Reader’s links for May 31 – 2016

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In order to preserve the flow of conversation about various posted items, and also in order to make it easier for visitors to find the list of related links being shared by other readers, regulars and interested parties in one place, each day a post is automatically created at a minute past midnight ET.

This way, under the various posts of the day, conversation can take place without as much ‘noise’ on the various links and articles and ideas in the main posts and all the news links being submitted can be seen under these auto-posts by clicking on the comments-link right below these ones.

Thank you all for those that take the effort to assist this site in keeping the public informed. Below, typically people can find the latest enemy propaganda, news items of related materials from multiple countries and languages, op-eds from many excellent sites who write on our topics, geopolitics and immigration issues and so on.

About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

88 Replies to “Reader’s links for May 31 – 2016”

    • I’d be very careful about this.
      The King is juggling too many balls, behaving erratically. The consensus in Washington, Israel and London is that he’s the last King of Jordan.

      (There’s an opposition government in waiting in London that seems friendly, but who knows?)

      MB in Jordan is open and tolerated and that’s bad news. Abdullah depends on Israel, but he talks dirt to please his constituencies. They know better. He’s firing and re-hiring prime ministers, parliaments. Looking weak.

      There’s shooting around all the tourist sites, but that’s being kept quiet. NO tourists should go to Petra!

      • I heard that Jordan has a very large police forces and quite extensive secret police and that’s why there is still the King of Jordan.

        • Way down this thread is a link to the shadow government-in -waiting. They’re really very good, but I’m afraid they don’t stand a chance.
          The thug most ruthless will jump right in with both feet.

  1. 18 women are sexually assaulted at German concert, with victims surrounded by mobs of migrant men and groped in copycat attacks like those in Cologne

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3617417/18-women-sexually-assaulted-German-concert-victims-surrounded-mobs-migrant-men-groped-copycat-attacks-like-Cologne.html

    3 asylum seekers arrested for sexual assaults at music fest

    Eighteen women have so far made complaints of sexual assaults at a musical festival that took place over the weekend in Darmstadt.

    http://www.thelocal.de/20160531/3-asylum-seekers-arrested-for-sexual-assaults-at-music-festival

  2. Swedish swimming pools introduce women-only sessions to accommodate rising number of Muslim population

    More public swimming pools offer women-only hours in Sweden

    Has been linked to rise in Muslim population after immigration increase

    Initiative has been slammed by Sweden’s Minister for Democracy

    Women-only hours under investigation for discrimination against men

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3617465/Swedish-swimming-pools-introduce-women-sessions-accommodate-rising-number-Muslim-population.html

  3. Iraqi immigrant, 36, who said he was gay to claim asylum in Austria is jailed for sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl at a swimming pool
    The 36-year-old sexually assaulted girl, 11, at a pool in Huetteldorf, Vienna
    Claimed it was first experience of sexual relationship with opposite sex
    Came to Austria 13 years ago and had no previous convictions, court told
    Claimed it was first experience of a sexual relationship with opposite sex

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3617701/Iraqi-immigrant-36-said-gay-claim-asylum-Austria-jailed-sexually-assaulting-11-year-old-girl-swimming-pool.html#ixzz4AEp7aWLO
    Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

  4. EU referendum: Concern over immigration delivers a ‘significant’ poll boost to the Leave campaign as voters react to claims over UK border control

    Public concern over immigration has delivered a “significant” boost to the Leave campaign amid growing concern about Britain’s ability to control its borders, a new poll suggests

    Leave now has 46 per cent of the vote share, with Remain on 51 per cent. The five point gap has been cut from 13 points last week.

    The poll, by ORB, was carried out last week when new figures revealed that migration had risen to record levels; forecasts showed that immigration would add 4 million people to Britain’s population; and images of migrants drowning in the Mediterranean in their attempts to get to Europe emerged.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/30/concern-over-immigration-delivers-a-significant-poll-boost-to-th/

  5. Why is Europe so fed up?

    It is nearly midnight and the sound of bongo drums is beating out across Paris’s Place de la Republique where several hundred people are drinking beer, smoking weed and – as one of their numbers says – “bearing witness”.

    Witness to what, exactly, is not immediately clear. The mostly young crowd is gathered under a banner that says “Nuit Debout” – which roughly translates as “Rise up at Night” – but beyond that there are few clues as to what unites the protesters gathered under the watchful gaze of several hundred riot police.

    On March 31 they filled the square as part of a 400,000-strong workers’ protest against reforms to France’s rigid labour laws, but every night since then the Nuit Debout protesters have turned in a list of bewilderingly different causes.

    A quick survey of the crowd reveals feminists, environmentalists, socialists, specie-ists (who oppose the tyranny of humans over animals), as well as an anti-Islamophobia caucus, political groups defending Palestinians and those still saying “non” to labour reforms.

    http://s.telegraph.co.uk/graphics/projects/europe-ref-fed-up-vote/index.html

  6. ‘It was like it came out of Jurassic Park!’: Monster alligator stuns golfers by casually strolling across Florida golf course

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3616875/It-like-came-Jurassic-Park-Monster-alligator-stuns-golfers-casually-strolling-Florida-golf-course.html#ixzz4AF1AhtZq
    Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

    Golfers in Palmetto, Florida, could be forgiven for thinking they had stumbled off the course and into Jurassic Park at the weekend.

    While playing a typical Sunday game at Buffalo Creek Golf Course, Charles Helms was able to get a video of a monster alligator casually strolling across the course.

    The dinosaur-like gator looked even bigger when another man came into the frame to take a picture – but apparently he is quite a regular sight in the area.

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3616875/It-like-came-Jurassic-Park-Monster-alligator-stuns-golfers-casually-strolling-Florida-golf-course.html#ixzz4AF1Lqmyr
    Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

    (This monster looks to be well over the 14ft record, I wouldn’t want it living anywhere near me.)

  7. Iran makes major move with new base in northern Iraq

    Local reporting indicates that the Iranians aren’t just bringing some troops in to northern Iraq, as they have been working on for some months now. They’re constructing a literal military base, moving in arms and ammunition and setting up missile launchers. The latter would mean at a minimum that they’re fortifying the base and intend to protect it. It could mean more.

    Reportedly, the Iranians are tunneling as well:

    Speaking to Asharq al-Awsat, Baran Berikan, the council member of the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK), allegedly an offshoot party of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the Iranian Kurdistan, said that Iran has started conducting military activities near Mount Suren in Sulaymaniyah province which is an old base of the Iranian army.

    Berikan revealed that the border entrances in the area have been shut down due to the movement of the Iranian army and the transportation of arms.

    Asharq al-Awsat also reported that Iran has resumed working on the old tunnel through mountains to facilitate and secure the transport of the military supplies.

    The Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) is overseeing the operation, which is ta

    http://libertyunyielding.com/2016/05/31/iran-makes-major-move-new-base-northern-iraq/

      • It seems to be to be Iran moving their Western borders quite a ways to the west. Persia once controlled all of that area and the current leadership wants to recreate the Persian Empire.

  8. Facebook Signs European Union Pledge To Suppress Loosely Defined ‘Hate Speech’ And Promote ‘Counter Narratives’
    The European Commission has today announced a partnership with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Microsoft in order to crack down on what it classes as “illegal hate speech” while “criminaliz[ing]” perpetrators and “promoting independent counter-narratives” that the European Union favours.

    A press release from the Commission this morning claims the new initiative has been set up “to respond to the challenge of ensuring that online platforms do not offer opportunities for illegal online hate speech to spread virally”.

    The move has been branded “Orwellian” by Members of the European Parliament, and digital freedom groups have already pulled out of any further discussions with the Commission, calling the new policy “lamentable”.

    The unelected, executive branch of the European Union (EU) released a “Code of Conduct” today that “includes a series of commitments to combat the spread of illegal hate speech online in Europe” developed “together with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Microsoft (‘the ITcompanies’)” who have “signed up”.

    The commitments include “educat[ing] and rais[ing] awareness with their users” and building a “network” of “trusted reporters” to flag unwanted content. Facebook and Twitter are to provide “regular training to their staff on current societal developments” and work more closely with national governments and “their law enforcement agencies” to remove content the EU does not favor.

    Most alarmingly, however, the platforms have also promised to engage in the active promotion of views and organisations the EU does favour, and the re-education of supposedly hateful users.

    Facebook and others must, “recogniz[e] the value of independent counter speech against hateful rhetoric and prejudice, aim to continue their work in identifying and promoting independent counter-narratives, new ideas and initiatives and supporting educational programs that encourage critical thinking.”

    http://www.breitbart.com/london/2016/05/31/facebook-and-twitter-sign-up-to-eu-hate-speech-policy-promise-to-promote-counter-narratives/

  9. Greece: Protesters rally against Thessaloniki refugee camps

    Some 250 protesters, including the Mayor of Oraiokastro Gavos Asterios, rallied outside the Oraiokastro police station, on Monday, in protest against nearby refugee centres and calling for increased resources for local police.

  10. Erdogan tells Merkel concerned about German draft law on Armenian massacre

    ANKARA, May 31 (Reuters) – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday and expressed concern about a German draft law on the 1915 killing of Armenians, Turkish presidential sources said.

    German lawmakers are expected in June to back a planned resolution branding as “genocide” the mass killings of up to 1.5 Armenians by Ottoman Turkish forces a century ago. Turkey denies that the massacres constituted genocide.

    http://news.trust.org/item/20160531141425-84gjh/

    reuters – Turkey’s Erdogan says German law on Armenian killings would damage ties

    A proposed German law to label the 1915 mass killings of Armenians a genocide would damage ties between Berlin and Ankara, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday at a televised news conference.

    Turkey accepts that many Christian Armenians were massacred in clashes with Ottoman forces during World War One. But it denies that hundreds of thousands were killed or that this amounted to genocide.

    http://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-turkey-armenia-idUSKCN0YM1RP

    • Erdogan to Berlin: be sensible on Armenia genocide bill

      Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday called on Germany to show “common sense” over a resolution recognising the massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces as “genocide”, local media reported.

      Speaking to German Chancellor Angela Merkel by phone ahead of the vote in German parliament, Erdogan said: “We expect common sense from Germany with regard to the resolution,” the private NTV television reported.

      Germany’s parliament votes Thursday on a resolution that qualifies the massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces as “genocide”, despite strong warnings from Turkey.

      Drawn up by the ruling left-right coalition and the opposition Greens, the resolution entitled “Remembrance and commemoration of the genocide of Armenians and other Christian minorities in 1915 and 1916” also carries the contested word throughout the text.

      The vote comes just over a year after President Joachim Gauck became Germany’s highest ranking official to describe the massacre as a “genocide”, drawing a fierce response from Turkey.

      Its timing is also awkward, as Germany and the European Union need Ankara to help stem a migrant influx even as tensions are rising between both sides over a string of issues, including human rights.

      Cautioning against the vote, Turkey’s deputy prime minister and government spokesman Numan Kurtulmus said: “Germany must be careful concerning its relations with Turkey.”

      I do not think that the German parliament will destroy this relationship for the sake of two or three politicians” who had put the resolution before the Bundestag, he added.

      Turkey and Armenia have long been at loggerheads over the World War I-era massacre.

      Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their kin were killed between 1915 and 1917 as the Ottoman Empire was falling apart and have sought to win international recognition of the massacres as genocide.

      “It’s about rendering historical justice, it’s an obligation of the entire international community towards the memory of the victims of the genocide,” Armenian foreign ministry spokesman, Tigran Balayan, told AFP.

      He added that recognition is “important for the prevention of genocides in future”.

      Modern Turkey, the successor state to the Ottomans, rejects the claim, arguing that 300,000 to 500,000 Armenians and as many Turks died in civil strife when Armenians rose up against their Ottoman rulers and sided with invading Russian troops.

      More than 20 nations, including France and Russia, have recognised the Armenian genocide, but Germany has not.

      http://www.thelocal.de/20160531/erdogan-asks-for-common-sense-on-armenian-genocide

  11. Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo to open refugee camp in the city

    The mayor of Paris has announced plans to open a refugee camp in the north of the city.

    It would be the first town hall-approved camp for refugees and migrants in the French capital and is expected to open in roughly a month’s time.

    Mayor Anne Hidalgo added that the camp “would conform to UN regulations” at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.

    It is understood the camp will serve as a day centre for migrants and refugees, but also offer accommodation to “those who have nothing.”

    “Today, Europe is not facing up to the humanitarian crisis of these refugees. Nor is our own country,” she said.

    “Paris will not stand by and do nothing as the Mediterranean becomes a graveyard of refugees.”

    There are already several makeshift camps in Paris holding hundreds of people, but they are frequently dismantled by the authorities and the refugees taken to detention centres.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/31/paris-mayor-anne-hidalgo-to-open-first-refugee-camp-in-city/
    ===================================================
    Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo announced plans to open the first refugee camp inside the French capital city within the coming weeks.

    Speaking during a press briefing on Tuesday, Hidalgo didn’t give a specific location for the humanitarian camp, but said it will be in the city’s northern area “near the arrival points for migrants.” Hidalgo said the name of the camp will be “announced in the coming days” and added that she wants to model the camp on Grande-Synthe, a months-old refugee camp in the northern French city of Dunkirk.

    Hidalgo also tweeted that the accommodations for the refugees will have to be “flexible and quickly installed” and said it could be open within the next six weeks.

    Hidalgo’s announcement comes at a decisive time. As the beginning of summer brings warmer weather, larger numbers of refugees and migrants are making the treacherous journey to Europe by sea. On Tuesday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said more than 1,000 refugees and migrants died at sea last week and that “the past eight days marks one of the deadliest periods yet in the migration crisis, which is now in its fourth year.”

    The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Tuesday that 2016 “has been particularly deadly,” with 2,510 deaths so far this year compared to 1,855 in the same period last year.

    http://www.newsweek.com/paris-refugee-camp-anne-hidalgo-464976?piano_d=1

  12. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Microsoft agree to remove hate speech across the EU

    Facebook, Twitter, Google’s YouTube, Microsoft as well as the European Commission unveiled a new code of conduct to remove hate speech according to community guidelines in less than 24 hours across these social media platforms. The EU has ramped up efforts leading to this code of conduct following the recent terrorist attacks in Brussels and Paris.

    ISIS has been successfully using social media to recruit fighters over the past few years. In addition to that, the European economic recession has fostered far-right parties, leading to more online antisemitism and xenophobia.

    Tech companies probably don’t want to be held responsible for hate speech and are now taking a strong stance against hate speech. This is surprising as many social networks have promoted free expression and have refused to delete content or accounts in the past (except when it comes to copyrighted material).

    But it’s been a slow and steady change. Twitter has already suspended 125,000 accounts related to ISIS since mid-2015. Facebook already agreed to work with the German government against hateful speech back in September 2015. Google and Twitter later joined Facebook and the German government in December 2015. Now, four tech companies are making a formal pledge at the European level against hate speech.

    “The recent terror attacks have reminded us of the urgent need to address illegal online hate speech,” V?ra Jourová, EU Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, wrote in the European Commission press release. “Social media is unfortunately one of the tools that terrorist groups use to radicalise young people and racist use to spread violence and hatred. This agreement is an important step forward to ensure that the internet remains a place of free and democratic expression, where European values and laws are respected.”

    Tech companies will have to find the right balance between freedom of expression and hateful content. Based on the code of conduct, they’ll have dedicated teams reviewing flagged items (poor employees who will have to review awful things every day).

    Tech companies will also educate their users and tell them that it’s forbidden to post hateful content. They’ll cooperate with each other to share best practice. They’ll encourage flagging of hateful content and they’ll promote counter speech against hateful rhetoric.

    It’s good to see that this issue got escalated and the European Commission was able to come up with a code of conduct quite quickly. Instead of making tech companies deal with every single European country, they can agree on rules for the EU as a whole.

    Similarly, it’s encouraging to see tech companies working together on a sensitive issue like this one. While it’s a good starting point, there will be new social platforms in the future, and I hope other tech companies will join this code of conduct in the future.

    http://techcrunch.com/2016/05/31/facebook-twitter-youtube-and-microsoft-agree-to-remove-hate-speech-across-the-eu/

    Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Microsoft back EU hate speech rules

    BRUSSELS – Facebook (FB.O), Twitter (TWTR.N), Google’s (GOOGL.O) YouTube and Microsoft (MSFT.O) on Tuesday agreed to an EU code of conduct to tackle online hate speech within 24 hours in Europe.

    EU governments have been trying in recent months to get social platforms to crack down on rising online racism following the refugee crisis and terror attacks, with some even threatening action against the companies.

    As part of the pledge agreed with the European Commission, the web giants will review the majority of valid requests for removal of illegal hate speech in less than 24 hours and remove or disable access to the content if necessary.

    They will also strengthen their cooperation with civil society organizations who help flag hateful content when it goes online and promote “counter-narratives” to hate speech.

    “The recent terror attacks have reminded us of the urgent need to address illegal online hate speech. Social media is unfortunately one of the tools that terrorist groups use to radicalize young people,” EU Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova said.

    Germany got Google, Facebook and Twitter to agree to delete hate speech from their websites within 24 hours last year and even launched an investigation into the European head of Facebook over its alleged failure to remove racist hate speech.

    “There’s no place for hate speech on Facebook,” said Monika Bickert, Head of Global Policy Management at Facebook.

    “With a global community of 1.6 billion people we work hard to balance giving people the power to express themselves whilst ensuring we provide a respectful environment.”

    The code of conduct is largely a continuation of efforts that the companies already take to counter hate speech on their websites, such as developing tools for people to report hateful content and training staff to handle such requests.

    Twitter has suspended over 125,000 accounts since the middle of 2015 for threatening or promoting terror acts, primarily related to Islamic State.

    The United States has undertaken similar efforts to entice the cooperation of tech companies in combating online radicalization, focusing on promoting “counter-narratives” to extremist content.

    EU ministers had called for cooperation with tech companies to be stepped up after the Brussels attacks in March.

    Jewish lobbyists, frequently the target of hate speech, welcomed the code of conduct.

    “This a historic agreement that could not arrive at a better time,” said Dr. Moshe Kantor, President of the European Jewish Congress.

    http://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-facebook-twitter-hatecrime-idUSKCN0YM0VJ

  13. BREITBART – Germany to Spy on Hipster-Right Identitarians

    The head of Germany’s domestic intelligence service announced the Identitarian youth protest group have reached the threshold to qualify for domestic surveillance.

    Head of the Federal Office for Constitutional Protection, Hans-Georg Maassen, has announced that the German branch of the hipster-right Identitarian movement will now be the subject of surveillance by the German domestic spy agency. “Some state offices are now looking at the Identitarians more closely since they have reached the threshold for observation,” Mr. Maassen told media clarifying that the group had “moved in various regions from pure internet activities to real life demonstrations, “ Spiegel ONLINE reports.

    This is not the first time the German security chief had commented on the group who stage elaborate protests against mass-migration. Three years ago when asked about the group, he claimed that they had very little presence in real life and the movement was mostly focused on the internet. And when questioned by Ulla Jelpke, domestic affairs spokesman for the Die Linke (The Left) party, Mr. Massen stated that the Identitarian Movement consisted of around 50 different related groups at the time.

    The Austrian branch of the Identitarian movement have been under the eye of Austria’s intelligence service for some time. Martin Sellner, leader of the Identitarians in Austria, told Breitbart London he thought there were better uses of the intelligence services’ time in Austria and Germany. “We think that the intelligence service should rather watch the radical Islamists that Merkel invited to Europe, rather than young men and women who fight against Islamisation.”

    The commencement of observation in Germany on the group may stem from a protest the group conducted in April. Several members of the movement posted stickers on the office of the Antonio Amadeus Foundation who they accuse of helping the government censor free speech on the internet. The head of the foundation is a known ex-Stasi agent named Anetta Kehane. The group posted stickers on the office door that contained the old logo of the east German secret police.

    When asked if he thought that the protest may have triggered the response from the intelligence service, Mr. Sellner said: “Yes maybe. But all in all, repression is the last and only answer of a failing system against its critics.” He also mentioned that he thought police raids like the ones against other critics of Angela Merkel could take place in the future. The police had already raided the home of at least one member of the Identitarian movement following a protest at the headquarters of the German Socialist Party last June.

    Mr. Sellner gave a speech on the weekend at the 500 member strong rally organised by the French Génération Identitaire who are the originators of the youth movement. The protest went without incident among chants of: “Here is our home!” and the group spoke strongly against Islamisation and terrorism on their Facebook page saying: “The French have been silent for too long… It is time to show our determination to continue to live on our land, under our laws, our values and with respect to our identity.”

    http://www.breitbart.com/london/2016/05/31/germany-spy-hipster-right-identitarians/
    ==================================

    Die Welt – “Identitäre Bewegung” im Verfassungsschutz-Visier

    Im Internet wird mit Sommerlagern um „junge, kluge und opferbereite Aktivisten“ geworben: Die radikale rechte Identitäre Bewegung (IB) steht ab sofort unter Beobachtung durch den Verfassungsschutz.

    Der Verfassungsschutz hat die radikal rechte Identitäre Bewegung (IB) ins Visier genommen, die Einwanderung aus anderen Kulturen strikt ablehnt. “Einige Landesämter schauen sich die Identitären inzwischen genauer an, weil dort die Schwelle für eine Beobachtung erreicht ist”, sagte der Präsident des Bundesamtes für Verfassungsschutz, Hans-Georg Maaßen, der “Rheinischen Post”.

    “Wir haben festgestellt, dass sie in verschiedenen Bundesländern von reinen Internetaktivitäten zu Verabredungen im realen Leben übergegangen sind.”

    Die Bewegung will Deutschlands Identität gegen Masseneinwanderung bewahren und versteht sich als “metapolitischer und aktivistischer Arm der neuen Rechten”. Die IB setzt auch auf “körperliche Ertüchtigung” in sogenannten Sommerlagern und sieht sich “am Beginn einer Zeitenwende”.

    Seit Ende 2014 aktiv

    In der Bewegung engagieren sich hauptsächlich junge, männliche und eher gebildete Anhänger. Straftaten wie Hakenkreuzschmierereien, Körperverletzung und Volksverhetzung vermieden sie.

    Ab Ende 2014 seien die Identitären in Sachsen-Anhalt verstärkt in Erscheinung getreten. Seitdem habe sich die Häufigkeit ihrer Aktionen erhöht. Anstatt im Geheimen zu operieren, verbreiteten die Anhänger ihre Aktivitäten offen im Internet, wo sie sich mit Aktionen rühmen.

    http://m.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article155805309/Identitaere-Bewegung-im-Verfassungsschutz-Visier.html

  14. Guerrilla-type action’ France faces major tourism hit in wake of labor reform protests

  15. Muslim LIBERAL pranks Conservative convention: Another ‘Islamophobia’ hoax

  16. Unidentified jets bomb Syrian rebel group Ahrar al Sham’s main training camp in Idlib province, says monitor; large number of fighters killed, injured – Reuters

  17. Man Accused in Canada Military Stabbing Faces Terror Charges (abcnews, May 31, 2016)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/man-accused-canada-military-stabbing-faces-terror-charges-39505831

    “Police say a Canadian man accused of stabbing soldiers at a military recruitment center in Toronto and then saying he did it at the behest of Allah is now facing nine terrorism charges.

    Ayanle Hassan Ali, 27, was already facing nine counts filed by Toronto police at the time of his arrest in March, but the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said Tuesday the terrorism charges are in addition to those charges.

    The new ones include attempted murder, assault causing bodily harm, assault using a weapon and one count of carrying a weapon dangerous to the public, all for the benefit of a terrorist organization.

    Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale declined to say whether any particular terrorist organization is implicated.

    Police declined further comment. There soldiers were hurt, none seriously.

    Ali was born in Montreal and later moved to Toronto.”

  18. Migrant crisis: ‘Document forgers’ held in Greece and Czech Republic (BBC, May 31, 2016)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36416034

    “Police in Greece and the Czech Republic have arrested more than 20 people suspected of forging travel documents for migrants trying to enter Europe.

    European police agency Europol said visas and passports were sold for up to £2,500 ($3,600) and sent across the EU, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

    Greek police said the criminal networks were also involved in smuggling people across borders.
    About 100 people are still wanted in Greece and other countries…”

  19. Top EU court adviser backs workplace Muslim headscarf ban (BBC, May 31, 2016)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36419525

    “Employers in the EU may be able to ban Muslim staff from wearing headscarves to work as long as it is part of a general prohibition on all religious symbols, a top EU court adviser says.

    The opinion was issued by Juliane Kokott, an Advocate General to the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

    It came after a Belgian court sought clarification on what is banned by EU anti-discrimination laws.
    In the Belgian case, a receptionist was fired for wearing a headscarf to work.

    Samira Achbita claimed she was being discriminated against on the grounds of her religion.

    The opinion by Juliane Kokott is not a binding ruling and judges at the ECJ – the EU’s highest court – are now considering what final guidance to issue.

    BBC Europe Correspondent Damian Grammaticas says they will confine themselves to the legal principles and will leave any decision on the specific case to the Belgian courts.

    “A ban on wearing headscarves in companies may be admissible if the ban is based on a general company rule which prohibits political, philosophical and religious symbols from being worn visibly in the workplace. Such a ban may be justified if it enables the employer to pursue the legitimate policy of ensuring religious and ideological neutrality,” the opinion from the advocate general said.

    She added: “While an employee cannot ‘leave’ his sex, skin colour, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age or disability ‘at the door’ upon entering his employer’s premises, he may be expected to moderate the exercise of his religion in the workplace.”…”

  20. Ex-Miss Turkey sentenced for insulting Erdogan (BBC, May 31, 2016)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36419723

    “A Turkish court has convicted a former Miss Turkey of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, giving her a 14-month suspended prison sentence.

    Merve Buyuksarac, 27, was found guilty of insulting a public official for postings she made on social media. She denied insulting Mr Erdogan.

    Her lawyer says he will file a formal objection to the verdict and take the case to a higher court.
    Rights groups have criticised Turkey for backtracking on freedom of speech…”

  21. Kenya announces Dadaab refugee camp will close by November (BBC, May 31, 2016)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-36418604

    “The world’s largest refugee camp will close in November, Kenya’s Interior Minister Joseph Nkaisserry has announced.

    The Dadaab camp in Kenya is home to more than 300,000 Somalis.

    Mr Nkaisserry said Kenya would work closely with the UN and the Somali government to repatriate the refugees.

    Dadaab was set up in 1991 to house families fleeing conflict in Somalia, and some people have been living there for more than 20 years.

    Kenya says it wants to close the camp over security concerns, saying attacks on its soil have been planned there…”

  22. Afghan conflict: Taliban kidnap bus passengers and kill 10 (BBC, May 31, 2016)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36416260

    “Taliban militants have killed at least 10 people after kidnapping dozens of bus passengers near the city of Kunduz in northern Afghanistan, officials say.

    Two buses were stopped and more than 185 passengers seized by armed gunmen, a statement by the regional police chief said.

    Officials managed to free 160 of them, it added…”

  23. Malaysia immigration: Officials accused of sabotage are fired (BBC, May 31, 2016)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36420639

    “Malaysia has fired 15 immigration officers, accusing them of sabotaging passport systems to let in certain travellers undetected.

    Suspicions were raised after computer systems at Malaysian airports crashed several times a day.

    The 15 are accused of deliberately taking them offline, allowing people to bypass criminal background checks.

    Another 65 officers have been redeployed, while a new roster will now monitor immigration points.

    As many as 100 immigration officials may have been involved in the operation, investigators say.

    The country’s passport system may have been compromised for the past two years, according to the Malaysian authorities, possibly benefiting people traffickers and militant networks…”

  24. U.N. Says ISIS May Be Using Human Shields in Fallujah as Aid Groups Warn of ‘Catastrophe’ (nbcnews, May 31, 2016)
    http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/u-n-says-isis-may-be-using-human-shields-fallujah-n583016

    “ISIS is reportedly using civilian “human shields” in Fallujah as U.S.-backed Iraqi forces push into the militant-held city, the U.N. warned Tuesday.

    The alarm was sounded as Iraq’s military announced it was less that 2 miles from the center of Fallujah, which has been under ISIS control since 2014.

    The U.N. refugee agency said an estimated 3,700 people have fled Fallujah over the past week and that there were reports of civilian casualties from heavy shelling as the battle has heated up.

    “There are also reports of several hundred families being used as human shields,” the agency’s spokesperson William Spindler told a press conference…”

  25. Egypt investigates teenage girl’s death during female circumcision operation

    Egyptian prosecutors are investigating the death of a teenage girl during a female circumcision operation at a private hospital, health ministry and prosecution officials said Monday.

    Seventeen-year-old Mayar Mohamed Mousa died in El Canal hospital on Sunday while under full anaesthesia in the province of Suez, said Lotfi Abdel-Samee, the health ministry undersecretary in the province.

    “This is something that the law has prohibited,” stressed Abdel-Samee.

    Despite the ban in 2008, female genital mutilation (FGM) is still widespread in Egypt, especially in rural areas. It is practised among Muslims as well as Egypt’s minority Christians.

    The law led to the first prison sentence against a doctor in Egypt in January last year, with the girl’s father in that case given a three-month suspended sentence.

    On Sunday, Mousa’s sister had just undergone the operation before she was sent in for surgery.

    The girls’ mother is a nurse, while their late father was a surgeon. The operation was being carried out by a registered female doctor, according to Abdel-Samee.

    Authorities shut down the hospital on Monday after transferring patients to other hospitals as prosecutors questioned the hospital manager and medical staff involved in the operation, Abdel-Samee said.

    They have also spoken to the mother, a prosecution official said.

    The case was opened after a health inspector reported the circumstances of the girl’s death.

    Medical examiners have carried out an autopsy, and are due to report the cause of death, said Abdel-Samee.

    While 200 million women and girls worldwide have been subjected to the practise, there have been major strides in Egypt, as well as Liberia, Burkina Faso, and Kenya against

    FGM, according to Claudia Cappa, the lead author of a February UN children’s agency report on the issue.

    “The latest figures from the Egypt Demographic and Health Survey show that we’re winning,” the United Nations Development Programme said in a report last year.

    “Mothers’ attitudes are changing, too,” UNDP said.

    While 92 percent of mothers had undergone the procedure, only 35 percent of them “intend to circumcise their daughters,” according to the UNDP report.

    Victims of the procedure are left to cope with a range of consequences from bleeding and pain while urinating, extreme discomfort during sex, fatal complications in childbirth and deep psychological trauma.

    http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/218967/Egypt/Politics-/Egypt-investigates-teenage-girls-death-during-fema.aspx

  26. Germany: 26 sexual abuse reports at Schlossgrabenfest festival under investigation

    Darmstadt police said, Tuesday, they were looking into sexual assault claims after 26 women reported that they were sexually harassed [ by …………… ………… ] at the Schlossgrabenfest music festival in Darmstadt.


  27. Denmark to impose new ‘integration’ rules on kids (thelocal, May 31, 2016)
    http://www.thelocal.dk/20160531/denmark-to-impose-new-integration-restrictions-on-kids

    “Following an EU ruling last month, the Danish government is fast-tracking new legislation that will put greater emphasis on children’s ‘ability to integrate’.

    The Danish government will introduce legislation to parliament on Tuesday that will require immigration authorities to evaluate the ‘ability to integrate’ of all children above the age of six who have a parent in their home country.

    Under current rules, children are not evaluated on their integration potential if an application for family reunification is filed within two years of a parent being granted residence in Denmark.

    The change, which will be fast-tracked through parliament so that can be approved and take effect from Friday, is a direct result of a ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) last month. The CJEU said in April that Danish immigration law illegally limits the rights of Turkish workers to bring their families to Denmark.

    The ruling was on a 2006 case in which Caner Genc, a young Turkish man who was 13 at the time, was denied family reunification on the grounds that he was not suitable for successful integration. His older brothers were both successfully granted family reunification in 2003 to join their father Yasar Dogu Genc, who has lived and worked in Denmark since 1997.

    The EU court in Luxembourg ruled that the young man’s rejection was a violation of the Ankara Agreement.

    Integration Minister Inger Støjberg said on Tuesday that the new legislation would “partially close a loophole in relation to family reunification and partially tighten” existing legislation.

    She plans to fast-track the legislation despite the criticism she received in November for pushing a set of stricter asylum laws through parliament as an “urgent” proposal, meaning that the time frame between the publishing of the proposed law changes to their approval by MPs was shortened from four weeks to just three days.

    Støjberg acknowledged that the new changes could also face a legal challenge in the EU court system.

    “There is always a risk when you tighten the rules but I also view it as urgent to tighten the rules on family reunification so that we can decide for ourselves who comes to Denmark […] under family reunification,” she told broadcaster DR.

    Denmark also recently had its family reunification rules criticized by the European Court of Human Rights, which said that current legislation discriminates against people who are born outside of Denmark and obtain Danish citizenship later in life.”

  28. Boy, 14, paid 20,000 Pakistani Rupees for suicide attack, arrested in Kandahar (khaama, May 31, 2016)
    http://www.khaama.com/boy-14-paid-20000-pakistani-rupees-for-suicide-attack-arrested-in-kandahar-01125

    “A 14-year-old boy was detained before he manages to carry out a suicide attack on senior government officials in southern Kandahar province.

    According to the local government officials, the boy was encouraged to target the district police chief of Maiwand or the administrative chief of the district.

    Provincial police spokesman Ahmad Zia Durani said the boy was arrested by the Afghan Border Police forces before he manage to carry out attack to target the senior officials.

    In the meantime, the provincial government media office, in a statement said the boy is originally a resident of Panjwai district and was encouraged for the attack by the terrorist groups by paying him 20,000 Pakistani Rupees.

    This comes as the Afghan children have regularly been recruited by the militant groups, the Taliban and the Haqqani network for the terrorist related activities, including suicide attacks.

    Madrasas are described as the main recruitment source for the militant groups as poor families in Pakistan and Afghanistan send their sons to such madrassas for free education and lodging.

    Earlier, a 17-year-old boy assigned for a suicide mission was arrested by the Afghan intelligence operatives in capital Kabul.

    A 12-year-old child assigned for a suicide mission surrendered himself to the security forces in the eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan last month.

    According to the local security officials, the child was recently taken to Jalalabad city from the neighboring Pakistan for the suicide mission.”

  29. Dalai Lama says there are ‘too many’ refugees in Europe (thelocal, May 31, 2016)
    http://www.thelocal.de/20160531/dalai-lama-says-too-many-refugees-in-europe

    “The Dalai Lama said in an interview published Thursday that Europe has accepted “too many” refugees, and that they should eventually return to help rebuild their home countries.

    “When we look into the face of every single refugee, especially the children and women, we can feel their suffering,” said the Tibetan spiritual leader, who has himself lived in exile for over half a century.

    “A human being who is a bit more fortunate has the duty to help them. On the other hand, there are too many now,” he said, according to the German translation of the interview in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

    “Europe, for example Germany, cannot become an Arab country,” he added with a laugh, the daily reported. “Germany is Germany.”

    “There are so many that in practice it becomes difficult.”

    The Dalai Lama added that “from a moral point of view too, I think that the refugees should only be admitted temporarily”.

    “The goal should be that they return and help rebuild their countries.”

    Germany last year took in 1.1 million people fleeing war and misery in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries, but the flow was reduced sharply by the decision of Balkan countries to close their borders to people travelling through Turkey and into northern Europe.

    The Dalai Lama also said in the interview, conducted in Dharamsala, seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile in northern India, that he hopes to one day return to Tibet…”

  30. 880 migrant deaths last week – UN Over 200,000 migrant arrivals in Europe this year (ansamed, May 31, 2016)
    http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/generalnews/2016/05/31/880-migrant-deaths-last-week-un_8307c57e-0267-4eaa-b338-f7d6761c165d.html

    “GENEVA – At least 880 people died in a series of migrant disasters in the Mediterranean last week, the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said Tuesday, on the basis of conversations with survivors in Italy. The total number of refugees and migrants who have died trying to cross the Mediterranean since the start of 2016 has thus risen to 2,510, against 1,855 for the same period of 2015.

    As well as three shipwrecks that have been known since last Sunday, the UNHCR has learned that 47 people are missing after a dinghy carrying 125 people from Libya deflated. Another eight people died on board another boat and four people were reported dead in a fire on another boat.

    Over 200,000 migrant arrivals in Europe this year

    More than 200,000 migrants and refugees have arrived by sea in Europe since the start of 2016, the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said Tuesday. In all, it said, some 203,981 people had made the voyage. Of these, almost three quarters came from Turkey to Greece before the end of March and 46,714 came to Italy, almost the same number as last year. Some 2,119 people have died crossing from North Africa to Italy this year. Boats leaving Libya are fuller than those that had left Turkey for Greece, with often over 600 people on board.”

  31. EC warns of procedures over migrant relocations (ansamed, May 31, 2016)
    http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/politics/2016/05/31/ec-warns-of-procedures-over-migrant-relocations_98a9086b-7044-43ba-b184-e773d093383b.html

    “BRUSSELS – The European Commission warned on Tuesday that it will open infringement procedures against member States if the pace of relocation of migrants within the EU does not pick up. “The pace of relocation must accelerate,” said EC spokesperson Mina Andreeva, who pointed out that only 1% of the 160,000 people who were meant to be transferred from Italy and Greece have moved. Andreeva said that the relocation agreement was “legally binding” and “must be applied”, adding that for this reason “we have sent warning letters” to governments.

    The spokesperson added that “we won’t be ashamed to exercise our powers as guardians of the (EU) treaties if necessary”.”

  32. U.S. launches alert for Europe travel (2) (ansa, May 31, 2016)
    http://www.ansa.it/english/news/2016/05/31/u.s.-launches-alert-for-europe-travel-2_8bbfb3e4-a89a-4da8-be4d-a9c9df058533.html

    “(ANSA) – New York, May 31 – The US State Department on Tuesday issued a travel warning for Europe citing potential risks of terrorist attacks during “major events and at tourist sites”. The US authorities cited Euro 2016 in France from June 10 to July 10 as well as restaurants, shopping malls, and public transportation.

    The travel alert will be over as of August 31, the State Department.”

  33. Egypt FM opens inquiry into an official’s alleged reference to Sub-Saharan Africans as ‘dogs and slaves’ (ahram, May 31, 2016)
    http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/219001/Egypt/Politics-/Egypt-FM-opens-inquiry-into-an-officials-alleged-r.aspx

    “Egypt’s ministry of foreign affairs announced Tuesday that it was opening an investigation into claims that an Egyptian official insulted Sub-Saharan Africans by describing them as “dogs and slaves” during a United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) meeting held in Nairobi last week.

    The ministry rejected what it described as attempts to cast doubt on Egypt’s commitment to Africa and its defence of African causes…”

  34. 6 Egyptian soldiers killed, 6 injured in North Sinai blasts (ahram, May 31, 2016)
    http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/219014/Egypt/Politics-/-Egyptian-soldiers-killed,–injured-in-North-Sinai.aspx

    “Six soldiers were killed and 6 others were injured when two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) targeted an army patrol in Egypt’s restive Sinai Peninsula, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported.

    According to hospital sources in North Sinai, the attack took place on Al-Arish – Sheikh Zuweid Road.

    The sources added that the blast also wounded 6 soldiers, who sustained injuries of bruises, fractures, and abrasions in the body.

    No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack…”

  35. Investigation launched into Turkish director for ‘insulting president’ (hurriyetdailynews, May 31, 2016)
    http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/investigation-launched-into-turkish-director-for-insulting-president.aspx?pageID=238&nID=99928&NewsCatID=509

    “An investigation has been launched into Turkish director Mustafa Alt?oklar for “insulting” President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an and “inciting the public to hatred and enmity,” due to his social media posts on the anniversary of the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul in 1453.

    Alt?oklar had mocked the massive state-sponsored celebrations marking the 563rd anniversary of the conquest, which took place with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, Prime Minister Binali Y?ld?r?m, and an estimated 1 million spectators, at the city’s Yenikap? Square on May 29.

    “You don’t know that it was Mustafa Kemal [the Turkish Republic’s founding father] who actually saved Istanbul, which your Ottoman ancestors delivered to the crusaders while begging,” wrote Alt?oklar on his Twitter account, likening those celebrating the conquest to “cancer.”

    The investigation into the director’s tweets was launched by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on May 31.

    Commemorations of Istanbul’s conquest by Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II (“Mehmed the Conqueror”) took place on May 29 this year, after steadily growing in prominence in recent years.”

  36. Gang using dozens of Syrian children as slaves busted in Turkey (hurriyetdailynews, May 31, 2016)
    http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/gang-using-dozens-of-syrian-children-as-slaves-busted-in-turkey-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=99919&NewsCatID=341

    “A gang allegedly using Syrian children as slaves has been caught in a simultaneous operation by the police in the southeastern province of Kahramanmara?, where some 282 children worked 12 hours a day for five Turkish Liras daily as paper collectors, reported Do?an News Agency on May 31…”

  37. Turkey, Russia in new row over Syria, Iraq (hurriyetdailynews, May 31, 2016)
    http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-russia-in-new-row-over-syria-iraq.aspx?pageID=238&nID=99884&NewsCatID=352

    “Turkey and Russia became involved in a new row over the other’s actions in Syria and Iraq on May 31.

    Turkey accused Russia of conducting air strikes in the rebel-held city of Idlib that killed 60 people, prompting a Russian denial and a counter demand that Turkey withdraw its troops from Iraq.

    The Turkish Foreign Ministry said on May 31 that heavy air strikes reported to have been carried out by Russian jets on a hospital and a mosque in Idlib had killed more than 60 civilians and injured around 200 people.

    “It is clear that the Russian Federation, which claims to advocate a political solution and the cessation of hostilities agreement, is blatantly disregarding the very principles it purports to uphold,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its website on May 31.

    The ministry also called on the international community to act swiftly against what it called the indefensible crimes of the Russian and Syrian administration.

    “We expect the international community to deliver on its commitments without further delay in the face of these crimes committed by the regime and the Russian Federation which cannot be justified vis-à-vis history and our collective conscience,” it read…”

  38. ‘Withdraw your troops from Iraq,’ Russia tells Turkey after Ankara’s criticism (hurriyetdailynews, May 31, 2016)
    http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/withdraw-your-troops-from-iraq-russia-tells-turkey-after-ankaras-criticism-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=99890&NewsCatID=510

    “Russia demands that Turkey withdraw its troops from Iraq, the RIA news agency quoted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying on May 31.

    “This [keeping troops in Iraq] is an absolutely unacceptable position,” it cited Lavrov as saying.

    “In principle, I believe that what the Turks are doing deserves far greater public attention on the part of our Western partners.”

    The remarks came after Ankara called on the international community to act swiftly against what it called the “indefensible” crimes of the Russian and Syrian administration….”

  39. Student caught in The Citadel hijab dispute speaks up (gulfnews, May 31, 2016)
    http://gulfnews.com/news/americas/usa/student-caught-in-the-citadel-hijab-dispute-speaks-up-1.1838179

    “Washington: Sana Hamze knew it would be controversial when she asked The Citadel, the historic military college in South Carolina, for an exception to the uniform rule: She wanted to wear a hijab because of her faith.

    “I knew it would be an uproar, just because of how Muslims are portrayed in the media now,” she said. But she was surprised how soon word leaked out that an accepted student had requested a religious accommodation and how intense the reaction was.

    It made national headlines and generated debate about religious freedom, corps unity and the ideals of a system that requires uniforms to encourage cadets to work together and judge one another on character and leadership rather than individual preferences, habits and surface traits. Some talked about whether traditions were upheld because they embodied fundamental values or just because it had always been that way.

    The 17 year old from Florida said she wants to be an officer in the US Navy, so a military college seemed like a great first step toward that goal, she said. And not wearing hijab was not an option, given her beliefs.

    After The Citadel announced that it would not grant her request, she told the commandant that she did not think it was fair that she had to choose between her religion and her education there, she said.

    Then she asked Norwich University, a private military college in Vermont, whether she could cover her head with the hijab and cover her arms and legs during physical training with the Corps of Cadets.

    University officials quickly agreed.

    She will attend Norwich, she said on Monday afternoon, pleased that they made her feel so welcome.

    Her father, Nezar Hamze, working with a lawyer at the Council on American-Islamic Relations — which advocates on behalf of Muslims — said they are still considering legal options against The Citadel.

    Hamze, a deputy sheriff, also is regional operations director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations Florida.

    “First and foremost is my daughter’s education,” he said. “She would rather be somewhere they accept her for who she is.””