Reader’s Links for July 13, 2020

Daily Links Post graphic

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.

About Eeyore

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

36 Replies to “Reader’s Links for July 13, 2020”

      • 2016 – Lativa honors the Monkey- Cosmonaut with a 39-foot monument.

        “Latvia: 12m high statue commemorates monkey cosmonauts”
        Ruptly – September 26, 2016

        The monument named ‘Sam’ is the work of Russian sculptor from Denis Prasolov, who wanted to pay tribute to all animals that died in spaceflight survival tests before manned missions were attempted.

  1. “World Over – 2020-07-09 – Joseph Cardinal Zen with Raymond Arroyo”
    EWTN – July 9, 2020

  2. So there I was
    Walking down this road
    With trees aligning either side
    And country distance far and wide
    And fresh air singing so far from
    The city mess and jungle thrum
    I felt the vigor of my mind
    Sparking, popping fire flies
    Twirling up these little notions
    Just me alone, just me my thoughts
    Just happy me, I wanted not.

    Then up ahead the road did turn
    Now lined it was by cedar fence
    I paid no mind in my defence
    In my defence I’ve got to laugh
    Alone was I, alone at last
    Narrowing the road squeezed by
    A dry old ditch on either side
    Rhyming ditch, oh rhyming ditch
    Then one last turn the road did take
    And shuddered I a screeching stop
    Ending this here country walk
    A crossroads, here, had wandered by
    Which really should not matter, given
    That not another soul existed
    For miles and some miles more
    I scratched my head, then, in one-man wonder
    Why this sign is planted here?
    Who commands the solitude
    Of another’s country walk?
    Bothering no one as he goes
    Six feet from to six-feet under
    Who’s to care no business theirs
    So why this stop sign on my road?
    Such contrivance oh so bold
    A four-way stop so I be told
    To hit the brakes now even though
    There’s no one else for miles and miles.

    • And at this point Karen felt she could not be resuscitated.

      She never wanted surveillance to replace her.

      She advised on all traffic that was coming, and with that information, the sign was invalid, and so he just ignored it.

      She had the map by her side. It was designed for him. She felt the fresh air and the smell of the earth. She knew every street and spire. She was glad her man was driving. And he was glad his woman was watching out for them. They had left their mother and father and became one.

      All Sign are Law
      The Law cannot be broken
      You live by Signs

      She smiled. She spotted the lie. The law was made for Man, not Man for the Law.

  3. Russian Foreign Ministry Concerned Over Escalation at Armenian-Azerbaijani Border (sputniknews, Jul 13, 2020)
    https://sputniknews.com/russia/202007131079869765-russian-foreign-ministry-concerned-over-escalation-at-armenian-azerbaijani-border/

    “Moscow is seriously concerned about the recent escalation of the situation at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and is ready to provide the necessary assistance to promote stabilisation, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday in a statement.

    “The Russian Foreign Ministry expresses serious concern about the sharp aggravation of the situation at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border on 12 July. According to incoming information, hostilities continue. Artillery is used. There are killed and injured. We express our condolences to the families and friends of the victims”, the statement said.

    The ministry noted that Moscow considers further escalation, which threatens the security of the region, to be unacceptable.

    “We urge the warring parties to exercise restraint and adhere strictly to the ceasefire. For its part, the Russian Foreign Ministry is ready to provide the necessary assistance to stabilise the situation”, the ministry added.

    The statement comes after Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stressed that the leadership of Azerbaijan was responsible for the consequences of the recent escalation at the border.

    “The military and political leadership of Azerbaijan will be fully responsible for the consequences of regional destabilisation … we are concerned about Turkey’s position aimed at provoking destabilisation in the region, reflected in the statement of the Foreign Ministry of this country, which expresses unconditional support for the actions of Azerbaijan with obvious and traditional anti-Armenian logic,” Pashinyan said at an extraordinary government meeting.

    Earlier in the day, Armenian Defence Ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanyan said that Azerbaijan resumed the shelling of the Armenian positions since Monday morning after two-three hours of pause, adding that the Armenian forces had retaliated.

    The spokeswoman also said that during the recent talks with Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk, Defence Minister Davit Tonoyan informed the ambassador that the Armenian forces had been instructed to remain restrained for the time being, and in case of provocations at the border, react as necessary.

    On Sunday, the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry said that the Armenian military opened fire in the direction of the Tovuz region of the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border, provoking clashes that resulted in losses on both sides. Baku states that three Azerbaijani servicemen died in the clashes, with Armenia suffering losses as well. At the same time, Yerevan insists it has lost servicemen, while Armenia has not recorded any fatalities.”

  4. Car Bomb Explodes in Suicide Attack on Directorate of Security Office in Northern Afghanistan (sputniknews, Jul 13, 2020)
    https://sputniknews.com/asia/202007131079869293-car-bomb-explodes-in-suicide-attack-on-directorate-of-security-office-in-northern-afghanistan/

    “A large explosion was heard on Monday near the Afghan National Directorate of Security’s office in the northern Samangan province, eyewitnesses told Sputnik.

    Mohammad Sediq Azizi, a spokesman for Samangan’s governor, told Sputnik that several militants may have entered the NDS office. He also said shots could be heard inside the building. According to Mohammad Hashim Sarwari, deputy chief for the provincial council, the blast was so powerful that it was heard miles away and damaged numerous buildings.

    The gunfire started after a car bomb blast, Azizi confirmed. According to the governor’s spokesman, 43 people were injured in the incident. The TOLO News broadcaster also reported that at least 43 people, including three children, were hospitalised after the explosion.”

  5. Turkey Calls on Haftar’s Troops to Withdraw From Sirte, Jufra (sputniknews, Jul 13, 2020)
    https://sputniknews.com/africa/202007131079869454-turkey-calls-on-haftars-troops-to-withdraw-from-sirte-jufra/

    “Units of the Libyan National Army, headed by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, must withdraw from Sirte and Jufra, and if they fail to do so a military operation against them will be launched, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday.

    “Haftar must withdraw from Sirte and Jufra. We have told this to the Russian side. Military preparations for an operation in Sirte are underway, although we still await some settlement at the negotiating table. But if he does not withdraw, we will show determination”, Cavusoglu said, as aired by the TRT broadcaster.

    Turkey believes that the crisis in Libya can only be resolved politically, the foreign minister stressed.

    “Although the ceasefire is currently maintained, it does not serve the interests of the Libyan government, as it has concerns that Haftar may not be sincere. We believe he is trying to win time and is preparing an attack again. The Libyan government thinks it is necessary to see a road map first, and if the road map contains convenient conditions, then it will agree upon a ceasefire. This is a proper approach”, Cavusoglu added.

    The North African country is now divided amid a war between the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord and Haftar-led Libyan National Army. Turkey has previously provided extensive military support to the GNA after Ankara and Tripoli signed a military cooperation pact. In response, Haftar vowed to oppose the Turkish forces and accused Ankara of meddling in Libyan internal affairs.”

  6. Yemeni Houthis Say Attacked Saudi Arabia’s Jizan Oil Compound (sputniknews, Jul 13, 2020)
    https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202007131079867223-yemeni-houthis-say-attacked-saudi-arabias-jizan-oil-compound/

    “The Houthis also claimed that they have killed several Saudi officers in the Yemeni city of Marib, during a meeting of military commanders.

    According to the movement, militants attacked the facility in the port city of Jizan, launching drones and missiles in an operation against Saudi forces.

    In the meantime, coalition forces said earlier in the day, they had destroyed six drones loaded with explosives and two ballistic missiles targeting Saudi Arabia.

    “The joint coalition forces have managed to intercept and destroy two ballistic missiles, fired by the Houthi terrorist militia in the direction of the kingdom, intentionally targeting residents and civilian facilities”, Col. Turki al-Maliki said, as quoted by the official Saudi Press Agency.

    The coalition also hit six mined unmanned aerial vehicles, launched by the movement from Yemen’s Sanaa, the spokesman added.

    Yemen has been engulfed in a war between government forces, led by President Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi, and the Houthi rebels for several years. An Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia has been carrying out airstrikes against the Houthis at Hadi’s request since March 2015, while the militants are targeting Saudi forces and facilities near the border.”

  7. Eleven Killed, Over 120 injured in Anti-Government Protests in Mali, Reports Suggest (sputniknews, Jul 13, 2020)
    https://sputniknews.com/africa/202007131079866745-eleven-killed-over-120-injured-in-anti-government-protests-in-mali-reports-suggest/

    “A total of 11 people have been killed, and 124 more were wounded in clashes during massive anti-government rallies in the Malian capital of Bamako, the Nord Sud Journal reported on Monday, citing sources in a city’s hospital.

    According to the source, seven people died in Gabriel Toure Hospital of Bamako, three more succumbed to their injures in medical facilities in the fifth district of the city and one in the sixth district.

    The anti-government rallies have been underway for weeks over escalating jihadist and inter-communal violence, as well as controversial spring legislative elections…”

  8. Two Suspected Islamic Militants From Syria Detained in Germany (sputniknews, Jul 13, 2020)
    https://sputniknews.com/europe/202007131079869442-two-suspected-islamic-militants-from-syria-detained-in-germany/

    “Two Syrian citizens have been arrested in Germany’s cities of Naumburg and Essen on suspicion of belonging to the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Islamic terrorist group (formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra*), the country’s prosecutor general’s office announced on Monday.

    According to the investigators, one of the suspects joined an armed group in Syria, which later became a part of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. In July 2012, he participated in the execution of a captured Syrian armed forces officer. The second suspect is said to have filmed the execution, intending to use the footage as propaganda.

    Later in the day, the arrested suspects will be delivered to the court, which will then determine the sentence.

    *Jabhat al-Nusra (also known as Jabhat al-Nusra, Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, or al-Qaeda in Syria) is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia”

  9. Progressive Brighton Pledges to Become Britain’s First ‘Anti-Racist’ City (breitbart, Jul 13, 2020)
    https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/07/13/brighton-pledges-to-become-britains-first-anti-racist-city/

    “The council for the progressive British beach city of Brighton announced its intentions of becoming the first official ‘anti-racist’ city in the United Kingdom, amid increasing pressure from Black Lives Matter activists.

    The Brighton and Hove City Council pledged to become an anti-racist authority, following over 10,000 BLM protesters taking to the streets of the city last month alone.

    The council was also responding to an online petition, according to The Argus, started by the ‘Watch This Sp_ce’ group, which called on the city to “drive inclusion in our city, embrace cultural diversity and encourage equity of opportunity, our community must work together to be actively anti-racist”.

    The petition — which has received over 1,700 signatures so far — demanded that the council hire more ‘People of Colour’ in the education system in order to ensure a “safe, anti-racist, non-hostile environment is created for children, families, and staff”.

    “Brighton schools should have anti-racism, history of POC, British imperialism, and colonialism taught at a significant level throughout the school curriculum across all year groups,” the petition went on.

    The group also demanded that the council cease all business ties with companies that have not committed to being anti-racist or have failed to employ an ethnic minority in a full-time position.

    In response to the pressure, local Councillor Carmen Appich, the chairwoman of the city’s tourism, equality, communities, and culture committee, told The Argus that the authority will take measures to become anti-racist. However, she did not clarify what steps they will set in place.”

    “We will continue to listen and learn, enable ignored voices to be heard, remove barriers, and ensure opportunities are open to all, so people can live their lives free from discrimination and harm,” Appich said.

    “We will launch a new resource area on the council website where you will be able to access information, advice, follow our progress, find out how to get involved and hold us to account. Your ward councillors will also welcome any queries and concerns you may have,” she added.

    A spokesman for the authority said since June, the council has implemented several measures under its new “anti-racism strategy”, including “launching a new fund for black and ethnic minority (BME) groups in the city, tackling racism and bias in schools, celebrating the legacies that reflect the city’s values and continuing to work with the council’s BME Worker’s Forum to deliver a plan to be a more inclusive employer”.

    On Saturday, thousands of demonstrators flooded onto the streets of Brighton carrying placards saying, “decolonise everything” and “defund the police”, while chanting together “It is our duty to do this every day”.

    Brighton has long been one of the UK’s most progressive cities, hosting the largest annual LGBT Pride Parade in the country. The city’s parade was cancelled in May, out of fears of spreading the Chinese coronavirus, something that has not stopped thousands gathering during Black Lives Matter mass gatherings, which are still illegal under the lockdown rules.

    Councillor Appich said that the protests are “a powerful demonstration and affirmation of the city’s values of inclusivity and desire for us to become an anti-racist city”.

  10. European Governments Criticise Turkey Over Hagia Sophia (breitbart, Jul 13, 2020)
    https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/07/13/european-governments-criticise-turkey-over-hagia-sophia/

    “European Union foreign ministers on Monday criticized Turkey for several reasons, including energy exploration in disputed Mediterranean waters and changing the status of Hagia Sophia from a museum to a mosque.

    For their first face-to-face meeting in months, the ministers were planning to discuss taking a tougher stand on Ankara though no immediate measures were expected.

    “When I see now what is happening with Hagia Sophia, that is a blow,” Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said. Hagia Sophia was originally built in Istanbul as a Christian cathedral, and the pope and others have expressed their sadness and criticism of the move by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

    EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell was in Turkey last week where he also discussed Ankara´s disputes with Greece and Cyprus over energy exploration in the eastern Mediterranean region. Turkey has dispatched warship-escorted vessels to drill for gas in an area where Cyprus insists it has exclusive rights. The Turkish government has said it´s acting to protect its interests in the area´s natural resources and those of Turkish Cypriots.

    Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said that the movements in the Mediterranean were “a reason for worrying” for the 27-nation bloc, but insisted that human rights and democracy issues would also be taken up during the regular monthly meeting.

    Borrell said that relations were “not especially good at that moment.””

  11. Coordinated effort to win seats in legislature to oppose Hong Kong gov’t may be illegal says Lam

  12. Judges Block Deportation of Foreign Crime Boss Deemed ‘Serious Threat to Public’ (breitbart, Jul 13, 2020)
    https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/07/13/judges-block-deportation-foreign-crime-boss-deemed-serious-threat-public/

    “Court of Appeal judges have blocked the deportation of a foreign organised crime boss deemed a “serious threat to public security”, reportedly because he is married to an EU migrant.

    The gangster, identified only as ‘Mr A’ in reports because of the highly sensitive nature of the case against his criminal activities but described as Turkish by The Sun, is said to have been involved in “financial crimes, guns, and revenge attacks overseas”.

    The deportation order against ‘Mr A’ had been upheld by the Upper Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber, but as with many foreign criminals — such as the recent case of an Afghan terrorist who after six failed appeals was finally able to find a court willing to block his deportation so he could receive NHS treatment for the PTSD he suffered fighting for the Taliban — he was able to carry on appealing until he found judges willing to give him the answer he wanted.

    “I would dismiss grounds 2 and 3 [for the appeal] but, for reasons given in the closed judgment, I would allow the appeal under ground 1 and would remit the case for re-hearing by a differently constituted panel of the [Upper Tribunal],” said judge Sir Stephen Richards, ruling alongside Lord Justice Fulford and Lady Justice Nicola Davies, in what few comments on the case the press were permitted to report.

    The failure to deport the gangster, who is “living openly in the community”, according to The Telegraph, has been attributed in part to the fact he is married to an EU migrant, with the EU laws on Free Movement to which Britain remains subject making it extremely difficult to deport EU or EU-linked nationals.

    “It can’t be right that being married to an EU citizen trumps being seen as a serious threat to public safety,” remarked Tory MP Tim Loughton, a member of the House of Commons select committee for Home Affairs.

    “This is another extraordinary decision whereby our links to the EU mean that seriously undesirable criminals are left at liberty in the UK,” he lamented.

    “Our priority will always be to keep the British public safe. While legal challenges can frustrate immediate deportation, foreign national offenders should be in no doubt of our determination to remove them,” commented a Home Office spokesman — perhaps unconvincingly, given their manifest failure to do so in the case of ‘Mr A’ and the fact the total number of foreign criminals they are managing to deport is currently in a sustained freefall.”

    • We are not subject to Schengen,the free movement of parasites,so this is total bollocks.

  13. Somalia’s army chief survives bombing of his convoy; 1 dead (abcnews, Jul 13, 2020)
    https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/somalias-army-chief-survives-bombing-convoy-dead-71752993

    “Somalia’s army chief has survived an assassination attempt when a suicide car bomber targeted his convoy in the Somali capital Monday, officials said. At least one person was killed by the blast, they said.

    The blast took place when the bomber tried to ram his vehicle into the convoy escorting Gen. Odowa Yusuf Rage bringing his bodyguards to open fire and the vehicle detonated, said Capt. Mohamed Hussein, a senior Somali police officer. A pedestrian standing nearby was killed by the blast, as well as the bomber, he said.

    Several people including some of the army chief’s bodyguards were injured, Hussein told The Associated Press. Casualties may rise as some of the wounded sustained serious injuries, he said.

    Shops and businesses were damaged by the blast which occurred on a road to a military camp where the army chief was heading, said Col. Ahmed Muse, a police officer.

    At least one dead body could be seen lying at the scene of the blast, he said.

    Somalia’s extremist rebel group al-Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaida, claimed responsibility for the blast in an announcement on its Andalus radio station. The blast highlights challenges facing the government’s efforts to restore security in the long-chaotic nation in the Horn of Africa.”

  14. DNA Samples Allegedly Collected From Detained Hong Kong Protesters | HK | CCP | EPOCH NEWS

  15. CBC – Quebec man accused of advocating genocide, making threats against Muslims, Trudeau

    André Audet, 62, of Boucherville, faces a list of charges in connection with online posts

    The RCMP’s national security team has charged a Quebec man with advocating genocide, a first in the province’s history, according to a police news release, after he allegedly left “disturbing online posts” directed at the prime minister and the Muslim community.

    André Audet, 62, of Boucherville, faces a list of charges in connection with the alleged threats.

    “The charges stem from a brief investigation conducted by the RCMP integrated national security enforcement team (INSET) after receiving information about disturbing online posts,” said an RCMP statement released Monday morning.

    “For example, the accused called for the death of Justin Trudeau and encouraged the eradication of Muslims.”

    Police believe Audet used a variety of pseudonyms on a number of social media networks.

    “The investigators identified approximately one hundred hate posts, threats and/or posts inciting violence in the targeted accounts,” the statement went on.

    Audet previously appeared in court in December 2019 in relation to the same investigation, but new charges will be laid today, said police.

    They include:

    Advocating genocide.
    Public incitement of hatred.
    Willful promotion of hatred.
    Intimidation of a justice system participant or a journalist.
    The RCMP said Audet is expected to appear at the Longueuil courthouse today.

    In Monday’s news release, the RCMP encouraged people to report threats they may come across.

    “Violent statements will not be tolerated,” it said. “The perpetrators may face criminal charges involving significant sentences.”

    […]

    https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/threats-trudeau-muslims-audet-1.5647260

    ======================================================

    global news – Police charge Quebec man with advocating genocide of Muslims

    Police have charged a Quebec man with advocating genocide over threats against Muslims that were allegedly posted online, the RCMP announced on Monday.

    The hate crime charges against André Audet, a Boucherville, Que., resident, mark the first time the rarely used genocide law has been applied in the province, police said.

    Audet was to appear in court Monday to face charges of advocating genocide, public incitement of hatred, willful promotion of hatred and intimidation of a justice system participant or journalist.

    […]Canada’s law against advocating or promoting genocide is seldom used. In 2010, an Ontario resident, Salman Hossain, 35, was charged with advocating genocide over his online posts about Jews.

    The former Mississauga resident fled Canada before the Ontario Provincial Police laid the charges and now lives in an apartment in the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka. He is wanted by Interpol.

    https://globalnews.ca/news/7169496/andre-audet-advocating-genocide-charge-quebec/

    =============================================================
    Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    New charges for uttering threats online

    For the first time in Quebec, an RCMP investigation has led to charges of advocating genocide being laid against a Boucherville resident. André Audet, 62 years old, has been charged in connection with threats published online. His statements were directed at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Muslim community.

    Encouraging violent actions

    The charges stem from a brief investigation conducted by the RCMP Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET) after receiving information about disturbing online posts. It is presumed that André Audet used a variety of pseudonyms on a number of social media networks. The investigators identified approximately one hundred hate posts, threats and/or posts inciting violence in the targeted accounts. For example, the accused called for the death of Justin Trudeau and encouraged the eradication of Muslims.

    André Audet previously appeared in court in December 2019 in relation to the same investigation. A full analysis of the evidence led to new charges being laid. The accused will again appear at the Longueuil courthouse today.

    Advocating genocide
    Public incitement of hatred
    Willful promotion of hatred
    Intimidation of a justice system participant or a journalist

    Public appeal

    The RCMP takes seriously any threats that can affect one’s sense of security. Violent statements will not be tolerated. The perpetrators may face criminal charges involving significant sentences. Such incidents must be reported if we are to combat this type of crime.

    Do you have information on the illegal activities of individuals or groups of individuals? Contact the RCMP at 514-939-8300/1-800-771-5401 or your local police department.

    https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/news/2020/new-charges-uttering-threats-online

  16. CBC – Investigating how the COVID-19 virus jumped from animals to humans

    Half a year after the first cases of COVID-19 were detected at a wet market in Wuhan, China, investigators with the World Health Organization are now trying to figure out how the virus jumped from animals to humans.

  17. CBC -Masks to become mandatory in Quebec

    The province will make masks mandatory in indoor public spaces beginning July 18.

    The announcement comes as some regions in Quebec report an increase in COVID-19 cases.

  18. Romania: Hundreds of COVID sceptics protest quarantine bill in Bucharest

    Hundreds of demonstrators sceptical of coronavirus restrictions descended on Bucharest’s Victory Square on Sunday, protesting a government bill that would require individuals infected with COVID-19 to remain quarantined.

    The country’s constitutional court had previously deemed former quarantine measures a violation of individual liberties on June 26, causing thousands of possibly infected people to be released from strict confinement. In response, the parliament began preparing a new piece of legislation that would again introduce restrictions.

    The protesters, from Orthodox monks to followers of the country’s ‘New Right’ movement, demanded an end to the “medical dictatorship” currently in place, warning that the government’s actions will lead to further encroachment of citizens’ rights.

    “Any man who sneezes is committed to a hospital. A child who sneezes and has a runny nose will end up in hospital. The property belonging to those persons, mobile phones, clothes, cars, will be confiscated, and they’ll be committed against their will,” said one protester.

    “These measures pave the path to the measures that Hitler and the fascists took, in regard to the persons that they would load up in railway cars for cattle, as part of the plan to exterminate them in concentration camps. That’s how it begins,” added another.

    The bill is set to be debated further in parliament on Monday, July 14.

  19. USA: Hundreds join anti-racism rally after BLM mural was vandalised in Martinez

    Hundreds of anti-racism protesters gathered in Martinez, California on Sunday, after a white couple was filmed vandalising a Black Lives Matter street mural on July 4.

    Some 500 people gathered near the Contra Costa County courthouse around 16:00 local time . Some scuffles broke out when protesters faced off with some counter-demonstrators, but the rally was overall peaceful.

    Protesters subsequently marched toward Waterfront Park, chanting “No justice, no peace.”

    On July 4, two residents of the East Bay Area town were caught painting over a city-approved mural reading “Black Lives Matter” on Court Street. The couple is now facing hate crime charges.

  20. Firefighting efforts continue on Navy ship at San Diego base

    At least 21 people were injured after a massive fire broke out on a Navy ship in San Diego, California. The three-alarm blaze erupted Sunday morning, following an explosion onboard the USS Bonhomme Richard.

    According to the U.S. Navy, 17 sailors and four civilians are being treated for non-life threatening injuries and are said to be in stable condition. Several of the injuries reported pertain to smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion.

    The exact cause of the explosion remains under investigation, but officials believe the fire started in the lower cargo hold area of the ship also known as the ‘Deep V.’

    “There was a report of an internal explosion, what we cannot ascertain is exactly what that explosion was caused from,” said Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck, commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 3. “Initials reports is a sort of a back draft of an over-pressurization…as the compartment started heating up, that caused the pressurization and what caused the explosion.”

    160 crew members were onboard the ship at the time of the fire, but have since all been accounted for.

    https://www.oann.com/at-least-21-injured-after-fire-breaks-out-on-navy-ship-at-san-diego-base/

    (Richard: Accidents happen but this seems to be an amazing coincidence for a fire that may end up destroying a US Naval Ship happen during the “Communist Insurrection”.

  21. Wolverhampton machete attack: Police murder probe launched after horror daylight stabbing
    https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1309064/wolverhampton-news-machete-attack-police-murder-investigation-crime-latest

    “A MAN was stabbed to death with a machete in Wolverhampton.

    Police have launched a murder investigation after a man, believed to be in his 20s, was killed by a machete-weilding attacker in horrific assault. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

    West Midlands Police were called to reports of a man in his 20s having been attacked with a machete in Chervil Rise, Wolverhampton, today. The attacker fled the scene on foot.

    A police statement read: “We’ve launched a murder enquiry after a man was stabbed in a Wolverhampton street today (13 July).

    “We received a 999 call just after 5.20pm reporting a man having been attached with a machete in Chervil Rise, Wolverhampton.

    “The victim – who is believed to be in his 20s – was pronounced dead at the scene and we’ve cordoned off the area for a full forensic examination.

    “It’s understood the offender ran off on foot and we’re now appealing for witnesses to get in touch.”

    A neighbour living near the scene of the incident said: “It is awful that some young man has lost his life. I really hope the police find the suspect and quickly.

    Everyone on the street is shocked by this mindless violence and my thoughts go out to his family.”

    This murder comes just a week after two paramedics were stabbed during a call out to a residential street.

    The paramedics were rushed to hospital following the attack while police managed to taser a man.

    Shocking footage from the scene showed a medic being wheeled away by a colleague.

    A man was later arrested…”

  22. Turkey stands with Azerbaijan amid clashes with Armenia: Minister
    https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-stands-with-azerbaijan-amid-clashes-with-armenia-minister-156508

    “Turkish foreign minister on July 13 strongly condemned a deadly attack by Armenian armed forces on Azerbaijani troops.

    Mevlüt Çavu?o?lu in a televised interview called on Armenia to “pull its head together” and noted that Turkey stands with Azerbaijan “with all it has”.

    Çavu?o?lu’s remarks came shortly after three Azerbaijani soldiers were killed and four others injured in a border clash with Armenian troops on July 12.

    Meanwhile, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement early on July 13 strongly condemning a deadly attack by Armenian armed forces on Azerbaijani troops.

    The ministry said the fact that Armenia’s action, which is a new manifestation of its understanding of aggressive nationalism, was repelled by Azerbaijan is a concrete indication that aggression will not be left unanswered.

    Ankara also pointed out that such moves — which Armenia makes to distract the international community’s attention from its years-long illegal occupation of the Azerbaijani region of Upper Karabakh and its surrounding areas and to add new dimensions to the conflict — are doomed to remain inconclusive…”

  23. Five killed in separate incidents in Abbottabad
    https://tribune.com.pk/story/2254605/five-killed-in-separate-incidents-in-abbottabad

    “At least five people were killed in three different domestic disputes in the Hazara division on Sunday, police said. In the Mannu Di Ban village within the remits of the Mirpur police station, Omer Daraz of Kohistan shot and killed Rashida Bibi for turning down his proposal. Rashida was already married to Hazrat Bilal.

    When Bilal learnt that his wife had been killed, he chased Daraz and killed him.

    Both bodies were shifted to the Ayub Medical Complex for an autopsy and other medico-legal formalities and later handed them over to their families. In the second incident, another woman was murdered for refusing a proposal. Thakra Sairian UC resident Murad Ayub wanted to marry Amina Bibi but her father refused the proposal and instead fixed her marriage with Zulfiqar Ayub, another resident of the village.

    A month after her marriage, a distressed Murad barged into Amina’s house along with his friend and shot her dead before fleeing. The body was shifted to the hospital for post-mortem while police registered an FIR against two suspects and started an investigation.

    In the third incident, two people, including a father and a son, were brutally murdered by their relatives over a land dispute. Beer police said that Shahzaman, Omer and Ramazan had allegedly attacked their uncle’s family with axes and guns, brutally killing their cousin Waqar and uncle Zareem. Police booked seven people.”

  24. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Greece, Cyrpus, Bahrain urge UN not to register Turkish maritime boundaries deal with GNA
    http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/374391/Egypt/Politics-/Egypt,-Saudi-Arabia,-Greece,-Cyrpus,-Bahrain-urge-.aspx

    “Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Greece, and Cyprus called on the United Nations not to register the maritime boundaries deal signed between Turkey and Prime Minister of the Government of the National Accord (GNA) Fayez al-Sarraj, according to a well-placed source at the UN.

    The five countries sent a note verbale to the Secretariat of the United Nations, stressing that the deal is illegal and cannot be registered at the UN.

    On November 27, 2019, Turkey and the GNA head inked a memorandum of understanding on maritime boundaries in the Mediterranean Sea.

    The note verbale reviewed the legal framework that regulates procedures of registering international conventions at the UN.

    Any international convention or agreement has to be in force to be registered at the UN Secretariat, a matter which does not apply to the signed MoU, especially that Speaker of the Libyan House of Representatives Aguila Saleh, in his letter to the UN, rejected the agreement.

    The note verbale also stressed the importance of taking into account the Skhirat Agreement outcomes, mentioning that signing an agreement between Turkey and Sarraj violates the agreement’s provisions.

    It also highlighted that the deal violates the rights of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea and the UN and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as well.

    Therefore, the Turkish deal is illegal and should not be registered to maintain stability and security in the Mediterranean region.”

  25. IMF predicts worst Mideast downturn in half century
    https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2020/7/13/imf-predicts-worst-mideast-downturn-in-half-century

    “The IMF Monday again sharply lowered its Middle East and North Africa economic forecast, to its lowest level in 50 years, over the “twin shock” of the coronavirus pandemic and low oil prices.

    The region’s economy will contract by 5.7 percent this year, and shrink by as much as 13 percent in countries torn by conflict, the Washington-based International Monetary Fund warned.

    The economic malaise will see poverty and unemployment rise, stoking social unrest, and send budget deficits and public debt surging, it said.

    In its regional economic outlook update, the IMF projected the economies of the Middle East and North Africa to contract by 5.7 percent this year, 2.4 percentage points lower than its April forecast.

    The projection is the lowest in over 50 years, according to World Bank data, and comes after the region posted modest growth last year.

    The battered energy-based economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states are forecast to shrink by a hefty 7.1 percent, 4.4 percentage points lower than April.

    “The region has been facing a crisis like no other — a twin shock that affected the normal functions of their economies during the confinement measures,” Jihad Azour, director of IMF Middle East and Central Asia Department, told AFP.

    Mideast countries applied some of the most stringent lockdowns and measures against the coronavirus, halting most economic activities.

    Oil prices plunged by about two-thirds in a freefall as the global economy ground down to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. They have partially recovered to around $40 a barrel.

    The region’s oil-exporting countries are expected to lose around $270 billion of energy revenues, “which is a big drop,” Azour said.

    The IMF said that the region’s hardest-hit countries will be those that are “fragile and in conflict situations,” with their economies forecast to contract by as much as 13 percent.

    GDP per capita in those unstable countries is expected to plummet from $2,900 in 2018-2019 to just $2,000 this year.

    “This is a dramatic downturn that will aggravate existing economic and humanitarian challenges and raise already high poverty levels,” the report said.

    “Social unrest could be rekindled as lockdown measures are lifted.”

    Azour warned that job losses, together with worsening poverty and inequality, could create stability challenges for governments in the region.

    “(Job losses) will come on top of an already high level of unemployment, especially at youth level,” he said.

    The IMF said that large and growing deficits are expected to push public debt levels to 95 percent of GDP among Middle East oil importers by the end of this year.

    Debt levels are forecast to grow rapidly in Sudan to 258 percent of GDP, in Lebanon to 183 percent and in Egypt over 90 percent, it said.

    The woes of oil-importing nations are also compounded by a sharp drop in remittances from their nationals working overseas, who have been put out of work due to the pandemic, Azour said.

    The IMF report also warned that the potential decline in expatriate workers — who account for more than 70 percent of the labour force in some oil-exporting countries — would also dampen their recovery.

    Some 25 million expatriates work and live in the six GCC states, forming half of the population of the group which takes in regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates along with Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar.

    Oxford Economics predicted in May that employment across the GCC could fall by 13 percent this year, with job losses of some 1.7 million in Saudi Arabia and 900,000 in UAE.

    Azour said that with so few certainties in the current environment, the situation could be even worse than forecast.

    “We are in an odd situation where the level of uncertainty is still high; uncertainty about the capacity to control the pandemic and its expansion, uncertainty about the recovery itself, and also uncertainty about the oil prices,” Azour said.”

  26. Bangladesh arrests three over Dubai sex trafficking operation
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200713-bangladesh-arrests-three-over-dubai-sex-trafficking-operation/

    “Bangladesh police said on Monday they have arrested three men over the trafficking of hundreds of young women taken to Dubai on the promise of jobs in hotels and then forced into sex work.

    The victims were paid a month’s salary upfront and told they would work as housekeepers or dancers. But when they got to Dubai, many were forced to have sex for money and beaten if they refused, police said.

    Among the three arrested was a man suspected to be the group’s leader, who had been in hiding in Bangladesh since being deported from Dubai earlier this year.

    He was arrested on trafficking charges while trying to leave the country earlier this month, said police, who described the other two men as “brokers” and said they were still looking for others.

    We have arrested the leader of the syndicate. But there are other members who are continuing this business. We will arrest them as soon as possible. Only 20 percent of the job has been done,

    said Imtiaz Ahmed, deputy inspector general of the Criminal Investigation Department.

    “The girls they targeted were aged between 18 to 25. Some of them were garment workers, some were on the hunt for jobs. The traffickers have been working for at least eight years and we estimate that they sent hundreds of women,” he added.

    Bangladesh has ramped up its efforts against traffickers after 24 citizens were killed in Libya in May. Last month at least 50 people were arrested in a single operation.

    But experts have warned that the country needs to increase its trafficking conviction rate if it is to curb the crime…”