Thursday, February 28, 2019

Stuff For The End Of February

On the last day of February, here are some things going on:


From Townhall, over 100 Democrat congresscritters want to outlaw private health coverage, among other things.  (I'm beginning to realize that the principal complaint that some Democrats have against private enterprise is its very existence.)


From The Washington Free Beacon, crime went down in 2018.

From the Washington Examiner, Speaker Pelosi (D-Cal) considers rule changes to thwart GOP amendments to bills.  (Should the house flip back to the GOP in the future, which at some point is bound to happen, she or her Democrat successors might regret such changes.)



From CNS News, a Walmart ad shows two gay men on a blind date in one of their stores.  (Why the [bleep] would anyone, gay or straight, go on a date, blind or otherwise, in a store?)














From Dutch News, a Dutch news website bans comments which "deny" climate change.  (I hope that they will still allow comments pointing out how much carbon dioxide each nation emits.)









From the Greek Reporter, vegan activists protest against meat eating in Athens.  (When lions and tigers and bear, oh my, stop eating meat, so will I.)





















Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Wednesday Whatnot

Here in the middle of the week are some things going on:

From Voice Of Europe, Denmark's new migration law will focus on sending them back instead of "integrating" them.

From Deutsche Welle, after 80 years, a new synagogue opens in Regensburg, Germany.

From the NL Times, a man whose nightclub in Zwolle, Netherlands has been targeted with grenades says that he's "not a bad guy".  (Whoever planted the grenades, on the other hand, really has no such claim.)

From Dutch News, a man from Groningen, Netherlands, is arrested on terrorism charges.

From VRT NWS, Belgian legislators move toward legalizing medical cannabis.

From France24, according to French President Macron, the Netherlands should "clarify its intentions" after purchasing a large stake in Air France-KLM.

From RFI, after an outcry the sports shop Decathlon cancels plans to sell a sports hijab.

From the Express, the U.K. secures a deal under which it will remain in the WTO's Government Procurement Agreement after Brexit.

From the Evening Standard, nine members of a grooming gang based in Bradford, England get a total of over 140 years in prison.

From the Independent, U.K. MPs "lock in" Prime Minister May's promise that they will be able to vote against a no-deal Brexit.

From the Irish Examiner, a "reluctantly" famous American speaks in Dublin.

From El País, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announces a decree to deal with a "disorderly" Brexit.

From The Portugal News, Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa says that a "disorderly" Brexit would harm the world's economy.

From SwissInfo, when it comes to renewable energy, Switzerland is still "waiting for Godot".

From ANSA, Pope Francis calls for the abolition of the death penalty.

From Total Croatia News, the president of the Croatian Journalists' Association blames the Croatian government for attacks on the media.

From Daily News Hungary, according to Hungarian Prime Minister Orban, "migration will completely reshape the world".

From Hungary Today, Orban announces a six-point plan for Hungarian success.

From About Hungary, the E.U. and the "never-ending story" of migrant quotas.

From Radio Praha, a look back at 60 years of Voice Of America broadcasting in Czech.

From Radio Poland, Poland joins the free-market coalition within the E.U.  (RP cites a newspaper named Rzeczpospolita, whose name means "republic".)

From Russia Today, four civilian vehicles get trapped between two armored personnel carriers in Kursk, Russia.

From Sputnik International, Russian President Putin will host Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu for talks in Moscow.

From Independent Balkan News Agency, an interview with Albanian Socialist MP Xhemal Qefalia.

From Ekathimerini, the E.U. is unhappy with Greek financial reforms.

From the Greek Reporter, a landscape resembling Antarctica forms in central Greece.

From Hürriyet Daily, Turkey starts the largest naval drill in its history.

From Turkish Minute, the municipality of Kepez, Turkey holds a women's day discussion in which all the speakers are male.

From Rûdaw, over 1,000 people flee ISIS-controlled areas, but 51 die.

From The Times Of Israel, a bomb carried by balloons, launched from Gaza, damages a house in southern Israel.

From The Jerusalem Post, Israel's attorney general is expected to announce his intent to indict Prime Minister Netanyahu over bribery charges.

From YNetNews, drones will be used to map Jewish cemeteries in Europe.

From the Egypt Independent, Egypt's health minister inaugurates the first floating hospital on the Nile.

From Dawn, two Indian aircraft are shot down over Kashmir.

From The Express Tribune, the Pakistani air force strikes targets in the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir.

From Pakistan Today, U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo urges Pakistan and India to avoid further escalation "at any cost".

From NDTV, India demands the "immediate, safe return" of their pilot who was captured by Pakistan.

From the Daily Mail, India builds 14,000 bunkers on the border with Pakistan.

From Khaama Press, Afghan Special Forces send almost 40 more terrorists to their virgins.

From CBC News, due to Pakistan closing their airspace, a flight from Canada to India turns around.

From CTV News, police find meth in cars made in Mexico and imported into Canada.

From Breitbart, ISIS members reportedly return to Sweden and try to recruit new members.

From The Straits Times, a Malay man is arrested for placing idols near a mosque.

From Gatestone Institute, Turkey has a case of missing priests.

From Jamie Glazov Productions, the hate and deception by congresscritter Ilhan Omar (D-MN).

From FrontpageMag, Arab websites omit an important aspect of the background of Oscar-winning actor Rami Malek.

From National Review, the ATF's ban on bump-stocks survives a court challenge.

From Townhall, former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen may face yet more legal trouble.

From The Washington Free Beacon, SCOTUS delays the execution of a man, who due to illness, can't remember his crime.

From the Washington Examiner, seven key points from former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen's testimony.

From The Federalist, "transgender athletes who compete against women are cheats".

From American Thinker, the hypocritical nature of the "Resistance".

From CNS News, a transgender activist is charged with burning down her own home.

From CNN, Senator Kamala Harris (D-Cal) misrepresents her past support for a policy which turned young illegal aliens over to ICE custody.  (via Reason)

From the New York Post, as President Trump talks with Kim Jong Un, he gets an offer of help from Kim's American friend.

And from The Babylon Bee, Cohen testifies that Trump kept telling him to execute "Order 66".

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Tuesday Things

As we get to the day when Wimpie was supposed to repay Popeye for buying him a hamburger, here are some things going on:

From National Review, voting by (male) non-citizens was at one time pretty common.

From Townhall, former gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie (R-VA) reacts to Governor Northam's blackface scandal.

From The Washington Free Beacon, Senate Democrats wanting to run for president in 2020 vote against providing care to newborns who survive abortion.

From CNS News, a woman who survived an abortion weighs in.

From the Washington Examiner, the ISIS bride from Alabama was a propagandist, not a victim of brainwashing.

From The Federalist, politics and morality are not made superior by endorsements from children.

From American Thinker, journalist Jose Ramos, who once compared President Trump to a "dictator", gets to deal with a real dictator.

From LifeZette, officials from the Trump administration "correct the record" on family separation.

From FrontpageMag, was there any Polish culpability in the Holocaust?  (This is a very touchy subject in Poland.  My own ancestry includes Polish, which is why I decided to learn a bit of the language.)

From Radio Poland, Poland will hold their E.U. elections on May 26th.

From Radio Praha, after traveling for three and a half years and covering 11,500 kilometers, Czech kayaker Jiří Oliva returns home.

From the Hungary Journal, according to Hungarian diplomat Zoltan Kovacs, the E.U. has confessed that its polices encourage migration.

From Daily News Hungary, Hungary's population decreased by 41,300 in 2018.

From Hungary Today, Greenpeace activists place a "clean air" banner on the Liberty Statue in Budapest, Hungary.  (This Liberty Statue is not to be confused with, nor even resembles, the Statue of Liberty in New York, U.S.A.)

From About Hungary, according to Hungarian Prime Minister Orban, tensions about migrations "will only intensify".

From Russia Today, a stabbing victim wanders around a hospital in search of a cigarette, with the knife still in his back.  (Reader discretion is most definitely advised.)

From Sputnik International, Russian missiles get stuck in traffic.  (Don't you hate when that happens?)

From Independent Balkan News Agency, the Council of Europe urges Albanian opposition MPs to reconsider their resignations.

From Ekathimerini, Greece ran a primary surplus in January.

From the Greek Reporter, even with its own problems, Greece is better off in the Eurozone.

From Total Croatia News, the European Commission declines to have any role in the Slovenia-Croatia border dispute.

From the Malta Independent, 20 migrants leave Malta for Portugal.

From El País, a Catalan separatist, on trial in Madrid, calls the October 2017 independence referendum Europe's biggest exercise in civil disobedience.

From France24, the Council of Europe urges France to discontinue the use of rubber bullets.

From RFI, French authorities will investigate German pensions given to French Nazi collaborators.

From the Express, the U.K. is not ready for a hard Brexit.

From the Evening Standard, British activist Tommy Robinson is kicked off Facebook and Instagram.

From the (U.K.) Independent, the Independent Group of MPs tables an amendment calling for a second Brexit referendum.

From the (Irish) Independent, Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will allow ISIS terror suspects back into Ireland.

From VRT NWS, Belgian scientists develop a solar panel that produces hydrogen.

From the NL Times, a Dutch teacher is suspended for insulting the prophet Muhammad.

From Dutch News, a Dutch counter-terrorism chief says that jihadi women and children are a threat.

From Deutsche Welle, neo-Nazis march and carry torches in Nuremburg.

From CBC News, Canada pledges $47 million in aid to Yemen.

From CTV News, a Quebec man faces deportation to Italy due to a 20-year-old conviction.

From Hürriyet Daily News, seven wanted suspected terrorists are captured in Istanbul.

From Turkish Minute, Turkish President Erdoğan "slams" E.U. leaders for attending a conference hosted by Egyptian President el-Sisi.

From Rûdaw, women fleeing ISIS and arriving at checkpoints carry guns, laptops, coins and milk.

From Arutz Sheva, according to Prime Minister Netanyahu, Israel will not allow Iran to have a base near its border.

From The Times Of Israel, a teenage Israeli settler is convicted of terror offenses against Palestinians.

From The Jerusalem Post, the Palestinian Authority's foreign minister wants a travel ban against Israeli settlers.

From YNetNews, Israel gets ready for a possible invasion of locusts.

From the Egypt Independent, an Egyptian-Swedish archaeological mission finds a pharaonic workshop.  (My spellchecker objects to "pharaonic", but has no problem with "pharaoh".)

From Radio Farda, a majority of the Iranian parliament asks President Rouhani to reject the resignation of their foreign minister.

From Dawn, Indian aircraft allegedly violate the Line of Control in Kashmir.

From The Express Tribune, Pakistan's army tells India "to get ready for a surprise".

From Pakistan Today, the Indian air force claims to have shot down a "Pakistani drone".

From Khaama Press, Afghani forces raid a Taliban drug stockpile.

From the New York Post, new images show ancient Martian waterways.

And from Breitbart, SCOTUS prepares to decide the fate of a war memorial cross in Bladensburg, Maryland.

UPDATE:  Here are a few more:

From NRL News Today, a Maryland state legislator withdraws his bill which would put unrestricted abortion into the state's constitution.

From The Epoch Times, a woman who assaulted a man wearing a MAGA hat turns out to be an illegal alien, and faces deportation to Brazil.  (To my surprise, the article actually uses the term "illegal alien".)

From KIRO, vandals who had earlier spray painted racial slurs apparently return to apologize.

And from Sky News, you dirty (fat) rat!

Monday, February 25, 2019

Monday Mania

It's just another manic Monday, so to mix some musical metaphors, here is some of the bah-dah bah-da-da-duh:

From Voice Of Europe, the E.U. will issue humanitarian visas for illegal migrants, thus blurring the lines between migrants and refugees.

From the Express, U.K. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn will support a second Brexit referendum.

From the Evening Standard, teenagers in U.K. secondary schools will be taught about female genital mutilation.

From the Daily Mail, an Iranian woman is sprayed in the face with tear gas for not wearing a hijab.

From the Independent, the U.K. moves closer to a delayed Brexit.

From CBC News, what's at stake in the SNC-Lavalin case.

From Global News, Canadian officials meet with Michael Kovrig, detained in China, for the fourth time.

From France24, 13 ISIS terrorists from France will be tried in Iraq.

From RFI, "yellow vest" protesters catch some sun.

From VRT NWS, just under half of the residents of Antwerp, Belgium have foreign heritage.

From the NL Times, someone in Amsterdam lost a wooden leg.

From Dutch News, the Dutch version of Donald Duck comics will introduce a lesbian couple.

From Deutsche Welle, a Nazi-era advertisement appears in the official gazette of Hildburghausen, Germany.

From Radio Poland, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak has no doubts that the U.S. will step up its military presence in Poland.

From The Slovak Spectator, Slovakia requires meat imported from Poland to be tested.

From Daily News Hungary, Hungarian Foreign Minister Szijjarto confirms that his country and Slovakia are allies.

From Hungary Today, the Hungarian opposition party Jobbik calls for a monument to Soviet soldiers to be relocated.

From About Hungary, Hungarians remember Roma who were killed in racist attacks ten years ago.  (Again I must express regret that my spellchecker does not like the correct name "Roma", but has no problem with the term "Gypsy", which incorrectly implies that they comes from Egypt.)

From Russia Today, the Russia space agency Roscosmos lists their historic space missions, but omits the first man in orbit, Yuri Gagarin.

From Novinite, Bulgaria is tenth in the E.U. is using green energy in transport.

From Ekathimerini, Greece's ambassador to the U.K. objects to a BBC program discussing a Macedonian minority in Greece.

From the Greek Reporter, Greek scientists are concerned about an active volcano on the Methana Peninsula, about 31 miles from Athens.

From Total Croatia News, a Croatian NGO alleges that women in Croatia have had their reproductive rights violated.

From the Malta Independent, 155 tons of debris have been cleared from the streets of Malta after last weekend's storm.

From Malta Today, according to Malta's prime minister, it was the worst storm since 1982.

From ANSA, a center-right candidate wins in the Sardinian regional election.

From SwissInfo, should ISIS terrorists from Switzerland detained in Iraq or Syria lose their Swiss rights?

From El País, Catalan separatist protesters burn a picture of the Spanish king.

From Hürriyet Daily News, according to Turkish President Erdoğan, mayors with links to the PKK will be ousted.

From Turkish Minute, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 85 ISIS terrorists and their families have moved into Turkey.

From RûdawSyrian Democratic Forces evacuate 46 truckloads of people from the last redoubt of ISIS, but nearly 5,000 people remain inside.

From Arutz Sheva, dozens of illegal structures in Israel's Negev region not only remain, but some have gotten larger.

From The Times Of Israel, a human rights organization calls on Hamas to cancel the trial of a reporter who exposed government corruption.

From The Jerusalem Post, what does the Blue and White alliance have planned for Israel's nation-state law?

From YNetNews, Palestinians uproot trees planted to commemorate a slain Israeli teenager.

From Egypt Today, Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi defends this country's use of the death penalty.

From Radio Farda, Iran's foreign minister resigns.

From AhlulBayt News Agency, Iran and Pakistan consider building a border fence.

From The Express Tribune, a U.S. envoy meets with a Taliban leader in Doha, Qatar.

From Khaama Press, Afghan security forces seize up to eight tons of explosives.

From Reuters, the U.K. designates Hezbollah as a terror group.

From the Bangkok Post, Islamic schools in Thailand are used to train fighters.

From The Straits Times, a Malaysian opposition party says that it will stage a "monster" rally if the government doesn't punish insults to Islam.

From the Times Live, a mosque in Durban, South Africa is bombed after a court case.

From FrontpageMag, "preventing the next bio-terror attack".

From National Review, Vice President Pence says that it's time to confront Venezuelan President Maduro.

From Townhall, if motives are relevant for hate crimes, what about for blackface?

From the Washington Examiner, according to President Trump, an American held hostage in Yemen is coming home.

From The Federalist, the top nine reasons why the latest gun control bill by House Democrats is terrible.

From American Thinker, the Mueller witch hunt investigation had a parallel 600 years ago in France.

From CNS News, the "five goals" of congresscritter AOC's Green New Deal.

From Roll Call, dozens of Green New Deal supporters enter the Senate office building and leave in handcuffs.  (via The Daily Caller)

From LifeZette, former Hillary Clinton aides mock Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) for his use of private jets.

From CNN, Italy's prime minister schools his U.K. counterpart in pool.  (via the New York Post)

From Variety, the British band Clean Bandit portrays Trump in a music video.

And from The Babylon Bee, the U.S. breaths a sigh of relief after learning that AOC has come out against having children.

Sunday, February 24, 2019

Sunday Stuff

It's Sunday, but rather cool and damp, almost like a Rainday.  As winter continues to hang around, here are some things going on:



From The Jerusalem Post, the government of the Polish region of Świętokrzyskie allocates money to restore a synagogue in Chęciny.  (The name "Świętokrzyskie" means "of the Holy Cross".)






From Turkish Minute, Venezuelan interim President Guaido claims that some of his country's officials have fled to Turkey.  (Turkish President Erdoğan continues to support President Maduro.)







From Total Croatia News, a team from Split, Croatia develops an electric surfboard.  (If you read Croatian, read the story at TPortal.)

From the Malta Independent, Malta is hit by a large storm.



From VRT NWS, at least 10,000 march through Ghent, Belgium to protest climate change.  (Is there a Chinese consulate in Ghent?  Just wondering.)













From National Review, it's time to cut Pakistan loose.

From The Conservative Woman, progressives are modern pagans.






From LifeZette, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says that the American ISIS bride "is not coming back".  (She is American by birth, but Pompeo claims that she is no longer a U.S. citizen.)


From WPVI-TV, a woman is banned from Tinder for posing with the deer she had hunted and killed.  (The reasons for banning people are starting to look ridiculous.  For one thing, some of us guys admire gals who can hunt, kill, and eat wild animals.)



Saturday, February 23, 2019

Saturday Links

Here on the last Saturday of this month are some things going on:

From Voice Of Europe, could Euroskeptics bring about the collapse of the E.U. superstate?

From the Express, the Independent Group of U.K. MPs admit that they want to "run the country".

From the Evening Standard, three pro-E.U. MPs warn that they will delay Brexit to avoid the no-deal situation.

From the (U.K.) Independent, there is little desire among voters to support the Independent Group.

From the (Irish) Independent, why Irish citizens are urged to get rid of U.K. drivers licenses.

From the Irish Examiner, according to Irish politician Colum Eastwood, there's a "special place in hell" for those who call for a unity referendum without a plan.

From France24, neither France nor the U.K. have committed to replace the U.S. troops leaving Syria.

From RFI, "yellow vest" protesters have a picnic.

From VRT NWS, the Flemish party N-VA hold a congress on "energy and ecology" as anti-nuclear activists demonstrate.

From Swiss Info, a team of astronomers, including some from Geneva, find a "big sister for earth" just eight light-years away.

From Radio Poland, Poland's governing party announces their new programs.

From Daily News Hungary, Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén and the leaders of four ethnic Hungarian organizations sign a declaration on cooperation.  (DNH had been offline for a few days, their home page saying "coming soon", but they're back now.)

From the Malta Independent, Malta International Airport is closed for 30 minutes after a drone sighting.  (First England, then Ireland, and now Malta.  It might be time to ask "what's going on here?")

From Total Croatia News, one runner in the Split Half Marathon will be the president of Slovenia.

From Ekathimerini, the ventriloquists among Greece's politicians.

From the Greek Reporter, thousands of refugees in Greece are likely to be kicked out of their homes at the end of March.

From Novinite, Bulgarian and U.S. forces start a joint exercise at the Novo Selo Range.

From Sputnik International, NASA will work with Russia on the first unmanned test flight of the U.S. capsule Dragon.  (Would this qualify as "Russian collusion"?)

From Hürriyet Daily News, Turkey's defense minister warns the U.S. against leaving a power vacuum in Syria.

From Rûdaw, eleven Yazidi children have been rescued from ISIS and brought to the Iraqi border.

From Arutz Sheva, a judge in California rules that a boy born to a gay Israeli father and an egg donor is an American citizens.

From The Times Of Israel, a section of the Temple Mount closed to Palestinians in 2003 has been reopened.

From the Egypt Independent, a tower to be built in Egypt's New Administrative Capital will be the tallest in Africa.

From Radio Farda, food prices in Iran are heading toward hyperinflation.

From AhlulBayt News Agency, Iraqi troops find and dispose of four chemical grenades made by ISIS.  (According to critics of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, Saddam Hussein's government had no WMDs such as chemical weapons.  Where, then, did the chemicals used by ISIS come from?)

From Khaama Press, in Afghanistan's province of Uruzgan, a "top" Taliban commander is sent to his virgins.

From Global News, a British Columbia man gets seven years for attempting to smuggle ecstasy into the U.S.

From CTV News, as the U.S. plans to pull troops out of Syria, Canada tries to plan for its own forces still in Iraq.

From Reuters, two sisters from Saudi Arabia now trapped in Hong Kong recall beatings from their male family members.

From DesiBlitz, an American of Indian origin admits to masterminding an immigration fraud scheme.

From National Review, if working with Russia is "collusion", both parties are guilty of it.

From Townhall, on video, Senator Diane Feinstein (D-Cal) tells supporters of the Green New Deal to "shove it".

From the Washington Examiner, don't fall for the lies from the SPLC.

From LifeZette, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) calls for reparations for the people with which she shares 1/1024 of her blood.

From The Federalist, what modern Christians can learn from Saint Polycarp.

From American Thinker, there's more to the story about sex trafficking in Florida than Robert Kraft.

From Fox News, speaking at the My Brother's Keeper Alliance Summit in Oakland, former President Obama sounds downright conservative.

From NewsBusters, the media's self-sabotage accelerates.

From The Daily Caller, Special Counsel Robert Mueller releases an 800-page sentencing memo against Paul Manafort.

And from Rolling Stone, due to a muscle disease, Peter Frampton realizes that his musical career will soon be over.  (via Fox News)

Friday, February 22, 2019

Stories for Two Twenty-Two

As we arrive at this year's 2/22, here are some things going on:










From The Daily Caller, their favorite liberals.

































From Total Croatia News, an American World War II airplane is found in the Adriatic Sea.  (If you read Croatian, read the story at HRT.)












From AhlulBayt News Agency, Iranian security forces capture 13 ISIS terrorists.  (The article does not use the euphemism "militants" or even the word "fighters", but correctly calls them "terrorists".)




Thursday, February 21, 2019

More On The Smollett Story, And Other Matters

Late yesterday, after I had made my regular post, actor Jussie Smollett was indicted for filing a false police report.  Starting with a few items related to that story, here are some things going on:

From Fox News, since hate crimes are serious, faking them should be taken seriously, too.

From FrontpageMag, Smollett appears to be the first American to scam Nigerians.

From National Review, why would Smollett do what he allegedly did?

From Townhall, Smollett's bail is set, and his passport must be surrendered.

From The Federalist, Chicago's police chief shames Smollett for the "phony attack".

From American Thinker, Smollett has Democrats suddenly remembering the presumption of innocence.

From CNS News, CNN commentator Van Jones likens Smollett to Jackie Robinson.  (I don't claim to know everything about Robinson's life, but I don't think that he ever faked an attack against himself.)

From The Washington Free Beacon, Senator Kamala Harris (D-Cal) praises Black Lives Matter, but they don't praise her.

From the Washington Examiner, Americans should recoil at the leftward lurch from the Democrats.

From The American Conservative, why Poland wants a Fort Trump.

From Radio Poland, a Polish director wins the Pragnell Shakespeare Award.

From Radio Praha, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš will visit Washington, D.C. and President Trump in March.  (Trump's first wife Ivana is a Czech immigrant from Czechoslovakia.  Their son Donald Jr. speaks Czech.)

From The Slovak Spectator, thousands of Slovaks gather to remember Ján Kuciak and Martina Kušnírová on the anniversary of their murders.

From Index, Hungary secretly accepts refugees from Venezuela.  (via Hungary Journal)

From Hungary Today, according to Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén, the refugees from Venezuela are not migrants.

From About Hungary, according to Hungarian Foreign Minister Szijjarto, "hundreds" of ISIS terrorists are returning to Europe.

From Russia Today, a Russian bootmaker gets acknowledged by Guinness World Records, with some help from President Putin.

From Hürriyet Daily News, despite pressure from the U.S., Turkey sticks with their deal to buy Russian air defense systems.

From Turkish Minute, deputies from the Nationalist Movement Party object to speeches given in the Turkish parliament in Armenian and Laz.

From Ekathimerini, Greece hosted over 30 million tourists in 2018.

From Independent Balkan News Agency, Albania calls off a parliamentary session due to fears of violence.

From Total Croatia News, Croatia dismisses claims by Bosnia about Croatian police allegedly illegally returning migrants.

From ANSA, Italian Interior Minister Salvini denies having anything to do with an alleged forced return of the daughter of a North Korean envoy to that country.

From Morocco World News, the U.N. names a new force commander for their mission in Western Sahara.

From El País, Spain and Morocco reach a deal to curb the flow of illegal aliens irregular migrants.

From SwissInfo, Switzerland's ties with the E.U. will be an important issue for Swiss voters this coming October.

From France24, a French terrorist whose voice was heard in an ISIS video claiming responsibility for the 2015 attacks in Paris has been killed in Syria.

From RFI, French President Macron unveils new measures to deal with anti-Semitism.

From the Express, the E.U. expects U.K. Prime Minister May to be forced to delay Brexit for three months.

From the Evening Standard, a man admits to creating racist graffiti on the door of a black family's home.

From BBC News, according to U.K. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, ISIS bride Shamima Begum has a "right to return" to the U.K.

From the (U.K.) Independent, only one in ten terrorists returning from Syria to the U.K. are prosecuted.

From the (Irish) Independent, Dublin Airport temporarily suspends flights due to drone sightings.

From VRT NWS, Belgian students going truant to protest climate change are joined by a Swedish counterpart.  (I'm still waiting for their Chinese counterpart to show up, but I probably should not hold my breath, with its carbon dioxide.)

From the NL Times, the Dutch party GroenLinks wants to ban flights between Amsterdam and Brussels.

From Dutch News, beavers make a comeback in Twente, Overijssel, Netherlands.  (Let the dam jokes begin.  If you read Dutch, read the story at Tubantia.)

From NBC News, Venezuelan President (de facto, anyway) Maduro closes the country's border with Brazil.  (Isn't closing your country's border racist?  According to some people, it is when the U.S. does it.)

From CBC News, Canada's government and the Cat Lake First Nation reach an agreement to repair mold-infested homes.

From Global News, according to Canada's ambassador to the U.S., tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum will be lifted.

From Egypt Today, an Egyptian satellite is launched from Kazakhstan.

From Arutz Sheva, a new alliance of two left-wing parties out-polls Likud.

From The Times Of Israel, Prime Minister Netanyahu urges Israelis to not vote for the new alliance.

From The Jerusalem Post, the commander of Iran's Quds Force blames Jews for Wahhabism.  (Is there anything that has not been blamed on the Jews?  And wouldn't the origin of Wahhabism have been the work of its founder, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab?)

From YNetNews, more on the Smollett story.  (According to this article, Smollett is part Jewish.  His imaginary attackers reportedly used anti-black and homophobic slurs, but apparently forgot the anti-Semitic ones.)

From Rûdaw, Iraqi intelligence agents dismantle an international network that funded ISIS.

From Radio Farda, why is gasoline smuggled out of Iran, and nobody tries to stop it?

From AhlulBayt News Agency, eight people have been arrested in connection with a terror attack against Iranian troops.

From The Express Tribune, India reportedly threatens to block Pakistan's water supply.

From Khaama Press, four Taliban terrorists are arrested in Kabul, Afghanistan.

From Ekurd Daily, Turkey is NATO's Islamic state member.

From the New York Post, there's a long list of bogus "hate crimes" in the Trump era.

From LifeNews, a bill in Illinois would legalize abortion for any reason, and force religious organizations to provide insurance coverage for all abortions.  (This bill is not pro-choice.  It's pro-abortion.)

From The Daily Caller, congresscritter Steve King (R-Iowa), stripped of his committee assignments, will still run for reelection in 2020.

From Twitchy, celebrities may not like the stage for this year's Oscars show.

And from USA Today, Peter Tork of the Monkees goes to rock & roll heaven.