A Post For Monday

The story so far...


The defense for convicted terrorist Raed Jasser argues that drugs, not Islamism, was the motivation of his attempted crime:

Raed Jaser, convicted in March of conspiracy to murder in the Via Rail case, is not a terrorist ideologue and had no intention nor motivation to hurt anyone, according to a psychologist’s testimony in a bitterly contested sentencing hearing.

On the contrary, Jaser was a drug-addicted, psychologically broken “con-man” whose dealings with an undercover Federal Bureau of Investigation agent posing as a terrorist financier were solely aimed at scamming money from fellow Muslims to feed a habit that cost as much as $2,000 a week.

One must note that it is never culture that is the driving force behind these many lone wolf attacks in which Islamism is clearly involved.

Is the left ever embarrassed at its attempts to white-wash Islamism?

One just has to ask.



Because Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne's failed "green" policies, businesses point-blank refuse to open shop in Ontario:

Concerns expressed by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne over Ontario’s hydro costs have been echoed by Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens.

On Friday at the Toronto Global Forum, Marchionne said the province needs to change the playing field for business.

“I think you need to create the conditions to be competitive,” Marchionne said after sitting beside Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne during the conference luncheon.

“We’re fully aware of the fact that this proposal on pensions and cap and trade and all this stuff … these are all things that add cost to the running of operations, they don’t come for free.”

Ontario Liberal voters have no problem with this.


Greek Prime Minister Alex Tspiras faces opposition in his own party after mismanaging one of the economic crises Greece has ever seen:

Greece's leftwing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras faces a showdown with rebels in his own party on Tuesday furious at his capitulation to German demands for one of the most sweeping austerity packages ever demanded of a euro zone government.

Just hours after a deal that saw Greece surrender much of its sovereignty to outside supervision in return for agreeing to talks on an 86 billion euro ($95 billion) bailout, doubts were already emerging about whether Tsipras would be able to hold his government together.

The terms imposed by international lenders led by Germany in all-night talks at an emergency summit obliged Tsipras to abandon promises of ending austerity.

Instead he must pass legislation to cut pensions, increase value added tax, clamp down on collective bargaining agreements and put in place quasi-automatic spending constraints. In addition, he must set 50 billion euros of public sector assets aside to be sold off under the supervision of foreign lenders and get the whole package through parliament by Wednesday. 

Tsipras himself, elected five months ago to end five years of suffocating austerity, said he had "fought a tough battle" and "averted the plan for financial strangulation".

But to get the accord through parliament by Wednesday's deadline, he will have to rely on votes from pro-European opposition parties, raising big questions over the future of his government and opening the prospect of snap elections.

Those who believed that a United States of Europe would be a disaster must think themselves vindicated when looking at this trouble Greece is foisting on others. If there are any sensible parties left in the EU, they should kick Greece out and let Tspiras own this mess.

France agrees to compensate Russia for a cancelled helicopter plan:

Russia and France have reached a tentative agreement on compensation payable to Moscow as a result of Paris' decision to cancel the delivery of two Mistral helicopter carriers.

The cancellation of the Mistral deal reportedly will cost France about $1.3 billion. The agreement still must be signed by both Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Francois Hollande, according to media reports.

It's not like Russia (read: Putin) doesn't need the cash.

But... but... global warming!

Earth could be heading for a ‘mini ice age’ within 15 years, scientists have warned.

A new model that tracks solar patterns predicts that the sun’s activity will drop by 60% during the 2030s, leading to a cold weather snap not experienced since the 18th Century.

The last time such weather was seen was when a phenomenon known as the Maunder Minimum plunged the Northern Hemipshere into a series of bitterly cold winters - also known as the ‘Little Ice Age’ - between 1645 and 1715, causing London’s River Thames to completely freeze over.

During the The Maunder Minimum, observers noted that solar activity was at a minimum.

Rather than a period of unremitting cold, the Little Ice Age consisted of many bitterly cold winters combined with some much milder ones.

Once again, abortion hides child sexual abuse:

A legal and human rights expert wants to know how a Winnipeg girl could have been impregnated by her stepfather twice and had two abortions before she was 13, yet not have been deemed a victim of sexual assault.

The offences took place in 2011 and 2012, but only came to light after the stepfather, now 35 years old, was arrested for assaults against two other people.

He has since pleaded guilty to multiple counts of sexual assault as well as other charges.

"In my view, if a child presents at a hospital pregnant, there's questions. There's reason for red flags to be raised," said Karen Busby, a University of Manitoba law professor and a director of the university's Centre for Human Rights Research. "Because technically speaking, an offence has occurred."

At the time, her stepfather had sole custody of her and repeatedly sexually assaulted her.

Both times she was pregnant, she had an abortion — once at a Winnipeg hospital and once at a hospital out of province.

Court documents show the girl was instructed to tell medical staff her boyfriend was the father.

According to the Criminal Code of Canada, the age of consent for sexual activity is 16, but Busby said if both partners are younger and both agreed to it, it's unlikely criminal charges would be laid.

She added even if that was her explanation, officials should have investigated it further.

 
Why did it happen? Because a powerful pro-abortion lobby that campaigns against parental notification and coerced abortion did not want to lose any abortion to adoption. That's why. I guarantee no one will be losing his or her job over this. Had this girl been eating a peanut butter sandwich at school or turned up in an emergency room with signs of physical abuse, heads would roll.



An exhibit on the Entebbe raid opens in Israel:

It was perhaps the most daring Israeli military exploit ever — a rescue raid in Africa that inspired Hollywood films and became etched in Israeli history.

Nearly four decades later, a first-of-its-kind exhibit showcases the story behind the July 1976 freeing of hostages from a hijacked plane at Entebbe, Uganda. The display includes a copy of the original order to launch the operation and the original combat vest worn by the lone casualty among the Israeli troops: Lt. Col. Yonatan Netanyahu, brother of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. ...

The crisis began on June 27, 1976, when four hijackers armed with guns and grenades boarded an Air France flight from Tel Aviv to Paris during a stopover in Athens and then took over the plane. After a brief refuelling in Benghazi, Libya, the plane was flown to Entebbe, where they were welcomed by Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.

The hijackers, two Palestinians and two Germans, then separated about 100 Jewish and Israeli passengers from the rest and threatened to kill them if Israel did not free dozens of Palestinian prisoners. A feverish week of negotiations followed.

On July 4, Israel launched "Operation Thunderbolt" in which some 200 soldiers took part in an airborne raid on Entebbe airport that killed the hijackers, freed nearly all the hostages and was off the ground in less than an hour.

Three passengers were killed in crossfire during the rescue mission while a fourth, who had been evacuated to a local hospital, was later killed on orders from an enraged Amin.

Is it the one true ring of power?

One lucky metal detectorist uncovered the ring in South Creake, Norfolk in February which dates back to 14th century.

The 600-year old gold ring engraved with St George and the Dragon brings new insight to the saint's medieval followers in Norwich, an expert has told the BBC.

Coin expert at Norwich Castle Museum, Dr Adrian Marsden, said: "The ring has on it St George spearing a dragon. That is unusual and interesting because St George was a very popular saint in Norwich."

The ring, which dates back to the 14th Century, was found alongside 10 pennies, one half-penny and three farthings from the Edward I era, relics which have attracted the interest of Norwich Castle Museum and the British Museum in London.

Precioussssss......

And now, a touching story about a kitten that thinks it's a husky:

Rosie was re-homed by three sisters, after their co-worker found her abandoned and living on the streets of California.

They paired her with one of their pet huskies, Lilo, who has raised the kitten as one of her own.

Now, the ‘kitten-husky cross’ sneaks dog food, follows her husky pals around the house and goes on walks with the pack.