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House

Thanks to Russian and Syrian forces, around 890,000 Syrian refugees to return home in coming months

Syrian refugees
© Reuters/Hassan Abdallah
Around 890,000 Syrian refugees will return to their homes in Syria in the coming months, head of Russia's National Defense Control Center, Col. Gen. Mikhail Mizintsev, said Friday.

"According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, around 890,000 civilians will return to Syria in the coming months," Mizintsev said during a meeting of Russia's interdepartmental coordination headquarters on the return of refugees to Syria.

The Colonel General noted that around 10,000 applications have been filed to the Lebanese regional refugee centers by the Syrians willing to return to their country of origin.

"The Lebanese government has created a working group for setting up a joint committee on cooperation with the Syrian side on the return of refugees to the territory of Syria. The Lebanese regional centers on working with the Syrians today reported that 10,000 applications were received from the Syrian citizens, who have expressed willingness to return to their motherland," Mizintsev said at a briefing.

Star of David

Ex-Israeli soldier heading child prostitution ring sought by Interpol

Assi Ben-Mosh
© ElheraldoPassport photo of Assi Moosh, former Israeli soldier.
Three Israelis were arrested over the weekend in Colombia, along with 15 others, on suspicion of involvement in sex trafficking in the tourist city of Cartagena that included the sexual exploitation of more than 250 women and girls, Israel's Ynet news reported.

It's reported that Colombian authorities also asked Interpol to arrest a former Israel soldier deported from Colombia for running a child prostitution ring. Authorities claimed that even after his expulsion, 44-year-old Israeli citizen Assi Ben-Mosh continued to manage his illicit operations in Colombia from afar.

Mosh was deported to Israel after it was discovered that he was part of a group of ex-Israeli soldiers that had turned a small fishing village in Taganga into a "sex and drug den" from their base in a luxury resort, the Benjamin Hostel which was known to locals as "little Israel".

USA

Trump's approval rating at 50% - 5 points higher than Obama's at same point in Presidential term

Trump's approval rating at 50%
Despite the continued media anti-Trump hysterics over the past several months including the meltdown after President Trump said kind words to Vlad Putin - the US president's approval rating continues to rise.

President Trump's approval rating is currently at 50% on Rasmussen Reports.

Media darling Barack Obama had an approval rating of 45% on August 2, 2010.

President Trump is now 5 points ahead of Barack Obama at a similar point in his presidency.

And this is while 90% of network media coverage has been negative of President Trump.

If President Trump had just 50% positive coverage by the liberal media his approval numbers would be in the 60's.

Target

BBC under fire from MPs and Guardian journalists for Tommy Robinson coverage

Tommy Robinson
© Ben Stevens/Global Look PressTommy Robinson
After leaving prison yesterday, English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson told the BBC "all you do is lie" refusing to give them comment. Despite this, the BBC is now accused of providing 'a platform to the far-right.'

Despite vowing not to speak to them, many of Robinson's supporters have taken the opportunity, much to the chagrin of anti-racist activists and left-leaning journalists, among others.

Since Robinson's release on bail, BBC Radio 4 interviewed two of his prominent supporters; Ezra Levant, correspondent for the right-wing Canada-based Rebel Media, and former editor of Breitbart London, Raheem Kassam. Upon hearing the interview with Kassam, Labour MP David Lammy attacked the BBC for not challenging his claim that Steve Bannon is a "Kennedy democrat."

Comment: See also:


Attention

Human Rights Watch: US-backed Kurdish YPG continues to use children in combat operations

Kurdish YPG fighters
© CC by 2.0Kurdish fighters
The Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which make up a major component of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, continue using children in combat operations, despite the fact that international law prohibits non-state armed groups to recruit minors, a prominent human rights watchdog said on Friday.
"The YPG, despite pledges to stop using child soldiers, is still recruiting children for military training in territory it controls. It's especially horrendous that the group is recruiting children from the vulnerable families in displacement camps without their parents' knowledge or even telling them where their children are," Human Rights Watch (HRW) Acting Emergency Director Priyanka Motaparthy said.
The HRW said on its official website that the US government should force the YPG to stop the practice. The US government supports the Syrian Democratic Forces, namely, the YPG, and should thus apply their own principles of not recruiting children to the YPG, according to the watchdog.

According to the UN annual report on children in armed conflict, the YPG recruited 224 children, including 72 girls, over 2017.

Comment: Does the US have responsibility in this situation or is this an issue of a foreign entity within its own enclave?


Smiley

Runaway goats-for-rent take over neighborhood in Boise, Idaho

Goats
© Reuters / Darrin Zammit Lupi
Is it a sign of the impending rapture? No it isn't, but some runaway goats-for-rent (this is a thing) did flood a neighborhood in Boise, Idaho.

Residents in a western suburb of the state capital opened their curtains on Friday morning to find scores of goats roaming free through the streets, eating the lawn grass and enthusiastically attacking house trees and fences.

Red Flag

Sickening: Jehovah's Witnesses accused of silencing victims of child abuse in the UK

Jehovah's Witnesses accused of silencing victims of child abuse
© Alicia CanterMore than 100 people have made allegations of mistreatment.
More than 100 people have contacted the Guardian with allegations of child sexual abuse and other mistreatment in Jehovah's Witness communities across the UK.

Former and current members, including 41 alleged victims of child sexual abuse, described a culture of cover-ups and lies, with senior members of the organisation, known as elders, discouraging victims from coming forward for fear of bringing "reproach on Jehovah" and being exiled from the congregation and their families.

A Guardian investigation also heard from 48 people who experienced other forms of abuse, including physical violence when they were children, and 35 who witnessed or heard about others who were victims of child grooming and abuse.

The stories told to the Guardian ranged from events decades ago to more recent, and many of those who came forward have now contacted the police.

Comment: See also:


Stock Up

Russia's energy-driven economy shifting as agriculture sector booms

hands wheat
© Eduard Korniyenko / Reuters
Russia's agriculture exports have surged by almost a third in the first five months of the year. Food is Russia's second biggest export after oil and gas, helping to diversify the economy away from energy.

The country exported 29.5 percent more agriculture and food products, worth $9.5 billion, than in the same period last year. In particular, the export of wheat through May surged to 17.1 million tons worth $3.1 billion.

Turkey increased Russian wheat imports by 2.4 times, Latvia - by 3.4 times, and Vietnam - more than 19 times. The volume of export of soybean oil increased by 7.3 percent, and sales of soybeans surged by 2.5 times to 509,000 tons.

Comment: The market for Russian produce world-wide can only grow, due to their commitment to healthy agricultural practices.


Attention

UK Labor party councillor resigns following investigation over anti-Semitic social media comments

Damien Enticott
© Damien Enticott / FacebookDamien Enticott
A UK Labour Party councillor who was being investigated by the party over anti-Semitic comments made on social media has resigned.

Damien Enticott had already been suspended from the party pending the investigation, but has now resigned. The controversial councillor wrote on Facebook that Hitler "would have had a solution to the Israel problem".

Enticott, a member of the Bognor Regis Town Council in West Sussex, apologized for causing offence but did not disavow his comments. In an interview with the BBC, he said that he had been watching a video in which Israeli soldiers were "shooting unarmed civilians, some of them children" and that he made the statement in that context.

"I don't agree with Hitler and genocide and anything like that. It was just quite a dry comment used out of frustration," he said.

Comment: While Israel richly deserves criticism over its heinous treatment of Palestinians and flagrant violations of international laws, such comments only play into their hands, allowing Israel and its apologists to continue playing the 'anti-Semitism' card, thus deflecting valid criticism. See also:


TV

Chicago Columnist concedes after attending Trump speech: 'Dems don't have anyone who can touch him' in 2020

trump rally steel workers
© Belleville News-DemocratIllinois workers preparing for visit from President Trump
A Chicago-based newspaper columnist predicted re-election for President Trump in 2020 after witnessing first-hand the enthusiastic support for the president among blue-collar workers.

Neil Steinberg attended a recent appearance by the president at a U.S. Steel facility in Granite City, Illinois, outside St. Louis. He wrote about speaking to steel workers and seeing how Trump connected with the audience.

"We need steel," Trump said. "We need steel plants. And to see an old, big monster plant like this re-opening - that is an honor. I look at the faces of you people; I could be one of you. I like you guys. I could be one of you."