Germany: Arson Attack Leaves Wertheim Refugee Shelter Uninhabitable

Unknown perpetrators set fire to a sports hall in Wertheim, Sunday, according to local police. The building was set to become a shelter for hundreds of refugees. A local official said that after the fire, the building was dilapidated and no longer usable.

'After Invasion US Allowed Iraq to Slip into Disaster' - Ex-Iraqi Defense Minister

The 2003 invasion of Iraq is widely considered to have been a mistake, even by many policy makers in the US. But despite that recognition, the lesson was not learned and the pattern of catastrophic interventions in the region continued in subsequent years. How can the international community tackle the product of that chaos - the Islamic State, and could an all-encompassing regional agreement bring stability to the troubled region? Oksana is joined by Dr Ali Allawi, an Iraqi Cabinet Minister from 2003 to 2006, to analyse these issues.

Austria Takes in 15,000 More Migrants as EU's East-West Rift Widens over Solution to Crisis

Thousands more arrivals reach Austrian border after gruelling journey through Balkans

Read the Telegraph article here | Dan Nolan, Tovarnik and AFP | Sunday, September 20, 2015

Slovenia Police Use Pepper Spray On Migrants At Croatia Border

People have been treated for the effects of pepper spray after police clashed with around 500 migrants trying to get into the country from Croatia.

HT: Jihad Watch »

Christians 'Martyred for Beliefs Every FIVE MINUTES by Islamic State and Other Terrorists'

SUNDAY EXPRESS: CHRISTIANS are being martyred for their faith every five minutes by barbaric Islamic State militants and other terror groups, a shocking new report has claimed.

Believers are often singled out, tortured and faced with the brutal choice of converting to Islam or being slaughtered, according to Christian Freedom International.

Those who refuse to comply have reportedly had their limbs cut off or have been crucified.

Research by CFI found that more than 200 million followers are facing persecution in 105 countries making Christianity the most at-risk faith group in the world.

More Christians have been martyred in the 20th and 21st centuries than during the previous 19 combined, the organisation has claimed.

The human rights group's president Jim Jacobson said: “Islamic State Militants in Iraq are using Christian churches as torture chambers where they force Christians to either convert to Islam or die.

“Islamic State militants are also stripping the former places of Christian worship of ancient relics which in turn are smuggled to Western collectors to help fund their terrorist activities." » | Scott Campbell | Sunday, September 20, 2015

UAE Declares Three Days of Mourning after Death of Dubai Ruler’s Son

Sheikh Rashid bin Mohammed bin Al Maktoum was a keen
sportsman and horse racing enthusiast.

THE GUARDIAN: Sheikh Rashid of United Arab Emirates, a graduate of Sandhurst, dies of heart attack aged 33

The United Arab Emirates has declared a three-day period of mourning after the son of Dubai’s ruler died of a heart attack.

Sheikh Rashid bin Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum died aged 33, the UAE’s state news agency, WAM, reported. » | Associated Press | Saturday, September 19, 2015

The Death of Germany | European Migrant Crisis

Question: "I’m a German citizen. Is there a solution to the Immigrant crisis in Germany/Europe - or is history repeating itself and we are on the brink of a new European war?"

Newsnight: The Public and Private Face of Margaret Thatcher

Woman Suffers Severe Facial Burns after Acid Attack by Man Outside Bar

THE TELEGRAPH: Woman suffered burns to face and neck after acid was thrown at her on a night out

A woman has suffered severe burns to her face, neck and arms after she had acid thrown over her during a night out.

Witnesses saw a man throw the acid outside the Turtle Bay bar and restaurant in Southampton.

Staff from the bar gave first aid before an ambulance arrived and described her injuries as "horrific".

A bar worker said: "The acid was in her whole face and eyes - she's probably going to be blinded.

"Neither her [sic] nor her attacker were actually guests here, we were just helping out and providing first aid treatment. She said it was two men.

"Her face looked like it was melting; it was quite clear there was a lot of damage. It happened just outside in the middle of the square."

The incident happened at 9pm on Friday. » | Nicola Harley | Saturday, September 19, 2015

Border Chaos: Over 15,000 Refugees Force Their Way to Croatia

Over 15-thousand migrants and refugees have crossed into Croatia after Hungary closed its border with Serbia. Overwhelmed by the influx, the Croatian government has closed 7 of its 8 border crossings with Serbia as well. It provoked desperate scuffles between refugees and police.

Munich Fears Migrants and Beer Hunters May Not Mix Well at Oktoberfest

THE GUARDIAN: Officials keen to keep revellers away from Muslim refugees ‘who are not used to very drunk people in public’, but festival organisers say it’s an overreaction

Pedro Feiten, a Brazilian, is celebrating Oktoberfest and immigration in Munich this year, raising a glass to the difficult journeys that took his ancestors away from Germany nearly two centuries ago and are bringing others to the country today.

“Our relatives were fleeing war when they left Germany. The people coming here now are like we were then,” said Feiten, heading off in traditional Lederhosen bought especially for the beer-drinking festival, which starts on Saturday.

But not everyone in Munich thinks the city’s twin influx of tourists and refugees is so compatible. Many of the region’s top politicians have been worrying publicly about whether they can cope when the annual Oktoberfest kicks off in a city that has become one of the focal points of Europe’s migration crisis.

Tens of thousands of refugees have flooded into Munich since the start of the month when Angela Merkel effectively declared Germany’s borders open, sometimes more than 10,000 arriving in a single day on trains and buses. Mixing that pace of new arrivals with up to 6 million beer-drinking revellers who usually descend on the Bavarian capital for two weeks of festivities could cause tensions, regional interior minister Joachim Herrmann warned. » | Emma Graham-Harrison in Munich | Friday, September 18, 2015

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La Hongrie accuse la Croatie d'encourager les migrants à "violer la loi"

LE POINT: Le ministre hongrois des Affaires étrangères, Peter Szijjarto, dénonce l'attitude de la Croatie qui achemine des migrants à sa frontière.

La Croatie, qui se dit débordée par l'arrivée massive de migrants sur son territoire, acheminait vendredi les candidats à l'exil par bus vers la Hongrie, dont certains ont déjà pu traverser la frontière pour une destination encore inconnue. Budapest a aussitôt accusé les autorités croates d'encourager les migrants à violer la loi en franchissant "illégalement" sa frontière. » | Le Point.fr | vendredi 18 septembre 2015

Prime Minister and Wilders Clash over Refugees

DUTCH NEWS: Prime minister Mark Rutte launched a strong attack on PVV leader Geert Wilders during the second day of debate on the government’s 2016 spending plans.

During his speech on Wednesday, Wilders had used phrases such as ‘Islamic asylum tsunami’ and described refugees as ‘testosterone bombs’ who ‘threaten our girls’. Rutte said on Thursday such terminology is ‘terrible’ and failed to make any contribution to finding a solution.

While agreeing with Wilders that some councils had not properly consulted their residents about the arrival of refugee centres, the prime minister said he had ‘very great faith’ in the Dutch people. They understand there is no simple answer to this complex problem, Rutte said.

‘We have to be fair to voters,’ Rutte said. ‘This is a complicated issue and there is no simple solution… and Wilders knows that more than anyone.’ » | Thursday, September 17, 2015

US-Russia Military Talks on Syria as Kremlin Says It 'Will Consider Sending Troops to Help Assad'

Vladimir Putin warned earlier this week that Isil's influence
has spread "far beyond" the borders of Iraq and Syria, but
that it is as yet "too early" to talk about air strikes in support
of Assad against Isil

THE TELEGRAPH: Kremlin gives clearest indications to date that troop deployments in Syria to help regime fight Islamic State jihadists may be imminent.

US and Russian defence chiefs spoke for the first time in over a year on Friday, breaking their silence to discuss the crisis in Syrian as Moscow's increasing military buildup raised the prospect of coordination between the former Cold War foes.

The Pentagon said the call lasted about 50 minutes and included an agreement for further US-Russian talks about ways to keep their respective militaries out of each other's way.

Washington last year cut off high-level military talks with Moscow after Russia's annexation of Crimea and intervention in Ukraine.

But Russia's military buildup in Syria has raised the possibility of simultaneous US and Russian air combat missions in Syrian airspace.

A US officials said Friday that Russia has recently deployed four fighter jets to Latakia airbase in Syria where it has been building up forces in recent weeks.

The talks came as Russia said it will consider any request from the embattled Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad to send its troops to fight Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

With concerns already growing over Russia’s military presence in war-torn Syria, the comments are one of the clearest indications to date that troop deployments in Syria may be imminent. » | Howard Amos, Moscow | Friday, September 18, 2015

EU Should 'Undermine National Homogeneity' Says UN Migration Chief

BBC: The EU should "do its best to undermine" the "homogeneity" of its member states, the UN's special representative for migration has said.

Peter Sutherland told peers the future prosperity of many EU states depended on them becoming multicultural.

He also suggested the UK government's immigration policy had no basis in international law.

He was being quizzed by the Lords EU home affairs sub-committee which is investigating global migration.

Mr Sutherland, who is non-executive chairman of Goldman Sachs International and a former chairman of oil giant BP, heads the Global Forum on Migration and Development, which brings together representatives of 160 nations to share policy ideas.

He told the House of Lords committee migration was a "crucial dynamic for economic growth" in some EU nations "however difficult it may be to explain this to the citizens of those states".

'More open'

An ageing or declining native population in countries like Germany or southern EU states was the "key argument and, I hesitate to the use word because people have attacked it, for the development of multicultural states", he added.

"It's impossible to consider that the degree of homogeneity which is implied by the other argument can survive because states have to become more open states, in terms of the people who inhabit them. Just as the United Kingdom has demonstrated."

The UN special representative on migration was also quizzed about what the EU should do about evidence from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) that employment rates among migrants were higher in the US and Australia than EU countries.

He told the committee: "The United States, or Australia and New Zealand, are migrant societies and therefore they accommodate more readily those from other backgrounds than we do ourselves, who still nurse a sense of our homogeneity and difference from others.

"And that's precisely what the European Union, in my view, should be doing its best to undermine." » | Brian Wheeler, Political reporter, BBC News | Thursday, June 21, 2012

HT: Roger Savage »

35 MILLION Migrants Heading to Europe, Says Hungary as It Builds Second Fence

Migrants seen rioting at the Serbia/Hungary border this week

EXPRESS: SHOCK estimates predict up to 35 MILLION refugees could head for Europe due to hugely unstable situations across the world.

The huge figure was revealed today by Hungary's minister for foreign affairs and trade Peter Szijjártó.

Speaking as the country begins work on its second fence to stop migrants heading across its border he predicted the current crisis will continue for years.

Mr Szijjártó told the Hungarian Times: "The name of the fence is 'Temporary Security Border Fence' but I think there is no question that in this case temporary means years.

"It's a self delusion to call this situation a migration crisis; it is a massive migration of nations, with inexhaustible reserves.

"I don't think that the analysis results, stating that 30-35 million people out there could possibly become migrants, would be an exaggeration.

"Libya, Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan are all countries with a huge population and an extremely unstable situation." » | Rob Virtue and Agnes Kegl | Friday, September 18, 2015

Michael Jackson - Earth Song

Comment Munich s’apprête à gérer sa Fête de la bière et l’arrivée de migrants

LE MONDE: En plein afflux de réfugiés en Bavière, la ville de Munich s’apprête à accueillir dès samedi 19 septembre et jusqu’au 4 octobre 6 millions de visiteurs pour sa traditionnelle Fête de la bière. Devant cette conjonction particulière, les autorités bavaroises ont décidé de prendre des mesures pour éviter tout débordement.

Pour la 182e édition de l’Oktoberfest, la police a prévu de séparer les buveurs de bière et les migrants, souvent musulmans, afin d’éviter le choc culturel et d’empêcher que la situation ne dégénère. « Ces demandeurs d’asile de pays musulmans ne sont pas habitués à rencontrer en public des gens extrêmement ivres, a déclaré le ministre de l’intérieur bavarois, Joachim Herrmann. Notre but est de séparer les différents groupes pour qu’aucune situation de conflit n’apparaisse. »

Si les nouveaux arrivants sont moins nombreux à Munich depuis la réintroduction de contrôles à la frontière autrichienne dimanche, où ils sont désormais pris en charge, les arrivées restent quotidiennes à la gare de la capitale bavaroise. » | Le Monde.fr avec AFP | vendredi 18 septembre 2015

Débordée, la Croatie ne souhaite plus accueillir de migrants

LE MONDE: Nouvelle porte d’entrée en Europe occidentale après la fermeture des frontières hongroises, la Croatie semble aujourd’hui débordée par l’afflux de migrants sur son territoire. Le premier ministre croate, Zoran Milanovic, a annoncé, vendredi 18 septembre, que son pays n’enregistrerait plus de nouveaux arrivants et que les migrants ne seraient plus hébergés.

« La Hongrie a verrouillé sa frontière avec du fil barbelé, ce n’est pas une solution, mais la solution n’est pas non plus que ces gens restent en Croatie », a lancé M. Milanovic. La Croatie s’était imposée comme la nouvelle route pour gagner l’Europe occidentale depuis le verrouillage de la frontière serbo-hongroise. Dans un premier temps, les autorités croates avaient laissé le passage libre aux hommes, femmes et enfants qui entraient dans son territoire pour gagner l’Europe de l’Ouest. » | Le Monde.fr avec AFP, AP et Reuters | vendredi 18 septembre 2015

Tsipras schwört Anhänger auf Wahlsieg ein

Tsipras gibt sich optimistisch: Bein seinem letzten grossen Auftritt
vor der Wahl am Sonntag schickt er eine "Nachricht des Sieges".

NEUE LUZERNER ZEITUNG: GRIECHENLAND ⋅ Umfragen sagen bei der Parlamentswahl in Griechenland am Sonntag ein Kopf-an-Kopf-Rennen voraus. Ex-Regierungschef Alexis Tsipras hat sich zum Wahlkampfabschluss überzeugt vom Triumph seiner Links-Partei Syriza gezeigt.

"Die heutige Versammlung schickt eine Nachricht des Sieges", sagte Tsipras am Freitagabend bei einer Rede auf dem zentralen Platz vor dem Parlament in Athen. Griechenland ziehe "einen Schlussstrich unter das Kapitel des alten (korrupten) Systems".

Er werde sein Land in den kommenden Jahren verändern und wolle weiter hart kämpfen für ein Griechenland der Solidarität, sagte Tsipras. "Manche glaubten, sie könnten uns leicht los werden. Sie irren sich." Die konservativen Kräfte hätten sich verkalkuliert. "Wir werden ein starkes Mandat am Sonntag bekommen."

Zusammen mit der spanischen, britischen und portugiesischen Linken wolle er für mehr Solidarität in Europa kämpfen, sagte Tsipras weiter. Einen Grexit - einen Austritt Griechenland aus der Eurozone - werde es nicht geben, auch wenn einige dies wünschten. » | sda/dpa/reu | Freitag, 18. September 2015