Isis has designs on the holy cities of Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem and poses a danger to Europe, Vladimir Putin has reportedly said.
The Russian President said the situation is “very serious” and that Moscow is worried trained jihadists from the group – which refers to itself as the Islamic State – plan to return to EU countries and Russia, according to Russia Today.
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European ‘No-Go’ Zones: Fact or Fiction?
The jihadist attack on the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo, a French magazine known for lampooning Islam, has cast a spotlight on so-called no-go zones in France and other European countries.
No-go zones are Muslim-dominated neighborhoods that are largely off limits to non-Muslims due to a variety of factors, including the lawlessness and insecurity that pervades a great number of these areas. Host-country authorities have effectively lost control over many no-go zones and are often unable or unwilling to provide even basic public aid, such as police, fire fighting and ambulance services, out of fear of being attacked by Muslim youth.
Muslim enclaves in European cities are also breeding grounds for Islamic radicalism and pose a significant threat to Western security. Continue reading
Moody’s Cuts Europe Sovereigns Including Italy, Spain
Moody’s Investors Service cut the debt ratings of six European countries including Italy, Spain and Portugal and revised its outlook on the U.K.’s and France’s top Aaa ratings to “negative,” citing Europe’s debt crisis.
Spain was downgraded to A3 from A1 with a negative outlook, Italy was downgraded to A3 from A2 with a negative outlook and Portugal was downgraded to Ba3 from Ba2 with a negative outlook, Moody’s said. It also reduced the ratings of Slovakia, Slovenia and Malta.
Full article: Moody’s Cuts Europe Sovereigns Including Italy, Spain (Bloomberg)
Global Geopolitics 