest day, judging by the services they are able to run.
Employees in certain sectors such as public transport are legally required to give their employer 48 hours notice of their intention to strike.
The same pattern can be seen on the Paris public transport network, where many services are now running as normal.
All the tram lines are running as normal on Thursday along with four out of five of the normal bus routes.
Lines 1 and 14 – which are automated – are running as normal as they have throughout the strike but for the first time since December 4th a non-automated line – line 11 – is running normally too.
The majority of the other lines are now running for most of the day, albeit with fewer services than normal and with some stations still closed.
https://www.thelocal.fr/20200116/new-national-protest-day-as-french-pension-strikes-set-to-continue-on-thursday
France: Clashes erupt in Lyon as unions march to oppose planned pension reform
Nearly 16,000 people took to the streets of Lyon on Thursday, as part of a new day of action against the government’s planned reform of the pension system.
Footage shows police forces charging protesters and firing tear gas, as groups of demonstrators threw paint bombs and hurled rocks against the agents.
Members of different sectors took part in the protest, including rail workers, teachers, lawyers, workers of the chemical and energy industry. Groups of Yellow Vests also joined the rally.
Three new days of protests were announced for the next week, with the CGT union determined to continue their action until the complete withdrawal of the planned reform.
The nationwide strike, which started in early December, is one of the biggest to hit the country in years and has been affecting rail, road and air transportation.
France braces for another weekend of nationwide strikes over reforms
Finally. The Feds — including ICE — appear to be investigating Rep. Ilhan Omar.
At least three departments are reviewing what could be the worst-ever crime spree by an elected US official
On Oct. 30, I reported that the Department of Justice had assigned an FBI Special Agent in Charge, or SAC, to review Rep. Ilhan Omar’s apparent, astonishing spree of felonies from 2009 to 2017.
Minnesota state Rep. Steve Drazkowski (R) had previously filed a complaint on the matter with the Minnesota District of the Department of Justice. That office — headed by U.S. Attorney Erica MacDonald, a 2018 Donald Trump appointee — directed the FBI to review the complaint. An FBI SAC formally met with Rep. Drazkowski, and others, in mid-October to receive a prepared file of evidence and related information.
I can confirm that the FBI has taken additional steps since this October meeting.
https://www.theblaze.com/contributors/the-feds-appear-to-be-investigating-ilhan-omar?utm_source=theblaze-breaking&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20200116Trending-IlhanOmarInvestigations&utm_term=TheBlaze%20Breaking%20News
Disturbing evidence in Jeffrey Epstein’s autopsy points to his murder: pathologist
https://nypost.com/2020/01/16/disturbing-evidence-in-jeffrey-epsteins-autopsy-points-to-his-murder-pathologist/
Jeffrey Epstein’s eyes had burst capillaries after his body was found in his Manhattan jail cell, suggesting that the convicted pedophile was likely murdered through manual strangulation and did not hang himself, a forensic pathologist says in a TV interview.
In a clip provided to The Post from a “Dr. Oz” special set to air Thursday, former New York City Medical Examiner Dr. Michael Baden discusses his theories and examines graphic photographs.
Among them are the burst capillaries and the fact that Epstein’s lower extremities were pale and not purple or bluish, which he said would have been the case had he hanged himself in August at the Manhattan Correctional Center.
“The blood settles after we die. The so-called lividity, if you’re hanging, the lividity is on the lower part on the legs. These would be like maroon/purple, front and back and they aren’t,” Baden tells Dr. Mehmet Oz.
Oz then shows gruesome images of Epstein’s eyes.
“These little hemorrhages, tiny little blood splotches. What do these particular hemorrhages, burst blood vessels, tell you? Why is it a red flag?” he asks the pathologist, who was hired by Epstein’s brother, Mark, to observe an autopsy on the disgraced financier.
[..]
As impeachment moves from House to Senate, Democrats write their fate with their words
By J.E. Dyer January 16, 2020
Like most Americans, I just couldn’t get into the impeachment signing ceremony on Wednesday. Or read historic solemnity into the pen giveaway, or the ceremonial walk of the House managerial team to the Senate. (Where the Senate, as previously warned, was not ready to make a ceremonial acceptance of the charges. McConnell announced that they’d be ready for that on Thursday.)
https://libertyunyielding.com/2020/01/16/as-impeachment-moves-from-house-to-senate-democrats-write-their-fate-with-their-words/
Neither can I.
Boring circus routine.
Let me know if Nasty-Nancy does a high-wire act.
Or if Nadless volunteers to tame lions.
I know what you mean.
https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2019/06/pentagon-islamic-state-resurgence-libya-tripoli-hifter-1.html
They’re back. As if they ever left.
Turkmen jihadis are being flown into Tripoli.
(Probably a good idea to drain some of that excess terrorist blood.)
Let combat sort the troops, those that survive will be real good fighters. You know the sort you want on the front lines in Europe.
This lot will be on the other side.
Between Macron’s pets in the Sahel and the filthy Turk’s fiends (veterans from Syria and Libya), the West will be facing seasoned foes.
Macron doesn’t have a clue. He’s having fun with EuGendfor.
https://eurogendfor.org
Ep. 1160 More Troubling Deep State Connections Emerge – The Dan Bongino Show
The last article he covers is one from the Wall Street Journal (linked to at his website of bongino.com ) according to what he is saying Trump has an approval rating among blacks of 30%. This is very important because it is an axiom in American politics that when the Repubs can get 20% of the black votes the Dems will be unable to elect a President for a generation or better.
This explains why the Dems are acting so
stupiddesperate, they know that they are losing the next election and probably the elections for several decades to come. This may be the last hurrah for the far left Dems, they will be forced to move back to the center and to once again accept conservatives and moderates into their party. Assuming their party survives, if we can get good people to follow Trump as President the US will be moved back to the nation our Founding Fathers wanted us to be.He also says that the future of manufacturing in the US will be robotics and 3D printing. there will be jobs for the working man but they will have to learn to run the robots and 3D printers. If the European Nations can regain control of their nations they will see the same future in manufacturing and the European nations that use to dominate manufacturing can once again become competitive.
Labour UK is floundering, trying to pull themselves together after the election wipe-out. That’s what has to happen to the Demonrats.
A little domestic dispute. According to one comment, this is Tanger, Morocco. at 0:11 I think the man says “din mok”, which means “your mother”.
https://www.dumpert.nl/item/7826589_80aaabf8#time=0m11sid=7826589_80aaabf8
Hundreds of Thousands of Germans Leave Home in Years Since Migrant Crisis (breitbart, Jan 16, 2020)
https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/01/16/hundreds-thousands-germans-left-germany-three-years-migrant-crisis/
“Hundreds of thousands of German citizens have left the country in the three years since the height of the 2015 migrant crisis, according to statistics from the German federal government’s newly-released 2018 migration report.
From 2005 to 2015, the year of the migrant crisis, Germany saw an average negative emigrant balance — the total number of German nationals leaving against those returning to the country — of around 39,000 but that number has ballooned in recent years to nearly 100,000 per year from 2016 to 2018, Die Welt reports.
2018 also saw a high level of net immigration with 460,000 more immigrants than emigrants. The largest group, 195,000 people, came from other European Union member-states, while Syrians topped the list for countries in Asia.
According to the Central Register of Foreigners (AZR), a total of 526,000 non-EU foreigners moved to Germany in 2018, 97,000 coming via “family reunification” — chain migration.
Around 170,000 of the total were asylum seekers or refugees from EU quota programmes.
Part of the reason for the huge growth in the number of emigrants has been a change in how the federal government records statistics, a change that is viewed as more reliable and brings into question if the statistics prior to 2016 were lower than reality.
As a result of the high levels of immigration and of German citizens leaving the country, around a quarter of the German population are either foreign-born or have a parent who is born overseas.
When broken down into age groups, the oldest demographics have the most native Germans, while the youngest age groups are much heavier in migration-background individuals.
In certain areas, such as Western Germany, nearly half, or 42 per cent, of children under six years old come from migration backgrounds.
A study by the Federal Institute for Population Research highlighted the exceptionally low birth rates in Germany as a huge factor in the country’s rapid demographic changes, explaining: “No other country in the world has had such low birth rates over such a long period of time.”
Germany has seen an average birthrate of around 1.5 children per woman for nearly 40 years since 1975. Among the 788,000 births in Germany in 2018, 105,000 were children without German citizenship — nearly double the number of 2014.”
How Israel Should Fend Off the ICC
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The International Criminal Court (ICC) at the Hague has an abysmal record. It has few convictions, yet in the 17 years of its existence has spent more than $1.5 billion. The ICC’s decision to investigate supposed Israeli war crimes is a largely political ruling. Israel should confront the court by exposing that its multiple deficiencies far exceed its merits.
In 1998, a group of world leaders adopted the Rome Statute, which established the International Criminal Court (ICC). This independent court was intended to judge and convict those responsible for war crimes. In 2002, the ICC started its activities in the Hague, Netherlands.
In March 2014, Forbes reported that in the 12 years of the court’s existence, it had obtained a grand total of two convictions. Both were Congolese warlords. The second of these was acquitted of the most serious charges against him.
By that point the ICC had accumulated expenditures of $1 billion.
It is inaccurate to call the ICC a “court.” A better description would be “a research facility and political forum for lawyers that seldom if ever convicts a war criminal.”
By 2014, it was evident that the ICC was a resounding failure. It wasted vast amounts of public money under the false pretense of convicting large numbers of unpunished war criminals.
https://besacenter.org/perspectives-papers/israel-icc-strategy/
JUST IN: Reps Jordan, Meadows Send Letter to Judge Boasberg Demanding Answers About David Kris’s Appointment to Oversee FISA Reforms
Republican Reps. Jim Jordan (OH) and Mark Meadows (NC) on Thursday wrote a 5-page letter to presiding FISA judge James Boasberg demanding answers about David Kris’s appointment to oversee FISA reforms.
Last Friday, Judge Boasberg announced in an order that he appointed Obama-era national security leader at the DOJ David S. Kris as amicus counsel to review the reforms the FBI will be making to its FISA application process.
This order was in response to the FBI abusing the FISA process after it obtained a total of four FISA warrants on Carter Page.
David Kris is an anti-Trump activist who wrote several articles at “Lawfareblog” lying about Rep. Devin Nunes and President Trump.
David Kris also fired off a tweetstorm where he defended the illegal spying on Trump’s campaign and called the Deep State coup a ‘conspiracy theory.’
This appointment is “unacceptable” Meadows recently said and now he is demanding answers.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/01/just-in-reps-jordan-meadows-send-letter-to-judge-boasberg-demanding-answers-about-david-kriss-appointment-to-oversee-fisa-reforms/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=the-gateway-pundit&utm_campaign=dailypm&utm_content=daily
(Richard: Hillary is called a centrist but is a disciple of Alenski who believes in every far left position of the current crop of people running for the Dem nomination. The only difference between her and the Squad is that she has brains enough not to try and force the nation left as fast as the squad wants.)
Stop With the Silly ‘Centrist’ Labels for Democrats
The most abused adjective in political reporting is the label “centrist.” It should tell you everything about the politician. Unfortunately, it tells us far more about those applying the label. The American Conservative Union ratings system has been widely accepted as the voting compass from the perspective of the right. According to the ACU, a centrist would look like Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who has a lifetime ACU score of 44.8%. Reporters could call her a “liberal Republican,” and they should, except that term simply doesn’t exist. (Don’t believe us? Check it out.)
Or take Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who is considered a “conservative Democrat,” but that animal doesn’t exist in the Senate. His lifetime ACU rating is 26.7%, putting him in lockstep with the left almost three-quarters of the time.
Where this all gets ridiculous is the presidential field. In 2016, Hillary Clinton was regularly pitched as a centrist by the press. Her ACU score from her Senate years, ending in 2009, was 8.1%. But that wasn’t the worst of it. When she picked Sen. Tim Kaine as her running mate, even The Wall Street Journal oozed that Kaine’s “centrist policies” could help Clinton. His ACU score at the time was 1%. (He’s now up to 2.2%.)
https://insidescooppolitics.com/archives/1139
Gun groups: Virginia Democrats want violence to disrupt, ‘smear’ gun control protest
Second Amendment groups heading a planned protest and rally of potentially 130,000 supporters Monday in Richmond, Virginia, are warning members to be on the lookout for agitators “invited” by gun control advocates to stir up violence and discredit their effort.
In an alert sent by one of the groups leading the “lobbying day” effort, supporters were advised to look the other way should counterprotesters challenge them.
“If someone tries to provoke you, smile and walk away. There is probably someone secretly recording the interaction, with the intent of capturing some kind of inappropriate reaction on your part. Don’t take the bait. It’s not worth the bad press,” said the alert from the Virginia Citizens Defense League, which has conducted annual lobby day events peacefully since 2002.
On Wednesday, Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam declared an emergency around the state capital for the Monday event, declaring that there “are considered credible threats” of violence, but he didn’t give details. As a result, guns are banned in the area, even by those who have legal concealed carry permits.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/washington-secrets/gun-groups-virginia-democrats-want-violence-to-disrupt-smear-gun-control-protest
Richard: Think about all of the other times a far left Mayor or Governor has kept the police from stopping Antifa and at times has had them aid Antifa. I don’t think the police will help Antifa types by they can be ordered to pull back.
Watch today’s Dan Bongino podcast and read my comment below the link in today’s reader’s links for the reason the Dems are getting desperate and are trying everything they can to discredit the conservatives and the Repubs.
The left was so close to taking total control of the US that they aren’t going to go quietly into the night but are going to use every tactic they can think of including open rebellion to regain the power they have lost.
Thanks, Sanctuary Cities: An Illegal Was Charged With Raping and Murdering a 92-Year-Old Woman In NY
China, Russia, North Korea and Iran Form Anti-American Alliance
Add Turkey to the list.
The Battle For Gun Rights Begins In Virginia
Bernie Sanders is Surrounded by Extremists