Free Republic

https://twitter.com/zerohedge/status/609341858045497344 https://twitter.com/TraderStef/status/609355146842275840 https://twitter.com/JAFF3/status/609343992803774464 https://twitter.com/russian_market/status/609341880623591424 The bank runs (and capital controls) begin. Macedonia Central Bank Governor Bogov states: *GREEK BANKS IN MACEDONIA CAN’T WITHDRAW CASH: BOGOV*MACEDONIAN BANKS PROTECTED IN CASE OF GREXIT: BOGOV How long before the rest of Europe follows suit and a bank holiday is declared Monday to "Cyprus" depositors? He further added: *MACEDONIAN CENTRAL BANK SEES MAJOR RISKS FROM POLITICAL CRISIS http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-06-12/macedonia-central-bank-blocks-greek-bank-withdrawals-case-grexit Macedonia Central Bank blocks Greek bank withdrawals FXStreet (Córdoba) - Macedonian Central Bank's Governor Dimitar Bogov has stated that Greek banks are not able to withdraw cash. According to Bogov, this withdrawal halt is protection against...

The most valuable piece seized by Finnish Customs, while on its way to a collector in Russia, is a decorative ceramic plaque looted from a Syrian shrine that dates to the 1400s."There a great deal of archeological material in the Middle East related to humankind's early history that in many ways is irreplaceable," Chief Intendant Jouni Kuurne of Finland's National Board of Antiquities told Yle.The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO has been deeply concerned about the destruction of Syrian's world heritage sites and the looting of art treasures for sale to private collectors.The piece from the Syrian...

UNITED NATIONS - The United States has by far the largest number of publicly owned firearms in the world and is approaching the point where there is one gun for every American, according to the Small Arms Survey 2003 released Tuesday. But in surprise findings, the survey found that Europeans are more heavily armed than commonly believed while there are far fewer small arms in Afghanistan (news - web sites) and sub-Saharan Africa than previously estimated. According to the independent survey, the crackdown on terrorism after Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States "had little effect on the size...

Sweden rules the Baltic Sea supreme. Russia does not. We and Finland protect Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. We dispose of the means. We could **** you up very bad Mr. Putin and Stalin won't be there to aid you.

Syria - Archeological Findings Palmyra- Syria 29-05 (SANA)- The Finnish archeological team working in Bashir Mount in the desert area of Palmyra ( Tadmor ) has unearthed 46 archeological sites that date back to 80,000 years B.C. Member of the team Prof. Margo Alstawt Watsing of Helsinki University said her group used sophisticated equipment to survey the mountain’s archeological traces that extend along the Euphrates River on the ancient famous Silk Road, some 180 KM east of Palmyra. She added that clay, copper, bone and granite pieces were unearthed at the scene, an indication that man had very long ago...

Noting that he’s “perhaps the most progressive member of the United States Senate,” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) described today how, as president, he would do socialism in America. “When we talk about Democratic socialism, I think it is important to realize that there are countries around the world, like Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, who have had social democratic governments on and off for many, many years. And we can learn a whole lot from some of those countries,” the 2016 Democratic presidential contender said on CBS this morning. “For example, the United States is the only major country on earth...

Foundations are being laid now in my children that have crossed the threshing floor of My heart and will for all my children of light , for to partake of my cup you must enter into me in all fullness and truth therefore obey my statutes and “ live “ my words to you given upon the foundation of my kingdom “ My heart “ , for truly as I send my sent ones and speak through my prophets , the oracles shall reveal themselves to all those that receive me in the manner I choose to come, for many...

A fabulous sunken treasure may be recovered off Finland coast as archaeologist divers say they have found the wreck of a legendary 15th-century vessel. According to historic documents, the Hanneke Wrome was one of two ships that left Luebeck, Germany, for Tallinn, Estonia, on Nov. 11, 1468. Records also indicate the cargo included 10,000 gold coins and gold jewelry -- a treasure estimated to be worth more than $150 million today. Strong east winds, actually very rare in Finland, caught both vessels. While the other ship managed to get to Tallinn, the Hanneke Wrome went down in the storm with...

The Finnish Navy acted appropriately and extremely resolutely in driving away a possible submarine from the territorial waters of Finland early on Tuesday morning, President Sauli Niinistö lauded on Wednesday after announcing the opening of the new parliamentary session. “The Navy, and captains in general, have been granted considerable powers, and I think they were used appropriately here,” Niinistö said. He underscored that all intrusions by military vessels are serious but admitted that the incident was not particularly surprising in light of growing instability in the Baltic Sea Region. “Such traffic has increased on the Baltic Sea. Whatever was under...

T he Finnish military has begun sending letters to some 900,000 reservists amid increased tensions between the Nordic states and Russia over the Ukraine crisis. Russia and Finland share a 1,340-kilometer land border. The military said the letter campaign, which started on May 4, was prompted mainly by cuts in the defense budget. Finland's defense budget this year has shrunk to 2.7 billion euros ($2.99 billion), or 1.29 percent of GDP, down from 1.4 percent in 2012. The letters reportedly informed reservists what their role would be in a "crisis situation." Finland, with a population of 5.2 million, is one...

The Finnish Defense Forces is preparing to inform its 900,000 military reservists of their role in the event of mobilization, all the while maintaining the communication has no connection to threats posed by Russia. However, according to journalist Peter Iiskola, this is the first time a letter of this sort has even been sent out in Finland, Newsweek reports. Finland has a small army of around 16,000. In the event of war, this number can swell up to 230,000, drawing from former conscripts. The announcement of the letter, which reservists between ages 20-60 will receive, follows on the heels of...

The Finnish Defence Forces are to send letters to all 900,000 of the country's reservists at the beginning of this month, informing them what their role would be in a "crisis situation", causing a row over whether such a move is necessary. Finland, with its population of 5.2 million, has a small professional army of 16,000. Yet in the event of mobilisation, Finland could call on its former conscripts to fight. Finland's wartime military strength is 230,000. According to local media reports, the decision was announced via a television advert, telling the nation's reservists "We want to have a word...

HELSINKI – The Finnish military says it has dropped depth charges onto a suspected submarine in the sea outside Helsinki after twice detecting the presence of a foreign object in the area.

In most countries, taxes are progressive, so the more you make, the higher your taxes. In contrast, most parking and speeding tickets are about what you did, not about how much you earn. But in Finland, you might pay for speeding based on the size of your fortune. That is what happened to Mr. Reima Kuisla, a Finnish businessman who was fined 54,024 euros (about $58,000) for speeding. He wasn’t even going terribly fast, although his clocked 64 miles per hour did exceed the posted 50 mph limit. The whole idea of a progressive fine based on one’s income may...

Finland’s navy dropped depth charges this morning as a warning to a suspected submarine in waters near Helsinki, raising tensions with neighbouring Russia. The navy said that it had detected an underwater target on Monday and again today and fired warning charges the size of grenades. Carl Haglund, the defence minister, did not say whether Russian involvement was suspected.

A right wing anti-EU party has enjoyed success in Finland’s election that saw the governing National Coalition suffer a dramatic defeat. After a campaign dominated by domestic issues, the opposition Centre party won 49 seats of the 200 up for election, while the anti-EU Finns Party won 38 and the governing National Coalition won 37. As a party of the populist right, the Finns latches on to voter discontent wherever it can be found. It did so spectacularly in the 2011 elections, where the party (previously known as the True Finns) expanded its vote share by an historic 14.9% vote...

When I left my 7th grade math classroom for my Fulbright research assignment in Finland I thought I would come back from this experience with more inspiring, engaging, innovative lessons. I expected to have great new ideas on how to teach my mathematics curriculum and I would revamp my lessons so that I could include more curriculum, more math and get students to think more, talk more and do more math. This drive to do more and More and MORE is a state of existence for most teachers in the US….it is engrained in us from day one. There is...

HELSINKI (Reuters) - From closer NATO ties to rumors of Kremlin-backed land deals on its border, Finland's diplomatic balancing act with Russia has come under the spotlight before Sunday's parliamentary election as politicians debate how far to challenge the Kremlin.The vote sees centrist opposition front-runner Juha Sipila, who favors military non-alignment along with two other major parties, battling center-right incumbent Prime Minister Alexander Stubb, who advocates joining NATO. The debate was mirrored regionally after an unprecedented hawkish joint statement last week by Nordic countries - Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Iceland - that directly cited the Russian "challenge" as grounds...

Explanation: Who guards the north? Judging from the above photograph, possibly giant trees covered in snow and ice. The featured picture was taken a few winters ago in Finnish Lapland where weather can include sub-freezing temperatures and driving snow. Surreal landscapes sometimes result, where common trees become cloaked in white and so appear, to some, as watchful aliens. Far in the distance, behind this uncommon Earthly vista, is a more common sight -- a Belt of Venus that divided a darkened from sunlit sky as the Sun rose behind the photographer. Of course, in the spring, the trees thaw and...

The captain of the Arctic Sea freighter contacted the ship’s operating company Thursday for the first time since the ship mysteriously disappeared in July. The captain made a brief call to Solchart Arkhangelsk Ltd.’s office on his cell phone, a company spokesman said. “He said the rest of the crew on the ship is all fine,” the spokesman told Interfax. Eleven of the 15-member crew have returned to their families in Arkhangelsk, while the other four are on the ship sailing to Novorossiisk. The 11 were not allowed to contact their families for more than a week after they flew...