Reader’s links for April 28 – 2017

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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

98 Replies to “Reader’s links for April 28 – 2017”

  4. “Arguably one of the most life-like dolls being developed, Harmony is fully customizable – from her hair down to her labia.

    The figures are even fitted with a hinged jaw, with ‘soft, stretchy lips, ultra soft tongue, soft silicone teeth.’ ”

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4453628/30-BILLION-race-create-AI-sex-doll.html

    There will be great demand for translucent ones.
    https://www.muslimhope.com/HourisHeavenlyMaidensInIslam.htm

  5. Taliban Launches Spring Offensive in Afghanistan as its Influence Expands (time, Apr 28, 2017)
    http://time.com/4758947/afghanistan-taliban-spring-offensive/

    “Afghanistan’s Taliban announced the start of their spring offensive Friday, promising to build their political base in the country while focusing military assaults on coalition and Afghan security forces.

    Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid announced the launch of the offensive in an email statement that boasted Taliban control over more than half of the country, referencing a February report issued by Washington’s special inspector general for Afghan reconstruction.

    That report said that the Afghan government had control or influence over only 52% of Afghanistan’s 407 districts last year, down from 63.4% previously.

    The Taliban dubbed this year’s offensive “Operation Mansouri,” named for the Taliban leader killed last year in a U.S. drone strike.

    “Hence, keeping the evolving situation in mind, this year’s Mansouri Operations will differ from previous ones in nature and will be conducted with a twin-tracked political and military approach,” said Mujahid. He did not make any mention of peace talks with the government.

    Attempts to find a peaceful end to Afghanistan’s protracted war have been relentlessly unsuccessful.

    On the political side, Mujahid said the Taliban were going to begin building institutions in areas under their control, establishing what he called “social justice and development” mechanisms. He didn’t offer specifics nor did he indicate whether this was an indication that the Taliban would step up their brand of justice that during their rule included the chopping off of hands for those convicted of theft and public executions.

    While the Taliban may be officially announcing their spring offensive, recent attacks including one earlier this week on an army base in northern Afghanistan that killed more than 140 Afghan soldiers would seem to warn of a tough fighting season ahead. In the latest attack, the Taliban disguised as Afghan army soldiers slipped into the compound of the 209 Corps in northern Afghanistan’s Balkh province. While two militants exploded their suicide vests, the others opened fire on scores of soldiers.

    As well as the Taliban, Afghanistan is also battling an emerging local Islamic State affiliate known as Islamic State in Khorasan.The Taliban announcement of the offensive coincides with the anniversary of Afghanistan’s so-called Saur Revolution against its pro-Russian rulers, which led to a 10-year uprising by U.S. backed Islamic insurgents or mujahedeen against an invading Soviet army. The Soviets withdrew defeated in 1989.”

    • Afghan Taliban launch spring offensive as U.S. reviews strategy (reuters, Apr 28, 2017)
      http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-afghanistan-taliban-idUKKBN17U0E7

      “The Taliban says its annual spring offensive will be a mix of conventional, guerrilla and suicide attacks on Afghan and foreign forces, underlining the challenges facing the U.S. administration as it weighs its options in Afghanistan.

      Dubbed Operation Mansouri, after former leader Akhtar Mohammad Mansour who was killed last year in a U.S. drone strike, the spring offensive announcement on Friday comes a week after one of the most devastating attacks on Afghan forces since the Taliban was driven from power more than 15 years ago.

      That attack, by a group of around 10 suicide commandos, killed at least 135 Afghan soldiers on a base in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, according to official figures although the actual toll is believed to be as much as double that number.

      The operation, which forced the defence minister and army chief of staff to resign, was a stark illustration of the struggle facing Western-backed Afghan forces in containing the Taliban insurgency since most NATO troops left in 2014, leaving a smaller training and advisory mission.

      U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis, who warned of “another tough year” in 2017, and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster both visited Afghanistan this month as U.S. President Donald Trump’s new administration works on developing a strategy for the region.

      According to U.S. estimates, Afghan security forces, which have suffered thousands of casualties, control less than 60 percent of the country, although the insurgents have so far been unable to capture any major provincial centres.

      In a statement on Friday, the Taliban said government forces would be “targeted, harassed, killed, or captured”, although it promised to minimise civilian casualties.

      “The main focus of Operation Mansouri will be on foreign forces, their military and intelligence infrastructure and in eliminating their internal mercenary apparatus,” it said…”

  6. India: Kashmir social media ban criticised (BBC, Apr 28, 2017)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-39741886

    “Authorities in Indian-administered Kashmir have announced a one-month ban on 22 social media services, including Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp. The state government said the services were being misused by “anti-government elements” to incite violence. Gowhar Geelani reports on life without social media in the valley…”

  7. Female Islamic clerics in Indonesia issue rare child marriage fatwa (BBC, Apr 28, 2017)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39741891

    “Female Islamic clerics in Indonesia have issued an unprecedented fatwa against child marriage.

    The fatwa, which is not legally binding but will be influential, was issued after a three-day congress of female clerics in the country.

    The clerics urged the government to raise the minimum legal age for women to marry to 18 from the current 16.

    Indonesia is a majority Muslim country and has among the highest number of child brides in the world.

    According to the UN’s children office Unicef, one in four women in Indonesia marry before the age of 18.

    Is a child bride really married every seven seconds?

    The congress, held in Cirebon on Java island, is being called the first major gathering of female Muslim clerics…”

  8. Austrian far-right lawmaker – stop giving Turks Austrian nationality (reuters, Apr 28, 2017)
    http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-turkey-austria-idUKKBN17U0PF

    “The far-right runner-up in Austria’s presidential election last year, Norbert Hofer, said there should be no dual-citizenship for Turks until Ankara discloses how many Turks in Austria still hold Turkish citizenship.

    The number of immigrants holding illegal dual-citizenship has come into focus in Austria since the Turkey held a referendum that approved sweeping new powers for Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, putting pressure on Austria’s interior minister.

    Turks living in Austria voted overwhelmingly in favour of the constitutional changes, broadly in line with results from other European countries.

    “If I could decide I would no longer naturalise any Turks until we get all information there is from Ankara about dual citizenships,” Hofer told Oe24 TV late on Thursday.

    Hofer’s anti-immigration and Freedom Party (FPO) has led opinion polls ahead of the ruling centrist parties for over a year, buoyed by rising concerns over immigration. He narrowly lost to an independent rival in presidential elections late last year…”

  9. Hungary PM says second border fence to keep out migrants finished (reuters, Apr 28, 2017)
    http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-europe-migrants-hungary-idUKKBN17U0NF

    “Hungary has completed a second fence along its border with Serbia, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday, adding that the European Union should be less critical of Turkey when it relies so heavily on Ankara’s cooperation to stem the flow of migrants.

    “It is 155-kilometre long and 3 metres high, and is able to stop any masses of people,” Orban told state radio.

    “Turkey is a member of NATO, and therefore, is our ally. So we must not treat Turkey as if it was a state who is not our ally, and we must give the due respect to the Turkish people and their President,” Orban added.”

    • Hungary: Second anti-refugee and migrant fence built along Serbian border

      Karoly Kontrat, Hungarian Secretary of State of the Ministry of Interior held a press conference in town of Roszke, Friday, during an inspection of a new border fence along Hungary’s southern, Serbian frontier.

      SOT, Karoly Kontrat, Hungarian Secretary of State of the Ministry of Interior (Hungarian): “There are more and more migrants, who start to come to Europe. There are more and more people from Africa. Data proved that in Italy came 33 percent more migrants came in the first four months of the year, than before.”

      SOT, Karoly Kontrat, Hungarian Secretary of State of the Ministry of Interior (Hungarian): “We can see that Brussels and pro-migrant Soros-backed organisations attack our law and the borderfence itself. They want migrants to come in the country.”

  12. Halimi murder in Paris — Did police prevent neighbors from rescuing her because it was a terror attack?
    Tablet Magazine claims that French police protocol results in extra time for attackers to finish off a murder if they yell AA during their attempt.
    http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/230893/terror-anti-semitism-france

    So if a Jew (God forbid) were to yell, “My God commands me to kill Amalekites like you”, how would that be categorized?

    • So if a Jew (God forbid) were to yell, “My God commands me to kill Amalekites like you”, how would that be categorized?

      Pre-Christian.

      • Judaism is the religion I know the least about. So the following comment is with full and total willingness to learn why it is wrong, and what the facts are.

        As it was explained to me by a semi-religious somewhat observant Jewish man, the Torah is basically a fight between God and man, where God commands man to do awful things and man refuses and argues, and get in massive amounts of trouble for it. That the old testament commandments were disobeyed by the Jews, for which they were punished.

        I had the impression that this is why so many Jewish people become lawyers.

        So the impression of ancient savagery is out of context apparently. That if one reads the Torah itself, you read about the arguments for not doing the stoning and the killings and the beatings and so on.

        • And every new insight had been absorbed.

          A New New Testament needs to be written, of their Nobel Laureates who also say, ‘those who come after me will do even greater things than I do.’

          These Jesuses to be honored amongst them.

          As they need to from every corner.

          Alas, Communism and Islam murdered theirs by the millions and have been stealing from The West ever since.

    • Genesis 18:16-33- Abraham negotiates with the Lord on behalf of the sinners of Sodom, v. 23:
      “Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?”

      • “Prophet Muhammad explained that he had been ordered to prayer 50 times per day, Moses felt astonished and immediately said, “Go back to your Lord and ask for a reduction”.”
        https://www.islamreligion.com/articles/1547/night-journey-and-ascension-part-5/

        “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

        Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

        Different levels of civilization.

  13. Why Is Bill Clinton Not Being Held Accountable for Taking Money From Foreign Interests as President?

  14. Trump says ‘major, major’ conflict with North Korea possible, but seeks diplomacy

    U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday a major conflict with North Korea is possible in the standoff over its nuclear and missile programs, but he would prefer a diplomatic outcome to the dispute.

    “There is a chance that we could end up having a major, major conflict with North Korea. Absolutely,” Trump told Reuters in an Oval Office interview ahead of his 100th day in office on Saturday.

    Nonetheless, Trump said he wanted to peacefully resolve a crisis that has bedeviled multiple U.S. presidents, a path that he and his administration are emphasizing by preparing a variety of new economic sanctions while not taking the military option off the table.

    “We’d love to solve things diplomatically but it’s very difficult,” he said.

    http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-exclusive-idUSKBN17U04E

  15. ATOMIC FEARS North Korea says Trump has pushed peninsula to ‘brink of nuclear war’ and brands US a ‘blackmailing gangster’ in chilling new warning

    The hermit state’s warning comes as tensions between the two nuclear powers continue to escalate

    NORTH Korea has warned it is “on the brink of nuclear war” with the US after Donald Trump ordered the deployment of new American weaponry to the region.

    It also labelled the US a “blackmailing gangster” which was holding it at “knifepoint” by imposing economic sanctions and supporting its enemies.
    North Korea claims the US is to blame for the two countries being on the ‘brink of nuclear war’

    https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3436947/north-korea-trump-brink-of-nuclear-war-blackmailing-gangster/

  16. KIM’S GIRL WARRIORS Kim Jong-un ‘ready to send army of up to 500,000 women soldiers to the frontline’ if war with the US erupts

    Battalions of female soldiers took part in the nation’s biggest-ever live firing exercise this week

    NORTH Korean leader Kim Jong-un is ready to send up to 500,000 women soldiers to the front line if war with the US breaks out, according to defectors’ estimates.

    Battalions of female soldiers took part in the nation’s biggest-ever live firing exercise to mark the 85th anniversary of its military’s creation this week.

    https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3435700/kim-jong-un-ready-to-send-army-of-500000-women-soldiers-to-the-frontline-if-war-with-the-us-erupts/

  17. Israel strikes arms depot near Damascus airport -sources

    AMMAN/BEIRUT, April 27 (Reuters) – Israeli warplanes struck a weapons supply hub operated by Lebanese group Hezbollah near Damascus airport on Thursday, targeting arms sent from Iran in commercial and military cargo aircraft, Syrian rebel and regional intelligence sources said.

    The Israeli military said later that one of its Patriot anti-aircraft missile batteries intercepted a target over the Golan Heights that Israeli media descriebd as an unmanned drone. It was the second Israeli interception of a target coming from Syria in the past few weeks.

    Video carried on Arab TV and shared on social media showed the pre-dawn air strikes caused a fire around the airport east of the Syrian capital, suggesting fuel sources or weapons containing explosives were hit.

    Syrian state media said Israeli missiles hit a military position southwest of the airport, but did not mention arms or fuel. It said “Israeli aggression” had caused explosions and some material losses, but did not expand on the damage.

    http://news.trust.org/item/20170427052728-wgvot

    • Strike at Damascus Airport: Israel shows how it’s done
      By J.E. Dyer April 28, 2017

      Veteran Iran-watchers like Emanuele Ottolenghi of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies will tell you that Iran continues to fly commercial aircraft into Syria on a regular basis, even though we’ve known for a long time that these flights are being used to arm both Hezbollah and Iranian troops in Syria.

      But something apparently triggered Israel to go after what was probably one particular arms shipment at Damascus International Airport in the early hours of 27 April, a short time after at least three commercial flights from Iran landed there the day before. (I can guess what the trigger was, but if I told you, I’d have to kill you.)

      Ottolenghi lined up the flights in his Twitter feed the evening of 26 April:

      http://libertyunyielding.com/2017/04/28/strike-damascus-airport-israel-shows-done/

  18. Missile fired at drone entering Israeli airspace

    The IDF confirmed on Thursday that Israel fired a Patriot anti-ballistic missile at a target in the Golan Heights, Israel’s northern region bordering Syria.

    Israeli media said residents in the northern Israeli town of Safed reported seeing two missiles being launched and of explosions occurring afterwards. It was initially unclear whether the target, which media said was an unmanned drone, was shot down over Syria or Israeli-controlled territory.

    The interception comes hours after Israel allegedly struck a Hezbollah arms depot near Damascus International Airport, which led to condemnation by Russia which called it a “gross violation of Syrian sovereignty.”

    Israel has in the past used the Patriot system against suspicious aerial vehicles, most recently in July 2016 when two Patriot missiles were fired at a suspicious drone that crossed into Israeli airspace from Syria. Both missed their target and the unmanned aircraft returned to Syria.

    http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Breaking-Missile-fired-at-drone-violating-Israeli-airspace-489195

  19. South China Sea code with Beijing must be legally binding: ASEAN chief

    MANILA (Reuters) – A maritime code of conduct between Southeast Asia and China must be legally binding to put a stop to “unilateral actions” in the South China Sea, because a previous commitment to play fair had been ignored, the ASEAN secretary general said on Friday.

    The Association of South East Asian Nations had not received any guarantees from China in discussions to create a framework for the code within this year, but ASEAN was hopeful a set of rules could be agreed to ward off disputes and militarization, Le Luong Minh told Reuters.

    “For ASEAN, such a framework must have substantial elements, and such a code of conduct must be legally binding,” he said in an interview.

    Signing China up to a code that it must abide by, and can be enforced, has long been a goal for ASEAN’s claimant members: Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia.

    China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea.

    http://www.oann.com/south-china-sea-code-with-beijing-must-be-legally-binding-asean-chief/

  20. (Richard: What was she collecting the money for?)

    Former Obama cabinet member Janet Napolitano busted for $175M university slush fund
    By Ben Bowles April 27, 2017

    A report released Tuesday by the California state auditor revealed that the University of California hid $175 million from the public in secret funds while its administrators demanded more money from the state.

    According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the buck stopped at the desk of the university system’s president Janet Napolitano, formerly Barack Obama’s Secretary of Homeland Security.

    Under the leadership of … Napolitano, the UC Office of the President amassed millions in the secret reserve funds in part by overestimating how much it needed to run the 10-campus university system — and then spending less than budgeted, the audit said. From 2012 to 2016, the office sought increased funding based on the inflated estimates, not actual spending, according to [Auditor Elaine] Howle.

    Howle also accused the university of interfering with the audit by inappropriately screening the confidential responses of campus administrators to her office’s survey, resulting in some answers being changed or deleted. She said she is looking into whether the university violated any laws or policies on interference.

    http://libertyunyielding.com/2017/04/27/former-obama-cabinet-member-janet-napolitano-busted-175m-university-slush-fund/

  21. Only 2 House intel Dems have bothered to examine Susan Rice ‘unmasking’ documents
    By LU Staff April 27, 2017

    How eager are House Democrats on Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence to get to the bottom of the “unmasking” scandal centering on former White House National Security Adviser Susan Rice? Judging from the number of committee members who have reviewed the related files, the answer is obviously “not many.” Only two Democrats, Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes ?
    8%
    and Rep. Adam Schiff ?
    16%
    , the panel’s ranking minority member, have reviewed intelligence files showing that former Rice “unmasked” aides to President Donald Trump during his transition to the Oval Office.

    The apparent lack of interest among the remaining seven Democrats on the intelligence panel is in striking contrast to their earlier vocal demands that they see the documents after committee chairman Rep. Devin Nunes ?
    39%
    disclosed he had read them at the White House complex.

    According to a source with knowledge of congressional visits to the National Security Agency, the classified documents have been available to committee members for three weeks, but Himes and Schiff are the lone Democrats to review them.

    http://libertyunyielding.com/2017/04/27/2-house-intel-dems-bothered-examine-susan-rice-unmasking-documents/

    (Richard: The Dems don’t care about the rule of law and could care less how many laws Susan Rice broke, what they care about is power to force people to live life styles that the Dems approve of. They are totalitarians who thought they had absolute power in their hands and discovered that the people were not going to let them get away making slaves out of the US citizens. Now the Dems in Congress are going to do their best to prevent any of Obama;s people being sent to the pen. This is one of the reasons I keep saying civilization is falling.)

  22. Germany urges EU not to break off Turkey accession talks

    Germany on Friday urged fellow EU nations not to end membership talks with Turkey despite deep misgivings over its rights record because the country is key to European interests.

    Austria has led calls for the negotiations to be ditched, saying President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has violated the basic EU rule of law and democratic norms candidate countries must put in place.

    Other member states have been reluctant to call time on a key NATO ally seen as vital to Europe’s security.

    German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said his government was “strictly against breaking off the accession talks…. It would be the completely wrong reaction.”

    “In NATO, we did not even exclude Turkey even during the times of military dictatorship (there),” Gabriel said as he arrived for an EU foreign ministers meeting in Valletta.

    The Turkish foreign minister is due to join them for a session on relations with EU candidate countries.

    French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said he would be seeking clarifications from Mevlut Cavusoglu in the hope of establishing a way forward.

    However, should Erdogan introduce the death penalty — a red line for many member states — that would immediately end all prospect of Turkey joining the EU, he said.

    In March last year, the European Union signed an accord with Turkey to speed up the accession talks, along with visa liberalisation and billions in aid in return for Ankara halting a flood of migrants, mostly from Syria and Iraq, coming to Europe.

    Erdogan and top Turkish officials have repeatedly threatened to rip up the deal because of the lack of progress in the membership talks.

    The president also warned that he would review relations with the EU as a whole after winning a referendum this month that dramatically increased his powers.

    Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz repeated his call for the accession talks to be halted and told his EU peers to make their minds up.

    “I consider it completely wrong if we hold up this fiction of an accession (to the EU) as Turkey moves away even further from Europe every year,” Kurz said.

    “We need finally a clear decision,” he said.

    EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini refused to be drawn, saying Friday’s meeting would be a good opportunity for member states to review the situation after the referendum in Turkey.

    “I think we need a serious, in-depth, frank and serene discussion,” she said.

    https://www.thelocal.de/20170428/germany-urges-eu-not-to-break-off-turkey-accession-talks

    Germany rejects calls for EU to end Turkey accession talks

    Germany said it’s against breaking off accession talks between Brussels and Ankara. A recent referendum in Turkey has led to calls from several EU member states to ditch the negotiations.

    German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel on Friday rejected calls from other European countries to end talks over Turkey’s EU membership, as concerns mount over President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s growing crackdown on civil liberties.

    “The German government is strictly against canceling the talks, that would be totally the wrong reaction,” Gabriel said at a meeting in Malta of EU foreign ministers.

    “Those who would like to win applause at home because they say, ‘We do not talk to Turkey anymore’ will not change anything in Turkey,” he said

    Gabriel and the other EU foreign ministers are set on Friday to discuss the issue with their Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu. Austria has led calls for the soon-to-be 27-member bloc to scrap negotiations with Ankara, pointing to concerns over Erdogan’s growing authoritarian tendencies.

    EU members divided

    The Netherlands and Luxembourg are also among the countries calling for a new path forward with Turkey. Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said the European Commission, which handles the accession talks, should clarify where Ankara stands in meeting the demands to become an EU member before any further decisions are made.

    Other countries have been reluctant to pressure Turkey, a NATO member, amid concerns over Europe’s security.

    Accession talks formally began in 2005 but have hit repeated roadblocks over issues like Cyprus and concerns over the country’s majority Muslim population. And a recent referendum win for Erdogan has now sparked fears that Turkey is sliding toward authoritarian rule.

    Relations have soured between Ankara and Berlin, in particular, especially after Erdogan’s “Nazi” jibe during the lead-up to the referendum vote. But Gabriel reminded reporters that there was no precedent to cutting off relations with Turkey: “In NATO, we did not even exclude Turkey even during the times of military dictatorship [there],” he said.

    http://www.dw.com/en/germany-rejects-calls-for-eu-to-end-turkey-accession-talks/a-38629155

  24. France’s Macron wants sanctions on Poland, others, for violating EU principle

    France’s centrist presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron said he would push for European Union sanctions against Poland and any other states accused of violating EU principles if he wins France’s presidency.

    “In the next three months after I am elected, there will be a decision on Poland,” Macron told reporters of several regional French newspapers including Ouest-France. “You cannot have a European Union which argues over every single decimal place on the issue of budgets with each country, and which, when you have an EU member which acts like Poland or Hungary on issues linked to universities and learning, or refugees, or fundamental values, decides to do nothing.”

    Macron’s comment indicates the staunchly pro-EU candidate, who promises to reassert France’s leading position within the bloc and play an integral role in shaping its future, will actively enforce the bloc’s democratic liberal values at a time when EU leaders are faced with reshaping and shoring up solidarity within the union pre-Brexit.

    EU leaders have tangled with Poland and Hungary in recent months over the issue of refugee quotas and Brussels has expressed its concerns over what it perceives as rising authoritarianism in both countries.

    Both Poland and Hungary have blocked European Commission plans to resettle refugee and migrant arrivals throughout the bloc and on Friday, Hungary announced it had completed a second three-metre high fence along its border with Serbia.

    In January Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party tightened its control on Polish media organisations which prompted demonstrations in Warsaw and condemnations by press freedom groups. The country is also working on regulations which would allow Warsaw to detain asylum seekers in border camps – a policy already in place in Hungary.

    And this week, Brussels’ war of words with Hungary’s PM Viktor Orban escalated as it launched official infringement proceedings against Budapest over a controversial law governing universities that EU Parliament Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt called “paranoid”.

    The EU Commission has stopped short of imposing sanctions on its own members for non-compliance. It’s a decision Macron said he is against.

    “When the rights and values of the European Union are not respected, I want sanctions to be taken,” Macron said.

    Macron’s message echoes that made by the European Commission earlier this month; it is considering fining member states for failing to reach their migrant quotas.

    In a statement released earlier this month, the Commission said if member states “do not increase their relocations soon, the Commission will not hesitate to make use of its powers for those which have not complied”.

    Hungary is challenging the Commission’s forced relocation plan in the European Court of Justice. A decision is due on May 10.

    More than one million people have come to Europe, mostly via Greece and Italy. The two countries have called for – and applied pressure on Brussels to guarantee – increased cooperation among EU states to shoulder the burden of the migrant crisis affecting Europe since 2015.

    As many as 14,000 people currently in Greece are eligible for relocation throughout the bloc.

    But countries along migrants’ land-route to western Europe including the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania oppose the scheme.

    With nine days to go before the French runoff election, recent polls suggest Macron’s lead over far-right challenger Marine Le Pen has narrowed after France’s first round vote.

    Macron is still projected to win the May 7 vote with an estimated 60 percent of votes.

    http://www.euronews.com/2017/04/28/france-s-macron-wants-sanctions-on-poland-others-for-violating-eu-principles

    POLAND – Gov’t spokesman: we will not agree to Macron using Poland during campaign

    The Polish government does not agree to French presidential hopeful Emmanuel Macron using Poland as an argument during his campaign, government spokesman Rafa? Bochenek has said.

    Macron said on Thursday that if he is elected, France would argue for the European Union to introduce sanctions against Poland.

    “When the rights and values of the European Union are not respected, I want sanctions to be taken,” he was quoted by Reuters as saying.

    “In the three months after I’m elected, there will be a decision on Poland,” Macron was quoted as saying.

    “You cannot have a European Union which argues over every single decimal place on the issue of budgets with each country, and which, when you have an EU member which acts like Poland or Hungary on issues linked to universities and learning, or refugees, or fundamental values, decides to do nothing.”

    Since coming to power in late 2015, the conservative government in Warsaw has been embroiled in a dispute with Brussels on several issues, ranging from adherence to the rule of law to media freedom, as well as Poland’s reluctance to accept refugees as part of an EU programme.

    The Polish government’s spokesman called Macron’s statements “unfortunate”, adding that the “Polish government will not agree to being used in this way during the presidential campaign in France”.

    The second round of the presidential election between Macron and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen will be held on 7 May.

    http://www.thenews.pl/1/2/Artykul/304630,Govt-spokesman-we-will-not-agree-to-Macron-using-Poland-during-campaign

  25. MEMRI – When Slave Girls Get Married – Her Owner Must Stop Having Sex with Her
    Kuwaiti Cleric Othman Al-Khamis: When a Slave-Girl Gets Married, Her Owner Must Stop Having Sex with Her
    In several videos recently posted on his YouTube channel, Kuwaiti cleric Othman Al-Khamis outlines the options available to Muslims with regard to prisoners taken during Jihad.
    Al-Khamis says that only non-Muslims can be enslaved, and “the owner can have sex with a slave-girl only when she is not married.”

  26. The final part is a pitch for money but the early parts give useful info about the debth of the swamp

    Foreign Powers Fearing Trump Presidency Helped Obama And Clinton With Illegal Spying

  27. Obama Evading Service Of Process Of Freedom Watch Complaints By Partying On The Beach In Polynesia

    • He asks how Obama accumulated a several hundred million dollar worth while he was President? This questions needs a Congressional investigation to discover the answer.

  28. U.S. Military Identifies ‘Mustard Agent’ As Chemical Used by ISIS Against Iraqi Troops
    By Susan Jones | April 27, 2017 | 6:42 AM EDT

    (CNSNews.com) – Last week, a U.S. military spokesman said ISIS “used chemicals in the vicinity of Mosul” in an attack on Iraqi Security Forces. U.S. and Australian advisers were nearby and uninjured.

    At a news conference on Wednesday, U.S. Air Force Col. John Dorrian, the coalition spokesman, identified the chemical used in the attack:

    “Well, coalition forces became aware of a chemical attack. They left the area. They donned their equipment. Where they were tested, none of them showed any negative effects from being in that area,” Dorrian said.

    http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/susan-jones/us-military-identifies-mustard-agent-chemical-used-isis-against-iraqi

  29. Let’s Make ‘Never Again’ a Reality
    Home > World > Iraq > Let’s Make ‘Never Again’ a Reality
    By Jennifer Breedon Thursday, April 27, 2017

    This week marked Holocaust Remembrance Day and Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.

    While we mourned the six-million Jews who were murdered by Adolf Hitler during World War II and the 1.5 Armenians who were slaughtered by the Turks between 1915 and 1917, I can only wonder if, in the future, we’ll be commemorating the genocide of the Christians and Yazidis in the Middle East– a genocide that’s happening today which most of us have sat by, purposely blinded to the atrocities.

    This week, the remembrance days marked the brutal genocidal regimes that plagued the 20th Century, regimes whose intent was to target and destroy entire religious and ethnic groups.

    On these days, we should not only remember the atrocities of Adolf Hitler and the Young Turks, but we must also consider the words of present day world leaders who hide their same genocidal intent under the auspices of destroying the state of Israel: Palestinian leaders who don’t recognize the right of Israel to exist; Iranian leaders who call for Israel to be wiped off the map.

    Today, along with the Jews, the targets in the Middle East are the Christians and Yazidis. Yet, few political leaders accept that a genocide is occurring.

    A few weeks ago in Mosul, Iraq, an 11-year-old girl was freed from the slave-holds of ISIS by Iraqi forces. She was eight years old when she was first kidnapped by the brutal Islamist terror group. She was taken in 2014 along with several of her family members. Counter-terrorism experts in the region note it’s possible that over 3,000 young girls still remain enslaved by ISIS. Their lives consist of violent sex, gang rape and forced motherhood to breed the next generation of jihadis.

    https://clarionproject.org/lets-make-never-again-a-reality/

  30. Portland and Berkeley: Sanctuary Cities for Leftist Violence
    And safe spaces for no free speech.
    April 28, 2017
    Daniel Greenfield

    Keep Portland Weird.

    After Trump won, thousands of leftist thugs rampaged through Portland smashing windows and starting fires. They threw fireworks and bottles at police. And they caused a million dollars in damage.

    A Homeland Security report described the leftist thuggery as domestic terrorist violence.

    Who was “Portland’s Resistance” fighting? 73% of voters in Multnomah County had backed Hillary. Only 17% had voted for Trump. The odds that any of the drivers whose windshields were being smashed or the small business owners coming back to a destroyed shop had voted for Trump were vanishingly small.

    But the thugs were making a point. Keep Portland weird. Keep it leftist. And intimidate everyone else.

    The email that shut down the 82nd Avenue of the Roses parade made that point much more succinctly. “You have seen how much power we have downtown and that the police cannot stop us from shutting down roads so please consider your decision wisely,” it warned.

    The parade organizers considered wisely. They asked members of the Multnomah County Republican Party to leave the parade. The Republicans refused so the organizers cancelled the parade.

    http://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/266539/portland-and-berkeley-sanctuary-cities-leftist-daniel-greenfield

  31. Iran in Syria: A Gathering Storm?
    The mullahs want to target the “Little Satan” from across the border.
    April 28, 2017
    P. David Hornik

    The Iranian regime, as it has made clear in countless threats, rallies, and missile displays, wants to destroy Israel, the “Little Satan.”

    Given Israel’s military might and, according to foreign reports, nuclear arsenal, Iran’s goal is probably unattainable. But the nearer Iran gets—or perceives itself to get—to that goal, the more warfare and instability is likely to ensue.

    At present, thanks to Syria’s collapse into civil war and the Obama administration’s—at best—inept policy there, Iran is within reach of establishing a permanent military presence to Israel’s north—a surefire recipe for ongoing struggle and menace.

    Israeli officials, Reuters reports, now estimate that Iran “commands at least 25,000 fighters in Syria, including members of its own Revolutionary Guard, Shi’ite militants from Iraq and recruits from Afghanistan and Pakistan.”

    Iran is also reportedly seeking a naval base in Syria, and, if it gains a lasting foothold in Israel’s northern neighbor, will undoubtedly want an airbase there as well.

    http://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/266537/iran-syria-gathering-storm-p-david-hornik

  35. Turkey’s Turn toward Russia

    Putin approaches diplomacy not as an exercise in finding win-win solutions but rather as a zero-sum game: a partnership with Turkey cannot be only about diplomacy but must have the effect of permanently separating it from the West. Here, Erdogan, who holds the West in disdain because of its support for Turkey’s old secularist order, plays his part. Even as Turkish and Western diplomats and military officials pay lip service to [shared commitments], Erdogan has fed Turks a steady stream of hatred and conspiracy theories directed at the West in general and at NATO in particular. . . . Russian political and conspiracy theorist Aleksandr Dugin appears more often in the Turkish press than does the U.S. ambassador.

    The Turkish military tilt toward Russia has gone beyond the symbolic. As depicted by Turkish diplomats and Western reporters, the [ongoing] purge of Turkish military officers is directed against followers of the exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen, but Turkish officers with significant service in NATO have been as great a target, if not greater. To have served in NATO commands is now seen by Turkish officers as a ticket to prison, not promotion. Earlier this month, Turkey and Russia held joint naval exercises. . . .

    As Erdogan seizes the power to guide Turkey from the West and toward a broader partnership with Russia, the problem for the United States is not that Turkey could leave NATO but that it might not. NATO is run by consensus, and Turkey could act as a Trojan horse, paralyzing all decision-making and effectiveness.

    NATO has no mechanism to expel a member that drifts away from the alliance’s political or democratic norms. The danger goes farther, however. Turkey is a partner on the F-35 joint-strike fighter and seeks to purchase what the Pentagon sees as the next generation of its airpower. To send or sell any F-35s to Turkey now is to risk provision of cutting-edge military technology and codes to Russia and China.

    http://www.nationalreview.com/article/447009/turkey-russia-recep-tayyip-erdogan-foreign-policy-nato-west

    • If they are both client states of Russia Turkey will be protected from Iran and will get to claim the Sunni parts of Iraq, this will give him an advantage when threatening Europe. The problem he may have is will Putin allow him to threaten Europe, or will Putin use the threat of Turkey to gain concessions out of Europe? Interesting move that will cause the US to rethink what we have been doing and will make us rethink Turkey’s membership of NATO and should cause the EU to rethink its relationship with Turkey.

      When thinking about this ask yourself what will Putin get out of this relationship? What will Turkey get out of the relationship and will this help or damage the Islamization of Europe?

    • “Putin approaches diplomacy not as an exercise in finding win-win solutions but rather as a zero-sum game…”

      All of which places Putin squarely in the old Soviet Communist camp, for whom the zero-sum game was canonical doctrine. While some may admire Putin for placing Russia first, too much of his foreign policy is divisive and counter to the West’s interests.

      Russia may need to be walled off economically until this behavior changes.

      • Either that or find some way to make it to Russias/Putins benefit to help the west. This will be difficult and will made much harder by the Dems trying to create a new Cold War or even a semi hot war with Russia.

        I know this is a long shot and we will probably have to settle for a new Cold War. Hopefully if/when things to kinetic in Korea Russia will be satisfied to see most of our military tied down in the Far East fighting Korea and possibly China. He knows that if nukes are used or not used China will lose, a fact that China knows also so they may not fight us. This would give him a fairly free hand in the Middle East.

        No there isn’t an way to kick someone out of NATO but NATO can be dissolved and a new alliance formed. We would have to do a quick evacuation of our personal from Turkey and leave a lot of equipment but it could be done.

        Also if I and others are right about civil wars in Europe NATO is probably done for and so is the UN.

        This is stream of consciousness hampered by a sinus headache and a cat that has decided to be very picky on what she eats. Thank God is is only 2 more days until I get paid and can buy more canned cat food.

  36. Book Review:
    North Korea and the Middle East

    At a recent conference Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman identified North Korea as the greatest threat to global security. Iran was second, followed by terrorist organisations with access to advanced missiles and unconventional weapons.

    Why did Lieberman put North Korea first? Iran consistently voices its aspiration to destroy Israel, and has vastly increased its influence in recent years, while Hamas and Hezbollah operate on Israel’s doorstep. The new Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip is committed to the liberation of all Palestine and Israel intercepted arms deliveries to Hezbollah in March.

    Lieberman’s preoccupation with a state 5000m away is due to the threat North Korea poses as a facilitator for Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas.
    […]
    North Korea can facilitate Iran’s aspirations for nuclear weapons. Missile cooperation between the two countries goes back to the Iran-Iraq war, when North Korea assisted in the development of the Iranian Shahab-1 missiles. . . . The [2015 nuclear] deal with Iran has reinvigorated their relationship. It has not curbed Iranian nuclear ambitions; the Iranian foreign minister warned recently that Tehran is “completely ready” to restart its nuclear program if the U.S. fails to meet its commitments. . . . [W]orrying loopholes in the deal allow Iran to develop its nuclear program externally, with a likelihood of North Korea being its nuclear “backdoor.” Moreover, it appears Iran can use the $100 billion provided by lifted sanctions to fund this endeavor. . . .

    [In addition], Iran has previously tweaked North Korean ballistic missiles to bear nuclear warheads. It seems the Iranian assurance that it does not envisage nuclear applications for its missiles should be viewed with skepticism, particularly as new reports indicate North Korea could provide Iran with the materials to miniaturize nuclear warheads for use on ballistic missiles, following attempts to sell a form of lithium metal used for this purpose on the international market. . . .

    North Korean weaponry [also] provides Hizballah and Hamas with the military capability to strike Israel. In 2014 a U.S. federal judge ruled that North Korea was legally accountable to victims of the 2006 Second Lebanon War because of the “advanced weapons, expert advice, and construction assistance” it provided to Hizballah. During 2014’s Operation Protective Edge, Hamas tried to negotiate an arms deal with North Korea worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Hizballah has received training in North Korea, and technical assistance is suspected in the construction of Hamas’s Gaza tunnel network.

    http://fathomjournal.org/book-review-north-korea-and-the-middle-east/

    • “following attempts to sell a form of lithium metal used for this purpose on the international market

      I believe that this may be a reference to “lithium shrouds” which make a nuclear device much “dirtier” in terms of radioactive fallout. When miniaturizing warheads, whatever yield that is lost (i.e., lowered death toll) can be compensated for by upping fatalities from post-event radiation exposure. It also will extend the cost and duration of recovery and cleanup efforts.

      Lithium hydride and lithium-6 are also instrumental in producing tritium, the main fuel for thermonuclear devices. All of which makes the interception of this material a high priority.

      • The BESA article mentioned at the top of the article:

        North Korea and the Middle East

        Kim Jung-un’s new year declaration that North Korea will test its new ICBM this year (2017) poses a further challenge to the incoming Trump administration. It is truly a “rogue state” – a country that conducts nuclear tests in defiance of the UN Security Council, and that is willing to sell conventional and non-conventional weapons to other rogue regimes, including Israel’s enemies. The nuclear cooperation between North Korea, Syria and Iran forces Israel into new alliances to counter this threat.

        https://docs.google.com/viewerng/viewer?url=https://besacenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/MSPS-Levkowitz-Web-.pdf&hl=en

        • Ryan Mauro from the Clarion Project says that we have to admit that NORK and Iran are partners and what one has the other has. That means that one of more of the nuclear tests were probably of Iranian weapons and that both are working to reduce the size and weight to fit them on missiles. Iran has missiles that we reach close to Hawaii if fired from NORK which is probably why President Trump is moving so hard to cut Kim off from any help.

    • The Korean Peninsula Is Waiting for Trump
      BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 447, April 19, 2017

      EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The North Korean nuclear and missile crisis is posing a challenge to the new US administration, especially in the wake of the recent American missile strike in Syria. President Trump will need to consider not only the current North Korean crisis and the immediate military or diplomatic options available for confronting it, but also his long-term goals in the region. Diplomatic, economic, and military options will all have consequences.

      https://besacenter.org/perspectives-papers/korean-peninsula-waiting-trump/

  39. !!_”New Book by Dr. Ronnie Perelis Examines Little-Known Stories of Crypto-Jewish Explorers in the Age of Columbus”_!!

    Narratives from the Sephardic Atlantic: Blood and Faith. The First Jewish Americans

    In an age of rampant religious persecution, expanding global trade and tantalizing new horizons, how did crypto-Jews navigate the complex mazes of faith, opportunity and discovery?

    This question is at the heart of a new book… [that] weaves together three autobiographical texts written by Crypto-Jews in 16th and 17th century Spanish- and Portuguese-controlled lands, following each narrator on a remarkable journey of religious evolution at the raw edge of the known world.

    http://blogs.yu.edu/news/the-first-jewish-americans/

  40. Counter terror police ‘drag woman off London bus’ before dramatic search (express, Apr 28, 2017)
    http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/797953/Counter-terror-police-woman-London-bus-terror-arrests-Willesden-High-Street

    “COUNTER-TERROR police reportedly dragged a woman off a bus in London before searching her as witnesses claimed she was carrying “detonators”.

    Officers swooped on the bus in Willesden High Street according to people in the area, before dragging the woman into a doorway.

    Witnesses said two bags were taken and searched by specialist officers.

    Officers were seen forcefully restraining the woman and escorting her into a doorway while other police sifted through the two bags.

    Eyewitnesses claim that they overheard police saying detonators were inside the bags.

    A man, also understood to be 28, reportedly ran off the bus but was chased down by cops and detained…”

    • Willesden shooting: Police foil ‘active terror plot’ (BBC, Apr 28, 2017)
      http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-39741196

      “Police say they have foiled an active terror plot after a woman was shot during a raid on a house in Willesden, north-west London.

      The 21-year-old woman was one of the subjects of the investigation and is in a serious but stable condition.

      A raid also took place in Kent, with six people arrested in total.

      Officers say the operation was not connected to an arrest near Parliament on Thursday, when a man was detained on suspicion of terror offences.

      The house in Harlesden Road, Willesden, which was raided on Thursday evening, had been under observation by police.

      Those arrested included a 16-year-old boy, a man and woman, both aged 20 and another man and woman both aged 28. A 43-year-old woman was also arrested in Kent. All of them were detained on suspicion of the commission, preparation and instigation of terrorist acts.

      The woman who was shot is under police guard in hospital but has not been arrested “due to her condition”,

      Alex Paton, 50, who lives in Harlesden Road, said he saw a woman “getting all cuffed up and put in a white suit”.

      He described seeing “coppers and masked men with guns”.

      Another resident said she had heard the “bang, bang, bang” of shots.

      A neighbour of the raided property suggested the shot woman had suffered injuries to her left arm and stomach.

      He said the family who lived there were from Somalia…”

  41. Reports: US troops deploy along Syria-Turkish border (abcnews, Apr 28, 2017)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/chemical-weapons-team-ready-visit-syria-safety-assured-47078360

    “U.S. armored vehicles are deploying in areas in northern Syria along the tense border with Turkey, a few days after a Turkish airstrike that killed 20 U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters, a Syrian war monitor and Kurdish activists said Friday.

    Footage posted by Syrian activists online showed a convoy of U.S. armored vehicles driving on a rural road in the village of Darbasiyah, a few hundred meters from the Turkish border. Clashes in the area were reported between Turkish and Kurdish forces Wednesday a day after the Turkish airstrike which also destroyed a Kurdish command headquarters.

    The Turkish airstrikes, which also wounded 18 members of the U.S.-backed People’s Protection Units, or YPG, in Syria were criticized by both the U.S. and Russia. The YPG is a close U.S. ally in the fight against the Islamic State group but is seen by Ankara as a terrorist group because of its ties to Turkey’s Kurdish rebels.

    Further clashes between Turkish and Kurdish forces in Syria could potentially undermine the U.S.-led war on the Islamic State group.

    A senior Kurdish official, Ilham Ahmad told The Associated Press that American forces began carrying out patrols along the border Thursday along with reconnaissance flights in the area. She said the deployment was in principle temporary, but may become more permanent.

    A Kurdish activist in the area, Mustafa Bali, said the deployment is ongoing, adding that it stretches from the Iraqi border to areas past Darbasiyah in the largely Kurdish part of eastern Syria.

    “The U.S. role has now become more like a buffer force between us and the Turks on all front lines,” he said. He said U.S. forces will also deploy as a separation force in areas where the Turkish-backed Syrian fighting forces and the Kurdish forces meet.

    It is a message of reassurance for the Kurds and almost a “warning message” to the Turks, he said…”

  42. Pope urges Egypt imams to teach and preach tolerance, peace (abcnews, Apr 28, 2017)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/egypt-pope-seeks-christian-muslim-rejection-violence-47075310

    “Pope Francis urged Egypt’s leading imams on Friday to teach their students to reject violence in God’s name and preach messages of peace and tolerance instead, forging ahead with a delicate visit to the Arab world’s most populous country following a spate of deadly Islamic militant attacks against Christians.

    Francis arrived to a subdued welcome and a heavy police presence at Cairo’s international airport. But he brushed off security concerns by driving into town with his windows rolled down in a simple blue Fiat — not the armored “popemobiles” of his predecessors.

    Francis has said he wanted to bring a message of peace to Egypt, which has been enduring an increasingly emboldened insurgency led by a local affiliate of the extremist Islamic State group.

    In a speech to President Abdel-Fattah El-Sissi and diplomats from around the world, Francis strongly backed the Egyptian government’s crackdown against the militants, saying Egypt had a unique role to play in forging peace in the region and in “vanquishing all violence and terrorism.”…”

  43. A look at Macedonia’s deepening political turmoil (abcnews, Apr 28, 2017)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/macedonias-deepening-political-turmoil-47087492

    “Macedonia has fallen back into political crisis, a chapter frighteningly illustrated by images of protesters rushed into parliament and leaving several lawmakers bloodied…

    Elections last December produced a hung parliament, with the two main parties — the conservatives and rival Social Democrats — refusing to talk to each other. Demands from lawmakers representing the country’s ethnic Albanian minority have stalled efforts to form a coalition government. The proposed terms include making Albanian the country’s second official language.

    To break the deadlock, the Social Democrats and ethnic Albanian parties voted Thursday for a new speaker of parliament. Conservatives called the action illegitimate. Their supporters rushed into parliament and beat up Social Democrat leader Zoran Zaev, 42, as well as other lawmakers…

    The showdown between the two sides also is rooted in a major wire-tapping scandal, allegations of corruption, news media interference and escalating tensions between Russia and Western Balkan nations over Moscow’s influence in the region…

    The European Union and the United States were quick to condemn Thursday night’s attacks and to express their willingness to work with the new parliament speaker.

    “The acts of violence in the parliament are wholly unacceptable and we call for calm and restraint,” EU Commissioners Federica Mogherini and Johannes Hahn said in a statement .

    Russia had a very different explanation of events. It accused the west of backing Zaev in an attempt to seize power.

    “The West is obviously pandering to the advocates of a Greater Albania,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said…”

  44. Yangon mob forces closure of Muslim schools in Myanmar (abcnews, Apr 28, 2017)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/yangon-mob-forces-closure-muslim-schools-myanmar-47087138

    “Ultra-nationalist Buddhist monks and their supporters have forced the closing of two Muslim schools in Yangon, Myanmar’s biggest city, in a reminder that religious strife remains a threat to the country’s stability.

    About a dozen monks and scores of supporters gathered Friday afternoon near the two Muslim madrassas while police stood by as protesters demanded that local officials close the buildings. The raucous three-hour gathering ended when officials agreed to allow them to chain the entrances of the two buildings, which the protesters claim were built illegally.

    Tensions between Myanmar’s overwhelmingly Buddhist population and the Muslim minority spread after violent conflict broke out between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Muslim Rohingya in 2012 in western Rakhine state, where the Rohingya are accused of being illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.”

  45. 2 Army Rangers may have been killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan (abcnews, Apr 28, 2017)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/army-rangers-killed-friendly-fire-afghanistan/story?id=47086092

    “The U.S. military is investigating whether two Army Rangers were killed by friendly fire from Afghan commandos they were accompanying. The deaths came during a raid targeting the top ISIS leader in Afghanistan who is believed may have been among the 35 of the terror group’s fighters killed in an intense firefight…”

  46. Sweden lorry attack claims fifth victim (BBC, Apr 28, 2017)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39749751

    “A fifth person has died following a lorry attack at a shopping area in Stockholm, according to authorities.

    The victim was Marie Kide, 66, a local politician in the town of Trollhattan, western Sweden, her party said in a statement.

    Rakhmat Akilov, a 39-year-old Uzbek national, has confessed to a “terrorist crime” over the attack on 7 April.

    Authorities have not named a motive and no extremist group has claimed responsibility…”

  47. NBC -North Korea ballistic missile test fails, NBC News confirms

    North Korea fired a ballistic missile early Saturday, but a U.S. official confirmed to NBC News that the test failed.

    The incident is the latest provocation from the isolated nation.

    North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile on Saturday in local time, but the missile exploded soon after launch, U.S. officials told NBC News.

    The officials said that the failed test involved a short-range, non-nuclear missile, which would be able to hit Seoul, but not Japan.

    One official told NBC that the U.S. had warning of the test and watched it closely.

    A South Korean military official confirmed with NBC that the test occurred around 5:30 a.m. local time. The official said the missile traveled northeast towards the East Sea.

    “Currently, we are closely monitoring North Korea’s further military provocation and are totally ready to meet any and all kinds of provocation,” the official told NBC.

    http://www.cnbc.com/2017/04/28/north-korea-test-fires-ballistic-missile-report.html

    the telegraph – North Korea ‘tests ballistic missile’ amid reports Pyongyang stating war ‘imminent’

    Unidentified missile’ fired by North Korea
    “North Korea fired an unidentified missile from a site in the vicinity of Bukchang in Pyeongannam-do (South Pyeongan Province) early this morning,” Yonhap reported, quoting a statement issued by South Korea’s military.

    ==================================
    Missile test ‘appears to have failed’
    Yonhap news agency said the missile appeared to have blown up a few seconds into flight.

    US President Donald Trump told Reuters in an interview on Thursday a “major, major conflict” with North Korea was possible over its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

    Trump praised Chinese leader Xi Jinping for “trying very hard” to rein in Pyongyang.

    ===========================================
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/28/north-korea-tests-ballistic-missile-amid-reports-pyongyang-stating/

  48. Libya captures two oil-smuggling tankers after firefight (reuters, Apr 28, 2017)
    http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-libya-security-idUKKBN17U2PD

    “Libyan naval forces captured two vessels suspected of smuggling oil from the North African country after gun battles lasting several hours west of the capital Tripoli, a spokesman for the service said on Friday.

    Libyan forces frequently capture vessels smuggling oil and arms off the coast and the North African state has become a haven for migrant smugglers who take advantage of the country’s turmoil to ship people across to Europe.

    Ayoub Qassem, a spokesman for the Libyan naval forces, said Ukraine-flagged tanker Routa and a vessel with an unspecified African nation’s flag named Stark were captured early Friday.

    “Clashes lasted for three hours, but the two tankers were successfully seized,” Qassem said.

    The incident occurred in the Sidi Said area west of Tripoli. Qassem did not report any casualties or give details on what happened to the crew of the vessels or their nationalities.

    Six years after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi, Libya is still caught in turmoil among rival military factions who once fought against the former leader but then turned against one another in a multi-sided power struggle.

    A U.N.-backed government in Tripoli is struggling to assert control since arriving in Libya more than a year ago. Libya’s oil infrastructure is also often targeted by fighting or blockades as rival groups seek to gain wealth or leverage.”

  49. Spaniard born and raised in Switzerland faces deportation (thelocal, Apr 28, 2017)
    https://www.thelocal.ch/20170428/spaniard-born-and-raised-in-switzerland-faces-deportation

    “A 55-year-old Spaniard who was born in Switzerland and has lived in the alpine country all his life is at risk of being deported after failing to change his criminal behaviour.

    The 55-year-old man intends to take his case to Switzerland’s highest court after Fribourg cantonal court backed a decision by the canton’s migration authorities to withdraw his resident permit, reported 20 Minutes and local paper Freiburger Nachrichten.

    The man, who was born in Switzerland and has never lived in Spain, was first in trouble with the law at the age of 17.

    Over the years he was convicted of many offences including theft, drug crimes, road traffic offences, damage to property, violence and threatening behaviour, according to the court judgement.

    In total he has been convicted of 31 offences and spent over ten years in prison. He has received social welfare benefits since 2012.

    The Fribourg migration office withdrew the man’s residence permit last year, saying his convictions had not had a dissuasive effect on his behaviour. Despite being born in Switzerland the man had shown no sign of integration or attachment to the country, it said.

    It recognized that all his friends and family – including a son – were in Switzerland, but said the public interest in deporting him was bigger than his interest in living in Switzerland.

    The decision was recently upheld by the Fribourg cantonal court on appeal.

    In its judgement of February 8th the court said that despite the time the man had spent in prison he had not stopped reoffending. Even after being threatened with deportation he had not changed his behaviour.

    His behaviour was testament to “his inability to conform to Swiss law and his total reluctance to respect the values of our country”.

    Consequently, the court deemed the man a danger to the public.

    The case will go to the Swiss supreme court at a later date.

    Earlier this month Swiss media highlighted the case of another long-term resident who appealed to the same cantonal court after having his permit revoked.

    The 27-year-old Afghan, who came to Switzerland as a refugee aged two, lost his appeal after the court said he was unlikely to change his criminal behaviour.

    Under Swiss law a refugee can be deported even after many years in Switzerland if he is deemed a threat to security or public order.

    And as of this year any foreigner can be deported if they commit a serious crime warranting at least a three-year sentence, such as murder, rape, violent acts, armed robbery and drug trafficking.

    The new measures, applicable to crimes committed after October 1st 2016, were introduced after the Swiss public approved a popular initiative on the subject in a 2010 referendum.

    Judges do have the right to make exceptions, however.

    A person born in Switzerland does not automatically receive Swiss citizenship but can apply for it, however the process can be lengthy and costly.

    The Swiss public recently approved a government proposal to make it easier for third generation foreigners (the grandchildren of immigrants) who were born in the country to get Swiss citizenship.”

  50. Erdogan opponents ‘monitored’ by embassy in Denmark: report (thelocal, Apr 28, 2017)
    https://www.thelocal.dk/20170428/erdogan-opponents-monitored-in-by-embassy-in-denmark-report

    “An advisor at the Turkish embassy in Copenhagen has confirmed that it collected information on suspected supporters of the Gülen movement based in Denmark.

    Four men and fourteen schools in Denmark have been reported as being connected to the Gülen movement in a document sent to Turkey last autumn, reports newspaper Kristeligt-Dagblad.

    The Gülen movement is a religious and social movement named after Fethullah Gülen, a former imam accused by Turkey of being behind a failed military coup attempt in the country last July. Gülen denies his involvement.

    Turkey’s embassy in Copenhagen has not previously given any official response to the document, according to Kristeligt Dagblad, which has since gained access to the report.

    Adnan Bülent Baloglu, religious adviser at the Turkish embassy in Denmark, defended in an interview with newspaper Kristeligt Dagblad the information in the document, which shows that the embassy collected information on 14 schools and four individuals in Denmark thought to be connected to the Gülen movement.

    No specific schools or names were given by Baloglu in the interview.

    “This gathering of information is the reflex by a state to a terrible coup attempt in which several people were killed. If these people are running freely amongst us, we need to know about it,” Baloglu told Kristeligt Dagblad…”