Each day at just after midnight Eastern, a post like this one is created for contributors and readers of this site to upload news links and video links on the issues that concern this site. Most notably, Islam and its effects on Classical Civilization, and various forms of leftism from Soviet era communism, to postmodernism and all the flavours of galloping statism and totalitarianism such as Nazism and Fascism which are increasingly snuffing out the classical liberalism which created our near, miraculous civilization the West has been building since the time of Socrates.
This document was written around the time this site was created, for those who wish to understand what this site is about. And while our understanding of the world and events has grown since then, the basic ideas remain sound and true to the purpose.
So please post all links, thoughts and ideas that you feel will benefit the readers of this site to the comments under this post each day. And thank you all for your contributions.
This is the new Samizdat. We must use it while we can.
Pakistan Expels Indian Envoy, Says Won’t Send its Ambassador to Delhi (sputniknews, Aug 7, 2019)
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201908071076493650-pakistan-decides-to-downgrade-diplomatic-ties-with-india-over-kashmir-report/
“Earlier on Wednesday, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan called a national security committee meeting to discuss the situation in Kashmir, following India’s decision to revoke the state’s autonomous status.
Pakistan has expelled Indian envoy and will not send its envoy to Delhi, the country’s foreign ministry has announced.
“The Government of India has been told to withdraw its High Commissioner to Pakistan. The Indian Government has also been informed that Pakistan will not be sending its High Commissioner-designate to India”, a statement by Pakistani foreign ministry says.
Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria and Deputy High Commissioner Gaurav Ahluwalia were summoned by Pakistani foreign ministry and informed about the decision to expel Indian envoy to Pakistan, Reuters has reported, citing diplomatic sources.
Earlier, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi announced that his country would recall its diplomats from India and expel Indian diplomats in response to New Delhi’s decision to abolish the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Our ambassadors will no longer be in New Delhi and their counterparts here will also be sent back,” Qureshi said after the meeting of the committee, as quoted by Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper.
Pakistan’s National Security Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, decided earlier in the day to downgrade diplomatic relations with India and suspend bilateral trade following New Delhi’s move to revoke the special status of its Jammu and Kashmir state.
“The committee discussed the situation arising out of unilateral & illegal actions by Indian govt, situation inside Indian Occupied J&K and along LOC,” the Pakistani government said in a statement in its official Twitter blog.
According to the statement, the committee also decided to take the matter to the United Nations, including the Security Council.
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Wednesday that he had expressed concern to his Indian counterpart over the situation in Kashmir…”
Turkey and US agree to jointly administer northern Syria border zone (thedefensepost, Aug 7, 2019)
https://thedefensepost.com/2019/08/07/syria-turkey-border-zone-us/
“The U.S. and Turkey agreed to establish a joint operations center to administer a proposed buffer zone on Syria’s northeastern border, the Turkish Defense Ministry and U.S. State Department announced on Wednesday, August 7.
The two sides agreed to set up the center in Turkey “as soon as possible in order to coordinate and manage the establishment of the safe zone together,” the U.S. Embassy in Turkey announcement read.
The announcement came on the third day of military negotiations between the two sides in Ankara. The Washington Post reported Sunday that the U.S. was prepared to offer joint U.S.-Turkish patrols in a zone about 15 kilometers deep as a last resort.
The two sides have been in negotiations since early this year over the size of the proposed zone and whose forces will administer it.
Turkey had previously demanded a 30-kilometer zone overseen by the Turkish military, which would include nearly all Kurdish-majority areas in Syria. The U.S.-backed SDF rejected that offer, proposing an internationally-controlled five-kilometer zone that the YPG agreed to evacuate, the SDF’s top commander Mazlum Abdi said last week.
The Turkish government has been threatening for months to launch a unilateral incursion into northern Syria to clear the border area of the U.S.-backed People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia, unseat affiliated political figures and resettle Syrian refugees currently living in Turkey there.
Turkey has launched two previous incursions into northern Syria, taking control of much of Idlib province with Operation Euphrates Shield in 2016 and the mainly Kurdish enclave of Efrin with Operation Olive Branch in January 2018, which led to mass civilian displacement.
Erdogan has said that some 300,000 Syrian refugees have been returned to parts of Syria under Turkish military control. The United Nations has accused Turkey-backed rebels in Efrin of war crimes.
Wednesday’s agreement makes no mention of the size of the border zone, nor of SDF or YPG presence in the area, but acknowledges the Turkish government’s concern to return Syrian refugees.
The U.S. Embassy in Turkey said the “safe zone shall become a peace corridor, and every effort shall be made so that displaced Syrians can return to their country.”
“It’s a slow walk toward a U.S.-chaperoned effort to give Erdogan a ‘win,’ while protecting the SDF,” said Nicholas Heras, a fellow at the Center for New American Security.
Turkey considers the Kurdish-led YPG to be the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, a Kurdish nationalist guerilla group founded in Turkey that Ankara and its Western allies have designated a terrorist organization.
A significant number of U.S. Special Operations Forces, alongside some British and French troops, remain in Syria’s northeast, where they have trained and advised the YPG-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the ground war against Islamic State.
In December, U.S. President Donald Trump announced all American forces would withdraw from Syria just days after speaking to Erdogan by phone, sending American officials scrambling to buy time from the president in order to negotiate a deal to preserve the SDF.
Erdogan and Trump discussed setting up a safe zone along the border in January, and in February the American president reportedly approved a residual force of several hundred U.S. forces in Syria.
The U.S. and Turkey previously agreed in June 2018 to conduct joint patrols around the SDF-controlled northern Syrian city of Manbij and facilitate YPG evacuation from the area. Turkey has long accused Washington of stalling on that agreement.
The U.S. assured the Turkish government years ago that its partnership with the YPG and SDF was temporary and that weapons provided to the group would be collected upon the defeat of ISIS.
The SDF captured the last remaining ISIS-held territory in Syria in March with international Coalition support.
But the U.S. continues to supply the SDF as it transitions towards internal security. Washington estimates thousands of ISIS sleeper cells remain across Syria and Iraq, and the SDF is guarding tens of thousands of ISIS prisoners and their families captured in the war at makeshift camps.
SDF officials have repeatedly warned that they will divert forces to defend against any Turkish incursion and may not be able to contain the ISIS prisoners.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Tuesday that the U.S. intends to “prevent” any unilateral Turkish incursion and would find such action “unacceptable,” but did not explicitly say the U.S. intends to defend the SDF.
The Washington Post reported Sunday that American officials have “made clear” that the U.S. military is not authorized by Congress to defend their “Kurdish partners” from a Turkish attack.
The Congressional authorization for U.S. operations against ISIS in Iraq and Syria is based on the 2001 Authorization of the Use of Military Force, which has been interpreted to apply only to Sunni jihadist groups such as Al-Qaeda and ISIS.
But the U.S. has struck Syrian regime forces and even Russian military contractors encroaching on Coalition-held territory in Syria, citing self-defense and defense of the SDF.
Following Trump’s announcement in December, a State Department official instructed CJTF-OIR commander Lieutenant General Paul LaCamera to abandon Coalition outposts along the Syrian side of the Turkish border so as not to falsely signal to Turkey that the U.S. intends to defend the SDF.
The Coalition has since expanded its presence near the border.”
Saudi Arabia de-recognizes Pakistani PG medical programs; hundreds of medics affected (indiatoday, Aug 7, 2019)
https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/saudi-arabia-de-recognizes-pakistani-pg-medical-programs-hundreds-of-medics-affected-1578387-2019-08-07
“Jeddah, Aug 7 (PTI) Saudi Arabia has de-recognized postgraduate medical degree programs of Pakistan and asked several Pakistani doctors in the kingdom to be ready to leave or be deported, according to a media report on Wednesday.
The Saudi Ministry of Health said the Pakistani medical programs lacked structured training, which is mandatory to hire medics in high positions, the Dawn newspaper said in a report.
Hundreds of medics are affected by the decision…”
Panic in Times Square after motorcycle backfire mistaken for gunfire
There was widespread panic in Times Square on Tuesday night after a motorbike backfiring was mistaken for an active shooter. Videos shared on social media show crowds fleeing the New York tourist attraction, sending more people stampeding in fear
PATCHOGUE, NY — Multiple fliers have been posted on street posts and parking meters in Patchogue reading “Death Camps For Trump Supporters Now!!!”
Pictures taken over the weekend and obtained by Patch showed two fliers hanging across the street from Stanley’s Bedding Furniture on East Main Street, between Maple Avenue and North Ocean Avenue. Two more were also posted on a street sign and electrical box across the street from the nearby Family Dollar store.
The signs include a skeletal figure wearing a black jacket, white collared shirt and red tie. The words appear in red overlaying the photo.
https://patch.com/new-york/patchogue/patchogue-fliers-read-death-camps-trump-supporters
Heh, I live pretty close by.
Looks like under Trump, CHicago shootings have decreased from Obama times:
https://i.redd.it/7x165d58g2f31.png
CBC – Non-binary teen prepares for first Pride
A non-binary teen from Vancouver had the chance to participate in the 15-year-old’s first Pride event.
CBC followed Micah Cottingham ahead of the big weekend. Cottingham began identifying as non-binary two years ago while visiting a science fiction convention in Seattle.
The sister of a couple killed in Saturday’s shooting in El Paso, Texas is outraged over the “pure evil” exhibited by Democratic politicians who refused to welcome President Donald Trump to the city.
Trump plans Wednesday to visit both El Paso and Dayton, Ohio in the wake of tragic shootings in both cities. While there, the president wants to pass on condolences to those affected as well as praise to the first responders. Trump condemned the white supremacy behind the El Paso attack in a televised address Monday.
https://dailycaller.com/2019/08/07/sister-of-slain-el-paso-couple-calls-democsister-el-paso-couple-dems-pure-evil-not-welcoming-trump/
Sorry if this is a repeat, I just thought that it was relevant because of the description of the attacker:
LONDON (Reuters) – A teenager appeared in court on Tuesday charged with attempted murder after a six-year-old French boy was reportedly thrown from a 10th-floor viewing platform at the Tate Modern art gallery in central London.
The 17-year-old male, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested on Sunday shortly after the boy, who was visiting London with his family, was found on a fifth floor roof.
Bromley Youth Court was told the boy had sustained a bleed on the brain and fractures to his spine, legs and arms, Sky News reported. He is in a stable but critical condition in hospital.
Police said it was being treated as an isolated incident and that there was no link between the boy and the 17-year-old.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-crime-tate/french-boy-thrown-from-london-gallery-suffered-brain-bleed-and-spine-injuries-court-told-idUSKCN1UW1CG
The Swedish National Defence College has announced a new study that will examine the effects of the radical Islamic ideology Salafism in various cities across the country.
The new project, which is set to last until 2021, was described by Filip Ahlin, an analyst at the Swedish National Defence College, as a way to “describe the problem and develop knowledge that can lay the foundation for action”, Swedish broadcaster SVT reports.
Salafism, an extremist hard-line interpretation of Islam, is often linked to terrorism and to groups like the Islamic State and other terror organisations.
One of the areas selected for the study is the Norrby area in the city of Borås. “Norrby is an area that has had some of the biggest problems. We will take it from there. Then, we have not decided entirely on what other areas we will look at,” Ahlin said.
https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/08/06/sweden-launches-project-study-influence-radical-islamic-salafism/
New York City’s $15 minimum wage, which began to take effect Dec. 31, 2018, was meant to bolster earnings and quality of life, but for a lot of residents, it’s doing the opposite.
by Jake Dima
New York City’s $15 minimum wage, which began to take effect Dec. 31, 2018, was meant to bolster earnings and quality of life, but for a lot of residents, it’s doing the opposite.
Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation in 2016 to increase the New York York State’s minimum wage to $15.00/hr. The lowest minimum wage in NY at the time was $9.60. NYC’s “big employers” (11 or more employees) were the first to be forced to increase minimum wage pay toward the end of 2018. The rest of NYC’s smaller-scale businesses won’t have to pay up until December of 2019, according to data on Cuomo’s website.
Cuomo claims to have created the bill with “the needs of workers and businesses alike” in mind, but a lot of business owners in the boroughs beg to differ. They say the extra money comes with an unforeseen cost: higher good prices, fewer working hours and layoffs.
“Many people working in the restaurant industry wanted to work overtime hours, but due to the increase, many restaurants have cut back or totally eliminated any overtime work,” Andrew Riggie, executive director of the New York City Hospitality Alliance, told Fox News. “There’s only so much consumers are willing to pay for a burger or a bowl of pasta.”
Roughly 77 percent of NYC restaurants have slashed employee hours. Thirty-six percent said they had to layoff employees and 90 percent had to increase prices following the minimum wage hike, according to a NYC Hospitality Alliance survey taken just one month after the bill took effect.
Only about 4 percent of survey respondents indicated that none of the above changes took place in their restaurants.
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/new-york-city%E2%80%99s-15-minimum-wage-now-officially-disaster-71761
Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
Watching Fake News CNN is better than watching Shepard Smith, the lowest rated show on
@FoxNews
. Actually, whenever possible, I turn to
@OANN
!
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1159191398177890304
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on Wednesday arrested roughly 680 undocumented immigrants at seven Mississippi poultry processing facilities.
An ICE spokesman confirmed the raids to The Hill, saying it was part of a coordinated operation with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi.
“In what is believed to be the largest single-state immigration enforcement operation in our nation’s history, today at seven sites… ICE HSI (Homeland Security Investigation) special agents executed administrative and criminal search warrants resulting in the detention of approximately 680 illegal aliens,” Mike Hurst, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi, said Wednesday afternoon.
“The arrests today were part of a year-long investigation,” ICE Acting Director Matt Albence added.
https://thehill.com/latino/456566-immigration-agents-arrest-680-mississippi-food-processing-facilities
Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
·
1h
Just left Dayton, Ohio, where I met with the Victims & families, Law Enforcement, Medical Staff & First Responders. It was a warm & wonderful visit. Tremendous enthusiasm & even Love. Then I saw failed Presidential Candidate (0%) Sherrod Brown & Mayor Whaley totally…..
Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
·
1h
….misrepresenting what took place inside of the hospital. Their news conference after I left for El Paso was a fraud. It bore no resemblance to what took place with those incredible people that I was so lucky to meet and spend time with. They were all amazing!o
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1159189580697858048
Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Julian Castro have agreed to speak at the convention of a radical Islamist group with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and hostility towards progressive Muslims and values.
Sanders and Castro will participate in a “presidential forum” held by the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) during its convention in Houston August 31, 2019.
ISNA says it is inviting other Democratic presidential candidates and President Donald Trump to address its audience.
The U.S. Justice Department lists ISNA as an “entity” of the Muslim Brotherhood, a radical and often violent arm of the Islamist global political project. The Brotherhood’s goal is a worldwide caliphate with all of humanity living under sharia law.
The Trump administration announced three months ago that it was considering designating the Brotherhood as a domestic terrorist organization.
As we reported in June, Trevor Noah, the progressive host of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, is also slated to speak at the ISNA convention.
He, like Sanders and Castro, is apparently unaware of—or is unconcerned with—ISNA’s radical ideology, including expelling Muslims for Progressive Values, a pro-LGBT group, from its conference in 2017 or the fact one of ISNA’s past presidents endorsed the execution of homosexuals by sharia-based governments.
By speaking at the event, Noah, Sanders and Castro are helping ISNA appear as moderate leaders of the Muslim-American community (not to mention helping ISNA raise money through ticket sales).
https://clarionproject.org/dem-candidates-sanders-castro-to-speak-at-radical-islamist-convention/
Three Democrat 2020 contenders are urging Google to fully hire its army of 120,000 outsourcing workers and temporary hires — plus thousands of Indian graduates who have used work visas to take jobs that would help young Americans jump-start their careers.
“Google has more temporary and contract workers than full-time employees, and that workers in those categories remain in them long-term, even if the work they are doing is permanent and equal to that of directly employed workers … we urge Google to end any abuse of these worker classifications and treat all Google workers equally,” says the anti-outsourcing letter, which was provided to the New York Times.
California Sen. Kamala Harris, Massachusetts Sen. Liz Warren, and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders signed the letter. All three have pushed pro-migration views in the Democrats’ primary debates.
The Democrats’ call to end part-time jobs and the use of subcontracting and outsourcing is likely popular among voters.
But the letter stealthily endorses the industry’s discriminatory policies of subcontracting jobs to foreign graduates who are selected by foreign-run recruiting firms, and of hiring foreign graduates who will accept lower wages than American graduates because they hope to get green cards and citizenship.
https://www.ustechworkers.com/democrats-demand-google-hire-indian-h-1b-outsourcing-workers/
SOYCIALISTS OF AMERICA
Leftists Are MAD That Trump Supporters Cleaned Up Baltimore???
Nigeria: Female Boko Haram suicide bombers kill 3 in Mafa (thedefensepost, Aug 7, 2019)
https://thedefensepost.com/2019/08/07/nigeria-female-boko-haram-suicide-bombers-borno/
“Two female suicide bombers killed three civilians and wounded eight in a suspected Boko Haram attack in northeast Nigeria, emergency services said Wednesday.
The twin blasts tore through a crowd late Tuesday, August 6 in the town of Mafa, some 50 km (30 miles) east of regional capital Maiduguri.
“The female bombers killed three people and wounded eight others,” Bello Danbatta, head of security for the State Emergency Management Agency in Borno state, told AFP.
The assailants entered the town among a group of local women who had gone to fetch firewood for cooking, Danbatta said.
Local district spokesperson Adamu Mohammed, who gave the same toll, said the bombers waited until around 8:30 p.m. (1930 GMT) before launching their attack…”
MSNBC Pushes INSANE Conspiracy About Trump, We Are Falling Into Mass Hysteria
Tm Poole is doing his best to report truthfully while not getting the left mad enough to physically attack him.
Turkey Says Drill Ships Continue Work in Eastern Med, Another en Route (aawsat, Aug 7, 2019)
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1847671/turkey-says-drill-ships-continue-work-eastern-med-another-en-route
“Two Turkish drill ships are continuing operations in the eastern Mediterranean and another ship will join them this month, Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said, as a dispute over natural resources there fuels tensions between Turkey and Cyprus.
EU member Cyprus and Turkey have argued for years regarding the ownership of fossil fuels in the eastern Mediterranean, where Ankara says Turkish Cypriots are entitled to a share of the resources.
Turkey rejects agreements the internationally recognized Cypriot government has reached with other Mediterranean states on maritime economic zones.
Turkey has sent two drilling ships, Fatih and Yavuz, as well as an exploration vessel, to operate in waters off the divided island of Cyprus, prompting accusations from Greece that it is undermining security in the region.
Aboard the Yavuz drill ship, off the northeastern coast of Cyprus, Donmez told reporters that a second exploration vessel would begin work in the area by the end of August. A Turkish frigate and patrol boat accompanied the Yavuz.
“Fatih is continuing to drill in the Finike-1 borehole in the areas licensed to Turkey. Yavuz is continuing its operations in the Karpaz-1 borehole,” he said in comments made on Tuesday but embargoed until Wednesday.
“The Oruc Reis seismic exploration ship will join this work as of the end of August,” he said.
Turkey’s operations in the region have drawn a reaction from its Western allies, including the European Union and the United States.
“We support a peaceful, stable region and we discourage provocative actions by any players,” US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Francis Fannon said on Tuesday, when asked about Turkey’s moves in the region.
EU foreign ministers last month suspended negotiations on a comprehensive air transport agreement and decided not to hold further EU-Turkey high-level dialogue for the time being.
Cyprus was divided in 1974 after a Turkish invasion triggered by a brief, Greek-inspired coup. Several peacemaking efforts have failed and the discovery of offshore resources in the eastern Mediterranean has complicated the negotiations.
On Friday, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci will discuss a way out of an impasse in peace talks, which have been stalled for two years.
Akinci said the Greek Cypriot side was making unilateral attempts to explore for natural gas in the eastern Mediterranean despite repeated Turkish Cypriot proposals to resolve the issue.
“This doesn’t leave the Cypriot Turkish side and Turkey with any choice other than what we are doing right now,” Akinci told Reuters TV in an interview.
Speaking to Turkish ambassadors in Ankara on Tuesday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey would continue to protect the rights of Turkish Cypriots.
“We cannot remain indifferent to the attempts at theft and sabotage that are being carried out under the name of drilling,” he said.”
2 Iran Revolutionary Guards Members Killed in Border Clashes (aawsat, Aug 7, 2019)
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1848001/2-iran-revolutionary-guards-members-killed-border-clashes
“Two members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards were killed in clashes with gunmen in a northwestern region near the border with Turkey, Iranian state television reported on Wednesday.
“The governor of Maku said two Guards were martyred in a clash with terrorists while defending the fatherland,” the television reported.
It gave no further details. There are frequent clashes in western Iran between Iran’s security forces and Iranian Kurdish groups mostly based in neighboring Iraq, including the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK), accused by Tehran of links to Kurdish PKK insurgents in Turkey.”
KSrelief urges UN agencies to check Yemen aid abuse (sg, Aug 7, 2019)
http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/574240/SAUDI-ARABIA/KSrelief-urges-UN-agencies-to-check-Yemen-aid-abuse
“The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) has called upon United Nations aid agencies to review and put in place accurate, credible, neutral and transparent monitoring mechanisms for their humanitarian work in Yemen in order to prevent any abuse or exploitation.
KSrelief officials were recently briefed on serious reports from some international news agencies alleging the existence of corruption in some UN agencies working in Yemen. KSrelief relies heavily on these agencies to deliver urgent humanitarian assistance to Yemenis in desperate need of help.
While the center values its strong strategic partnerships with the UN and its agencies, there are clearly stated mechanisms in its contracts with humanitarian partners which prohibit the exploitation of aid by individuals or groups working or affiliated with UN or international organizations for any individual or other interests.
The terms of these contracts require the immediate disclosure of any incident of irregularity or corruption, and further state that KSrelief has the right to participate in any investigation into such incidents. The center also has the right to review all partner agreements to ensure compliance with transparent monitoring and implementation procedures.
KSrelief has called upon the United Nations and its humanitarian agencies to immediately begin transparent investigations into these incidents, and to disclose any suspicion of the involvement of their staff members in corruption, abuses or complicity with any party with regards to the allocation of humanitarian grants and aid provided by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. — SG”
Gambia drops ex-President Jammeh from banknotes (sg, Aug 7, 2019)
http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/574244/World/Africa/Gambia-drops-ex-President-Jammeh-from-banknotes
“The face of former President Yahya Jammeh, which was printed on all bank notes in Gambia, has been removed from new bills more than two years after his flight from the West African country.
With accusations piling up that Jammeh ordered dozens of assassinations, the central bank in Banjul, began distributing new 50, 100 and 200 notes in the local dalasi currency from Tuesday.
All the new notes have birds on one side and a variety of local scenes on the other, from a farmer in a rice paddy to a fisherman in a boat at sea.
Local rights activist Madi Jobarteh welcomed the change…”
Trump Wants to Add MORE Tariffs: US-China Trade War
Libyan National Army: Turkish intelligence is operating in Tripoli (memo, Aug 7, 2019)
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190807-libyan-national-army-turkish-intelligence-is-operating-in-tripoli/
“An official in the Libyan National Army (LNA) revealed yesterday that Turkish intelligence is operating within the capital Tripoli in order to support the interim Government of National Accord (GNA) which is officially recognised by the United Nations (UN).
The official, Khaled Al-Mahjoub, told the Arabic-language newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that Turkish military advisers and agents were directing pro-GNA militias in the conflict between the two rival parties. He claimed that the presence of the Turkish intelligence itself is a form of espionage by the Muslim Brotherhood, stating that “Even Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks about Libya from the perspective of the Brotherhood, not as the head of the Turkish state.”
Al-Mahjoub also stressed that “The ‘Turkish Brotherhood’ and all of its might does not concern us as we have a long history of jihad against colonialism.”
Throughout the conflict in Libya between the LNA under Field Marshall-turned-warlord Khalifa Haftar and the UN-recognised GNA under Prime Minister Fayez Al-Sarraj, Turkey has supported and backed the GNA through the use of logistical supplies and military cooperation…”
50% of people in Sudan, Jordan want to emigrate (memo, Aug 7, 2019)
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190807-50-of-people-in-sudan-jordan-want-to-emigrate/
“Nearly half of the population of Sudan and Jordan have considered emigrating because of widespread corruption and the deterioration of the economic conditions in their countries, according to a poll.
The Arab Democracy Index showed that 45 per cent of Jordanians considered or are considering emigrating.
However Sudan tops the list of countries whose citizens are longing to get away, with 50 per cent of its people considering emigrating, the poll revealed.
The United States and Canada ranked first among the preferred destinations for migrants with 40 per cent of respondents choosing them as their preferred destinations. at
Gulf Cooperation Council countries – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman – come second with 31 per cent; European countries come third with 16 per cent.
The survey also revealed that Jordan is among the top five Arab countries whose people believe corruption is widespread, with 89 per cent of respondents attesting to the prevalence of corruption. Iraq, Lebanon, Libya and Palestine also made it to the top five.
More than two-thirds of Jordanians, 71 per cent, believe that the most important challenge facing their country today is the general economic situation, followed by financial and administrative corruption.
Sudan also topped the list of countries where those surveyed thought a quota system was necessary to ensure female participation in government. Respondents in Iraq and Jordan came in second and third respectively, while Algeria saw the lowest number of people – only 50 per cent – saying such a system should be introduced.”
‘UAE’s Trump’ Dhahi Khalfan urges Egypt to strike Qatar (alaraby, Aug 7, 2019)
https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2019/8/7/uaes-trump-dhahi-khalfan-urges-egypt-to-strike-qatar
“Dubai security chief Dhahi Khalfan took advantage of an explosion that shook Cairo on Tuesday by pinning blame on Qatar and calling for an airstrike on its capital city.
In a series of tweets by Khalfan, who is known by many as the Donald Trump of the Arab world for his notoriously wacky posts on Twitter, the senior Emirati official alleged that the Muslim Brotherhood were behind the attack.
“Qatar, be proud for your attack on the National Cancer Institute in Egypt through the Muslim Brotherhood group that is supported by your leadership,” he said.
“Qatar is, without a doubt, the source of terrorism. If the source is not attacked, it will harm everyone,” he added.
He went on to ask whether Egypt shouldn’t “take the battle to Qatar?”
Egypt’s interior ministry has accused anti-regime movement Hasm of responsibility for Monday’s explosion in central Cairo that killed 19 people, which was initially blamed on a car crash.
At least 30 people were wounded when a car drove against traffic and crashed into three other vehicles, causing a huge explosion outside the National Cancer Institute…”
UAE-backed southern separatist leader urges overthrow of Yemen’s Saudi-backed government (alaraby, Aug 7, 2019)
https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2019/8/7/uae-backed-southern-separatist-leader-urges-overthrow-of-yemens-government
“The UAE-backed southern separatists leader Hani bin Breik has called on supporters to overthrow the Saudi-backed internationally-recognised government of Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi in Aden.
Bin Breik called on supporters to march toward the Maasheeq Palace in the southern coastal city, which has for years played as the temporary capital of the war-torn country.
“We announce a general mobilisation of all our southern forces to march toward the Maasheeq Palace,” said Hani Ben Brek, deputy chairman of the Southern Transitional Council.
Bin Breik, one of the UAE’s key allies in Yemen and reportedly a close aide of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, accused forces stationed at the presidential headquarters of attacking demonstrators loyal to the separatist movement during a funeral for victims of a recent attack.
At least 49 people were killed in two separate attacks on Thursday in government-held Aden. The first was a suicide car bombing carried out by extremists on a police station, which was followed by a Houthi assault targeting newly trained police cadets, officials said.
A day later, Al-Qaeda gunmen killed 19 soldiers in an attack on an army base in southern Yemen, according to security officials.
On Tuesday, the separatist movement accused the Yemeni government and Islah of being involved in facilitating the Houthi offensive and declared a popular revolt aimed at driving the internationally-recognised legitimate government out of southern cities.
This was soon exacerbated after forces from the presidential guard shot at mourners at a funeral procession for the victims of those killed in the attack on a camp for the UAE-backed security belt forces
“The attack was launched on our defenceless people who wanted a peaceful sit-in in front of Al-Yamamah palace, but were targeted by live fire from Islah’s militias,” he said.
The UN’s human rights office on Tuesday accused southern Yemeni security forces of perpetrating discriminatory attacks against citizens from the country’s north in retaliation for a series of attacks committed last week by extremists and rebels.
“We have received information from multiple sources about arbitrary arrests and detention, forced displacement, physical assaults and harassment,” spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said in a statement.
The UAE-backed Security Belt forces are “reportedly carrying out and enabling retaliatory attacks against civilians” originating from northern Yemen, Shamdasani said.
The UAE is part of a Saudi-led military coalition backing the UN-recognised government against Houthi rebels in the country’s conflict.
Shamdasani said the alleged targeting of northerners is “apparent retaliation” for deadly attacks last week by extremists and the rebels.
The UN human rights office cited reports suggesting “security forces searched hotels and restaurants, stopping people, demanding their identification, and rounding up those hailing from the northern parts of Yemen”.
“We are continuing to gather… details of the violations they have been subjected to, but initial reports suggest hundreds have already been displaced,” said Shamdasani.
“Such arrests and forced displacements breach international human rights and humanitarian law,” she added.
Yemen’s Prime Minister Moeen Abdulmalik Saeed on Sunday decried “violations of citizens’ rights”, in a Twitter post warning of negative repercussions for Yemeni unity.
Yemen has been at war for more than four years.
The Houthis control the capital Sanaa and most cities in northern, central and western regions, while the government maintains a makeshift capital in Aden.
In the south, where secessionists claim independence, there is strong resentment of citizens from the north.
Southern Yemen was an independent state until 1990 and the north is perceived to have imposed unification by force.”
Clashes erupt in Yemen’s Aden, three dead (reuters, Aug 7, 2019)
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security/clashes-erupt-in-yemens-aden-three-dead-idUSKCN1UX1P3
“Southern separatists clashed on Wednesday with presidential guards in Aden, the seat of Yemen’s government, and three people were killed and nine injured, local officials and residents told Reuters…”
Microsoft ‘listens’ to conversations, but only with permission (gulfnews, Aug 7, 2019)
https://gulfnews.com/technology/microsoft-listens-to-conversations-but-only-with-permission-1.1565217872117
“San Francisco: Microsoft said Wednesday its contractors listen to conversations to hone voice translation features offered by Skype and its digital assistant Cortana, but only when obtaining user permission.
The US technology titan defended its voice data handling in response to a report at news website Vice indicating people overheard chats on personal topics such as relationships and weight loss…”
Visa-free travel starts between Turkey, Russia (hdn, Aug 7, 2019)
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/visa-free-travel-starts-between-turkey-russia-145587
“Visa-free travel between Russia and Turkey goes into effect starting today, said Turkish Foreign Ministry in a statement on Aug 7.
The measure is valid on a reciprocal basis for official and service passport holders as well as for international transport drivers, the statement said.
It also includes Turkish special passport holders.
“The agreement on visa exemption signed on May 12, 2010 was partially re-enacted as of Aug. 7, 2019. We expect the full implementation of the agreement,” added the statement.
Russia had suspended the visa-free regime in late 2015, amid tensions over the downing of a Russian jet along the Turkish-Syrian border.
This July, Russian President Putin ordered the Foreign Ministry to send a notification to Turkish officials about this partial restoration of visa-free travel.
“The Russian move allowing visa-free travel to Turkish citizens is a result of warm relations and dialogue,” Turkish President Erdo?an said, hailing Russia’s decision.”
Turkish Cypriot PM hails Turkey’s stance on E Med (hdn, Aug 7, 2019)
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-cypriot-pm-hails-turkeys-stance-on-e-med-145574
“Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ersin Tatar on Aug. 6 hailed Turkey’s stand seeking equal rights on the resources in the Eastern Mediterranean between Turkish and Greek Cypriots.
“Turkish government’s determination, stance and self-sacrifice is important for us. Our joint efforts with Turkey are to protect the rights of Turkish Cypriots,” he said at a press conference.
He said that Turkey’s stance as a guarantor country, at this point is consistent with international law and has the support of Turkish Cypriot people.
He said a message must go to the world that there are two equal communities [on Cyprus].
“People from both sides (Turkish and Greek Cypriot) have equal rights on resources in the region,” he said.
Tatar stated that the TRNC had a positive approach to the proposal of setting a common committee on hydrocarbons. But, he lamented that Greek Cypriot side does not have a similar approach.
Turkey’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Dönmez said the issue of hydrocarbon resources should contribute to peace, tranquility and prosperity in the island.
“Unfortunately, the Greek Cypriot side has unilaterally continued its discourse and actions behaving as the sole judge of the island,” Dönmez said.
Turkey has consistently contested the Greek Cypriot administration’s unilateral drilling in the Eastern Mediterranean, asserting that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) also has similar rights on the resources in the area.
In 1974, following a coup aiming at Cyprus’s annexation to Greece, Ankara had to intervene as a guarantor power. In 1983, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was founded.
Since then, there have seen several attempts to resolve the Cyprus dispute, all ending in failure. The latest one, held with the participation of the guarantor countries — Turkey, Greece, and the U.K. — ended without any progress in 2017 in Switzerland.
At this point, President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an and our government continue to support the protection of the rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriots on every platform, Dönmez added.”
FRANCE – NANTES – AUG 03 2019
UN official praises Turkey for addressing intolerance (aa, Aug 7, 2019)
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkey/un-official-praises-turkey-for-addressing-intolerance/1551810
“A UN official on Wednesday praised Turkey for using multilateral cooperation to fight against all forms of intolerance and working for the intercultural “Alliance of Civilizations” initiative.
In an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency, the UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations Miguel Angel Moratinos, said he will visit Turkey to talk about the rise of populism and racism and what could be done to address these issues.
Moratinos will attend the 11th Ambassadors’ Conference in Ankara that is being held through Friday.
“Turkish foreign policy makes full use of multilateral cooperation, in addressing xenophobia, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, intolerance and discrimination,” Moratinos stressed.
He said Turkey’s work is aligned with the goals of the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), which is working on four main areas, youth, education, media and migration.
“I have added a new pillar which is women as peace-mediators. I firmly believe that peace becomes sustainable, when women are part of the process,” he said.
Moratinos emphasized that all conflicts should be resolved in a peaceful manner. He described Palestinian-Israeli conflict as “mother of all conflicts”.
He said the UNAOC continues to expand institutionally, in terms of streamlining its work within the UN system.
“We need to increase the membership of the group of friends of the Alliance and to increase our human and financial resources. I am also working to make the Alliance more rooted in the UN system,” Moratinos added.”
President Erdogan: Annexation of Crimea illegal (aa, Aug 7, 2019)
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkey/president-erdogan-annexation-of-crimea-illegal/1552140
“President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday that Turkey will not accept the illegal annexation of Crimea.
After meeting his Ukrainian counterpart in Ankara, Erdogan told a joint press conference: “Continuation of our kinsmen’s existence in their historical motherland Crimea, protection of their identity and culture, preservation of their basic rights and freedoms are Turkey’s priorities.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Russia to act within international laws.
He stressed that Crimea belonged to Ukraine and said his country and Russia would find a common path to re-establish peace and stability in the region.
He described Turkey as a “good neighbor, sincere friend and important strategic partner,” in highlighting Turkey’s importance to relations with Ukraine.
“I would like to thank you for your steady support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky said he wanted to make his country a “center of attraction” for foreign investors through economic and trade reforms…”
Open Arms says its ship may enter Italian waters (ansa, Aug 7, 2019)
http://www.ansa.it/english/news/2019/08/07/open-arms-says-its-ship-may-enter-italian-waters-2_10d85ed3-026e-4c3f-acb8-e071babfa274.html
“Spanish NGO Open Arms said Wednesday that its search-and-rescue ship may enter Italian waters if it needs to after rescuing 120 people off Libya.
Under a new decree approved by parliament this week, the commanders of ships who rescue people at sea and take them into Italian waters without permission face fines of up to one million euros and the impoundment of the vessel.
The Open Arms ship has been waiting six days to be assigned a port of safety to dock at. “We will enter Italy if we have serious problems in board,” Open Arms Founder Oscar Camps told Catalunya Radio. Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, who has spearheaded the Italian government’s tough stance of denying NGO-run migrant-rescue ships access to Italian ports, replied soon after Camps spoke.
“They have had more than enough time to get to Spain, the country that gave the ship its flag,” Salvini said.
“But perhaps those gents only want a political provocation.
“I remind them that Italy’s territorial waters are closed and we are ready to seize the ship”.”
Migrant-rescue NGOs shouldn’t be criminalized-Berlin (ansa, Aug 7, 2019)
http://www.ansa.it/english/news/2019/08/07/migrant-rescue-ngos-shouldnt-be-criminalized-berlin_082f2d5c-097b-4681-9862-f032eee54991.html
“German Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Adebahr said Wednesday that Berlin did not intend to comment on the new security decree approved by the Italian government this week.
But she also said that “the criminalization of those who saves lives at sea is not desirable”. Among other things, the new decree sees the commanders of ships who rescue people at sea and take them into Italian waters without permission face fines of up to one million euros and the impoundment of the vessel.”
State by state: Why private school enrolment across Germany is growing (thelocal, Aug 7, 2019)
https://www.thelocal.de/20190807/explained-why-private-school-enrolment-across-germany-is-growing
“A politician stated this that many parents are turning away from Germany’s public schools in favour of private ones. We look at all of the reasons private schools are growing throughout the country.
At the beginning of the week, Christian Democratic politician Carsten Linnemann caused a stir when he suggested children with inadequate knowledge of German should be held back from starting primary school.
He lamented on the poor performance of many public schools due to the mixed levels of learning.
Linnemann told the Rheinische Post that he sees many middle-income parents “who send their children to private schools because the level at state schools is falling”.
It’s true that private school enrollment across Germany is growing, with increasing numbers in nearly every German state.
But the reasons for parents to enroll their children in such a school – ranging from religious run to experimental education schools like Montessori – varies state by state.
14 percent of all schools
Within 25 years, the number of privately run schools has almost doubled from around 3,200 to just under 5,850 in Germany. According to the latest figures, they account for 14 percent of all schools.
The growth largely comes from East Germany, where there were practically no private schools before the fall of the Berlin Wall, explained Nele McElvany, an education researcher from the University of Dortmund.
In almost all federal states, the number of private students has been constant or rising most recently in the school year 2018/19, as a survey by the German Press Agency shows.
“We see continuous growth and increasing popularity,” said Association of German Private Schools spokeswoman Beate Bahr.
Whether private individuals, foundations or church organizations: anyone can set up a private school.
But there are several conditions that need to be met. According to the VDP, they must be charitable and accessible to everyone, meet criteria and requirements and be approved by the state.
A mixed debate
Yet there remains a mixed reaction about sending children to private school – or if students should stick to state schools.
Private schools are “socially selective and contribute to a social divide,” according to a statement by Germany’s Education and Science Workers’ Union (GEW).
Private schools in Germany include Waldorf, which was founded 100 years ago in Stuttgart, and Montessori, as well as those led through churches.
All of these schools, however, must receive governmental approval in order to operate and have “a heterogeneous student body,” the VDP emphasized in a statement.
The GEW in North Rhine-Westphalia has criticized that the poor condition of many public schools has also contributed to the rising demand for private schools.
Unlike in the USA or the UK, German Privatschulen receive most of their budget from the government, with each state putting a cap on how much they can charge parents.
In 2010, a court in Stuttgart ruled that its Privatschulen can’t ask for more than €150 a year, although the differently categorized international schools, religious schools and boarding schools (Internat) often have much heftier fees.
We take a look at the numbers of students enrolled in private schools in each of the 16 German states, and why those numbers are on the rise.
For a complete listing of private schools around Germany, visit Privatschulen.de or each state’s private school association.
State by state
North Rhine-Westphalia: Currently there are 163,100 students enrolled at private schools in Germany’s most populous state, a rise of 3 percent from 2017/2018. Private school students total a full 8.6 percent of the total population, although they make up 16.8 percent of Gymnasium (high school) students. For more information, visit the Private School Association of North Rhine-Westphalia.
In Bavaria, almost 146,800 students attended one of the 625 private schools in the 2018/19 school year. This represents a comparatively high share of 11.7 per cent. The local teachers’ association states that many parents seek to shield their children from the particularly performance-oriented system of public schools in Bavaria.
But there is also “an unfortunate development of elitist reasons,” according to the state parents’ association. Parents likely expect better support and security from private institutions, they say. For additional information, visit the Association of Bavarian Private Schools.
In Hesse, the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs recorded a steady increase: almost 54,700 pupils attended a privately run school – a good 7 percent of the total student population. Many parents are particularly interested in the small classes and extensive supervision that private schools in the state offer. The Association of Hesse Private Schools has more information.
In Baden-Württemberg, the number of private pupils has reached a peak. Around 106,800 pupils attended a general private school – 0.8 per cent more than in 2017/18. According to the southern state’s GEW, parents are particularly interested in sending their children to a church or religiously run school. Visit the Association of Private Schools of Baden-Württenberg for more information.
In Rheinland-Pfalz, the rate of private pupils is moving in the direction of 8 percent (this list has more information about the schools), and a constant number of almost 8600 private pupils is reported in the small state of Saarland (a list of schools is available here).
In Bremen, the number of private schools (14) has stayed consistent in the last years, with many of them Waldorf schools.
In Lower Saxony, the number of private pupils has remained constant over the past several years. The ministry of education in Schleswig-Holstein considers the alternative schools to be “a good addition to the public education system”. Only five percent of the pupils learn at private schools.
Hamburg also reports a “constant influx” of the number of private students, reported DPA. For a map where the schools are located throughout the Harbour City, visit the website Privateshulen in Hamburg.
In Berlin, around 37,000 pupils attend private schools – a share of around 10 percent. This can be attributed largely to specialized schools for foreign students – for example, those with a bilingual curriculum.
In Brandenburg, the proportion has climbed from 8 percent to a good 11 percent within ten years. According to the Ministry of Education, that could be due to the special concepts taught at these schools or simply the convenient distance to reach these schools. No data was available on the northeastern Mecklenburg Western-Pomerania, although Germany’s least populous state has 77 private schools.
Private schools are also a trend in the east German states Saxony-Anhalt of Thuringia, where more than every tenth pupil learns at a private school, a number which is on the rise. Parents in these states who send their students to private schools tend to be well-off parenthood with a high level of education, says the local GEW.
In Thuringia, the shift from public to private schools in the past 10 years has been particularly strong: In the 2008/2009 school year there were 888 state schools and 141 independent private school schools. In the school year 2018/2019 there were 819 state and 171 independent private schools, reported the Thüringer Allgemeine.”
London CHAOS: Police descend on scene following horrific assault on officer in Leyton (express, Aug 8, 2019)
https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1163060/London-news-Leyton-east-london-crime-news-Met-police-Cressida-dick-latest
“A POLICE officer has been attacked in east London following a routine vehicle stop in a savage assault.
Following the assault, police descended on the scene in Leyton High Road. A spokesman for the Met Police told the Daily Star confirmed that the officer had been assaulted following a vehicle stop. As of yet, however. the officer’s condition is unknown.
Moreover, details of the apparent attack remain unclear.
There have been reports that a man has been arrested on suspicion of Grievous Bodily Harm.
Following the attack, one user tweeted of a large police presence at the scene.
They wrote: “Major incident next to Leyton Midland Road.
“About 20 police vehicles have arrived.”
The attack on the police officer comes following another brutal stabbing in the nation’s capital on Tuesday.
Police were called to Furdown in Wandsworth, south west London after reports of a 24-year-old man with multiple stab wounds.
The victim, who has not yet been named and was taken to hospital.
The Met Police released a statement: “Officers were called at about 23:30hrs on Monday, 5 August to Fayland Avenue, SW16, following reports of a fight.
“Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended the scene and found a 24-year-old man with multiple stab wounds.
“He was taken to a west London hospital where his condition is described as critical. His family have been informed.
“No arrests have been made and enquiries continue.”
In a bid to stop the wave of violent crime spreading across the country, Boris Johnson has pledged to recruit 20,000 extra police officers.
Mr Johnson said: “My job as Prime Minister is to make our streets safer.
According to his outlined plans, Mr Johnson wants to create a national policing board chaired by Priti Patel, his new Home Secretary, and senior police bosses.”