East-West Relations
MERKEL CONDEMNED RUSSIA FOR ‘INTERFERING’ IN EASTERN EUROPE
The German chancellor said it’s “creating problems”
Merkel and Putin in happier times (Kremlin handout via)
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In an interview with the newspaper Die Welt, Angela Merkel blasted Russian actions in Ukraine, as well as its interference in other Eastern European countries.
The German Chancellor said that Russia’s violation of “the territorial integrity […] of Ukraine must not be allowed to stand”.
She also warned that Russia should back off from Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine, “three countries in our eastern neighbourhood that have taken sovereign decisions to sign an association agreement with the EU”.
“Russia is creating problems for all three of these countries,” she said.
Sensible Statements
NIGEL FARAGE BLAMED BAD TRAFFIC ON IMMIGRANTS
Coming over here, blocking our roads
Nigel Farage having a sullen cigarette, thinkin bout the EU and stuff (Photo by Peter Broster via)
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Nigel Farage didn’t make it to a paid “Meet Nigel” event for Ukip supporters this weekend because, he says, “open door immigration” has led to excessive traffic on Britain’s roads.
He also said the M4 – the road he was taking – isn’t as navigable as it used to be, which makes maybe less sense than his first excuse.
Ukip held its first Welsh National Conference this weekend, and Farage was supposed to arrive in Port Talbot on the Friday night to mingle with fans who’d paid £25 for the honour.
In response to Farage’s completely nonsensical explanation, Labour’s shadow Welsh secretary Owen Smith said, “Remarks like these are what makes Farage so dangerous. It is clearly absurd to suggest heavy traffic on the M4 is caused by immigration, but through the laughter at his silly comments you can hear UKIP’s dog-whistle politics of division.”
Hostage Rescue Attempts
AL-QAEDA HOSTAGES WERE KILLED IN A BOTCHED RESCUE ATTEMPT
The mission was a joint effort by Yemen and the US
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An American journalist and a South African teacher held hostage by al-Qaeda were killed during an attempted rescue by US and Yemeni forces on Saturday.
American officials told the BBC that the two men were shot by their captors as the raid unfolded and, later, after being freed, died from their injuries en route to medical treatment.
Both men had been taken captive in Yemen in 2013.
A charity that worked with the South African captive, Pierre Korkie, said they had expected his release on Sunday, claiming that the American rescue attempt had “destroyed everything”.
Public Disorder
RIOTS BROKE OUT IN ATHENS
During demonstrations to mark the anniversary of Greek police killing a teenager
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Riots broke out in Athens on Saturday as demonstrators commemorated a teen killed by police six years ago.
The anniversary of the police shooting Alexis Grigoropoulos dead in 2008 usually attracts thousands of anti-establishment activists, and this year was no different, with crowds torching shops and ATMs, and hurling petrol bombs at police.
Police used tear gas and water cannons to clear the crowd, before arresting over 100 people.
Expensive Punch Bags
A MAN WAS JAILED FOR PUNCHING A HOLE IN A MONET PAINTING
He lashed out at a canvas to “get back at the state”
A still from the security footage of Andrew Shannon laying into Monet
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This weekend, a 49-year-old man was jailed for punching a hole in a Monet masterpiece to “get back at the state”.
Andrew Shannon attacked the “Argenteuil Basin with a Single Sailboat” painting at the National Gallery Ireland in 2012.
In court, presumably after realising that laying into some canvas is quite an embarrassing way to get back at The Man, Shannon reportedly claimed he had, in fact, just “felt faint” and fallen into the painting, which is valued at £7.8 million.
However, after watching the CCTV footage, the jury took just 90 minutes to decide that his actions were intentional.
Shannon was sentenced to five years in jail and banned from visiting any galleries for the 15 months after his release.
