Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: February 13th, 2023 |
2023-02-14 |
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. [Korrespondent] 23:00 Zelensky said in an evening video message that he had held a meeting of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief today: “We heard reports from the commanders of the directions, the commander-in-chief, intelligence leaders. Protection of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the south of our country, Odessa and the region. Constant attention is paid to the supply of weapons, shells and everything that gives our warriors strength and stamina." ![]() The President also reported on a number of telephone conversations and noted that Ukrainian diplomacy now has a clear task - "to go to all regions of the world where our position is still insufficiently represented, to make Ukraine and Ukrainian interests understandable to all those states and peoples with whom we have So far there are no stable ties. 22:41 The Russians opened the floodgates near the machine room of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station, which is why local residents have no water in the wells in some places, Kakhovka Mayor Vladimir Kovalenko said: "The lower part of the Dnieper is flooding, and the upper part, as local residents estimate, "The height of the water fall reaches two meters. Today, not everyone has water in the well, because the groundwater level has dropped significantly, there are problems much further, to the Zaporozhye region. There is an ecological danger of the destruction of fish stocks." 22:29 Zelensky said that he had the first conversation with the elected President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides: "Thanked for the unwavering support of Cyprus to Ukraine, for humanitarian assistance within the UN. We appreciate the support of Ukraine on our way to the EU." 21:23 Tehran has sent Moscow six types of multi-purpose drones that are capable of returning to base after being hit. More details - in the material Now "mohadzhery" . 21:11 The Canadian Foreign Ministry also called on the citizens of the country to immediately leave Belarus due to the risk of arbitrary application of local laws and war in Ukraine. 20:48 The head of the Munich Security Conference, Christoph Geusgen, spoke out against any "red lines" in providing military assistance to Ukraine. In his opinion, one should be guided solely by military necessity - therefore, the supply of fighter aircraft cannot be ruled out. 20:41 Zelensky signed a decree according to which a military man with the rank of lieutenant general or vice admiral can be appointed as the first deputy defense minister. 19:59 Moscow considers it inexpedient to extend the grain deal if sanctions affecting its agricultural exports are not lifted from Russia, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin said. According to him, the grain initiative is "carried out unfairly" due to sanctions against Russian agricultural exports. The Russian Foreign Ministry also once again complained that Ukrainian grain is allegedly exported mainly to developed countries. 19:50 Reznikov said that on Friday, February 10, he held a meeting of the working group on the creation of an anti-corruption advisory body under the Ministry of Defense. Activists, experts and public organizations have already joined the working group, including, in particular, Bigus Info, the Center for Defense Strategies, Demsokira, Stop Corruption, the NABU Public Control Council, VO Automaidan and others. 19:04 Zaluzhny said that on the eve of the meeting in the Ramstein format, he had a telephone conversation with the Supreme Commander of the Allied NATO Armed Forces in Europe and the Commander of the US Armed Forces in Europe, Christopher Cavoli: "We discussed the supply of international military assistance to Ukraine and the training of our units on the territory of partner countries . Shared assessments of the operational situation on the front of the Russian-Ukrainian war and plans for further actions." "Ukraine's victory will mean not only the liberation of its territories, but also the creation of such conditions and such Armed Forces that will never allow the Russians to attack our state in the future," the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stressed. 19:01 Poland is disappointed with the draft of the tenth package of EU sanctions against Russia, said Polish Ambassador to the European Union Andrzej Sadosz. According to him, it does not provide for sanctions against Rosatom, there is no ban on the import of Russian diamonds and the exclusion of Gazprom from the Upstream Emission Reduction system, which provides for trading in emission certificates for hydrocarbon production. 18:56 The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported on the capture of Krasnaya Gora near Bakhmut, however, the speaker of the Eastern Group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Sergei Cherevaty, said in a comment to CNN that this is not true and that fighting continues there. 18:53 Mobilized Russian servicemen from units belonging to the 1st Army Corps of the Southern Military District are increasingly refusing to go on the offensive. Therefore, the mobilized men from the Donetsk region are removed from the second and third lines and sent to the training grounds. There they train for two weeks and are formed into assault units for offensive operations in the Avdiivka direction, the State Headquarters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports. 18:46 Reznikov announced the personnel and structural renewal of the Ministry of Defense after the scandal surrounding the purchase of food for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The minister said that he had submitted a list of new deputies for approval. 18:17 Financial Times writes, citing sources, about an acute shortage of ammunition in Ukraine. The intelligence of one of the NATO countries reported that the Ukrainian army spends 5,000 shells per day - so many small countries buy in a year. At the same time, the Russian army is estimated to spend four times more. Stoltenberg said that Ukraine's current rate of ammunition consumption is "many times higher than our current rate of production." 17:54 Russia now does not have the strength to lay a land corridor through Odessa to Transnistria and encircle Ukraine from the back, although there is still such a plan, said NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana. At the same time, he recalled the Kremlin’s attempts to undermine the situation in Moldova from within, in order to prevent its European integration and undermine the leadership of President Maia Sandu: “I want to say to Moldovan, Georgian friends: you can count on us, don’t let yourself be intimidated. strength." 17:45 Zelensky said that he had a telephone conversation with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stere: "Thanked for the new defense package, which will strengthen us on earth, in the sky and at sea. I am also grateful for the weighty five-year assistance package that is being prepared for approval in Norway. We discussed our further cooperation." 17:17 After Ukraine's victory, NATO allies will be able to become a party to agreements on providing security guarantees to Kiev, Stoltenberg said: "I will not speculate exactly how they can be formulated, but I say that any agreements where NATO allies can provide any guarantees to Ukraine are absolutely possible, and this may be part of the overall solution for Ukraine to secure against further Russian attacks." At the same time, the Secretary General stressed that "before securing the future of Ukraine, we must help them win this war." According to him, Ukraine needs to be strengthened and re-equipped according to NATO standards to such an extent that it is able to withstand further aggression. 16:49 The French Foreign Ministry called on the citizens of their country to immediately leave Belarus in connection with the hostilities in Ukraine. 16:36 The offensive of the Russian military near Vuhledar has bogged down, but the White House predicts more bloody battles for Donbass in the spring. About what is known at the moment - in the material "The Great Offensive" of the Russians . 16:11 Putin, six months before the war, from August 2021, began to move around the country more often not by plane, but by a special armored train, the Dossier Center reports. This is due to privacy and security considerations, since it is impossible to track the movement of the train, as it happens with aircraft using various services. At the same time, an armored train built specifically for it is visually indistinguishable from standard Russian Railways trains. The train schedule in Russia is specially adjusted so that Putin can travel at maximum speed without stopping. 15:46 In Poland, the exercises of Ukrainian tankers on Leopard 2 also began, Radio Liberty reported and showed the first footage. 15:12 The Russians have already assigned two "deputies" to the Gauleiter of the occupied part of the Zaporozhye region, Yevgeny Balitsky, from Chelyabinsk and the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Mayor of Melitopol Ivan Fedorov said. According to him, local residents refuse to cooperate with the Russians even for the sake of "prestigious" positions, and the Kremlin bosses do not trust local collaborators and control them from all sides. 15:05 Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi criticized the current Prime Minister George Meloni for meeting with Zelensky and accused Ukraine of allegedly "attacking the Donbass." He also called for an end to support for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In response, Meloni's office stressed that Italy would continue to firmly support Ukraine in the fight against Russian aggression. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko, in turn, recalled how Berlusconi once kissed the hands of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, demonstrating loyalty. Now, he says, Berlusconi is trying to "kiss Putin's hands, which are up to the elbows in blood." 14:59 The Russian army is expanding the training ground near Voronezh and has built a tent camp for the mobilized near the village of Postoyalyye Dvory in the Kursk region, Radio Liberty reports. At the Pogonovo training ground, work began on January 25, and the camp was built between January 28 and February 7. Satellite images from Planet clearly show the pace of construction. 14:43 Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto arrived in Minsk and said that he would present Budapest's position on the need for peace talks on Ukraine. "Obviously, many will attack me because of the visit, but our position is clear: the channels of communication must be kept open," he said. 14:27 Stoltenberg said that NATO defense ministers will discuss the acceleration of military supplies to Ukraine on February 14-15. He added that the meeting will also discuss the supply of military aircraft to Kyiv. However, according to him, the priority now is not planes, but the already promised weapons, including armored vehicles. The NATO Secretary General noted that a new Russian offensive in Ukraine has already begun. 13:49 More than 150 officials from different countries will come to Munich for this year's security conference, Russia will not be represented, said the head of the conference, Christoph Heusgen. Ukraine will be represented by Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba and more than 20 parliamentarians. Heusgen emphasized that Russia was not invited this year, as well as the "right" deputies of the German Bundestag from the Alternative for Germany party. In addition, the head of the conference called Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov "the mouthpiece of Putin and the Kremlin." According to him, the forum could not allow the event to be used for propaganda: "We have been intensively watching in recent months and weeks what is happening. Putin has not deviated one iota from his line in his statements. He denies the right to existence of an independent Ukraine.. "There are indications that traces of the MH17 crash lead to the Kremlin." The Munich Security Conference will be held February 17-19. 13:35 According to the UN, since the start of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, more than 21 million tons of agricultural products have been exported from the ports of Ukraine, almost half of this volume is corn. Among the recipients of cargo in the first place are China (4.2 million tons), Spain (3.8 million), Turkey (2.4 million), the Netherlands (1.2 million) and Egypt (724.7 thousand tons). 13:16 Training of Ukrainian tank crews to operate the Leopard 2 has started in Germany, the German Defense Ministry has reported. They should be completed by the end of the first quarter - simultaneously with the transfer of 14 Leopard 2А6 tanks to Kyiv. 12:47 On the Luhansk front, massive round-the-clock attacks by Russians are expected in the coming days, said the head of the OVA, Sergei Gaidai. Now, according to him, the hottest spots are in Belogorovka and in the Kremennaya area. In particular, today at about four in the morning the Russians attacked Belogorovka from all sides, but the Ukrainian forces repelled the offensive. The same situation occurred in the Kremensk direction: the enemy attacked with a large number of personnel, but after a military clash with the Ukrainian defense forces, he retreated. The situation in the Svatovsky direction is stable. 12:26 Telegram channels close to PMC Wagner have published a video of supposedly another execution of a mercenary who surrendered to Ukrainian captivity . The man introduces himself as Dmitry Yakushchenko from Crimea and says that he fought in the PMC, but supported Ukraine. The first part of the video was recorded in Ukrainian captivity. Yakushchenko is then shown lying on the floor in the room. There he says that he woke up in this room after being hit on the head and now he will be judged. Afterwards, a retouched video shows him allegedly being killed with a sledgehammer. The public suggests that Yakushchenko could have been exchanged in December, after which he again fell into the hands of the Wagnerites. 11:57 Moldovan President Maia Sandu said that Russia plans to carry out a coup d'état in the country, including through opposition protests and with the involvement of people with military training, as well as citizens of the Russian Federation, Belarus, Serbia and Montenegro. According to her, they plan to attack government buildings and change power in the republic. Sandu recalled that there were already such attempts last autumn, but thanks to the prompt intervention of the Moldovan authorities, they were unsuccessful. "Documents received from our Ukrainian partners indicate the locations and logistical aspects of organizing this subversive activity," Sandu added. 11:39 The EU is preparing sanctions against four Russian banks, including Alfa Bank, as well as 130 organizations and individuals, Politico reports, citing sources. 11:18 Electricity consumption in Ukraine on Monday, February 13, is gradually growing, but there is no shortage of power yet, Ukrenergo reported. This is due, among other things, to generation from renewable energy sources and electricity imports from Slovakia. Consumption limits in the region have not been set to date, measurements of actual consumption are carried out in accordance with the schedule. At the same time, due to the damaged network infrastructure in Odessa, there are hourly outage schedules. In Kyiv, Khmelnytsky, Zhytomyr regions and Kiev, as consumption increases, it is also possible to apply shutdowns in accordance with schedules to avoid the risk of equipment overload. 10:46 Reznikov said that he left for the next meeting in the Ramstein format, which will be held in Brussels on Tuesday, February 14. He listed the main items on the agenda of the ninth meeting:
10:21 British intelligence reports, citing images from open sources, that as of February 7, Russia has further strengthened defenses in the central part of the Zaporozhye region, including near Tarasovka. In addition, as of January 8, the Russian Federation installed defense fortifications between the cities of Vasilyevka and Orekhov, Zaporozhye region. Analysts note that while Russia has focused its operational efforts on the central Donbas, it remains concerned about protecting the outermost sections of its extended front line. After all, a significant breakthrough by Ukrainian troops in the Zaporozhye region would cast doubt on the viability of the Russian land bridge connecting the Rostov region and Crimea, and Ukraine's success in Lugansk would further undermine Russia's proclaimed military goal - "liberation of Donbass." Deciding which of these threats to prioritize is likely one of the biggest dilemmas for Russian operational planners, the intelligence said. 10:09 The Ministry of Defense reported that Denmark transferred to Ukraine all of its CAESAR self-propelled howitzers. 09:27 Speaker OK Pivden Natalya Gumenyuk admits that the next time the Russian Federation may launch a massive missile attack on Ukraine on the anniversary of the February 24 invasion. According to her, the Russians have recently been delivering such strikes once every two weeks, and the last one was on February 10th. 09:22 In the evening of February 12, at least three loud explosions sounded in the Mariupol region, Petr Andryushchenko, an adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, said. It is known about getting into the premises of school No. 3 in the village. Nikolsk, where the Russians were stationed. The Russians themselves, an hour later, said that they allegedly shot down the Tochka U missile, but this is not true. After the explosions, the sounds of detonation were heard for some time. Meanwhile, compulsory passportization of children began in the Mariupol region: all students in the 9th and 11th grades are forced to obtain a Russian passport, threatening that without it they will not be issued a certificate. Students of the 9th grade can get a passport only if their parents already have a Russian passport. 09:13 Ukrzaliznytsia reported damage to the railway track as a result of shelling in the Kherson region, which is why train No. 102/101 Kiev-Kherson will temporarily follow to Nikolaev. From there, passengers will be delivered to Kherson by bus shuttles. Passengers from Kherson, who are waiting for a flight in the Kiev direction, will also be transported by buses to Nikolaev. The road repair is already in progress. 09:02 American astronaut Scott Kelly called on Elon Musk to return full access to the Starlink Internet to Ukraine. Musk replied that this type of communication is the main one for the Ukrainian military at the front, where other communications are completely destroyed, but he will not allow an escalation that could lead to a third world war. 08:57 In the Kherson region over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling, three people were killed, another was injured, the OVA reported. 08:53 Russian occupiers in Berdyansk dispersed pensioners standing in line for payments near the post office with shots, the city military administration reported. The GVA recalled that the occupiers banned the hryvnia, so local residents are forced to receive assistance in rubles. Since there is no well-functioning system in the temporarily occupied territories, people have to stand in lines for days to receive payments or pay for services. Pensioners, in order to receive 10 thousand rubles, occupied a queue from midnight on February 11. In the morning there was a crush, and people broke down the door of the post office. As a result, the so-called "police" arrived and began to disperse the pensioners with shots in the air. 08:46 In the Donetsk region over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling, one person died - in the Clock Yar. Another person in the region was injured, Pavel Kirilenko, head of the OVA, said. 08:34 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of February 13.
08:23 The Russians are suffering significant losses, especially in manpower, but they continue to attempt an offensive in the Kupyansky, Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdeevsky and Novopavlovsky directions, the General Staff said in the morning summary . Over the past day, units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine repelled the attacks of the invaders in the areas of the settlements of Gryanikovka, Kharkiv region; Kremennaya and Belogorovka, Luhansk region; Vyemka, Fedorovka, Vasyukovka, Bakhmut, Ivanovskoye and Klescheevka in Donetsk region and Zheleznodorozhnoe in Zaporozhye region. About 200 servicemen of the National Guard arrived in the Kherson region to strengthen counter-sabotage measures. They were settled on the territory of the Chaika recreation center in Lazurny, and for the safety of the occupiers, the movement of local residents in the village was limited. Due to the poor provision of winter uniforms, the number of Russian servicemen with frostbite has increased significantly since January. So, in medical institutions of Gorlovka, Donetsk region, the number of patients with such a diagnosis reaches 30% of all wounded. 07:40 The US Embassy in Russia appealed to American citizens to leave the territory of the Russian Federation and not to go there because of the risk of unlawful detentions, persecution and terrorism, and also given the limited ability of diplomats to provide assistance. 06:26 Russia probably completely lost the elite 155th Marine Brigade in the battles near Ugledar, Politico reports citing Alexei Dmitrashkovsky, a representative of the Defense Forces of the Tauride direction. The brigade from Vladivostok was defeated, including the command staff. "The 155th brigade has already had to be understaffed three times already. The first time - after Irpen and Bucha, the second time - after the defeat near Donetsk. And now almost the entire brigade has been destroyed near Ugledar," Dmitrashkovsky is quoted as saying. According to him, 150-300 Russian marines were killed in this direction every day, and about 130 units of enemy equipment, including 36 tanks, were destroyed in a week. |
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Europe | |||
2018-02-18 | |||
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17 February [Ynet] Italian police have clashed with hundreds of anti-fascist demonstrators in Bologna who were trying to disrupt a planned campaign appearance by the head of the neo-fascist Forza Nuova. The news agency ANSA said six demonstrators and one police officer were injured. Police used tear gas, water cannons and batons on demonstrators who tried to breach cordons to reach a square where the far-right campaign
17 February Three Syrian migrants are currently on trial in Hamburg for being members of a terrorist cell and one of the men has admitted that the Islamic State terror organisation sent him to Germany telling him to disguise himself as a refugee. Lesbian Couple Attacked in Paris No-Go Suburb 17 February A lesbian couple was attacked in the Paris suburb of Val-d’Oise over the weekend after a group of young men shouted slurs at them calling them “lesbian whores”. New Austrian Foreign Minister Slams Merkel for Migrant Crisis, Demands Orban-Style Border Protection 16 February Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl slammed German Chancellor Angela Merkel for her decision in 2015 to welcome migrants, saying it was a “pull factor”, and praised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for working to secure the European border. Terror Trial Suspects Radicalised at Same Mosque Attended by Berlin Terrorist 16 February Four alleged Islamic State supporters on trial for terror offences are said to have been radicalised at the same mosque that was frequented by Berlin terror attacker Anis Amri. French Government Accused of Following Islamic Law When Calculating Housing Benefits for Muslims 16 February The French government has been accused of following Islamic law, specifically one which designates guardianship of children, to determine housing benefits for Muslims. Failed Asylum Seeker with 19 Fake Identities Who Eluded Deportation Four Times Arrested 15 February A 43-year-old Tunisian failed asylum seeker who has used 19 separate fake identities could finally be facing deportation after having escaped four separate attempts to deport him from Germany. Number of Illegal Migrants Crossing Sea to Italy DOUBLES in One Month 14 February The EU Border Agency (Frontex) says the number of illegal migrants crossing the Mediterranean to Italy has doubled in the space of a month. Swedish Whistleblower Cop Put on Notice for Claiming Gang Rape ‘Cultural Phenomenon’ Linked to Mass Migration 14 February Swedish police officer Peter Springare has been reported to police and will likely be investigated after he said the country’s gang rape problem is linked to migration and was a “cultural phenomenon”. Greek Migrant Camps Becoming ‘No-Go Areas’ for Children and Women at Night 13 February A new report from the United Nations refugee agency, the UNHCR, has claimed that conditions in the Greek island migrant camps have become incredibly dangerous for women and children who face the threat of sexual violence. Stockholm Attack Terror Trial of Uzbek Migrant Who Killed Five With Truck Opens 13 February The trial of an Uzbek man who has confessed to ramming a stolen truck into a crowd in downtown Stockholm last year, killing five and injuring 14, started Tuesday under heavy security. Rakhmat Akilov appeared before the EU Commissioner: Spend Hundreds of Millions on Migrant ‘Ghettos’ or Face ‘Nuclear Bomb’ of Unrest 13 February The European Union (EU) has allocated £310 billion to spend by 2020 in a bid to help avoid migrant “ghettos” becoming “a nuclear bomb in the future”, a Commissioner has said. 30 Per Cent of Young Girls in Paris’s Troubled Suburbs Face FGM Threat 13 February The threat of female genital mutilation (FGM) in the heavily migrant-populated Seine-Saint-Denis area in the suburbs of Paris could affect as many as 30 per cent of the children in the area, according to a French sociologist. Expert: Sweden Has Become a ‘Base’ for International Radical Islamic Extremist Networks 13 February Swedish researcher Peder Hyllengren of the Swedish Defence College has claimed that Sweden has become a hub of international Islamic extremism and that hundreds of Swedes have built up a vast network of jihadi contacts. German Catholic Archbishop Condemns Migrant Violence Toward Christians 11 February German Roman Catholic Archbishop Ludwig Schick has condemned the violence of Islamic extremist migrants toward Christians and Christian converts, saying that the “highest alertness” is required. Finnish Police Confirm 2017 Terror Attacker Was Islamic State Supporter 9 February Finnish investigators have confirmed that the 18-year-old Moroccan asylum seeker who killed two and injured seven others in the city of Turku last August was a supporter of Islamic State. Islamic State Flag, Drugs Found at Residences of €140,000 Fake Identity Benefit Fraud Migrants 9 February An Islamic State flag and drugs were found at several residences after German police cracked down on a ring of young migrants who had used fake identities to defraud German taxpayers. Thousands of Migrants Pour Across The Alps Headed for France and Germany 9 February Thousands of migrants are attempting to traverse the Alps to get out of Italy to their preferred destinations of Germany and other Northern European countries. Teachers Seek Help to Cope with Rising Islamic Extremism in the Classroom 9 February Rising fundamentalism amongst Muslim youths in Germany is sparking alarm in the nation’s schools, with more and more teachers seeking help in dealing with radicalised pupils. Africa Expert Warns Western Aid May Have Contributed to Next Migrant Crisis 8 February Africa specialist Stephen Smith has warned that the next migrant crisis is on the horizon as Africa’s population continues to boom and that Western aid, particularly education, may contribute to Africans seeking a better life in Europe. Vast Majority of Under-35 Italians Now Oppose Mass Migration 8 February A poll has revealed that 65 per cent of Italians under the age of 35 are against mass migration with some wanting to limit the number of migrants flowing into the country while others want the rate reduced to zero. Islamic Extremist Numbers More than Triple in German Region 8 February The German region of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has seen a dramatic increase in the number of radical Islamic extremists over the last year with some being described as particularly violent. Berlin New Year’s Eve Sex Assault Numbers Three Times Those Previously Reported 8 February New information has revealed that the actual number of sex assault cases that took place over New Year’s Eve was nearly three times the figure previously given out by police. Record Support for Conservative, Pro-Sovereignty Governments in Hungary, Poland 7 February Recent polls show that the conservative, anti-mass migration governing parties of Hungary and Poland are receiving record support as EU unity on immigration continues to crumble. Danish Left Unveils ‘Ambitious Plan’ to Slash Third World Migration 7 February Presenting an ambitious plan to slash migration from outside the West, Denmark’s Social Democrats said the country lacks the capacity to integrate further flows of third world migrants. Germany Sees Record Rise in Weapons Permit Holders 7 February More and more German citizens are choosing to arm themselves as the number of weapons permits for firearms saw a record increase in 2017 going up nationwide by 85 per cent. Pope Francis: Human Trafficking Is Fueled by Lack of ‘Regular Channels’ for Migration 7 February Many migrants wind up as slaves to human traffickers, thanks to a lack of “regular channels” of migration, Pope Francis said Wednesday Denmark to Become Latest European Nation to Ban the Burqa 7 February The Danish Ministry of Justice has put out a press release indicating that the government is looking to place a ban on full-face Islamic veils and levy a fine on violators. Over 2,000 Germans March Against Mass Migration in City Experiencing Wave of Migrant Crime 7 February Around 2,000 demonstrators gathered in the German city of Cottbus over the weekend to protest mass migration after the city had seen a rise in violence that often involved migrants. Italian Confesses to Shooting Rampage After African Immigrant Dismembers 18-Year-Old Woman 6 February An Italian man confessed Tuesday to going a 90-minute shooting spree on Saturday morning, wounding six persons in an act of vengeance against migrants following the gruesome murder of a young Italian woman last week. Police Officer Working to Deport Illegals Threatened at Home by Muslim Extremists 6 February A pair of Islamic extremists confronted a police officer in the German region of North Rhine-Westphalia in front of his apartment to intimidate him because he is involved in deportations. The unnamed officer is said to be a member of the Italy Elections: Berlusconi Declares He Will Deport 600,000 ‘Time Bomb’ Illegal Migrants 6 February Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has upped the ante on his coalition partner populist Lega leader Matteo Salvini saying that he will deport 100,000 more migrants, referring to them as “criminals”. Hungarian Prime Minister: UN Migration Compact ‘Looks Like It Was Copied from the Soros Plan’ for Mass Migration 6 February Hungary’s Viktor Orbán has blasted the “dangerous” new United Nations Global Compact on Migration, saying it bears the fingerprints of billionaire open borders campaigner George Soros. German Politicians ‘Alarmed’ at Scale of Anti-Christian Hate Attacks 5 February Hate crime figures leaked by police in Germany have caused alarm, as they revealed murder, assault, and arson numbering among almost 100 attacks which targeted Christians in 2017. Man Who Shot Migrants After Italian Teen’s Murder Unrepentant, Say Police 4 February A right-wing extremist suspected in the shooting rampage that wounded six Africans in central Italy was “lucid and determined, aware of what he had done” and exhibited no remorse for his actions, an Italian law enforcement official said Sunday. Father of 11-Year-Old Terror Victim Ebba Akerlund to Sue Swedish Government 4 February The father of 11-year-old Ebba Akerlund, who was horribly killed during the Stockholm terror attack last year, has announced he will be looking to sue the Swedish government or the city of Stockholm for not doing enough to prevent the attack. Mediterranean Migrant Route Numbers Rapidly Increasing 3 February Since last summer the number of migrants crossing from Libya has greatly declined, but new figures show that the number is rising once again as Libya becomes increasingly unstable. Belgian Senator: Multiculturalist Elites Manipulated Stats to Transform Society with Mass Migration 3 February Elites brought about a “profound transformation” of Belgian society without any public debate by manipulating immigration figures as more than one million migrants poured in, a liberal senator has alleged. Sex Offender Migrant Arrested for Raping a 13-Year-Old Girl a Month After Prison Release 3 February An 18-year-old Afghan asylum seeker has been arrested in the German city of Esslingen for the alleged rape of a 13-year-old girl only a month after he was released from prison following a sex offence conviction. Migrants Engage in Violent Riots in Calais as Truck Companies Warn Drivers to Stay Away 3 February Over a hundred migrants in Calais took part in a series of violent attacks this week leading to several hospitalised from gunshot wounds as Belgian truck companies warn drivers to avoid motorways around the city. | |||
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Europe |
Dancer says showgirls dressed as Obama, nuns at Berlusconi party |
2013-05-17 |
The nightclub dancer at the center of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's "bunga bunga" sex trial told a court on Friday that guests at the media tycoon's parties dressed as nuns, nurses and U.S. President Barack Obama. Karima El Mahroug, better known by her stage name "Ruby the Heartstealer", spoke as a witness in a trial at which talent scout Lele Mora, television anchor Emilio Fede and former showgirl and regional councilor Nicole Minetti are accused of inducing and aiding prostitution. Berlusconi is being tried separately for paying for sex with El Mahroug when she was a minor and then abusing office by having her freed from police custody after her arrest for theft. Her appearance is nevertheless an embarrassment for the 76-year-old billionaire, serving as a reminder of the legal threats the leader of the center-right and key partner in the governing coalition faces. A verdict in the sex trial is expected in June, and a conviction for tax fraud is moving to a final appeal. Berlusconi says he has never paid for sex, denies any wrongdoing and says judges are politically motivated against him. |
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Africa North |
Gaddafi threatens to kill Berlusconi: Italian daily |
2011-07-31 |
![]() According to the newspaper, Berlusconi learned of the assassination plot through 'reliable sources', though the prime minister did not elaborate. Berlusconi said Gaddafi was not referring to his 'political death', but to his physical death, the paper said. 'Because that's what he (Gaddafi) decided, he swore to this himself,' Berlusconi was quoted as saying. Libya has been rocked by fighting between pro- and anti-Gaddafi forces since February. An international military operation began in March following a UN resolution and has been extended till September. Italy has been playing an active role in the military operation. |
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Africa North |
Italy's Berlusconi exposes NATO rifts over Libya |
2011-07-08 |
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said on Thursday he was against NATO intervention in Libya but had to go along with it, an admission that exposed the fragility of the alliance trying to unseat Muammar Gaddafi. NATO warplanes have been bombing Libya under a U.N. mandate, but the alliance is under mounting strain because of the cost of the operation and the failure, after more than three months, to produce a decisive outcome. "I was against this measure," Berlusconi said. "I had my hands tied by the vote of the parliament of my country. But I was against and I am against this intervention which will end in a way that no-one knows." Some of the alliance bombing missions over Libya take off from military airbases in Italy. There was no suggestion following Berlusconi's comments that Rome would withdraw the use of the bases. But Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa said that the cost to Italy of the Libya operation would fall from 142 million euros in the first half of the year to less than 60 million euros in the second half as part of general defense spending cuts. He said after a cabinet meeting on Thursday the aircraft carrier Garibaldi with three aircraft on board had been withdrawn, and their tasks would be taken on by land-based aircraft. The comments from Rome came just a day after Libyan rebels made a big push toward Tripoli on two fronts. Speaking at a book presentation in Rome, Berlusconi said: "I went to Paris and I said -- I can repeat this -- I would have stood with Mrs Merkel as far as this decision to intervene in the no fly zone is concerned." He appeared to be referring to a March 19 meeting at which several Western powers decided to launch the military intervention. German Chancellor Angela Merkel chose not to involve her country in the operation. "We posed very precise questions to the protagonists of this initiative -- that's to say President Sarkozy and Prime Minister David Cameron -- in the most recent meeting of the heads of government in Brussels," he said. "The answer was that the war will end when there is, as we expect, a revolt by the population of Tripoli against the current regime." |
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Africa North |
Powerful blast rattles centre of Libya capital |
2011-05-29 |
[Emirates 24/7] Fresh NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Originally it was a mutual defense pact directed against an expansionist Soviet Union. In later years it evolved into a mechanism for picking the American pocket while criticizing the style of the American pants... -led air strikes on Saturday targeted the district of Tripoli where Libyan leader Muammar Qadaffy ... Custodian of Wheelus AFB for 42 long years ... has his residence, after G8 world powers intensified the pressure on the strongman to step down. For the fourth successive night, powerful blasts rocked Bab Al-Aziziya near the city centre, an AFP correspondent said as Libyan state media reported air raids on the Al-Qariet region south of the capital. The strikes came after US President Barack B.O.Obama told a summit of G8 world powers that the United States and La Belle France were committed to finishing the job in Libya, as Russia finally joined explicit calls for Qadaffy to go. Russia's dramatic shift - and an offer to mediate - came as British Prime Minister ![]() ... has stated that he is certainly a big Thatcher fan, but I don't know whether that makes me a Thatcherite,which means he's not. Since he is not deeply ideologicalhe lacks core principles and is easily led. He has been described as certainly not a Pitt, Elder or Younger,but he does wear a nice suit so maybe he's Beau Brummel ... said the NATO mission against Qadaffy was entering a new phase with the deployment of helicopter gunships to the conflict. "We are joined in our resolve to finish the job," Obama said after talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy ...23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. Sarkozy is married to singer-songwriter Carla Bruni, who has a really nice birthday suit... at the G8 summit of industrialised democracies in the French resort of Deauville. But the US leader warned the "UN mandate of civilian protection cannot be accomplished when Qadaffy remains in Libya directing his forces in acts of aggression against the Libyan people." G8 leaders from Perfidious Albion, Canada, La Belle France, Germany, Italia, Japan, Russia and the US called in their final statement for Qadaffy to step down after more than 40 years, in the face of pro-democracy protests turned full-fledged armed revolt. "Qadaffy and the Libyan government have failed to fulfil their responsibility to protect the Libyan population and have lost all legitimacy. He has no future in a free, democratic Libya. He must go," it said. But the Libyan regime rejected the call and said any initiative to resolve the crisis would have to go through the African Union ...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful... . "The G8 is an economic summit. We are not concerned by its decisions," said Libya's deputy foreign minister, Khaled Kaaim. Tripoli also rejected Russian mediation and will "not accept any mediation which marginalises the peace plan of the African Union," he said. "We are an African country. Any initiative outside the AU framework will be rejected." Kaaim said it had no confirmation of a change in Moscow's position after President Dmitry Medvedev toughened Russia's stance at the G8 meeting by declaring: "The world community does not see him as the Libyan leader." African leaders at a summit in Addis Ababa on Thursday called for an end to NATO air strikes on Libya to pave the way for a political solution to the conflict. The pan-African bloc also sought a stronger say in resolving the conflict. Kaaim meanwhile confirmed the visit on Monday of South African President Jacob Zuma, without indicating whether the exit of Qadaffy from power would be discussed as the South Africans have claimed. On Thursday, the Libyan regime said Tripoli wanted a monitored ceasefire. But NATO insisted it would keep up its air raids in Libya until Qadaffy's forces stop attacking civilians and until the regime's proposed ceasefire is matched by its actions on the ground. Meanwhile Gadafi's wife Sofia on Friday slammed strikes against the Libyan leader and his family, and accused NATO forces of "committing war crimes" with its action against the regime. Arab League ...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing... chief ![]() ... who has been head of the Arab League since about the time Jerry and Dean split up ... said there was a yawning gap between Tripoli and the rebel National Transitional Council on Qadaffy's fate, with the rebels demanding he go immediately and the regime saving his exit for "later." "I was not there. But I wished that I was so I may die with him," she told CNN in a telephone interview, describing the reported death of her son Seif al-Arab from a NATO air strike. "My son never missed an evening prayer. We had strikes every day, and the strikes would start at evening prayer. Four rockets on one house!" she said in the rare interview. International forces, which have been attacking Qadaffy forces under the terms of a UN resolution to protect civilians, "are looking for excuses to target Moamer. What has he done to deserve this?" asked Sofia. NATO, she said, is "committing war crimes" in the North Africa country. "They killed my son and the Libyan people. They are defaming our reputation, she said. "Forty countries are against us. Life has no value anymore," she lamented, in the wake of her son's death. Doubts have been raised in recent days of the veracity of reports on Seif al-Arab, Qadaffy's youngest son, being dead. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi pointed out Wednesday that the international coalition had no information on his demise, and said the report from a Libyan government front man was "propaganda." |
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Africa North | ||
Gaddafi tanks probe rebel city as son is buried | ||
2011-05-04 | ||
![]() ... Custodian of Wheelus AFB for 42 long years ... have launched a new armoured incursion into the besieged rebel city Misrata as his son, killed in a NATO-led air strike, was buried in Tripoli. AFP correspondents heard heavy shelling throughout the morning Monday as loyalist tanks thrust into the western suburbs of Libya's third largest city. At least four people were killed and some 30 maimed in the fighting, medical sources said. Clashes overnight had killed another six and maimed dozens more. "The tanks are in Al-Ghiran and Zawiyat Al-Mahjub and have been halted by our men," a rebel commander said. One or more NATO aircraft flew over the city for more than two hours, but no air strikes were heard. Residents expressed exasperation at the lack of a military response from the Western alliance to Qadaffy's armour. "NATO has to help us. What are they waiting for?" implored one. Unlike on previous days of the more than six-week-long siege of Misrata, the resident declined to give his name -- an indication of the mounting fear in the city that Qadaffy's forces are poised to retake it. The last major rebel bastion in western Libya, Misrata is surrounded by pro-Qadaffy forces and entirely dependent on supply by sea. NATO forces were searching for a rogue anti-ship mine laid by Qadaffy forces near Misrata last week, the alliance said. Four small boats were caught dropping three mines off the port last week, but only two were found and disarmed. Rockets and shells again targeted Misrata in the evening, and heavy kabooms were heard in the port area. In the capital, more than 1,000 people attended funerals for Qadaffy's second youngest son and three of the leader's grandchildren. Regime front man Mussa Ibrahim told news hounds that Seif al-Arab Qadaffy was killed in an air strike on a Tripoli compound over the weekend. The grandchildren who died in the attack were a boy and a girl, both aged two, and a baby girl of four months. No small coffins had been immediately visible at the procession in Al-Hani cemetery, where some mourners fired guns in the air and chanted pro-Qadaffy slogans. "Revenge for deaders! People want Moamer, the guide!" the crowd chanted as the body of Seif al-Arab, covered in a green cloth with a wreath on top, was carried for burial. Crowds also rolled their eyes, jumped up and down, and hollered poorly rhymed slogans real loud against French President Nicolas Sarkozy, ...23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. Sarkozy is married to singer-songwriter Carla Bruni, who has a really nice birthday suit... who early on led the international campaign against Qadaffy. The funeral was attended by Catholic Bishop Giovanni Martinelli, who has been critical of international coalition air strikes on pro-Qadaffy forces. Ibrahim had said Qadaffy and his wife had been in the building during the strike, which he called "a direct operation to assassinate the leader." But neither Qadaffy nor his wife were harmed, he said.
A Transitional National Council statement in rebel stronghold Benghazi slammed the burnings, saying: "This is a clear sign that Qadaffy does not respect international law."
... who abondoned all hope when he entered there... and said it would be "a great gift" if the United States now killed Qadaffy. Italia has boosted security checks after Qadaffy threatened to "bring the battle to Italia" following Rome's decision to join the NATO-led air strikes. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi sought to play down the threats, attributing them to Qadaffy's "disappointment" in Italia, Libya's former colonial ruler. Turkey closed its embassy late on Sunday following the attacks on the British and Italian diplomatic missions, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said. The Western alliance vowed more strikes, although the operation commander stated "we do not target individuals." Just the exact coordinates where they're standing... "All NATO's targets are military in nature and have been clearly linked to the... regime's systematic attacks on the Libyan population and populated areas," said Lieutenant General Charles Bouchard. He said raids would continue until threats against civilians ceased and all of Qadaffy's forces "have verifiably withdrawn to their bases, and until there is full, free and unhindered access to humanitarian aid to all those in Libya who need it." China renewed its call for a ceasefire and urged NATO not to exceed the terms of the UN Security Council resolution that provided for military action to protect civilians. Venezuela asked the United Nations ...an international organization whose stated aims of facilitating interational security involve making sure that nobody with live ammo is offended unless it's a civilized country... to condemn the killing of Qadaffy's and grandchildren, as it demanded an end to raids on the country. An international coalition began carrying out strikes on March 19 under the UN Security Council mandate. NATO took command of operations on March 31. Switzerland said it had frozen 830 million francs (ê960 million/646 million euros) in funds belonging to north African strongmen since the start of this year's popular uprisings. Most of the blocked funds -- 410 million francs -- are linked to former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak ...The former President-for-Life of Egypt, dumped by popular demand in early 2011... and his associates. But 360 million francs blocked by Switzerland are believed to belong to the Qadaffy regime. | ||
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Europe | |
France expels North African migrants | |
2011-05-01 | |
[Iran Press TV] The French government has harshly cracked down on North African immigrants holding temporary visas issued by Italia in a move seen as clear violation of EU laws.
The majority of immigrants were in possession of temporary visas that enabled them to cross into La Belle France, but the authorities in Gay Paree refused the documents, insisting that those without the legally-required 31 euros per day will be jugged and deported. "When we come to immigrants yes they are literally... living in poor situation. They need everything, they are marooning in towns with expectations and hopes that are... absolutely and totally bloated and now they are waking up to the fact that La Belle France is not the El Dorado and Italia is not the El Dorado," Maurizio Busatti from the International Organization for Migration told Press TV. The French government's move has prompted a sharp rebuke from human rights ...which often intentionally defined so widely as to be meaningless... groups and several French politicians, who have drawn attention to the borderless regime enjoyed by more than 400 million people in 25 countries in the European Union. Reports say more than 25,000 people have arrived in Italia, mainly via the southern island of Lampedusa over the last three months. Most are young men from Tunisia looking for work; though in recent weeks refugees from troubled Libya have been pouring in alike. On April 17, La Belle France halted a train carrying Tunisian immigrants from Italia at the French border, sending back those who could not support themselves financially. Last week, French President Nicolas Sarkozy ...23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. Sarkozy is married to singer-songwriter Carla Bruni, who has a really nice birthday suit... and the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi mounted pressure on Brussels and the governments of the other 25 EU states, demanding an "in-depth revision" of European law regulating the passport-free travel that takes in almost the entire EU with the exception of Perfidious Albion and Ireland. The initiative has come to the fore as the Sarkozy's UMP party is in dire need of the right-wing support ahead of presidential election next year and many analysts argue that such clamor has led to recent tough stance on migrants and attacks on Mohammedans. | |
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Europe | |
Tunisian harragas receive Italian visas | |
2011-04-10 | |
[Maghrebia] Some 23,000 undocumented Democrats who arrived in Italy after the Tunisian revolution were granted temporary humanitarian visas on Thursday (April 8th), TAP reported. Under the decree signed Thursday by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, the Tunisian colonists may travel within the Schengen zone for six months. The measure applies only to African colonists who arrived before the Tunisia-Italy immigration accord of April 5th. Italy also agreed to support SMEs and other income-generating activities in areas where African colonists originate.
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Africa North |
Gaddafi no longer in control: Berlusconi |
2011-02-27 |
[Ennahar] Muammar Qadaffy does not seem to be in control of Libya anymore, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Qadaffy's strongest European ally, said Saturday. "I have fresh news from a few minutes ago and it appears that, effectively, Qadaffy no longer controls the situation in Libya," Berlusconi told a political meeting in Rome. Berlusconi, who has been relatively subdued in condemning the violence in Libya, said popular revolts in North Africa could bring democracy and freedom but also trigger the creation of "dangerous centers of Islamic fundamentalism a few kilometers from our shores" and a mass exodus of refugees. "For this reason, Europe and the West cannot remain spectators of this process, and above all we can't do that," he said. "The events of the past few weeks affect our trade relations, our energy supplies and our own security." Italy has close business ties with Libya, a former Italian colony which supplies around 25 percent of Rome's oil needs and 12 percent of its gas imports. |
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Africa North | |
Gaddafi set to arm civilians | |
2011-02-27 | |
[Bangla Daily Star] Terrified residents braced for bloody battles in Tripoli yesterday as Muammar Qadaffy offered to arm civilians to defeat a popular revolt that poses the worst threat to his four-decade rule.
...back at the ranch... the UN Security Council called a special session to consider a sanctions resolution against the Libyan leader on top of those from President Barack B.O.Obama and the European Union in a clear attempt to weaken his teetering regime. The escalating revolt to overthrow Qadaffy, which a Libyan diplomat to the United Nations, aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society said has killed thousands, has seen opponents grab almost the entire east and loyalists embark on shooting sprees in the capital. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, whose country is the former colonial power in Libya, became the first Western leader to spell out that Qadaffy appeared to have lost control of the situation. "If we can all come to an agreement, we can end this bloodbath and support the Libyan people," he said. Meanwhile, ...back at the ranch... Obama issued an executive order, seizing assets and blocking any property in the United States belonging to Qadaffy or four of his sons, saying the measures were not targeting the wealth of the Libyan people themselves. The US president condemned the Libyan government's violation of human rights ... which are not the same thing as individual rights, mind you... , "brutalisation of its people and outrageous threats". In Tripoli, witnesses said two of the three five-star hotels were closed and the third, the Corinthia, had started to evacuate. With banks closed, the dollar was trading for two Libyan dinars on the black market, compared to 1.3 10 days ago, and the euro at 2.5 Libyan dinars compared to 1.7 10 days ago. Libya's ambassador to the United Nations, a childhood friend of Qadaffy, delivered an emotional speech to the Security Council, raising the spectre of Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot, asking for his country to be saved. After Mohammed Shalgham's speech, one Tripoli resident told AFP by telephone that 'people shouted with joy' but that just a few minutes later the electricity was cut and has not come back since. "We were terrified. We thought that meant they were preparing for attacks. We grabbed whatever we could use as weapons and stayed by the door in case anyone broke in," the resident said. "We could still hear gunfire all night." Security forces opened fire indiscriminately on worshippers leaving prayers in the Libyan capital on Friday, witnesses said. Almost the entire east of Libya has slipped from Qadaffy's control since the popular uprising began in the port city of Benghazi on February 15, inspired by the revolutions in neighbouring Egypt and Tunisia. In Benghazi, a front man for the revolution told AFP yesterday they were drawing up plans for a transitional government to take power. "We are all waiting for Tripoli to end Qadaffy and his sons' rule," said Abdelhafiz Ghoqa. In the nearby town of Ajdabiya, the main square has been named 'Hurriya' or Liberty Square, but local residents said conditions were miserable. "The situation is bad. The bakeries are closed. Finding food is very hard. I have never seen a happy day in all of my years," said Idriss Mohamed, who at 42 is as old as the regime. The UN's World Food Programme warned on Friday that the food distribution system was "at risk of collapsing" in the mainly desert North African nation which is heavily dependent on imports. "They do have limited production of wheat, barley and olives mainly in a small area around Benghazi, but that is not enough to meet the population's needs," spokeswoman Emilia Casella said. Foreign governments have scrambled to evacuate thousands of expatriates who told of scenes of hell since the crisis broke out 12 days ago. After massive protests in Tunisia and Egypt forced the resignations of longtime leaders Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and Hosni Mubarak, Libya's ruler of four decades appeared to dig in for a bitter fight to the end. In a brief but chilling address that presaged a bloody battle for the capital, the army colonel who grabbed power in 1969 told frenzied supporters in Tripoli's Green Square on Friday that the rebels would be defeated. "We will fight them and we will beat them," he told a crowd of hundreds. "If needs be, we will open all the arsenals." UN chief the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon has demanded decisive action by the Security Council, warning that any delay would add to the growing corpse count, which he said came to more than 1,000. Britain, La Belle France, Germany and the United States have drawn up a resolution which says the attacks on civilians could amount to crimes against humanity. It calls for an arms embargo and a travel ban and assets freeze against Qadaffy and his entourage. | |
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Caribbean-Latin America | |||||||
Brazil refuses to extradite Italian 'terrorist' | |||||||
2011-01-01 | |||||||
"The president today took the decision to not agree to the extradition of Italian citizen Cesare Battisti on the basis of a report by the attorney general," Amorim told reporters. "This type of judgement does not constitute an affront from one country to another," he said, reading from an official statement.
Lula's government last year tried to declare Battisti a refugee, prompting Rome to withdrew its ambassador in protest, but Brazil's Supreme Court overturned that designation as illegal. It said a bilateral extradition treaty should apply, but that Lula would have to make a final decision. Battisti, who made a new career as a crime novelist while living in France, has said he is innocent of the murder charges against him, and claims he is the victim of "political" persecution in Italy. On Thursday, Italy warned a refusal to extradite Battisti would be "absolutely incomprehensible and unacceptable."
Rome considers Battisti a "terrorist" for his membership in the Armed Proletariat for Communism, a radical and armed left-wing group that killed several people in the 1970s. He was found guilty in absentia for the group's 1978-1979 murders of a prison guard, a special investigator of terrorist organizations, a butcher and a jeweler, and in 1993 was sentenced to life in prison. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has vowed to "leave no stone unturned to obtain Battisti's extradition." Battisti's life on the run from Italian authorities has taken him across several countries and seen him start a new career as a writer. Initially jailed in Italy in 1981 on charges of belonging to an armed group, Battisti escaped that same year and fled to France then Mexico. When France adopted a law giving refuge to repentant militants, he returned to that country and started a new career as a successful crime novelist.
Lula's decision leaves a diplomatic headache for his successor, Dilma Rousseff, who takes over from Saturday. But there was little chance of her going back on Lula's decision. A former Marxist militant who joined Lula's Workers Party, Rousseff herself spent two years being tortured in jail in the early 1970s for fighting Brazil's then military dictatorship. | |||||||
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