In Australia, Where Pot is Illegal, Son Calls Cops on Dad for Destroying Pot Plants

'Enraged' son dobs dad in for

'torching cannabis plants'

Humpty Doo

An irate man has called police to complain that his father destroyed his cannabis plants during a domestic dispute in the Northern Territory.

Police were called to a property at Humpty Doo, south-east of Darwin, about 6:30pm Tuesday.

Yes, Humpty Doo is a real name! It's Australia, what can I say?

Duty Superintendent Louise Jorgensen said no charges were laid or anticipated because any evidence of a drug stash had been destroyed.

"Things came to a head yesterday evening and the father allegedly threw all of his son's cannabis plants onto the bonfire and completely destroyed them," Duty Superintendent Jorgensen said.

"This enraged the son, he called us and told us everything basically."

Police said officers arrived at the property and could only shake their heads while the son gathered up his remaining property and left to stay with relatives.

"The evidence has been destroyed as has the son's reputation... people don't usually come forward to say their drug stash has been destroyed or stolen but there you go," the police woman said.

Belgian Catholic Nursing Home has No Right to Refuse Euthanasia

Slippery slope for Christians when it comes to euthanasia

Conscientious objection gives way to godless ideology

Andy Walton CHRISTIAN TODAY CONTRIBUTING WRITER        


Reuters

A Catholic nursing home in Belgium is reported to have fallen foul of the country's courts after refusing to permit a resident to access euthanasia.

The incident happened in 2011 when Huize Sint-Augustinus home in Diest refused to allow an elderly woman's doctor access to see her – when it was thought she was about to be given a lethal injection.

The home has been ordered to pay €6,000 (approx $6,600 or £5,000) in damaged to the family of the woman.

The civil court in Louvain ruled that "the nursing home did not have the right to refuse euthanasia on the grounds of conscientious objection."

In this case, the 74-year-old who had terminal cancer received the injection in her own house, rather than in the nursing home.

Euthanasia has been legal in Belgium since 2002 and the country is said to have the most liberal assisted suicide laws anywhere in the world. Belgium is held up as an example by campaigners on both sides of the debate over assisted suicide in the UK, US and elsewhere.

Local Archbishop Jozef De Kesel, of the diocese of Mechelen-Brussels, had previously said Catholic institutions have a right to refuse abortion and euthanasia.

Hungary Sets Date for Referendum on EU Migrant Quotas, PM Favors ‘No’ Vote

© Bernadett Szabo / Reuters

Hungary will hold a referendum on October 2 to decide if the country will further accept the EU’s mandatory migrant quota system. Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who initiated the decision, earlier said a “no” vote would be in favor of Hungary's independence.

The move was announced by the office of Hungarian President Janos Ader on Tuesday. “As president of the republic I decree that the referendum will be held on October 2,”read a statement from Ader.

The presidential office added that the people of Hungary will be asked one question at the referendum: “Do you want the European Union to prescribe the mandatory settlement of non-Hungarian citizens in Hungary even without the consent of Parliament?”

Antal Rogan, head of the prime minister's cabinet, welcomed the move.

“Hungarian citizens ... can say whether they support or reject Brussels' immigration policy,” he said. “We believe that only Hungarians, not Brussels, can decide who we want to live with in Hungary.”

It should become obvious in the next few months what a 'no' vote will cost Hungary. It may result in a series of fines from Brussels, which, if too onorous, may result in Hungary exiting the EU.

Hungarian PM Orban announced plans to call a referendum on mandatory migrant quotas proposed by the EU in February. Orban added that those who choose not to back the EU's proposal and reject the plan would be supporting Hungary’s independence.

"The EU has no right to make decisions that could change the lives of people without asking them," Orban said at the time, adding that a “no” vote would be “in favor of Hungary's independence and rejecting the mandatory settlement plan.”

In June the Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement saying that the referendum “regarding the mandatory settlement quotas is not aimed against the EU, but is, in actual fact, a good example of how to consult with the electorate on an issue of great significance.”

The goal of the European Commission’s proposal on migrant quotas is to redistribute the weight of the refugee crisis from countries such as Greece by introducing automatic asylum quotas for each EU member state. The countries that refuse would face mandatory payments.

A country’s quota would depend on its national population and wealth. If a nation found itself handling more than 50 percent above its share, it would be permitted to relocate people elsewhere within the bloc.

However, a mandatory quota for the resettlement of migrants and refugees has long been rejected by the Hungarian government. In September 2015, in an attempt to prevent migrants from illegally crossing into Hungary, the government decided to erect a fence on the border with Serbia. It also introduced punishments of up to three years in prison for those crossing the border illegally or damaging the barrier.

However, the four-meter-high, razor-wire fence hasn’t stopped thousands of illegal migrants from forcing their way into the country. Around 400,000 migrants and refugees arrived in Hungary in 2015 before the fence was erected, according to reports in Hungarian media.

In 2015, over 1 million asylum seekers arrived in Europe, according to data from the International Organization for Migration. Most came from Syria, where a civil war has claimed the lives of 250,000 people and displaced 12 million others since 2011, UN figures show. The asylum seekers also come from Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Eritrea, Mali and other countries.

Duterte Justice Begins in Philippines as 5 Drug Suspects Killed

5 drug suspects killed in Philippine capital

Source: Xinhua  

MANILA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Five suspects allegedly involved in illegal drugs were killed Sunday in an encounter with policemen in the Philippine capital.

Law enforcers received information about a group of malefactors allegedly responsible for the transportation of illegal drugs in Quiapo, Manila, the National Capital Region Police Office said.

Police then conducted a surveillance and casing operation in the area; however, several men allegedly fired upon them.

An exchange of fire later led to the death of the five unidentified suspects.

Recovered from the scene were four pistols and about 200 grams of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu.

Philippine new president Rodrigo Duterte has declared a war against illegal drugs, even tapping military help in fighting the menace.

‘Austria Will Stay in EU if Turkey Stays Out’ – Presidential Candidate Hofer to RT

Norbert Hofer © Heinz-Peter Bader / Reuters

There will be no need for a referendum on EU membership in Austria if the European Union decides not to let Turkey become a member, Norbert Hofer, the head of Austria’s eurosceptic Freedom Party (FPO) told RT.

“I believe that people are able to learn, that political structures are able to develop, and that Austria will contribute to making Europe better. There is one exception, however, that is if the EU decides to let Turkey join the Union,” Hofer said, adding that under such circumstances “Austrians will have to be asked whether they want this.”

“I hope that there will be no need for a referendum [on EU membership] in Austria, and that the Union will develop in a positive manner,” he added. “But I am fully certain that Austrian people will not accept Turkish membership in the bloc, as well as the situation where Austria is deprived of its powers in favor of the authorities in Brussels.”

I like this guy; he makes absolute sense.

Hofer said the EU must learn the lesson the posed by the British referendum, namely to divide the powers between its central authority in Brussels and the 27 member states.

“Of course I was concerned about the future of the EU [in view of the British referendum results]. I respect the decision the British nation made, all democratic decisions must be respected,” he said.

“However, the European Union must learn this lesson: we must be creating Europe for the people, not Europe for bureaucrats. This means that we need to come up with better agreements, we must divide the powers between the EU, on the one hand, and its member states, on the other, and get the citizens involved in these projects,” Hofer said.

He said that the EU has a chance to avoid the  of other European states following the UK out of the bloc if it becomes a subsidiary union, which “takes into consideration, which powers are exercised by its authorities, and which – by member states.”

"Bottom line, it all depends on the direction the EU chooses for its further development,” Hofer said.

Earlier, Hofer warned that Austria could hold its own referendum on EU membership within a year if the bloc insists on political “centralization.” The FPO leader and his establishment see the bloc as based on economic, rather than political, cooperation. And his views have an increasing influence on the public opinion in Austria, especially now that Hofer has a chance to become Austrian president after the country’s Constitutional Court ruled a re-run of last month’s presidential election which saw him narrowly lose the post by just 31,000 votes.

“If the EU chooses the right path, there will be no need for a referendum in Austria,” Hofer told RT.

Breedlove’s War: Emails Show ex-NATO General Plotting US Conflict with Russia

"Putin must be confronted"

Breedlove, or is it Strangelove?

Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Phillip Breedlove © Olivier Hoslet / Reuters

Hacked private emails of the US general formerly in charge of NATO reveal a campaign to pressure the White House into escalating the conflict with Russia over Ukraine, involving several influential players in Washington.

The emails, posted by the site DCLeaks, show correspondence between General Philip M. Breedlove, former head of the US European Command and supreme commander of NATO forces, with several establishment insiders concerning the situation in Ukraine following the February 2014 coup that ousted the elected government in favor of a US-backed regime.

Breedlove served as the NATO Supreme Commander between May 2013 and March 2016. His personal email incorporated his Air Force call sign “Bwana” – a Swahili word for “boss.”

The hacked emails reveal his frequent and intense communications with retired General Wesley Clark, as well as former Secretary of State Colin Powell, and involving a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, State Department official Victoria Nuland, and US Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt.

Clark, who commanded NATO during the 1999 war in Yugoslavia, reached out to Breedlove in April 2014. On April 8, he forwarded “intelligence” obtained by Anatoly Pinchuk and Dmitry Tymchuk, activists close to the new regime, claiming a Russian invasion was in the works.

    NATO Supreme Allied Commander, U.S. Air Force General Philip Breedlove. © Jonathan 

The information was conveyed by Phillip Karber, an ex-Marine and president of the Potomac Foundation, whom Clark calls a “colleague” and “our guy.” Karber wrote about observing the Russian border from inside a Ukrainian tank, and eagerly transmitted Tymchuk and Pinchuk’s calls for support. Contacted by The Intercept on Friday, Karber confirmed the authenticity of several emails in the leaked cache.

Reporting on his meeting with Ambassador Pyatt on April 6, Karber wrote: “State is the one trying to be pro-active and recognizes need to do more faster,” while General Martin Dempsey – at that point the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff – was “dragging his feet in order to save [military] relations with Russians.”

In an email dated April 12, Clark referred to his exchange with “Toria” Nuland – the assistant secretary of state for Europe and Eurasia, who personally backed the Ukrainian revolution – pushing for open US support for the regime in Ukraine to use force against protesters in the east. Prior to the coup, Washington had strongly warned Kiev not to use force against the anti-government demonstrators in the city.

Kiev’s summer “anti-terrorist operation” ended in crushing defeat in August, and the first armistice between the government and rebels was signed in Minsk in September. Meanwhile, the so-called Islamic State jihadist group arose in Iraq and Syria, drawing US attention away from Eastern Europe with gruesome beheadings of Westerners. Frustrated by the White House’s reluctance to back his belligerent agenda in Ukraine, Breedlove reached out to Powell, a retired general and former secretary of state.

“I seek your counsel on two fronts,.... how to frame this opportunity in a time where all eyes are on ISIL all the time,... and two,... how to work this personally with the POTUS,” Breedlove wrote to Powell in September 2014. Powell’s response was not made available.

Breedlove was introduced to Powell by Harlan Ullman, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and the author of the “shock and awe” doctrine used by the Bush administration in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

In October 2014, Ullman urged Breedlove to reach out to Vice President Joe Biden. Aside from Powell, Ullman wrote, “I know of no better way of getting into 1600,” referring to the White House’s address on Pennsylvania Avenue.

In November, Ullman also suggested Breedlove should get together with David O'Sullivan, the new EU envoy to Washington. Noting that Europe “seems to be a six letter expletive in the White House,” Ullman adds that “perhaps quiet collaboration between him and NATO (SecGen) as well might be useful.”

“Obama or Kerry needs to be convinced that Putin must be confronted,” Ullman wrote in February 2015, before the ‘Minsk II’ talks.

He also gave Breedlove pointers on getting into the good graces of Ash Carter, the new Defense Secretary. “I would take or pretend to take careful notes.  Ash is an academic. And he is trained that students who take good notes rise to be A grades.  This may be maskarova.  But it is useful maskarova,” Ullman wrote, misspelling the Russian word for camouflage (maskirovka).

Washington did approve hundreds of millions of dollars in “non-lethal” aid to Ukrainian troops, including the notorious “volunteer battalions,” in the 2016 military budget.

Breedlove continued to push for more aggressive US involvement, claiming a heavy Russian troop presence in Ukraine – which was later denied even by the government in Kiev. In March this year, the general was telling US lawmakers that Russia and Syria were “deliberately weaponizing migration in an attempt to overwhelm European structures and break European resolve.”

Breedlove was replaced at the helm of EUCOM and NATO in May, and officially retired from the military on July 1. He was replaced by US Army General Curtis Scaparrotti, whose public statements suggest a similar level of hostility for Russia.

It has always been my contention that it is anything but a coincidence that the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia started just a couple months after much talk about the usefulness of NATO. With the cold war ending it seemed like an expensive exercise with little value. Then suddenly there's a war and NATO comes to the rescue, sort of.

Hindu Priest Hacked to Death in Islamic War on Minorities

Hindu temple worker hacked to death in Bangladesh

AFP 


New Delhi (AFP) - A Hindu temple worker was hacked to death in western Bangladesh on Friday, police said, the latest in a series of attacks on religious minorities by suspected Islamists.

Three men on a motorcycle attacked Shyamananda Das as he walked along a road near the temple early in the morning, police said.

"They hacked him on his neck three times and there was one stabbing mark in his head," deputy district police chief Gopinath Kanjilal told AFP.

"He died after he was brought to hospital."

Police said the 50-year-old, also known as Babaji, was a volunteer who helped conduct prayers at temples.

"He was an itinerant temple volunteer who travels from one temple to another to serve the Hindu devotees. He came to this temple only yesterday," said local police chief inspector Hasan Hafizur Rahman. "He was attacked as he walked outside the temple to collect flowers for prayer services," he told AFP.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but police said it bore the hallmarks of recent murders of religious minorities by suspected homegrown Islamist militants.

Last month a Hindu priest, 70-year-old Ananda Gopal Ganguly, was hacked to death in the same district.

Days later, a Hindu monastery worker was murdered in the same way in a northwestern district.

Deputy police chief Kanjilal said an activist with the student wing of the country's largest Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami, had been arrested over the attack.

Hours before the murder, two Jamaat student activists were shot dead in a gunfight with police just a few miles (kilometres) from the Hindu temple, two police officials told AFP.

"They are local leaders of Islami Chhatra Shibir and were suspects in last month's murder of the Hindu priest," Rahman told AFP.

- Targeted killings -

Bangladesh is reeling from a wave of murders of secular and liberal activists and religious minorities that have left some 50 people dead in the last three years.

Victims of the attacks by suspected Islamists have included secular bloggers, gay rights activists and followers of minority religions including Hindus, Christians and Muslim Sufis and Shiites.

Since April, more than a dozen people have been hacked to death amid a sharp spike in the targeted killings.

Most of the recent attacks have been claimed by the Islamic State organisation or the South Asian branch of Al-Qaeda.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government, however, has blamed homegrown Islamists for the attacks. Experts say a government crackdown on opponents, including a ban on the Jamaat-e-Islami following a protracted political crisis, has pushed many towards extremism.

Last month police arrested more than 11,000 people, including nearly 200 suspected militants, in an anti-Islamist drive criticised by the opposition and some rights groups, which said it was used as an excuse to clamp down on dissent.

At least nine suspected Islamists were shot dead in what police said were gunfights. Some rights activists contradict that account and say they were extrajudicial killings.

Jamaat-e-Islami is a long-standing ally of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

Although Bangladesh is officially secular, around 90 percent of its 160 million-strong population is Muslim. About one in 10 are Hindu.