Spanish Police Shoot 5 Terror Suspects Dead Following Terror Van Rampage in Barcelona, Spain

SPANISH POLICE THWART ANOTHER TERRORIST VAN ATTACK IN SPAIN …

Reuters is reporting that Spanish police have killed five would-be terrorist attackers after confronting them early on Friday in a town south of Barcelona. Just hours earlier Islamic terrorists drove a van into crowds of people killing 14 and severely injuring hundreds. According to reports, the five men attempted to drive into tourists on the Cambrils seafront. Their vehicle overturned and some of these terrorists got out of the vehicle and began stabbing people. Thankfully, four were shot dead at the scene and the fifth was killed a few hundred meters away by police. Obviously, this attempted terror attack in Cambrils is connected to the one that occurred earlier in the day in Barcelona.

Spanish police shot dead five would-be attackers after confronting them early on Friday in a town south of Barcelona where hours earlier a suspected Islamist militant drove a van into crowds, killing 13 people and wounding scores of others.

Islamic State said the perpetrators had been responding to its call for action by carrying out Thursday’s rampage along Barcelona’s most famous avenue, which was thronged with tourists enjoying an afternoon stroll at the peak of the summer season.

Bodies, many motionless, were left strewn across the avenue and authorities said the toll of dead, which included several children, could rise, with more than 100 injured.

Hours later in the early hours of Friday, as security forces hunted for the van’s driver, police said they killed five suspects in Cambrils, 120 km (75 miles) south along the coast from Barcelona, to thwart a separate attack.

The five men attempted to drive into tourists on the Cambrils seafront, police said. Their car overturned and some of them began stabbing people. Four were shot dead at the scene and the fifth was killed a few hundred meters away, police said.

Police said they had arrested a Moroccan and a man from Spain’s north African enclave of Melilla, though neither was the driver of the van. He was seen escaping on foot and was still at large. A third man was arrested in the town of Ripoll on Friday.

Spain Terror Attacks in Barcelona: Van Plows Through Crowded Tourist Area,13 Killed and 100 Injured (VIDEO)

TERROR ATTACK IN SPAIN …

Dozens of people are reportedly injured and dead after a van slammed into the crowded Las Ramblas tourist hotspot in Barcelona, Spain. It is being reported that 13 people have been killed an up to 100 injured in the terror attack. A white van drove through crowd of people swerving from side to side purposely trying to mow down as many individuals as possible. ISIS has since claimed responsibility for the attack. From what it appears, this was not a lone wolf terror attack, it was perpetrated by a terror cell. Sadly, the death toll has risen to 14.

Barcelona Terror Attack: 13 Dead, Dozens Injured – NBC Nightly News

A manhunt was underway for the driver of a van that mowed through crowds of tourists on Barcelona’s most famous avenue on Thursday, killing at least 13 people in an attack that was claimed by Islamic State.

Authorities said the death toll could rise, with more than 100 people injured, some seriously.

Police said they arrested two men, a Moroccan and a man from Spain’s north African enclave of Melilla, though neither was the driver. Witnesses said the driver fled on foot.

It was still not clear how many attackers had been involved.

Hours beforehand, one person was killed in an explosion in a house in a town southwest of Barcelona, in an incident linked to the attack, police added. Residents of the house were preparing explosives, a police source said.

As the manhunt continued into the night, police said several attackers were killed in a shootout during an operation against what they called a possible “terror attack” in Cambrils, another town south of Barcelona.

Earlier in Barcelona, witnesses said the white van zigzagged at high speed down Las Ramblas, a busy avenue thronged with tourists, ramming pedestrians and cyclists, sending some hurtling through the air and leaving bodies strewn in its wake.

UPDATE I: At least 14 dead, 100 injured in Spain attacks, 5 ‘terrorists’ killed in police operation.

Following a deadly vehicle-ramming attack in Barcelona Thursday afternoon — which left at least 13 people killed — a police operation was carried out 90 minutes south of the city in Cambrilla, during which five “terrorists” were killed, officials said.

Police said the operation was in response to a “possible terrorist attack.”

Five “terrorists” were killed in the operation, but initially officials said four people were injured and one person was wounded and detained.

On Twitter, police said they “have killed the alleged perpetrators.” Catalan police told ABC News that they believe the incident in Cambrils is related to the attack in Barcelona earlier Thursday.

Authorities confirmed early Friday morning, the explosive belts carried by the alleged terrorists, were fake.

“We work on the hypothesis that the terrorists killed in Cambrils would be related to the events in Barcelona and Alcanar,” police said. Alcanar is the location of the earlier deadly house explosion that police said was believed to be connected to the Barcelona plot.

More Updates HERE.

An Animal Rights Activist Beaten Upside His Head With a Duck by a Spanish woman defending the Catalonia’s ‘Duck Chase’ Tradition

THIS MIGHT BE THE CRAZIEST STORIES YOU NEVER HEARD …

From the UK Daily Mail comes the following story that might be one of the most bizarre of 2015. Forget about running with the bulls, how about swimming with the ducks!!! An animal rights activists was clubbed upside his head by a Spanish woman in a white bathing suit during the annual Catalonia’s ‘Duck Chase’. So as this tradition goes, the ducks thrown into Mediterranean, then recaptured by swimmers. The incident took place after a woman, seen in the below video in a white bathing suit was confronted by an animal rights activist. She then started beating the dude with the duck.

Obviously, I hope the duck was not hurt, but what a sight that must have been. Please, oh please, does any one have video on that? Those folks in Spain have an awful lot a free time on their hands.

This is the shocking moment an animal rights activist was beaten around the head with a duck by a Spanish woman defending one of the country’s most controversial traditions.

The woman struck the man with the bird while he was filming the annual ‘duck chase’ in the seaside town of Roses in north eastern Spain.

Every August ducks are thrown into the Mediterranean and then caught and brought back to the shore by swimmers as part of the festival.

The footage shows a young woman wearing a white bathing suit attack the man with a duck – holding it by the legs as she repeatedly lashes him with it.

As the attack goes on, animal rights activists gathered on the shore can be heard chanting, ‘You would not do that to your dog,’ before they were removed by police.

The footage shows a young woman wearing a white bathing suit attack the man with a duck – holding it by the legs as she repeatedly lashes him with it.

As the attack goes on, animal rights activists gathered on the shore can be heard chanting, ‘You would not do that to your dog,’ before they were removed by police.

53 Year Old Free diver Natalia Molchanova Missing Since 8/2/15 and Feared Dead off the Coast of Spain Near the Island of Formentera

53 year old free diver Natalia Molchanova has been missing since Sunday, August 8, 2015 off the coast of Spain near the Island of Formentera. Molchanova was “recreationally freediving” without fins on Sunday when she became separated from her group. She disappeared approximately two miles northwest of the port of La Savina at Poniente de es Freus. Natalia Molchanova holds 41 world records and is a 23-time world champion in freediving. The extreme sport requires divers to hold their breath rather than use scuba gear or oxygen tanks. Sadly, this trailblazer in the sport is feared dead.

World champion free diver Natalia Molchanova was missing and feared dead Wednesday, more than two days after she disappeared while recreationally diving off the coast of Spain.

The international diving association AIDA said the 53-year-old Russian apparently dove into a strong current off the island of Formentera.

“Search efforts have been ongoing during daylight hours and the next day since she was reported missing by three peers,” AIDA said in a statement.

Free divers swim as deeply as they can while holding their breath. AIDA said Molchanova could hold her breath for nine minutes.

Molchanova, the mother of two, is the most decorated competitive free diver in the world. AIDA said she holds 41 world records and is a 23-time world champion. She also has a doctorate in teaching sciences and has authored multiple scientific articles and two free diving training handbooks. She designed and taught free-diving programs worldwide, training thousands of divers.

From AIDA International: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – The Worlds Most Accomplished and Famous Female Freediver, Natalia Molchanova, is Missing.

Formentera, Spain. Natalia Molchanova was recreationally freediving off the coast of Spain on August 2, 2015 when she was separated from her peers. She was diving without fins to around 30 to 40 m and supposable got into strong underwater current. Search efforts have been ongoing during daylight hours and the next day since she was reported missing by three peers. She disappeared while diving approximately two miles northwest of the port of La Savina at Poniente de es Freus.

Natalia is a proud mother of Oksana and Alexey. She loved children and was awaiting the day when she would become a Grandmother. She was an inspiration to all freedivers and despite being one of the fiercest competitors in the world, she was always calm and relaxed during competitions. She said “birth and death are important, but freediving competitions are just games for adults”. The cause of Natalia’s disappearance is unknown, but she was doing what she loved. Natalia has a passion for freediving that burned so deep inside of her that she dedicated her life to it.

NY Times – Free Diver Natalia Molchanova Descends for Fun, Then Vanishes.

Natalia Molchanova, widely regarded as the greatest free diver in history, wore her favorite purple wet suit Sunday on a chartered boat off the coast of Formentera, an island near Ibiza. Only 1.5 millimeters thick, the wet suit was low buoyancy, designed specifically for divers like her who want to go deep on a single breath. It was a Molchanova, the brand she started with her son, Alexey Molchanov.

With clear skies and a light breeze on the Balearic Sea, off the eastern coast of Spain, Ms. Molchanova attached a neck weight — a pound or two, at most — that would help her descend. Then she dipped into the water to begin what divers call breathing up. A lower heart rate enables divers to use precious oxygen more efficiently. To relax deeply, Ms. Molchanova would inhale for a few seconds, then exhale twice as long and twice as deep.

Those may have been among Ms. Molchanova’s last breaths. She then proceeded to attempt a recreational dive to a depth that was modest for her, and she never resurfaced. After two days of intense search efforts, Alexey Molchanov said Tuesday afternoon that his mother, 53, was not expected to be found alive.

50 World Leaders at Paris Anti-Terror, Day of Unity Rally, But No President Barack Obama, VP Joe Biden or Sec. of State John Kerry

MILLIONS GATHER AGAINST TERRORISM: Noticeable absent from the worlds show of unity against radical Muslim terrorism was President Barack Hussein Obama …

Nearly four million turned out across France today for unity rallies and nearly one million in Paris, the largest number of people turned out in Paris  France since the liberation of Paris from Nazi, Germany during World War II.  The more than 50 world leaders showed at the Paris march for the “Day of Unity” that included those from Germany, Italy, Poland, Israel, the UK, Ireland, Mali, the UN Secretary General, the US Secretary of State and the Palestinian President. The world leaders and millions of people paid their honor and respects to the 17 individuals who were killed by radical-Muslim terrorist in the last few days at Charlie Hebdo and a Paris kosher deli. Yesterday, the France’s Prime Minister declared war with radical Islam.

Vive la liberté!!!

Crowds streaming in for Charlie Hebdo Unity March in Paris

Paris March: Millions Attend ‘Cry for Freedom’ Rally for Unity

What a show of disrespect that the Obama administration pretty much sent no one to this important show of world solidarity against radical Islam and terror. No Obama, no Biden, no Kerry. But they did send U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to Paris to attend a meeting on fighting terrorism, but did not participate in the “Unity” march. How special.

Here is a list of the world leaders attending today’s Paris rally:

EUROPE:
French President Francois Hollande
German Chancellor Angela Merkel
British Prime Minister David Cameron
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis
European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker
European Parliament president Martin Schulz
European Union president Donald Tusk
Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg
Polish Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz
Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt
Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras
Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny
Portuguese Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho
Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka
Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico
Latvian Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma
Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban
Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic
Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel
Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat
Slovenian Prime Minister Miro Cerar
Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven
Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko
Swiss President Simonetta Sommaruga
Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibachvili
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov
Austrian foreign minister Sebastian Kurz

NORTH AMERICA:
US attorney general Eric Holder (* did not participate in the march)
Canadian public safety minister Steven Blaney

MIDDLE EAST:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman
Jordanian King Abdullah II and Queen Rania
Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas
United Arab Emirates foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan
Qatari Sheikh Mohamed Ben Hamad Ben Khalifa Al Thani
Bahrain foreign minister Sheikh Khaled ben Ahmed Al Khalifa and Prince Abdullah Ben Hamad al-Khalifa

AFRICA:
Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita
Gabonese President Ali Bongo
Niger President Mahamadou Issoufou
Benin President Thomas Boni Yayi
Tunisian Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa
Algerian foreign minister Ramtane Lamamra