5 Stories from Europe You May Not Have Seen

1.Though it involves the UAE royal family, it is playing out in a British court
Dubai ruler's wife seeks 'forced marriage protection order' in British court


Princess Haya, the wife of Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, has applied for a "non-molestation order" and a "forced marriage protection order" in a British court, according to court documents.

Princess Haya bint al-Hussein, the 45-year-old daughter of late King Hussein of Jordan and half-sister to King Abdullah, also applied for the wardship of the children.

For weeks now, media reports have suggested Haya was hiding in the British capital after escaping the Gulf Emirate and her billionaire husband. She allegedly took her two children with her when she left Dubai.

snip

A "non-molestation order" protects from harassment or threats. A forced marriage protection order helps if someone says they have been forced into marriage or already in a forced marriage, according to official British legal definitions.

link
https://www.euronews.com/2019/07/30/dubai-ruler-s-wife-seeks-forced-marriage-protection-order-in-british-court

2. Romania's interior minister quits over murdered teenagers scandal

Romania’s interior minister has quit as the fallout from the murder of two teenage girls intensifies.

There is public outrage over the killings of Alexandra Macesanu, 15, and Luiza Melencu, 18, in the southern town of Caracal.

Macesanu phoned the European emergency number 112 but it took authorities 19 hours to locate where she was as they struggled to trace her calls and secure unnecessary search warrants.

Nicolae Moga, who had only been in the post six days, resigned as Romania’s interior minister on Tuesday.

********This resignation seemed ridiculous since Moga had only just taken the job.

https://www.euronews.com/2019/07/30/romania-s-interior-minister-quits-over-murdered-teenagers-scandal

3. Belarusian Diplomat Shot In Ankara Remains In Serious Condition After Surgery

MINSK -- Belarus's Foreign Ministry says a Belarusian diplomat who was shot in the Turkish capital, Ankara, and operated on at a local clinic remains in a very serious condition.

Spokesman Anatol Hlaz told RFE/RL on July 25 that doctors had evaluated the operation on Alyaksandr Pahanshau, an adviser to the Belarusian Embassy in Ankara, as "successful," though he remains in an intensive care unit.

Pahanshau was walking home with his son late on July 24 when he was shot several times.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said after Pahanshau's surgery that the diplomat was attacked by his neighbor, a retired military officer, with whom Pahanshau had a personal dispute.

https://www.rferl.org/a/belarusian-diplomat-shot-in-turkey-said-to-be-in-critical-condition-/30074215.html


4. Ze Academy: Ukraine lawmakers’ first assignment is a crash course in politics

snip

When the plan to run such a course broke late last week, it raised eyebrows. For some, the Ze Academy was a prospect that made Leslie Nielsen look serious. Many questioned the durability of rookie MPs plucked from the public without so much as a political ABC.

snip

The Servants found their guru in Timofei Milovanov, the energetic president of Kiev’s respected School of Economics and a deputy head of the National Bank of Ukraine.

On Facebook, Mr Milovanov proudly announced his plan to subject the nation’s MPs to five, 13-hour “intensive, harsh, complete” sessions. They cover the full range of government business from economy to infrastructure, security and defence.

snip

For some, the learning curve will come quicker than others. A fair number of Mr Zelensky’s Servants are sharp, well educated and will likely form an expert core in important committees. Fifth in the official party pecking order, for example, is the cerebral anti-corruption campaigner Halyna Yanchenko. She claimed to be “inspired” by the quality of her fellow MPs after getting to know them over the previous 24 hours.

link
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-ze-academy-parliament-zelensky-president-mps-servant-people-a9026426.html

5. Vucic Praises Putin For 'Strengthening' Serbia's Military

NIS, Serbia -- Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic has thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for "strengthening" the combat capability of the Balkan nation's armed forces.

Vucic made the comments on July 29 as he inspected the delivery of 10 recently arrived Russian armored patrol vehicles at a Serbian Army military base in Nis.

Speaking at the ceremony, Russia's Ambassador Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko said that Moscow "is ready and will always be ready for military and technical cooperation with Serbia."

snip

The 10 BRDM-2 reconnaissance vehicles have been delivered to Serbia despite neighboring Romania's refusal to let them transit via the Danube River because of European Union sanctions imposed on Russia for its actions in Ukraine.

link
https://www.rferl.org/a/vucic-praises-putin-for-strengthening-serbia-s-military/30081538.html

5 News Stories out of Europe You may have missed

1. Russian opposition leader Navalny may have been poisoned, doctor says

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, currently serving a jail stint for calling for unauthorised protests, was hospitalised after suffering an acute allergic reaction on Sunday, his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said.

One doctor said may have been the result of him being poisoned with an unknown chemical substance.

https://www.euronews.com/2019/07/28/russian-opposition-leader-navalny-hospitalised-with-allergic-reaction

2. Romania's police chief fired after missing girl killed by kidnapper

The chief of the Romanian police Ioan Buda was fired by the Romanian Interior ministry on Saturday after a series of errors in his police department led to their failure to save a missing girl.

"I have decided to dismiss the chief of the police and the head of the Olt department (...) because this situation necessitates extreme measures," the Interior minister, Nicolae Moga, said late on Friday.

snip

After three raids to three erroneous addresses, the police finally located the house that the teenager described more than 12 hours after she called. They then requested official authorisation to raid the house and waited until dawn to enter, despite the emergency.

https://www.euronews.com/2019/07/27/romania-s-police-chief-fired-after-missing-girl-killed-by-kidnapper

3. Mussolini’s birthplace cashes in on the surge of far-right tourism

Dressed in black T-shirts, their arms inked with tattoos, Fabrizio and Mameli Gamberini are on their yearly homage trip to Predappio, the birth town and burial place of Benito Mussolini.

“We’re fascists,” Mameli proudly admits as she leaves Predappio Tricolore, a souvenir shop teeming with Mussolini memorabilia, on Friday morning. “We come every year at the end of July to buy a few new keepsakes, visit his tomb and leave some flowers in his honour.”

The couple, from Varese, are in Predappio, a town nestled among the hills of the Appenines in the Emilia-Romagna region, to celebrate the 136th anniversary of the Italian dictator’s birth on 29 July.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/27/mussolini-birthplace-cashes-in-on-rise-far-right-tourism

4. UK aerospace industry steps up no-deal Brexit plan to switch regulator

The British aerospace industry has stepped up plans for a Brexit exodus from the UK aviation regulator, as a second deadline for the UK leaving the EU without a deal looms.

More than 600 British aerospace firms have now applied to be regulated in Europe as third-country parties under a scheme for companies seeking access to the single market in case of a no-deal Brexit. The scheme opened in October.

snip

The number of applications by UK firms for EU authorisation to cover themselves for a no-deal Brexit has tripled between December and July. In December 2018, the Guardian revealed that only 200 UK aerospace manufacturers had applied to come under the jurisdiction of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) as third-country parties, suggesting many firms would not have been prepared for a no-deal Brexit on 29 March.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/jul/28/uk-aerospace-industry-steps-up-no-deal-brexit-plan-to-leave-regulator

*** Tell them No. These things have consequences*** (My opinion)

5. Suspected terrorist attack in Craigavon

Army bomb experts have been called to Craigavon in Norther Ireland after a suspected terrorist attack. A loud bang was her heard around mid-night on Friday in the Tullygally road area. It was later confirmed to be a viable device. 20 people were evacuated from their homes that evening, but no one has been reported injured.

Northern Irish police suspect it was meant to deliberately target police officers and that the device was planted by dissident Republican terrorists.

https://www.euronews.com/2019/07/27/suspected-terrorist-attack-in-craigavon

If Obama had been a Republican, how Fox News would have covered him

&f=1

The President Rocks the Media at Press Conference by Setting a New Fashion Trend with His Amazing Tan Suit

Tucker Carlson: The President is setting the fashion world on its ear with his bold choice of tan, rather than the same old tired black, grey or navy suit. I for one applaud the President for choosing this unique color. It says, "I am confident in how I look in any color." And yes Mr President, you look fabulous.

&f=1

Obama Uses a Selfie Stick to Get Just the Right Look

Laura Ingraham: The President had fun taking photos of himself using a selfie stick. Already we are hearing the whining from the haters about the President acting inappropriately. Personally, I think it looks kind of fun. Selfie sticks are certainly popular right now and the President is showing that he is keeping up with trends. And who better to capture his amazing good looks and charm, then the President himself. Bravo Mr President. Send me a few of those pictures when you get a chance.

&f=1

More Poutrage from Obama Critics Feigning Concern for a Marine

Sean Hannity: Today the President gave a press conference and it started raining. One of the marine's on hand held an umbrella for him to keep the President of the United States from getting wet -- which is part of that Marine's many responsibilities. But, of course, the outrage machine is in full gear criticizing the President for being inconsiderate of the Marine. I talked with Colonel Oliver North about it just before coming on the show and his reaction was bewilderment that anyone would be upset. He correctly pointed out that almost all Marine training is done outside, in the rain, the snow, the hot blazing sun, heavy winds and so on. This was no great hardship to the Marine who is quite proud to serve at the White House for the President. Stop with your whining President haters

&f=1

The Wacky Birthers are at it Again

Lou Dobbs: The President has released his birth certificate and his critics still aren't satisfied. Isn't it amazing?! The President, who was born in Hawaii, a U.S. state is being subjected to this kind of harassment, a harassment that is unprecedented in our nation's history. His opponents claim it looks forged, that it doesn't look original. Both the Mc Cain and Clinton campaigns investigated whether he was born in the United States and both found that he was. But that means nothing to his out of control critics. If he were to ask me, I'd tell the President not to produce any more documents and just tell off the next reporter who asked, because Mr President, it doesn't matter what you do, they'll still make the same racist claim. If he produced a video of his birth, with palm trees in the background, a large sign that read, 'Welcome to Oahu' on it and Don Ho singing Tiny Bubbles in the background, his critics would not be satisfied. (Tip of the hat to Bill Maher for this last one)

What's My Line? - Eleanor Roosevelt (Oct 18, 1953) [W/ COMMERCIALS]

A Man Who Totally Exonerated trump is to Appear Today Before Congress

and trump is not happy.

I mentioned that to a person I know leaning toward voting for il douche in 2020 (2016 voted libertarian) and she had no answer


on edit: Pointing out I reside and work in Japan

Family that refused to pay tax because it was 'against God's will' ordered to pay $2.3m

A Christian family that refuses to pay rates and taxes because it is “against God’s will” has been ordered to pay $2.3m by the Tasmanian supreme court.

Fanny Alida Beerepoot and Rembertus Cornelis Beerepoot, who previous owned the Melita honey farm in northern Tasmania, have refused to pay income tax since 2011.

The pair, who represented themselves, told the court they didn’t need to pay a $930,000 bill because everything they owned belonged to God, and Australian tax law fell under the jurisdiction of the Bible, the ABC reported.

“We don’t own anything because we are his [God’s]”, Fanny Beerepoot told the court. Rembertus Beerepoot said “the law of the almighty God” was “the supreme law of this land”.

On Wednesday, associate justice Stephen Holt disagreed.

He told the pair that there was no passage in the Bible that said “thou shalt not pay tax”.

link
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/jul/18/family-that-refused-to-pay-tax-because-it-was-against-gods-will-ordered-to-pay-23m

Kyoto Animation studio fire: 12 dead after arson attack in Japan

An arson attack on an anime studio in Japan has left at least 12 people dead and dozens injured.

The perpetrator, who was also injured and has been taken into police custody, walked into the 1st Studio building of Kyoto Animation in Uji, Kyoto prefecture at about 10.30am. He poured what is suspected to be petrol in multiple areas of the building before igniting it.

There were more than 70 people were in the building, which is Kyoto Animation’s main studio, and 12 people died, according to the police.

snip

The suspect, identified only as a 41-year-old male, was reportedly taken to hospital before being arrested by police, who said he had admitted starting the fire. No motive for the arson attack has been reported, but Japan’s public broadcaster said he had shouted “drop dead” as he set the fires.

link
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/18/dead-suspected-arson-attack-kyoto-animation-japan

According to Limbaugh Deficits don't matter

From his show
"Nobody is a fiscal conservative anymore. All this talk about concern for the deficit and the budget has been bogus for as long as it’s been around."

Mysterious Artificial Islands in Scotland Are Thousands of Years Older Than We Thought

In the distant past of the northern British Isles, ancient humans didn't always dwell on dry land. Across Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, the foundations of thousands of mysterious artificial islands survive to this day: called crannogs, these strange structures were built long ago by prehistoric hands, in the chilly waters of rivers, lakes, and sea inlets.

Exactly how long ago these things were shaped is something that's never been fully understood. Traditionally, archaeologists estimated Scottish crannogs emerged no earlier than the Iron Age, being first constructed around 800 BCE.

But in more recent years, evidence has come to light that these engineered structures could be much more ancient, and a new study confirms the formations are actually thousands of years older than we realised.

Using radiocarbon dating of four sites located in the Outer Hebrides (the Western Isles of Scotland), researchers have discovered ancient crannogs dating back to 3640–3360 BCE, meaning early humans were building these giant artificial islands roughly 5,500 years ago, pre-dating even the construction of Stonehenge.

link
https://www.sciencealert.com/mysterious-artificial-islands-in-scotland-are-thousands-of-years-older-than-we-knew

Justin Amash quits the G.O.P. Good for him

Today, I will only say nice things and think nice things about him
And then go back to thinking and saying what I think about his time in congress