All Purpose Politics and News Thread

[Patty Smyth]

Scotland votes no. just like Quebec

[Darth Penguin]

Let's Hope Cameron doesn't reneage on his bribes....eeerrrr promises to devolve more power to Edinborough.

[gryphon]

Let's Hope Cameron doesn't reneage on his bribes....eeerrrr promises to devolve more power to Edinborough.

He probably will till the next referendum

[gryphon]

Scotland votes no. just like Quebec

Hearing lots accusations of voter fraud

[Darth Penguin]

He probably will till the next referendum

That won't be for another 15-20yrs for Scottish independance.

Though if the Conseratives win the next election( around 8/9 months times) there's a chance that one of the platforms would be a referendum on UK leaving EU...esp if the Tories form a coalition with UKIP.

[Darth Penguin]

Hearing lots accusations of voter fraud

10 cases in Glasgow

[Patty Smyth]

Hearing lots accusations of voter fraud

Now it really sounds like Quebec.

[Natalka]

Canadian fighter jets intercept Russian bombers in Arctic

Fighter jets intercepted two Russian bombers flying about 75 kilometres off Canada’s Arctic coast in the early morning hours Thursday, NORAD revealed to CBC News.

Two CF-18s met the Tupolev Tu-95 long-range bombers, commonly referred to as "Bears," at around 1:30 a.m. PT as they flew a course in “the western reaches” of Canada’s Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) over the Beaufort Sea, said Maj. Beth Smith, spokeswoman for North American Aerospace Defence Command.

The ADIZ extends approximately 320 kilometres from Canada’s coastlines, a distance far beyond the 22 kilometres, or 12 nautical miles, from the coast that define a nation’s sovereign airspace. Smith made it clear that the Russian bombers never entered Canada’s sovereign airspace, but did come within about 75 kilometres of Canada's mainland.

About six hours before the CF-18s intercepted the Russian bombers, American F-22 fighter jets were scrambled from a base in Alaska to meet a group of Russian aircraft, including two refuelling tankers, two MiG-31 fighters and two long-range bombers.
After the U.S. jets made contact, the group headed west back towards Russian airspace.

Despite the ongoing tensions between Western allies and Russia, it is not the first time Canadian and U.S. aircraft have intercepted Russian bombers seemingly flying toward sovereign airspace.
According to Smith, NORAD has dispatched fighter jets to make contact with Russian long-range bombers “in excess of 50 times” in the last five years.

Canadian jets intercepted the same type of long-range bombers off the coast of Newfoundland in 2010. After that incident, Peter MacKay, then minister of defence, told CBC News that Canadian military aircraft intercept between 12 and 18 Russian bombers annually.

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/canadian-f...231758041.html


Tu-95 long-range bombers

[Natalka]

Wow, the Bully is busy - also happened in Sweden and UK

http://www.thelocal.se/20140919/russ...cial-democrats

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-airspace.html

[Patty Smyth]

Canadian fighter jets intercept Russian bombers in Arctic

Fighter jets intercepted two Russian bombers flying about 75 kilometres off Canada’s Arctic coast in the early morning hours Thursday, NORAD revealed to CBC News.

Two CF-18s met the Tupolev Tu-95 long-range bombers, commonly referred to as "Bears," at around 1:30 a.m. PT as they flew a course in “the western reaches” of Canada’s Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) over the Beaufort Sea, said Maj. Beth Smith, spokeswoman for North American Aerospace Defence Command.

The ADIZ extends approximately 320 kilometres from Canada’s coastlines, a distance far beyond the 22 kilometres, or 12 nautical miles, from the coast that define a nation’s sovereign airspace. Smith made it clear that the Russian bombers never entered Canada’s sovereign airspace, but did come within about 75 kilometres of Canada's mainland.

About six hours before the CF-18s intercepted the Russian bombers, American F-22 fighter jets were scrambled from a base in Alaska to meet a group of Russian aircraft, including two refuelling tankers, two MiG-31 fighters and two long-range bombers.
After the U.S. jets made contact, the group headed west back towards Russian airspace.

Despite the ongoing tensions between Western allies and Russia, it is not the first time Canadian and U.S. aircraft have intercepted Russian bombers seemingly flying toward sovereign airspace.
According to Smith, NORAD has dispatched fighter jets to make contact with Russian long-range bombers “in excess of 50 times” in the last five years.

Canadian jets intercepted the same type of long-range bombers off the coast of Newfoundland in 2010. After that incident, Peter MacKay, then minister of defence, told CBC News that Canadian military aircraft intercept between 12 and 18 Russian bombers annually.

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/canadian-f...231758041.html


Tu-95 long-range bombers

I saw this and my first thought was someone is trying to flex their muscles. COld war all over again. Canada is incredibly vulnerable we have no defence. Our military would certainly have no chance by itself defending against the Big Bear.

[walkonby]

Extra glad I retired!! lol!!! ( and I thought DOGS were bad! )




http://www.torontosun.com/2014/09/25/bear-at-door-blocks-canada-post-from-delivering-bc-mans-package



Bear at door blocks Canada Post from delivering B.C. man's package

QMI Agency
First posted: Thursday, September 25, 2014 10:22 AM EDT | Updated: Thursday, September 25, 2014 11:17 AM EDT
(Fotolia)
A postal worker left behind a reasonable explanation for not delivering a package to a B.C. home. "Bear at door," the note read.
The Vancouver-area homeowner, who admits bears in the neighbourhood are not uncommon, posted a photo of the postal worker's note on Twitter, adding: "Ok, fair enough @canada postcorp that's a decent reason to not drop the package off at my door."
The note was left on his postal box farther up the street.

[Natalka]

Justin Trudeau makes case for non-combat role in Iraq


Justin Trudeau says that Canada can do better than “trying to whip out our CF-18’s” and show the international community “how big they are.”

The Liberal leader used his keynote address at the Canada 2020 conference on Thursday to spell out his party’s position with regard to Canada joining the U.S., the U.K. and others countries conducting airstrikes against ISIS over Iraq.

"The 2003 Iraq war was waged on false pretenses and flawed intelligence. It was a mission that destabilized the region, sewed further conflict, cost our allies three trillion dollars and cost thousands of people their lives," Trudeau said, reminding Canadians that Harper supported that war in Iraq.

"We know the Iraq fiasco haunts the choices we have to make today. But we cannot make the wrong decision now because the wrong decision was made then.

"Prime Minister Harper would have you believe that Canada’s best contribution to this effort is a handful of aging warplanes. I think Canadians have a lot more in them than that. We can be resourceful, there are significant substantial non-combat roles Canada can play."

Trudeau’s laundry list of non-combat roles includes strategic airlifts, training, medical support and more humanitarian aid.

In a post-speech sit-down with conference moderator Don Newman, Trudeau admitted, however, that he hasn’t ruled out supporting a combat role

"I haven’t made my mind," Trudeau told conference moderator Don Newman.

"But the onus is on Mr. Harper to demonstrate that a shift from a non-combat role that we’ve established right now to a combat role is the right thing for Canada, the right thing for Canadians but also the right thing for the international community.”

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/cana...152955176.html

----------------

Yeah, really classy to make a very inappropriate penis joke.

[Natalka]

Harper seeks six-month military mission to Iraq, with no ground troops


Key points from the Prime Minister's plan:

• The Canadian government will deploy military assets against Islamic State militants in Iraq, including air strikes.
• The mission will last for up to six months.
• Mr. Harper signalled Canada may conduct air strikes in Syria as well.
• The Conservatives are also explicitly vowing not to deploy ground troops in this battle.
• He’s extending the deployment of military advisers – 26 elite special forces soldiers to help Iraq and Kurdish fighters – for up to half a year.
• Canada is acting in tandem with about a dozen other allies including the United States and Britain.
• The Prime Minister said while joint military action won’t eliminate the Islamic State, it aims to significantly reduce its power.
• Canada won’t neglect humanitarian aid and will continue flowing relief to people in the region affected by militants.
• Ottawa will shortly follow up with measures to strengthen the ability of security services to “monitor aspiring terrorists” and prevent their return to Canada.

Canada’s air combat mission will include CF-18 fighter jets, one air-to-air refuelling aircraft, two Aurora surveillance aircraft, and the necessary air crews and support personnel.

The Conservatives are putting the matter before the Commons for a vote on Monday.

The motion, which is being introduced by Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, starts by saying Islamic State poses a direct threat to Canada.

It asks MPs to “recognise that the leadership of the terrorist group known as the Islamic State … has called on its members to target Canada and Canadians at home and abroad.”

The Conservative motion then cites havoc the jihadist extremists have wreaked in Syria and Iraq, “including members of vulnerable religious and ethnic minority groups who have been subjected to a sustained campaign of brutal sexual violence, murder, and barbaric intimidation.”

It notes the government of Iraq has asked for help in this battle and asks the Commons to support the Conservative government’s “decision to contribute Canadian military assets to the fight against ISIL, and terrorists allied with ISIL, including air strike capability for a period of up to six months.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle20909814/

[Natalka]

A Happy news story with the find, but a big growl to the dumpers....



Hunter finds 20 puppies in field near Glaslyn


(Glaslyn is a very little town not far from North Battleford, SK)

On Friday, Greg Zubiak was having a look around the field near Glaslyn where he plans to hunt moose this year when he saw some movement in the distance.

"As I walked up, they all just kind of looked at me and I guess my moose hunt was over. I just said, 'OK, come on,' and as soon as I said that, they all come running to me," he said.

Zubiak says he knew some of the 20 puppies, who range in age from approximately 3 to 6 weeks old, apparently needed some extra warmth after being left out in the field, apparently left with just a blanket.

"I just took off what I was wearing when I was hunting, like all my hunting stuff, and made them kind of a little place in the front of the box of the truck. They're too small to jump out so I made a little bed for them," he said.

Zubiak believes the dogs wouldn't have made it if he didn't stumble across them on Friday.

"It had to have been that day," he said. "Because there are so many coyotes in that area that they wouldn't have made it overnight."

Next, he headed to the Battlefords Humane Society.

As for the dogs' condition, Spark (from the Humane Society) says following a vet's initial checks, it appears all the dogs will survive.

"He said they're not in too bad of shape. They're definitely hungry, they're full of fleas. The younger ones—the 3-week-old puppies—one of them will need bottle-feeding, he's fairly weak," she said. "They're full of worms, but other than that, we feel that there's a really good chance that they're all going to survive."



http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskat...slyn-1.2787986

I heard Mr. Zubiak interviewed on the news this morning - apparently this story has gone international, there are offers to adopt the puppies from different countries around the world, and an airline has offered to fly any puppies. Donations and cash have been coming in to the Humane Society as well. They are a very small organization in a small community, so are asking for volunteers as well.

Now they need to find the despicable people who left these puppies to die...

[Patty Smyth]

Harper seeks six-month military mission to Iraq, with no ground troops


Key points from the Prime Minister's plan:

• The Canadian government will deploy military assets against Islamic State militants in Iraq, including air strikes.
• The mission will last for up to six months.
• Mr. Harper signalled Canada may conduct air strikes in Syria as well.
• The Conservatives are also explicitly vowing not to deploy ground troops in this battle.
• He’s extending the deployment of military advisers – 26 elite special forces soldiers to help Iraq and Kurdish fighters – for up to half a year.
• Canada is acting in tandem with about a dozen other allies including the United States and Britain.
• The Prime Minister said while joint military action won’t eliminate the Islamic State, it aims to significantly reduce its power.
• Canada won’t neglect humanitarian aid and will continue flowing relief to people in the region affected by militants.
• Ottawa will shortly follow up with measures to strengthen the ability of security services to “monitor aspiring terrorists” and prevent their return to Canada.

Canada’s air combat mission will include CF-18 fighter jets, one air-to-air refuelling aircraft, two Aurora surveillance aircraft, and the necessary air crews and support personnel.

The Conservatives are putting the matter before the Commons for a vote on Monday.

The motion, which is being introduced by Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, starts by saying Islamic State poses a direct threat to Canada.

It asks MPs to “recognise that the leadership of the terrorist group known as the Islamic State … has called on its members to target Canada and Canadians at home and abroad.”

The Conservative motion then cites havoc the jihadist extremists have wreaked in Syria and Iraq, “including members of vulnerable religious and ethnic minority groups who have been subjected to a sustained campaign of brutal sexual violence, murder, and barbaric intimidation.”

It notes the government of Iraq has asked for help in this battle and asks the Commons to support the Conservative government’s “decision to contribute Canadian military assets to the fight against ISIL, and terrorists allied with ISIL, including air strike capability for a period of up to six months.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle20909814/

I don't think these people can be defeated without ground troops and lots of them.