Subpage under development, new version coming soon!
Topic closed!!!
Subject: »NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
look.
A link with a title:
The Biggest Beneficiary Of Mario Draghi's ABS-Purchasing Plan Has Been Revealed
A little comment by myself.
Draghi (an ex Goldman Sach's manager) is doing nothing good for the EU.
I think he simply can't do anything in reality for it.
But he's probably doing something very good for someone else..
A link with a title:
The Biggest Beneficiary Of Mario Draghi's ABS-Purchasing Plan Has Been Revealed
A little comment by myself.
Draghi (an ex Goldman Sach's manager) is doing nothing good for the EU.
I think he simply can't do anything in reality for it.
But he's probably doing something very good for someone else..
This is normal post El..., normal behaviour, but charles is spamming noob, nobody like him so he want looks cool but it is poor childish behavior charles!
Barack Obama enforces US immigration overhaul
Undocumented immigrants and supporters watch Obama speak on immigration in Philadelphia
Millions of immigrants living illegally in the US will be allowed to apply for work permits under a major shake-up unveiled by President Barack Obama.
They include immigrants living in the US for five years who have children staying legally in the US.
Up to five million are expected to benefit from a reform package forced through using executive orders, which allow Mr Obama to bypass Congress.
Republicans have accused the president of an "illegal power-grab".
There are estimated to be 11 million illegal immigrants in the US.
Under Mr Obama's plan, undocumented parents of children who are US citizens or legal residents will be able to apply for work permits lasting three years.
Only parents who have lived in the US for five years will qualify - an estimated four million people.
Hundreds of thousands more will benefit from other changes, including a decision to broaden a scheme giving temporary legal status to those who arrived in the US as children.
Barack Obama: "Our immigration system is broken and everybody knows it"
Analysis: Jon Sopel, BBC North America Editor
How has the immigration debate in the United States become so polarised, so toxic, so unpleasant?
That it has cannot be doubted. Barack Obama says he has grown so weary of trying to get Congress to engage seriously that he is going it alone.
He's bypassing the legislature and brandishing his big stick - the executive order. It is governance by diktat. And the reaction of his opponents suggests it will spark an atmosphere of retaliation and revenge.
How did immigration debate get so toxic?
"Come out of the shadows and get right with the law," Mr Obama said in a televised address.
He insisted that his proposals, which are the biggest immigration reforms since the mid-1980s, did not amount to an amnesty.
"What I'm describing is accountability - a common-sense, middle ground approach," he said.
Although the plan will allow millions to work, it will not offer a path to citizenship or entitle them to the same benefits as Americans, he said.
"If you're a criminal, you'll be deported. If you plan to enter the US illegally, your chances of getting caught and sent back just went up," he said.
Republicans reacted with fury, Arizona Republican Senator John McCain calling it an "illegal power-grab" that "fails to address the root causes of the dysfunction in our immigration system".
And Texas Governor Rick Perry argued the move would "lead to more illegal immigration, not less".
The order will primarily affect immigrants with children who are US citizens, like Alejandra Mota (centre) and her son
An Obama aide rebuffed the criticism, saying the president had taken advice from the secretary of homeland security and the attorney general about the action.
"It's entirely consistent with the way previous presidents have exercised their executive authority," the aide said.
Mr Obama's plan does not go as far as a bill that would have provided a path to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants.
The bill was passed by the Democrat-led Senate, but the Republican-controlled House of Representatives refused to debate the proposal.
On Thursday, Mr Obama said those who questioned his authority to use executive orders should simply pass the bill.
Campaigners for migrants' rights broadly welcomed Mr Obama's plans.
But some activists worried that the promise of a three-year work visa would not be enough for many people to come out into the open.
"It's a step in the right direction, but it's going to fall far short of the mark," veteran advocate Cheryl Little told Reuters news agency.
She said the reforms amounted to "simply a temporary reprieve from deportation."
What is an executive order?
Directives issued by the president to federal employees, usually concerning the implementation of laws
Major policy initiatives usually require an Act of Congress and cannot be introduced through executive orders
Up to October, President Obama had issued 193 orders in almost six years, a lower rate than most of his recent predecessors
Franklin D Roosevelt was the most prolific president, issuing 3,522 in eight years
bbc.com
In the Netherlands we also had something like this, the 'generaal pardon'. But funny the republicans call this "illegal power-grab" of the president.
Undocumented immigrants and supporters watch Obama speak on immigration in Philadelphia
Millions of immigrants living illegally in the US will be allowed to apply for work permits under a major shake-up unveiled by President Barack Obama.
They include immigrants living in the US for five years who have children staying legally in the US.
Up to five million are expected to benefit from a reform package forced through using executive orders, which allow Mr Obama to bypass Congress.
Republicans have accused the president of an "illegal power-grab".
There are estimated to be 11 million illegal immigrants in the US.
Under Mr Obama's plan, undocumented parents of children who are US citizens or legal residents will be able to apply for work permits lasting three years.
Only parents who have lived in the US for five years will qualify - an estimated four million people.
Hundreds of thousands more will benefit from other changes, including a decision to broaden a scheme giving temporary legal status to those who arrived in the US as children.
Barack Obama: "Our immigration system is broken and everybody knows it"
Analysis: Jon Sopel, BBC North America Editor
How has the immigration debate in the United States become so polarised, so toxic, so unpleasant?
That it has cannot be doubted. Barack Obama says he has grown so weary of trying to get Congress to engage seriously that he is going it alone.
He's bypassing the legislature and brandishing his big stick - the executive order. It is governance by diktat. And the reaction of his opponents suggests it will spark an atmosphere of retaliation and revenge.
How did immigration debate get so toxic?
"Come out of the shadows and get right with the law," Mr Obama said in a televised address.
He insisted that his proposals, which are the biggest immigration reforms since the mid-1980s, did not amount to an amnesty.
"What I'm describing is accountability - a common-sense, middle ground approach," he said.
Although the plan will allow millions to work, it will not offer a path to citizenship or entitle them to the same benefits as Americans, he said.
"If you're a criminal, you'll be deported. If you plan to enter the US illegally, your chances of getting caught and sent back just went up," he said.
Republicans reacted with fury, Arizona Republican Senator John McCain calling it an "illegal power-grab" that "fails to address the root causes of the dysfunction in our immigration system".
And Texas Governor Rick Perry argued the move would "lead to more illegal immigration, not less".
The order will primarily affect immigrants with children who are US citizens, like Alejandra Mota (centre) and her son
An Obama aide rebuffed the criticism, saying the president had taken advice from the secretary of homeland security and the attorney general about the action.
"It's entirely consistent with the way previous presidents have exercised their executive authority," the aide said.
Mr Obama's plan does not go as far as a bill that would have provided a path to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants.
The bill was passed by the Democrat-led Senate, but the Republican-controlled House of Representatives refused to debate the proposal.
On Thursday, Mr Obama said those who questioned his authority to use executive orders should simply pass the bill.
Campaigners for migrants' rights broadly welcomed Mr Obama's plans.
But some activists worried that the promise of a three-year work visa would not be enough for many people to come out into the open.
"It's a step in the right direction, but it's going to fall far short of the mark," veteran advocate Cheryl Little told Reuters news agency.
She said the reforms amounted to "simply a temporary reprieve from deportation."
What is an executive order?
Directives issued by the president to federal employees, usually concerning the implementation of laws
Major policy initiatives usually require an Act of Congress and cannot be introduced through executive orders
Up to October, President Obama had issued 193 orders in almost six years, a lower rate than most of his recent predecessors
Franklin D Roosevelt was the most prolific president, issuing 3,522 in eight years
bbc.com
In the Netherlands we also had something like this, the 'generaal pardon'. But funny the republicans call this "illegal power-grab" of the president.
Dutch teenager returned from Syria to appear in court
Monique made a TV appeal for her daughter to return to the Netherlands two months ago
A Dutch teenager whose mother helped bring her back from Syria is due to appear in court on suspicion of threatening state security.
The 19-year-old, known as Aicha, was arrested when she returned to her home city of Maastricht on Wednesday.
Aicha, a recent convert to Islam, is believed to have travelled to the Islamic State (IS) stronghold of Raqqa in Syria to marry a fighter there.
Her mother Monique helped return her to the Netherlands and is not a suspect.
Aicha is one of a small number of European teenage girls and women who have gone to Syria and Iraq in recent months.
Some are believed to have travelled for ideological reasons, while others have reportedly married fighters, including those fighting with IS.
Media ban
Friday's court hearing, which will take place behind closed doors, will determine how long Aicha can be detained.
The prosecution is expected to ask the judge to extend the time that Aicha can be held while they examine evidence.
A public hearing is expected in three months, court officials told the BBC.
In that time, Aicha has been banned from speaking to members of her family, apart from her mother, as well as the media.
Dutch media report that Aicha left the Netherlands in February to marry Omar Yilmaz, a Dutch-Turkish fighter who had once served in the Dutch military.
Omar Yilmaz served in the Dutch army and says he uses his skills to train fellow fighters
He describes himself as a part-time aid worker, trainer and fighter, though it is not known exactly which group he fights with.
He told the BBC's Anna Holligan on Wednesday that he had married the Dutch teenager after another fighter she was due to marry was killed.
"It didn't work, we split. She went her way, I went my way," he said.
Aicha's mother then travelled to the Turkey-Syria border to rescue her and bring her back, against the advice of the Dutch government.
There are conflicting reports over whether Monique entered Syria or met her daughter at the Turkish border.
bbc.com
Dumb girl!! Unbelievable teenagers go to those places.
Monique made a TV appeal for her daughter to return to the Netherlands two months ago
A Dutch teenager whose mother helped bring her back from Syria is due to appear in court on suspicion of threatening state security.
The 19-year-old, known as Aicha, was arrested when she returned to her home city of Maastricht on Wednesday.
Aicha, a recent convert to Islam, is believed to have travelled to the Islamic State (IS) stronghold of Raqqa in Syria to marry a fighter there.
Her mother Monique helped return her to the Netherlands and is not a suspect.
Aicha is one of a small number of European teenage girls and women who have gone to Syria and Iraq in recent months.
Some are believed to have travelled for ideological reasons, while others have reportedly married fighters, including those fighting with IS.
Media ban
Friday's court hearing, which will take place behind closed doors, will determine how long Aicha can be detained.
The prosecution is expected to ask the judge to extend the time that Aicha can be held while they examine evidence.
A public hearing is expected in three months, court officials told the BBC.
In that time, Aicha has been banned from speaking to members of her family, apart from her mother, as well as the media.
Dutch media report that Aicha left the Netherlands in February to marry Omar Yilmaz, a Dutch-Turkish fighter who had once served in the Dutch military.
Omar Yilmaz served in the Dutch army and says he uses his skills to train fellow fighters
He describes himself as a part-time aid worker, trainer and fighter, though it is not known exactly which group he fights with.
He told the BBC's Anna Holligan on Wednesday that he had married the Dutch teenager after another fighter she was due to marry was killed.
"It didn't work, we split. She went her way, I went my way," he said.
Aicha's mother then travelled to the Turkey-Syria border to rescue her and bring her back, against the advice of the Dutch government.
There are conflicting reports over whether Monique entered Syria or met her daughter at the Turkish border.
bbc.com
Dumb girl!! Unbelievable teenagers go to those places.
Islamic State: Diary of life in Mosul
The northern Iraqi city of Mosul fell to Islamic State (IS) in June, bringing the population under the harsh rule of the jihadists. The militants swiftly introduced a regime in accordance with their radical version of Islam, including brutal punishments, strict rules for women and intolerance of any dissent.
In an exclusive series of diary instalments, residents describe what life is like in Mosul since IS took over. The diarists' names have been changed to protect their identities.
21 November 2014
Once upon a time in our land, which is rich with water and oil, we used to have a big supply of water and electricity. However, now in the time of the IS caliphate, we lead the most difficult life imaginable.
We don't have water because the supply station does not work most of the time due to a power shortage.
“Start Quote
We dug a well to find enough water for our needs”
We collect rainwater in the garden, and my mum tries to save the rain falling on the roof through the gutter in order to use it for the laundry and cleaning.
Winter came early, and the cold is really harsh. Hot water is one of the most basic requirements of winter in Iraq, but how can we have hot water? We haven't had any electricity supply from our national provider for a month or more!
We totally rely on private generators. Life would have been impossible in my beloved city without them.
My neighbours tried to find a solution to the water shortage, so we dug a well to find enough water for our needs during the continuous shortage of water supply.
Digging water wells became very prevalent in Mosul, and everybody is digging for water in my country that boasts two major rivers.
We now try to save kerosene for heating, although it's very scarce and expensive. The price of a barrel is about $250, although its price on the international markets is no more than $100.
But this is not surprising because we live in Iraq, the land of miracles.
Faisal
14 November 2014
From Mays
School began in Nineveh [Mosul's province], but this year is not like any other year.
IS has issued very strict instructions to the students and the school administrations.
Dulqarnain is a name new to the people of my city. It's the name of the IS person in charge of education in Nineveh. His name, as the highest authority for education, is signed on our books.
“Start Quote
They completely banned the use of colours and coloured pens in school”
He is Egyptian, and his main focus was separating girls from boys in primary schools. According to his instructions, girls go to one building and boys to another. He gave his instructions that girls who look a bit mature for their age should wear loose-fitting garments and a face veil.
Male teachers are not allowed to teach girls and women teachers are not allowed to teach boys. This decision is very difficult to be implemented by public schools and more so for the private ones.
Public schools are funded by the education authority and the ministry of education, and they have a large supply of teachers - male and female - and a lot of buildings.
Private schools, on the other hand, are educational and commercial projects owned by private individuals who do not have the resources to supply the teachers and the buildings.
This means that the demand for private schools will decrease in a time when job opportunities are very scarce and money is hard to come by.
'They cancelled art'
School syllabuses have been changes by IS. There are no physical education classes anymore. Instead there is "jihadi education", which is a subject in which students are taught to love jihad [an Islamic concept meaning "struggle"] and how to do so.
IS cancelled both geography and history lessons, but then they changed their mind. They cancelled art classes, and instead teach Arabic calligraphy. They completely banned the use of colours and coloured pens in schools.
All these matter make the running of schools very difficult, even impossible, especially banning students from activities, such as sports and painting, that mean the world to them.
Mays
5 November 2014
From Nizar
[Editor's note: Before Islamic State overran Mosul, the city was home to one of the oldest Christian communities in the world. Most fled with the arrival of IS, who ordered the city's remaining Christians to convert to Islam, pay a religious tax, or face being killed.]
Not one house owned by a Christian in Mosul was not taken over and looted by IS members, and all their belongings stolen, down to the last broomstick.
“Start Quote
I cannot bear to look at their evil faces”
Some IS fighters have even moved into the Christians' homes themselves, using everything in those houses as if they were their own.
They've inhabited all the areas and consider them as spoils of war, as if the Christians and the Yazidis [minority religious group] were the enemy, and by doing so, the IS has become a burden on our areas.
We feel ashamed to call our Christian and Yazidi friends, and I feel I cannot even phone them any more, as if it was me or one of my family or friends that committed those heinous crimes against them.
I decided not to talk or salute any IS member who occupies a Christian house near me, and I cannot bear to look at their evil faces.
Fleeing air strikes
I've taken notice of their behaviour during coalition air strikes. They immediately switch off the lights in the homes they occupy, and some drive off in their stolen cars in some unknown direction.
Then they return as soon as the air strikes cease. A friend of mine had the nerve to ask one of them: "Why do you run away during the air strikes?"
The IS member answered that they fear the strikes will target the houses of Christians that they've occupied because the Christians would have told the coalition their location.
Another friend of mine tried to get close to a house occupied by an IS member and his family to see what was happening there, but he was unable to as they never leave the door open, and don't even talk in the garden.
My friends and I vowed that once this is over, and our city is cleared of the dirt and nastiness, that we would rehabilitate a Christian house to show the world, or at least our Christian friends, that those who did this to them abide by no religion at all.
24 October 2014
From Faisal
Four months have passed since Islamic State took over, and a friend of mine is still in hiding here.
He worked as a bodyguard for some judges in Mosul, but after the city fell all the judges left and my friend went into hiding. He moved home so no-one would know where to find him.
“Start Quote
Their criminal acts have terrorised peaceful citizens”
My friend doesn't move around in the streets much, because IS fighters are almost everywhere in the city.
Sometimes they set up impromptu checkpoints and go through people's IDs, looking for people wanted by IS: former security personnel or judiciary, or anyone suspected of arresting IS members before IS captured the city, or anyone who worked for the governorate or in politics.
Most of them have left, fearing execution by IS. These kinds of actions have pushed people away from supporting IS. Their criminal acts have terrorised peaceful citizens.
IS members can be seen executing activists in front of everyone in the streets. They wear black fighter outfits, have let their hair and beards grow - some look as if they haven't seen a shower in ages!
Every day they increase in number, hold new positions and consolidate their presence, undeterred by the air strikes from coalition forces which do nothing to change things on the ground. It it is actually our reality which has changed and become even more horrific.
From Mays
I teach at a school in my beloved city, Mosul. Like other Iraqi mothers I work to provide some sort of financial assistance to my husband, albeit negligible, to help fend off the hardships of life through such hard times and in such an expensive country.
This year, when the summer holidays began, I decided to go to Baghdad to visit some family and relatives there and attend a family ceremony.
After the party, when we were all still full of excitement and surrounded by our loved ones, I received news of a curfew back home, and the start of the fighting between government forces and Islamic State rebels.
From that moment I spoke to my husband in Mosul every day to find out the latest news.
'Horror and panic'
I spent the worst days of my life in Baghdad, the city of my childhood innocence, and where I lived my dreams as a woman in my 20s. I had always been thrilled to live in Baghdad until I got married and moved to Mosul.
“Start Quote
Those were moments I will never forget”
And yet, for five days of fighting which followed in Mosul, I lived in horror, fear and pure panic, worrying about my husband. I was constantly wondering what was happening and whether I would ever be with him again.
After the arrival of the Sunni rebels and IS fighters in Mosul, my husband and I started plotting my return to the city, but all roads were still blocked because of the fighting taking place between Baghdad and Mosul.
Cities were falling in hours - not even days - after governmental forces fled or retreated, which left everybody puzzled.
After several attempts by my husband and thanks to some of his connections, we managed to book flights from Baghdad to the north.
But then another obstacle faced us - I had not brought my children's documentation as I was travelling by land. Yet as we were now flying, it was a must, or we wouldn't be able to leave.
Armed groups
Thanks to good thinking and God's will we received the documents via a friend who was leaving Mosul by car and who later flew to Baghdad and brought us the papers.
I finally got home to my family in Mosul, shortly after midnight on 20 June. I was shocked and frightened by what I saw in the streets, where armed groups were roaming around. I prayed and fasted for three days.
I stayed at home for a while, until I got used to the situation we are now living under, but those were moments I will never forget.
Mosul profile
Iraq's second biggest city
Overrun by Islamic State in June 2014
Home to about 1.8 million people before IS takeover, when some 500,000 fled
Majority Sunni Arab population, with Kurdish, Turkmen and Christian minorities
bbc.com
The northern Iraqi city of Mosul fell to Islamic State (IS) in June, bringing the population under the harsh rule of the jihadists. The militants swiftly introduced a regime in accordance with their radical version of Islam, including brutal punishments, strict rules for women and intolerance of any dissent.
In an exclusive series of diary instalments, residents describe what life is like in Mosul since IS took over. The diarists' names have been changed to protect their identities.
21 November 2014
Once upon a time in our land, which is rich with water and oil, we used to have a big supply of water and electricity. However, now in the time of the IS caliphate, we lead the most difficult life imaginable.
We don't have water because the supply station does not work most of the time due to a power shortage.
“Start Quote
We dug a well to find enough water for our needs”
We collect rainwater in the garden, and my mum tries to save the rain falling on the roof through the gutter in order to use it for the laundry and cleaning.
Winter came early, and the cold is really harsh. Hot water is one of the most basic requirements of winter in Iraq, but how can we have hot water? We haven't had any electricity supply from our national provider for a month or more!
We totally rely on private generators. Life would have been impossible in my beloved city without them.
My neighbours tried to find a solution to the water shortage, so we dug a well to find enough water for our needs during the continuous shortage of water supply.
Digging water wells became very prevalent in Mosul, and everybody is digging for water in my country that boasts two major rivers.
We now try to save kerosene for heating, although it's very scarce and expensive. The price of a barrel is about $250, although its price on the international markets is no more than $100.
But this is not surprising because we live in Iraq, the land of miracles.
Faisal
14 November 2014
From Mays
School began in Nineveh [Mosul's province], but this year is not like any other year.
IS has issued very strict instructions to the students and the school administrations.
Dulqarnain is a name new to the people of my city. It's the name of the IS person in charge of education in Nineveh. His name, as the highest authority for education, is signed on our books.
“Start Quote
They completely banned the use of colours and coloured pens in school”
He is Egyptian, and his main focus was separating girls from boys in primary schools. According to his instructions, girls go to one building and boys to another. He gave his instructions that girls who look a bit mature for their age should wear loose-fitting garments and a face veil.
Male teachers are not allowed to teach girls and women teachers are not allowed to teach boys. This decision is very difficult to be implemented by public schools and more so for the private ones.
Public schools are funded by the education authority and the ministry of education, and they have a large supply of teachers - male and female - and a lot of buildings.
Private schools, on the other hand, are educational and commercial projects owned by private individuals who do not have the resources to supply the teachers and the buildings.
This means that the demand for private schools will decrease in a time when job opportunities are very scarce and money is hard to come by.
'They cancelled art'
School syllabuses have been changes by IS. There are no physical education classes anymore. Instead there is "jihadi education", which is a subject in which students are taught to love jihad [an Islamic concept meaning "struggle"] and how to do so.
IS cancelled both geography and history lessons, but then they changed their mind. They cancelled art classes, and instead teach Arabic calligraphy. They completely banned the use of colours and coloured pens in schools.
All these matter make the running of schools very difficult, even impossible, especially banning students from activities, such as sports and painting, that mean the world to them.
Mays
5 November 2014
From Nizar
[Editor's note: Before Islamic State overran Mosul, the city was home to one of the oldest Christian communities in the world. Most fled with the arrival of IS, who ordered the city's remaining Christians to convert to Islam, pay a religious tax, or face being killed.]
Not one house owned by a Christian in Mosul was not taken over and looted by IS members, and all their belongings stolen, down to the last broomstick.
“Start Quote
I cannot bear to look at their evil faces”
Some IS fighters have even moved into the Christians' homes themselves, using everything in those houses as if they were their own.
They've inhabited all the areas and consider them as spoils of war, as if the Christians and the Yazidis [minority religious group] were the enemy, and by doing so, the IS has become a burden on our areas.
We feel ashamed to call our Christian and Yazidi friends, and I feel I cannot even phone them any more, as if it was me or one of my family or friends that committed those heinous crimes against them.
I decided not to talk or salute any IS member who occupies a Christian house near me, and I cannot bear to look at their evil faces.
Fleeing air strikes
I've taken notice of their behaviour during coalition air strikes. They immediately switch off the lights in the homes they occupy, and some drive off in their stolen cars in some unknown direction.
Then they return as soon as the air strikes cease. A friend of mine had the nerve to ask one of them: "Why do you run away during the air strikes?"
The IS member answered that they fear the strikes will target the houses of Christians that they've occupied because the Christians would have told the coalition their location.
Another friend of mine tried to get close to a house occupied by an IS member and his family to see what was happening there, but he was unable to as they never leave the door open, and don't even talk in the garden.
My friends and I vowed that once this is over, and our city is cleared of the dirt and nastiness, that we would rehabilitate a Christian house to show the world, or at least our Christian friends, that those who did this to them abide by no religion at all.
24 October 2014
From Faisal
Four months have passed since Islamic State took over, and a friend of mine is still in hiding here.
He worked as a bodyguard for some judges in Mosul, but after the city fell all the judges left and my friend went into hiding. He moved home so no-one would know where to find him.
“Start Quote
Their criminal acts have terrorised peaceful citizens”
My friend doesn't move around in the streets much, because IS fighters are almost everywhere in the city.
Sometimes they set up impromptu checkpoints and go through people's IDs, looking for people wanted by IS: former security personnel or judiciary, or anyone suspected of arresting IS members before IS captured the city, or anyone who worked for the governorate or in politics.
Most of them have left, fearing execution by IS. These kinds of actions have pushed people away from supporting IS. Their criminal acts have terrorised peaceful citizens.
IS members can be seen executing activists in front of everyone in the streets. They wear black fighter outfits, have let their hair and beards grow - some look as if they haven't seen a shower in ages!
Every day they increase in number, hold new positions and consolidate their presence, undeterred by the air strikes from coalition forces which do nothing to change things on the ground. It it is actually our reality which has changed and become even more horrific.
From Mays
I teach at a school in my beloved city, Mosul. Like other Iraqi mothers I work to provide some sort of financial assistance to my husband, albeit negligible, to help fend off the hardships of life through such hard times and in such an expensive country.
This year, when the summer holidays began, I decided to go to Baghdad to visit some family and relatives there and attend a family ceremony.
After the party, when we were all still full of excitement and surrounded by our loved ones, I received news of a curfew back home, and the start of the fighting between government forces and Islamic State rebels.
From that moment I spoke to my husband in Mosul every day to find out the latest news.
'Horror and panic'
I spent the worst days of my life in Baghdad, the city of my childhood innocence, and where I lived my dreams as a woman in my 20s. I had always been thrilled to live in Baghdad until I got married and moved to Mosul.
“Start Quote
Those were moments I will never forget”
And yet, for five days of fighting which followed in Mosul, I lived in horror, fear and pure panic, worrying about my husband. I was constantly wondering what was happening and whether I would ever be with him again.
After the arrival of the Sunni rebels and IS fighters in Mosul, my husband and I started plotting my return to the city, but all roads were still blocked because of the fighting taking place between Baghdad and Mosul.
Cities were falling in hours - not even days - after governmental forces fled or retreated, which left everybody puzzled.
After several attempts by my husband and thanks to some of his connections, we managed to book flights from Baghdad to the north.
But then another obstacle faced us - I had not brought my children's documentation as I was travelling by land. Yet as we were now flying, it was a must, or we wouldn't be able to leave.
Armed groups
Thanks to good thinking and God's will we received the documents via a friend who was leaving Mosul by car and who later flew to Baghdad and brought us the papers.
I finally got home to my family in Mosul, shortly after midnight on 20 June. I was shocked and frightened by what I saw in the streets, where armed groups were roaming around. I prayed and fasted for three days.
I stayed at home for a while, until I got used to the situation we are now living under, but those were moments I will never forget.
Mosul profile
Iraq's second biggest city
Overrun by Islamic State in June 2014
Home to about 1.8 million people before IS takeover, when some 500,000 fled
Majority Sunni Arab population, with Kurdish, Turkmen and Christian minorities
bbc.com
It'll be interesting what the Republicans do now after Obamas executive order
What do you think will happen?
I learn most about US politics from The Daily Show and Colbert Report, so all is with a bit of humor.
I learn most about US politics from The Daily Show and Colbert Report, so all is with a bit of humor.
Who knows. The Hispanic community is huge now in the US (I'm Hispanic). If they do anything that hurts the Hispanic community they can bet their ass that they'll lose most if not all of the Hispanic votes and that might be what decides who the next politicians/president is/are...
I found it amazing the republicans won so much last midterm elections, I expected the democrats would not lose so much, specially because of groups like the Hispanics.
A lot of people are just misinformed. People always blame their current status on whomever the current politician is. They think that whoever isn't in office can do a better job but in reality I think time will fix the economy. We can't blame Obama for all of our economical problems. They've been going on for many years and many decisions have affected our economy not just his decisions or even President Bush. But the republicans are saying that everything is Obamas fault and this and that and people buy in to it stupidly enough
It is pretty logical that the Democrats were beaten. Everyone knew that was going to happen. Yes, some of the Republican voters were misinformed. Just like some Democratic voters were misinformed. I see no reason to assume that the Republican victory was due to misinformation.
For me, Obama has failed. He has not brought the change he promised. Of course not everything is his fault. But I am especially disappointed in his foreign policy. How is his foreign policy any different from what the neocons want?
Two more years, and he's gone. Let's hope the Congress can limit the damage he can do as president in the next two years.
I always made this joke: "I can understand that you elect Bush jr. once. But twice? How stupid does one have to be to do that?" Well, the Americans have repeated that stupidity. They re-elected Obama.
But in a democracy, un- or misinformed people get as many votes as well-informed people. Luckily or unfortunately, it depends on how you look at it.
For me, Obama has failed. He has not brought the change he promised. Of course not everything is his fault. But I am especially disappointed in his foreign policy. How is his foreign policy any different from what the neocons want?
Two more years, and he's gone. Let's hope the Congress can limit the damage he can do as president in the next two years.
I always made this joke: "I can understand that you elect Bush jr. once. But twice? How stupid does one have to be to do that?" Well, the Americans have repeated that stupidity. They re-elected Obama.
But in a democracy, un- or misinformed people get as many votes as well-informed people. Luckily or unfortunately, it depends on how you look at it.
I always made this joke: "I can understand that you elect Bush jr. once. But twice? How stupid does one have to be to do that?" Well, the Americans have repeated that stupidity. They re-elected Obama.
They didn't vote on reelection, "yes" vs. "no". They elected a president, and the alternatives were "Obama" vs. "Romney".
How stupid was it to elect Obama? Well, I don't know: how stupid was it to elect Romney?
If they were choosing their ideal president - well, that would be a different thing. But many times democracy amounts to a poll where you can choose... between McDonald's and Burger King.
Obama was disappointing in that he didn't do everything he promised - or seemed to promise in some cases. Maybe a disappointing Romney would have been better than Obama, but imagine a Romney actually doing everything he promised - in that scenario, Obama was a smart choice.
They didn't vote on reelection, "yes" vs. "no". They elected a president, and the alternatives were "Obama" vs. "Romney".
How stupid was it to elect Obama? Well, I don't know: how stupid was it to elect Romney?
If they were choosing their ideal president - well, that would be a different thing. But many times democracy amounts to a poll where you can choose... between McDonald's and Burger King.
Obama was disappointing in that he didn't do everything he promised - or seemed to promise in some cases. Maybe a disappointing Romney would have been better than Obama, but imagine a Romney actually doing everything he promised - in that scenario, Obama was a smart choice.
I agree with most of what you say but I mean do you really think it matters whether they are Republican or Democrats ? To me it's just a title. If it were a Republican doing what Obama is doing then the people would vote for a Democrat in the next elections. I mean it's been a long time since the US has been satisfied with a us president which was Clinton. I mean ever since there have been many things which have been messing up our economy little by little and it didn't matter whether the president was democratic or Republican our economy is still messed up. The worst of it is that it seems the house, the Senate, and the president are all on different pages and can't agree on anything and all of that makes the president look bad hence all of the Republic wins
I agree, that's the big problem with demomcracy when there's not a proportional system of representation.
I think that any other system is a seriuos threat to democracy.
I think that any other system is a seriuos threat to democracy.
Yes, the first-past-the-post system also leads to having only two parties in the US. That is bound to create polarization. However, England has also a first-past-the-post system and there this all is less of an issue.