Segacs's World I Know » Those wacky Europeans

Thanks, France, for voting for the only sane option and bucking the populist demagogue trend. Macron, 39, a former economy minister who ran as a “neither left nor right” independent promising...

https://www.segacs.com/2017/macron-wins-in-france.html

Today, as I write this, 4.3 million people in Scotland are voting in a referendum on whether they should separate from the United Kingdom. I’ve been following the debate in Scotland more closel...

https://www.segacs.com/2014/scotland-is-not-quebec.html

Islamist group Islam4UK, expressing outrage over their recent ban by the British government: Bakri said that the ban was ”the gravest mistake,” describing his group was peaceful think-tank wh...

https://www.segacs.com/2010/that-sounds-like-a-threat-to-me.html

Ireland’s anti-blasphemy laws came into effect on January 1st, setting a shining example of hypocrisy that should make the EU proud: The new law defines blasphemy as:  “publishing or utterin...

https://www.segacs.com/2010/those-goddamned-irish.html

The news that the infamous “Arbeit macht frei” sign that hung over Auschwitz had been stolen last Friday sent shockwaves around the world. Now, Polish police say they have recovered the si...

https://www.segacs.com/2009/auschwitz-sign-stolen-recovered.html

Cheque’s in the mail? Not after 2018 in the UK, it seems: Cheques will disappear within eight years after the Payments Council decided today to abolish the 350-year-old payment method by Octobe...

https://www.segacs.com/2009/uk-to-eliminate-cheques.html

Maybe not. If you’ve got an airline ticket with British Airways this Christmas season, you may be SOL, as BA employees are threatening to strike: “We are absolutely determined to do whatever ...

https://www.segacs.com/2009/flying-with-british-airways-for-holidays.html

This is what happens when it snows in England. The post London in the snow first appeared on Segacs's World I Know .

https://www.segacs.com/2009/london-in-the-snow.html

The new Montreal transit chief – get this – actually uses public transit! What a concept! He’s even promised to ride the bus out to the west island to see for himself what a disaster the sy...

https://www.segacs.com/2009/one-timers.html

This one’s a real doozy: EU worried about freedom of religion in Iran. Every joke I could make here would be just too easy, so I’ll let it speak for itself. The post From the priceless head...

https://www.segacs.com/2008/from-the-priceless-headlines-file.html

He’s ranked number four in a list of the world’s most wanted and notorious Nazi war criminals. But – all together now – that doesn’t mean he’s not a nice person, right? Milivoj Asner ...

https://www.segacs.com/2008/austria-shields-wanted-nazi-war-criminal.html

With soccer on the rise in North America, I guess the NHL feels that it may be time for another sporting cultural exchange attempt with Europe, and has announced that the Ducks and Kings will ope...

https://www.segacs.com/2007/hockey-in-london.html

Today is Raoul Wallenberg Day in Canada. Not many people know that. I knew but forgot, and had to be reminded by this article in today’s paper: He is one of only two honourary Canadian citizens...

https://www.segacs.com/2007/remembering-raoul-wallenberg.html

It appears as though the people who attacked the U.S. Embassy in Athens were domestic terrorists: An anti-tank shell was fired at the U.S. embassy early Friday, striking the front of the building...

https://www.segacs.com/2007/terrorism-in-greece.html

Believe it or not, other newsworthy things happened in the world yesterday and today. You’d never know it from watching the local news, of course, which has been covering Dawson nonstop since y...

https://www.segacs.com/2006/catch-up-time.html

Hezbollah’s latest cheerleader? None other than George Galloway: Who’s surprised? (Hat tip: Eric). The post No surprises here first appeared on Segacs's World I Know .

https://www.segacs.com/2006/galloway-hamas-cheerleader.html

British authorities claim that they have foiled a terrorist plot to blow up major transatlantic airlines: The threat level to the UK has been raised by MI5 to critical after the arrests in London...

https://www.segacs.com/2006/british-claim-to-have-foiled-bomb-plot.html

Pieter at Peaktalk links to the latest news from the UK, where Tony Blair is fending off the leadership challenge from Gordon Brown as long as he can manage it. Pieter’s not impressed and, as h...

https://www.segacs.com/2006/leadership-battle-in-britain.html

There’s no shortage of analysis about the crisis in Israel and Lebanon out there. This piece is a breath of fresh air. The post Some sensible analysis first appeared on Segacs's World I Know...

https://www.segacs.com/2006/some-sensible-analysis.html

July 7, 2005, this was the scene in London. Less than 24 hours after the city jubilantly celebrated being awarded the 2012 Olympics, terror struck on the London public transport network, claiming...

https://www.segacs.com/2006/senseless.html

Cheap budget airlines in Europe such as Ryanair, EasyJet, SkyEurope, Wizzair and others have revolutionized European travel, making it often cheaper to fly halfway across the continent than it is...

https://www.segacs.com/2006/cheap-europe-flights-not-for-long.html

British MP and general wackjob George Galloway has come under fire from Israel for promising to donate any money he wins from his participation on the reality show “Big Brother” to a terroris...

https://www.segacs.com/2006/galloways-idea-of-a-good-cause.html

Sir Tom Jones. Shudder. The post Three words I never thought I’d hear together first appeared on Segacs's World I Know .

https://www.segacs.com/2006/three-words-i-never-thought.html

Saddam’s lawyers keep getting bumped off: Gunmen killed a second defense lawyer acting in Saddam Hussein’s trial on Tuesday, renewing questions over whether the former president can get a fai...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/defending-the-devil.html

Such disillusionmnent about George Galloway: Some 2,200 companies, including major concerns like DaimlerChrysler, Siemens and Volvo, made illicit payments totaling $1.8 billion to Saddam Hussein�...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/you-thought-he-was-an-ideological.html

The European Union condemned Iran’s call to wipe Israel off the map: European Union leaders and Russia joined the United States and Canada in condemning the comments attributed to Ahmadinejad a...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/wed-believe-it-more-if-you.html

Over two years ago, the British government pledged to highlight the issue of the “forgotten” Jewish refugees from Arab lands within the EU. Well… nu? I would like to know what has been done...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/forgetting-their-promise.html

Via Damian Penny, this disgusting tidbit: Advisers appointed by Tony Blair after the London bombings are proposing to scrap the Jewish Holocaust Memorial Day because it is regarded as offensive t...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/there-are-no-words.html

London’s mayor will face a disciplinary hearing for his comments comparing a Jewish reporter to a Nazi concentration camp guard: Mayor of London Ken Livingstone could be banned from office for ...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/red-ken-livingstone-taken-to-task.html

Brits will be able to get sloshed later, longer as pubs no longer required by law to close at the absurdly early 11pm prepare to extend their opening hours. I guess I’ll have to think of anothe...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/now-they-can-drink-great-even-late.html

The EU has issued a threat to Iran regarding its nuclear program: stop or we’ll send you to the United Nations. The post That’ll scare them first appeared on Segacs's World I Know .

https://www.segacs.com/2005/thatll-scare-em.html

The British ambassador to Israel, Simon McDonald, reaches out to Israel in an article in Maariv and rips into Ken Livingstone for his spoutings since 7/7: Other opinions widely reported in Israel...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/maverick-opinion.html

The British have their hands full fighting Al Qua’eda and Islamist terrorism; now they won’t have to divert resources in fighting the IRA anymore – if we can believe this: The leadership of...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/ira-were-laying-down-our-arms.html

Here’s the quote: threat to the stability of the region . . . great concerns about the Syrians. Their psychology cannot be comprehended.” Was it: a) George W. Bush b) Ariel Sharon? c) Tony ...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/pop-quiz-who-said-this.html

4 more bombings on London transit have been reported: Minor explosions using detonators only have sparked the evacuation of three Tube stations and the closure of three lines, a BBC correspondent...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/four-more-bombings-london-transit.html

Some stuff makes me too mad to even blog about it, because it just gets my heart rate up. But you can read about it on other blogs. Like Ken Livingstone’s latest spewings. (More here). And the ...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/stuff-that-makes-me-mad.html

Just a week after London was hit with one of the worst terrorist attacks in memory, the Guardian fawns over Hamas. Sickening. The post Guardian fawns over Hamas first appeared on Segacs's Worl...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/guardian-fawns-over-hamas.html

In the wake of yesterday’s bombings in London, one of the first announcements made from the G8 summit was a pledge of 3 billion in aid to the Palestinians. Sure, because everyone knows the firs...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/well-that-made-sense.html

While reading online reactions, listening to the radio and hearing people speak today, something kept nagging at me. And that was this: We can all (well, those of us who aren’t of the terrorist...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/what-it-all-means.html

Britain has launched an intensive hunt for the terrorists responsible for today’s attacks to “bring them to justice”. What would justice be for them, I wonder? A trial and sentencing to imp...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/bombers-hunted.html

London Mayor Ken Livingstone, in a statement this afternoon: Finally, I wish to speak directly to those who came to London today to take life. I know that you personally do not fear giving up you...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/balaams-ass.html

A lot of bloggers are posting British flags on their blogs today, as a symbol of solidarity with the British people. In the wake of 9/11, millions of US flags appeared everywhere in a massive, re...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/a-lot-of-bloggers-are-posting-british-flags.html

Amidst world leaders expressing their sympathy and condemning the terror attacks in London, we see this quote from a leader of Hamas: The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, responsible for many su...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/oh-really.html

Canadian Public Security Minister Anne McLellan’s news conference is on the radio right now. The bottom line from her remarks: Canada sends condolances to Britain, but don’t worry, nobody wil...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/anne-mclellan-canada-outraged-safe.html

The casualty figures continue to mount. The latest numbers have 33 dead and over 300 injured. This does not include the people who were on the double-decker bus that was torn apart near Tavistock...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/more-from-london.html

Scenes like this are sadly and unacceptably almost commonplace in some parts of the world. We’re nearly numb to the news of terrorist attacks in Iraq these days. The scene is horrifyingly famil...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/shock-anger-and-sadness.html

Tony Blair is claiming that the world stands behind him in standing firm against terror. And for a few hours, at least, there will be a wave of sympathy. But Tommy Schnurmacher predicted that thi...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/it-didnt-take-long.html

Londoners barely had time to celebrate being awarded the 2012 Olympics before terror struck this morning: Two people have been killed and scores have been injured after three blasts on the Underg...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/terrorist-attacks-in-london.html

London has won the bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympics, beating out co-finalist Paris and an all-star competition that included New York, Moscow and Madrid. Regardless of how they feel about the...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/london-2012.html

The G8 summit in Edinburgh is this week, and it’s getting attention like never before. Yesterday, for anyone who’s been living under a rock lately, was Live 8. In nine cities around the world...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/live-8-g8-and-other-stuff.html

Spain legalized gay marriage just two days after Canada passed similar legislation, becoming the fourth country in the world to end this form of discrimination: The measure passed the 350-seat Co...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/spain-legalized-gay-marriage.html

The new British Airways campaign contains some words I already know and even a few that I use, some words that I didn’t know but that explain a lot, and some words that I strongly suspect might...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/brit-speak.html

Reading this news footnote about suspected ETA terrorists being extradited from Canada to Spain, I was struck by the following paragraph: Perea, 31, and Plagaro, 33, sought political asylum in Qu...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/separatist-sympathies.html

Here I am on another Sunday night procrastinating going to sleep… because when I next wake up it will really be Monday and the weekend will be over. And there’s nothing more depressing than a...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/sunday-night-musings.html

The British Association of University Teachers voted to reverse their boycott of Haifa University and Bar-Ilan University, after getting a severe amount of egg on their face. Of course, the Pales...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/aut-boycott-overturned.html

It looks like today’s UK election will put Tony Blair’s Labour back into power, according to the latest polling data. My friends in England have their gripes about Blair, but on the internati...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/blair-poised-for-third-term.html

The UK Association of University Teachers has passed an academic boycott of two of Israel’s most prominent academic institutions: Haifa University and Bar Ilan University: The Israeli Embassy i...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/uk-passes-israel-boycott.html

London’s infamous mayor Ken Livingstone proved conclusively that his comparison of a Jewish reporter to a Nazi was no isolated slip-of-tongue. Livingstone has consistently refused to apologize ...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/no-isolated-comment.html

Ken Livingstone, London’s mayor, seems to have an incurable case of foot-in-mouth disease. This time, he is refusing to apologize after calling a Jewish journalist a German concentration camp g...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/red-ken-does-it-again.html

Prince Harry was forced to issue an apology, after he wore a Nazi costume to a party: Early editions of Thursday’s issue of “The Sun,” showed Prince Harry, the second son of Prince Charles ...

https://www.segacs.com/2005/prince-harry-nazi-costume.html

Tony Blair is in Israel holding meetings this week with Israeli and Palestinian leaders (separately, of course): The centerpiece of Blair’s visit is his initiative for a conference in London fo...

https://www.segacs.com/2004/blairs-pet-project.html

This absolutely staggering poll conducted by the BBC suggests that 45% of Britons have never heard of Auschwitz (via LGF): The survey found that 45 percent of those surveyed had not heard of Ausc...

https://www.segacs.com/2004/world-war-what.html

The Ukrainian Parliament has declared the election invalid. The Ukrainian people are protesting by the millions. Much of the Western World is crying foul, while Vladimir Putin tries to enhance hi...

https://www.segacs.com/2004/ukraine-democracy-on-trial.html

Muslims marched against terrorism in Cologne, Germany today, in a heartening display of the so-called silent majority’s opposition to Islamist extremism: About 20,000 people marched through the...

https://www.segacs.com/2004/silent-majority-speak-out.html

We may have beaten them for the World Cup, but when it comes to hockey, the Europeans may have the last laugh: While hockey has screeched to a halt many of the world’s best players are skating ...

https://www.segacs.com/2004/euro-hockey.html

A simple “the position has been filled” would have sufficed. But it seems that any opportunity to spew antisemitic nonsense these days must not be ignored if this rejection letter sent by a L...

https://www.segacs.com/2004/job-rejection-letter.html

Let’s play a game: what’s missing from this Guardian article about a British MP complaining of “mistreatment” by Israel because his ambulance was held at a Palestinian checkpoint? Let’s...

https://www.segacs.com/2004/whats-missing-from-this-article.html

Here’s what Meryl has to say about it: A Jewish community center in Paris was burned down last night. The police suspect arson. But there is no anti-Semitism in France. How can that be? Anti-S...

https://www.segacs.com/2004/mais-non-lantisemitisme-nexiste-pas.html

Maybe he could grant the European Union some courage, cause after once again refusing to call what’s happening in Darfur “genocide”, I think they could sure use a shot of it: An EU military...

https://www.segacs.com/2004/eu-refuses-to-call-darfur-genocide.html

A group of Jewish university students were attacked while touring Auschwitz by three French tourists: Evidently incited by the presence of an Israeli flag wrapped around the shoulders of Tamar Sc...

https://www.segacs.com/2004/jewish-university-students-attacked-while-touring-auschwitz.html

This seems to have been posted only as a sidenote: Ma’ariv is reporting that, according to Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, the Czech Republic has invited Israel to join the European Uni...

https://www.segacs.com/2004/israel-in-the-eu.html

They’re happier in England today. Well, except for these guys. The post Win for England first appeared on Segacs's World I Know .

https://www.segacs.com/2004/win-for-england.html

An apparent planned suicide attack in Paris was met with a typical reaction in France: Denial: “One cannot draw from this information any indication about the preparation of a possible attack i...

https://www.segacs.com/2004/mais-non-cest-impossible.html

Paris wants to ban SUVs. Why does this not surprise me? A Civic owner myself, I don’t have any particular use for SUVs. They’re big, they’re clunky, they use a ton of gas. Not exactly my cu...

https://www.segacs.com/2004/france-suvs-are-evil.html

The United States is seeking extradition of Abu Hamza al-Masri, a British imam charged with coordinating a hijaking in Yemen and trying to organize a terrorist training camp in Oregon. But Britai...

https://www.segacs.com/2004/countries-fight-over-terrorist.html

How to know when sex ed is severely lacking in some people’s educations… London – A German couple who went to a fertility clinic after eight years of marriage have found out why they are st...

https://www.segacs.com/2004/german-couple-fertility-clinic.html

Construction delays… now security concerns… it seems the Athens Olympics are cursed: Wednesday’s pre-dawn explosions, preceded by an anonymous telephone warning, badly damaged the station i...

https://www.segacs.com/2004/athens-olympics-cursed.html

I know I’ve been incessantly linking to Allison lately. But I can’t recommend her blog enough, especially while she keeps writing posts like this one: They see that when we try to make nice a...

https://www.segacs.com/2004/more-israeli-reactions.html

Michele on the Spanish election results: The terrorists got what they wanted. They won. And now the U.S. will have one less ally. One less country to count on the war against terrorism. They’ll...

https://www.segacs.com/2004/spanish-election-results.html

And in Spain, a shocking victory for terrorism that could have disastrous ramifications, as the Socialist party swept to power, ousting the centrist Popular Party who, before the Madrid terrorist...

https://www.segacs.com/2004/socialists-win-in-spain.html

It’s been more than a day since the horrible bombing in Madrid that killed over 200 people who happened to have been unfortunate enough to have been taking a commuter train yesterday… and I�...

https://www.segacs.com/2004/terror-in-madrid.html

London is planning to phase out double-decker busses in order to comply with EU regulations about making public tranist more wheelchair-accessible. I have no problem with accessibility, but the d...

https://www.segacs.com/2004/london-phasing-out-double-decker.html

Yep, good ol’ France, as expected, overwhelmingly backed the ban of religious symbols from the classroom, thus endorsing what is arguably one of the best candidates for prominence on dumblaws.c...

https://www.segacs.com/2004/france-bans-religious-symbols-from-classrooms.html

Seems the people giving out the Brit Press Awards have overlooked the one person who clearly ought to be the rightful winner of the Young Journalist of the Year prize. Tom, they may be a bunch of...

https://www.segacs.com/2004/unjustly-overlooked.html

This may not be exactly news… but speaking of the BBC, it boasts news in 43 languages… guess which one isn’t included? Mind you, I can’t imagine what Hebrew-speaking broadcasters would ac...

https://www.segacs.com/2004/43-languages-but-no-hebrew.html

Yesterday, Damian Penny posted his outrage at British MP Jenny Tonge’s comments that, if she were Palestinian, she would consider becoming a suicide bomber. Damian was far from the only one to ...

https://www.segacs.com/2004/jenny-tonge-fired.html

… Et stupidité: President Jacques Chirac called on Wednesday for a law banning Muslim headscarves, Jewish skullcaps and large Christian crosses from French state schools. “In all conscience,...

https://www.segacs.com/2003/liberte-egalite-fraternite.html

The EU has come under fire for refusing to publish a report on antisemitism, ostensibly because of fears of the political fallout of telling the truth (namely that a large portion of European ant...

https://www.segacs.com/2003/report-they-didnt-want-you-to-read.html

I wonder why anything the French government does surprises me anymore. This sure doesn’t: Syria’s drive for a U.N. resolution condemning an Israeli air raid on its territory stalled in the Se...

https://www.segacs.com/2003/no-surprises-here.html

France claims: “No proof” that Hamas and Islamic Jihad are terror groups: France voices objections to placing Hamas and Islamic Jihad on the European Union’s list of terror organizations, y...

https://www.segacs.com/2003/latest-idiocy-from-france.html

Speaking of the French, the coverage of the cease-fire collapse in the Mideast according to Le Monde is very telling in explaining France’s attitudes towards Israel. The entire article only men...

https://www.segacs.com/2003/media-bias-in-france.html

The heat wave in Europe has cost over ten thousand lives in France alone: The French funeral directors association said 10,416 had died during the first three weeks of August because of the heat ...

https://www.segacs.com/2003/10000-heat-wave-deaths-in-france.html

Why don’t we get a National Slacker Day? Stressed-out Britons are set for a day of doing nothing as workers and managers alike are being urged to relax and slack off on Friday. Organizers of Na...

https://www.segacs.com/2003/national-slacker-day.html

Belgium has dramatically restricted its war crimes law, finally realizing that it was being abused for political purposes: The original 1993 law allowed Belgian courts to hear war crimes cases re...

https://www.segacs.com/2003/belgium-restricts-war-crimes-law.html

A man’s place is . . . in the kitchen (hat tip: Mark): The mayor of a southern Spanish town has declared Thursdays “ladies’ night” and says he will fine any man found strolling about town...

https://www.segacs.com/2003/ladies-night.html

The Eiffel Tower is on fire. No word yet on the cause. Update: It appears that the cause was electrical. The blaze was put out and it seems nobody was hurt. The post Eiffel Tower on fire first...

https://www.segacs.com/2003/eiffel-tower-on-fire.html

A cover story in last Wednesday’s Washington Post addressed antisemitism in France: “At first, neither the politicians, nor the courts, nor the intellectuals, nor the media, nor public opinio...

https://www.segacs.com/2003/antisemitism-in-france.html

In the midst of all the international attention being paid to the “plight” of the Palestinian refugees, the forgotten refugees are the hundreds of thousands of Jews who were driven out of Ara...

https://www.segacs.com/2003/britain-pledges-to-highlight-cause.html

French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin has today’s hysterical quote of the day: “We call on Hamas to demonstrate that they are against all terrorist activities.” What are they puttin...

https://www.segacs.com/2003/quote-of-day-de-villepin.html

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi met with leaders of the World Jewish Congress and stated his favourable position on Israel joining the European Union: “In the future, Europe must inclu...

https://www.segacs.com/2003/italy-favours-israel-joining-eu.html