Germany Rejects Greece Bailout Deal




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France Arrests Chechen Terrorists

The Charlie Hebdo attacks shocked the world and showed that Muslim terrorists were adapting new tactics in the face of heightened security on standard targets. The commando-style attack on the magazine office shows that terrorists and extremists might start shifting towards attacks on soft targets as opposed to the standard hard targets of airports, government buildings, and public locations. The heightened security at these places has made attacks more difficult and so terrorists are changing focus. To counter that from happening, France (and much of Europe) have drastically increased anti-terrorist efforts and surveillance and it has been paying off already. Belgium has arrested a number of terrorist suspects (as well as killing two in a firefight), some of whom were planning on attacking police, and now France has caught some too.

After the attacks on the Charlie Hebdo office, France deployed 15,000 extra police troops to help the existing police and gendarmerie patrol the streets and make sure high-value public buildings and institutions that might be seen as targets had bolstered security. The country also started to monitor anti-terrorism channels with extra vigilance and it seems as though that extra scrutiny has paid off. French police have arrested and detained 5 men from Chechnya who are suspected of possessing explosives and planning a terrorist attack on French soil. Chechnya has a history of Muslim extremism and terrorism due to a constant struggle for independence from Russia and a heavily Muslim population that feels isolated and ignored by the Russian government.

While the French government says that there should be no rushing to judgement and that there’s no proof of a Chechen terrorist attempt on French soil, people are still wary. The region has had massive protests against Charlie Hebdo and its showing of the Prophet Muhammad and so there is validity to the threat of terrorism. Either way, France is showing that it is taking terrorist threats much more seriously than before and hopefully nothing like Charlie Hebdo happens again.

If you’d like to read more, the link is here.

Mexican Protesters Clash With Police




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As Referendum Draws Closer, The Masses Rally

Tomorrow is the day that the entire UK has been both looking forward to and dreading for years; tomorrow is the day Scotland holds the referendum vote regarding it’s independence and status in the United Kingdom. While the race was once a clear victory for those who wanted to maintain the union, it is now too close to call with the results going both ways falling into the margin of error. As the pressure ramps up and the date comes closer, representatives and politicians for both sides have increased their efforts to get their message out and sway voters towards their respective sides. With the most recent unofficial polling (that excludes undecided voters) saying that pro-independence had 48% while pro-union had 52%, both campaigns have launched into overdrive to maintain their lead and win over the voters who still haven’t made up their minds.

While Scottish independence has been a movement since the borders wars during the Middle Ages, this is the first time that there has been an actual threat to the integrity of the United Kingdom and it has many people worried. For those who were born with the UK and who have never experienced anything else, this is a momentous occasion that is leading to both formerly unseen patriotic fervor as well as crises of national being. If Scotland gained independence it would mean a number of things for both people who live there as well as for the world’s newest country. For one, Scotland would have to reapply to join the EU as well as facing the loss of the NHS, the UK welfare state, and the possibility of a number of companies fleeing Scotland and moving to England. For the people, they will now have to deal family members living in other countries and wrapping their heads around their new political reality.

If you’d like to read more, the link is here.