rpannier
rpannier's Journal5 Stories from Europe You May Have Missed
1. Khabarovsk Protest Held For 64th Straight Day In Russia's Far EastHundreds of people in the Far Eastern Russian city of Khabarovsk have taken to the streets for the 64th consecutive day to protest the arrest in July of the region’s popular former governor.
Protest organizers estimated the crowd on September 12 at about 2,000 people, while the city administration said about 700 people participated.
Former Khabarovsk Krai Governor Sergei Furgal was arrested on July 9 and taken to Moscow. He faces charges in connection with several killings that happened in the mid-2000s.
Many of the protesters in Khabarovsk on September 12 held up posters reading "Furgal – Our Choice," "Freedom for Furgal," and "I/We are Sergei Furgal."
https://www.rferl.org/a/khabarovsk-protest-held-for-64th-straight-day-in-russia-s-far-east/30835042.html
2. Italy reels as hundreds attend funeral of young black man brutally beaten to death
Hundreds of people in Italy walked in a funeral procession on Saturday for a young Black man whose brutal beating death has shaken up the country and drawn condemnation from the highest levels of government.
Premier Giuseppe Conte and Italy’s interior minister attended the funeral of 21-year-old Willy Monteiro Duarte, who was killed during a fight in Colleferro, a city on the outskirts of Rome, in the early hours of September 6.
Four Italians have been arrested, including a pair of brothers with police records, but to date, prosecutors haven’t indicated if the slaying was racially motivated.
Italian news reports have quoted witnesses as saying Monteiro Duarte, who was born in Rome and whose family is from the African island nation of Cape Verde, intervened while seeing a friend get beaten up in the fight and was then fatally beaten himself.
The funeral procession featured hundreds of people, most wearing white shirts and facemasks, walking toward the sporting stadium where Monteiro Duarte was honored and then clapping in respect as his casket was carried out. It was a strong show of solidarity for the young man, who was described as hard-working and upstanding by those who knew him.
Italy's prime minister was dismayed by Monteiro Duarte's death, calling the family to express his condolences. In a statement, Conte demanded justice and asked rhetorically what it means that someone could be killed in Italy for having tried to help a friend.
https://www.euronews.com/2020/09/12/italy-reels-as-hundreds-attend-funeral-of-young-black-man-brutally-beaten-to-death
3.Akhmed Zakayev, Former Member Of Chechen Separatist Government, Says His Relatives Detained In Chechnya
A former top official in Chechnya's separatist government, Akhmed Zakayev, who resides in London, says his relatives have been detained in Chechnya after a video statement he posted online condemning the humiliation of a teenage activist.
Zakayev told RFE/RL on September 10 that his two brothers and two sisters, as well as their children residing in Chechnya, had been detained and taken away by men belonging to unknown organizations.
Zakayev linked the detainments with his September 8 online video statement condemning the torture and humiliation of a 19-year-old Chechen activist, who criticized Chechen police and the region's authoritarian leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, on the opposition 1ADAT Telegram channel.
https://www.rferl.org/a/former-chechen-separatist-government-member-zakayev-says-relatives-detained-in-chechnya/30833258.html
4. Serbian Court Overturns Convictions In 1999 Murder Of Milosevic Critic
An appeals court in Serbia has overturned four convictions linked to the 1999 murder of news publisher Slavko Curuvija and ordered a retrial, local media reported on September 7.
Four former intelligence officers had been given lengthy prison terms over the killing of Curuvija, a prominent critic of Yugoslavia's president at the time, Slobodan Milosevic.
In a ruling handed down on July 15 but only reported this week, the court cited "significant violations of the provisions of criminal procedure." It reportedly concluded that the convictions from April 2019 went beyond the indictment and were not based on evidence.
Two of the men, Rade Markovic, the former head of state security, and Milan Radonjic, who was in charge of Belgrade's intelligence branch, received 30-year prison sentences each for instigating the murder. Markovic is already serving a 40-year sentence for other political killings.
https://www.rferl.org/a/serbian-court-overturns-convictions-in-1999-murder-of-milosevic-critic/30826664.html
5. Four men arrested in southern Italy after two British teenagers sexually assaulted
Police in southern Italy have arrested four men and are investigating another four on suspicion of sexually assaulting two British girls at a villa where a party was being held, authorities said on Friday.
The 15-year-old girls, who spoke no Italian, met one of the male suspects after arriving with one of their older sisters at the party in the southern province of Matera, according to public prosecutor Pietro Argentino.
The male suspects, whose ages range from 19-23, won their trust by acting in a friendly manner before taking advantage of the girls' altered states due to alcohol, police said.
As the party went on inside the villa, the adult sister lost sight of the girls, investigators said.
Private surveillance video released by police showed one of the minors, stumbling and appearing to protest, being pushed by one male toward a dark corner behind the villa after midnight on September 7, joined by three others.
https://www.euronews.com/2020/09/12/four-men-arrested-in-southern-italy-after-two-british-teenagers-sexually-assaulted
I don't think FDR, Truman or Churchill liked Stalin that much
From everything I've ever read FDR, Truman and Churchill didn't like Stalin and they didn't trust him. They were not friends.
But, the larger picture was beating the Fascists (Hitler, Mussolini) in Europe and Asia (Japan)
Stalin was an ally. That is all he was.
Victory demanded that they tolerate and work with the Soviets (and vice versa)
I've run into and read about people who voted for Trump in 2016, that now, have decided they are voting against him and will vote Biden in 2020.
I know full well that most of these people will return to being the Republicans that they were in the 2000s and early 2010s; people who held their love of small government and policies that blamed the poor for societies problems.
Maybe they won't be that way and I'll be wrong (happily wrong)
But, I'll deal with whatever when it happens.
First, the goal is to get il douche out of office and their vote is necessary, and their active support is too.
People who voted Trump in 2016 speak the language of former and current Trump supporters, "He was a businessman," and "He was going to shake things up," and whatever else.
I know some of these people, and they are much better at talking to il douche supporters who are on the fence than people (Republican or Democrat) who voted for Clinton are (sorry, but it's true)
If FDR, Truman and Churchill can make nice with Stalin for 5 years, I can make nice with Kasich and that crowd for two more months
Disney's Mulan likely to bomb in China. Hit by coronavirus, boycotts and controversy, Liu Yifei film
Disney’s Mulan likely to bomb in China. Hit by coronavirus, boycotts and controversy, Liu Yifei film fails to inspire audiencesDisney’s Mulan has racked up dismal advance ticket sales for its opening day in China, making it likely that the live-action remake will bomb at mainland box office.
According to China’s largest film ticketing app Maoyan, as of this morning, advance ticket sales for the opening day (September 11) of Mulan amounted to only 2.1 million yuan (US$307,000) after one day of presale. Maoyan estimates the eventual opening-day box office for the film to be 2.3 million yuan.
snip
According to Maoyan, Love You Forever racked up 140 million yuan for advance ticket sales for the opening day. The film took in 250 million yuan its opening day, which coincided with Chinese Valentine’s Day.
Disney’s Mulan has been swamped with bad press and poor reviews from Chinese audiences
who have watched the movie online overseas, or a pirated version online. The film currently scores 4.7 out of 10 on the rating site Douban.
They accuse the film of being bland and mishandling Chinese culture. Calls to boycott the film grew after some scenes were found to have been filmed in Xinjiang , where widespread rights abuses against the region’s Muslim population have been documented.
https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3100799/disneys-mulan-likely-bomb-china-hit-coronavirus-boycotts
Volunteer Medics Came To Kyrgyzstan To Fight COVID-19. Now They Can't Go Home.
At the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak in Kyrgyzstan this summer, dozens of Kyrgyz medics generously came from Russia to help fight the virus, which had overwhelmed the poor Central Asian country's health-care system.
After several weeks of volunteer work in the pandemic's so-called red zones -- the areas with high infection rates -- many of the workers are now unable to return home due to Moscow's lockdown measures.
Russia has closed its borders to foreigners, allowing only those who have a permanent residence permit to enter. Many of the Kyrgyz medics only moved to Russia in recent years and don't have a Russian passport or long-term visa.
"Those who have Russian citizenship returned to Russia, despite having to pay for quite expensive tickets. But we're not allowed to reenter [Russia]," said Gulbahar Koshoeva, one of the medics stuck in Kyrgyzstan.
https://www.rferl.org/a/volunteer-medics-came-to-kyrgyzstan-to-fight-covid-19-now-they-can-t-go-home/30827591.html
The Untouchable Governor Of Uzbekistan's Ferghana Province
Despite what Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev and other top officials say about reforming the system and respecting the rights of all Uzbeks, the governor of the eastern Ferghana Province is busy demonstrating he can do and say anything he wants and get away with it.
Born in the Ferghana city of Margilan in 1968, Shukhrat Ganiev has been in charge of the regional governor's office since 2011, having come to power under authoritarian President Islam Karimov. He previously served three years as first deputy governor.
snip
Soh is a rich agricultural region in an area that is rocky and largely barren and, unsurprisingly, problems over water rights often break out with the neighboring Kyrgyz villages in the area.
Such a conflict erupted on May 31 when villagers from Soh and nearby Kyrgyz territory got into a huge rock fight. More than 200 people were injured and several homes were also burned down.
Ganiev went to Soh to meet with Kyrgyz officials and try to restore calm.
snip
Even though he was surrounded by soldiers, residents of Soh threw stones at Ganiev and his delegation, prompting Ganiev to demonstrate a lack of diplomacy by threatening to close the exclave's borders, put some people in jail, and wipe several of the villages there off the map.
snip
Ganiev appears to be one of those Uzbek officials who for some reason is impossible to fire.
https://www.rferl.org/a/the-untouchable-governor-of-uzbekistan-s-ferghana-province/30826974.html
Five Stories from Europe You May Have Missed
1. Ukrainian Church Leader Who Called COVID 'Punishment For Same-sex Marriage' Has COVID
A senior Orthodox religious leader in Ukraine has been hospitalized with the coronavirus months after calling the COVID-19 pandemic God's punishment for humanity allowing the "evil" of same-sex marriage. Patriarch Filaret, who leads one of the biggest denominations of Orthodox Christians in Ukraine, also said in March that God "will not allow me to get sick, because I have to serve the church."
The Kyiv Patriarchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which has split from both the main Russian Orthodox Church and the wider Ukrainian church due to disagreements between Filaret and the other leaders, confirmed in a Facebook post Wednesday that the Patriarch was being treated for COVID-19, but was in "satisfactory" condition.
"We ask for holy prayers for the health and recovery of Patriarch Filaret," the the Kyiv Patriarchy's press service said in its Facebook post.
snip
In his March interview with Ukraine's Channel 4, Filaret said "the cause of the coronavirus is the sinfulness of humanity. They do not openly defend good, but defend evil. Evil is spreading. I mean, first of all, same-sex marriage — this is the cause of the coronavirus and more. Children are taught to choose their gender. Is this good ?! This is evil."
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ukraine-church-leader-who-called-coronavirus-punishment-for-evil-of-same-sex-marriage-has-covid-19/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab7e&linkId=99205181
2. Flying The Flag: Belarusians Show Their True Colors In Solidarity With Protests
It's red and white and all over Belarus, from clotheslines and hay bales to apartment-building balconies, stairwells and more -- a pervasive symbol of resistance to authoritarian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka and a simple, striped sign of support for his opponents.
The red and white colors of the opposition -- adopted from Belarus's short-lived bid for democratic independence more than a century ago -- are flying high amid a wave of anger over an election that many voters believe was rigged to hand Lukashenka a sixth term after more than a quarter-century in power.
Despite the authorities' adamant efforts to erase the flag from the public consciousness by enforcing an unofficial ban, the streets -- and balconies -- of Belarus are awash with symbolism.
snip
Some are just blatantly hanging the flag -- first used by the ill-fated Belarusian National Republic in 1918-19 -- from their balconies or high above the capital.
https://www.rferl.org/a/belarusians-red--white-flag-protests-solidarity/30829635.html
3. Thousands need aid after fire destroys Europe’s largest refugee camp
Thousands of people urgently require emergency shelter and aid after a fire destroyed Europe’s largest refugee camp, on the Greek island of Lesbos.
As the Athens government declared a state of emergency and a delegation of officials rushed to the north-eastern Aegean island, the sheer scale of devastation wrought by the overnight blaze became increasingly evident.
In the mangled wreckage of gutted facilities, incinerated tents and blackened containers, Moria was no more. The camp whose overcrowded and unsanitary conditions had spawned global outrage since its inception in 2015 had been erased.
“At this moment the reception centre has been completely destroyed,” Greece’s alternate migration minister, Giorgos Koumoutsakos, told reporters, saying it was miraculous there had been no deaths or injuries. “As a result, thousands of people are homeless.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/09/thousands-need-aid-after-fire-destroys-europes-largest-refugee-camp
4. Serbia Withdraws From Belarus Military Exercise, Citing EU Pressure
BELGRADE -- The Serbian government has decided to suspend all joint international military exercises for the next six months, just one day ahead of the beginning of the Slavic Brotherhood 2020 exercise to be hosted by Belarus.
Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin said on September 9 that the decision was made under heavy pressure from the European Union not to send forces to Belarus, which has been beset by unrest since last month's disputed presidential election.
The EU "asked us to leave the planned exercise with Belarus or risk losing our European future," Vulin said.
The Slavic Brotherhood 2020 exercise is scheduled to be held in the second half of September at a training ground near the city of Brest and was to include forces from Belarus, Russia, and Serbia.
https://www.rferl.org/a/serbia-withdraws-from-belarus-military-exercise-citing-eu-pressure/30829735.html
5. Oxford University vaccine trial halted after participant falls ill
The late-stage COVID-19 candidate vaccine trials run by AstraZeneca have been paused after a participant fell ill.
The company is investigating whether the vaccine recipient's "potentially unexplained” illness is a result of receiving the shot.
In a statement, AstraZeneca said the “standard review process triggered a pause to vaccination to allow review of safety data" without revealing what the potential side effect of the vaccine was.
AstraZeneca is trialling the Oxford University vaccine which was developed using a chimpanzee adenovirus. The adenovirus was then genetically modified so that it cannot grow in humans.
https://www.euronews.com/2020/09/09/oxford-university-vaccine-trial-halted-after-participant-falls-ill
This headline makes me happy: Poll: Voters Think Trump Is More Likely to Win the Debates
If it appears to break even at the debates Biden wins in the eyes of the public.
If Biden bests Trump then it is especially good for Biden
If he stumbles at bit, no one is surprised
USA Today/Suffolk 47% of voters expect Donald Trump to win the debates, and 41% expect Joe Biden to win
Trump pushes another to vote against him
First, some background. This guy that's in our luncheon group is an exceedingly conservative, Libertarian-type. He has never voted for a Democrat.
Over the past four years Trump has slowly been losing this guy. He was at, "I won't for either." when they took the mail boxes. But, what pushed him into the "I'll vote for Biden because Trump has to go." was Trump's call for the Fox News reporter to be fired
We used to have weekly lunches together (a bunch of the expats living in Japan), and have gone to twice a month lunch and twice a month Skype. He is just irate.
I'm good with it. A very conservative Minnesotan for Biden
The guy is pretty big on what he calls the 3 most important freedoms; Speech, Assembly and Press
That makes our group 14 Biden, 1 Trump, 2 Not sure
6 of the Biden voters are Republicans; it took work and patience, but it has paid off
The 1 trumpie is TFG = Too Far Gone. He doesn't say much any more because he's now outgunned.
Forgot to mention, he's not voting for ANY republicans this time
So it's Barnabas Collins that's pulling Biden's strings
or is it the cast: Jonathan Frid, Joan Bennett, Grayson Hall, Nancy Barrett, Alexandra Moltke, Louis Edmunds, and the rest of the cast of the 60's TV series?
Laura Ingraham asked "Who do you think is pulling Biden's strings?"
Trump: People you’ve never heard of. People that are in the dark shadows
Many people have never heard of most of the cast of Dark Shadows
Profile Information
Gender: MaleCurrent location: Boseong
Member since: Fri Jan 30, 2004, 05:44 AM
Number of posts: 24,350
