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.
Benghazi May Be One Of The Reasons They Don’t Tell Us About #ClintonEmails | Tom Fitton
Calif. Gov signs law to limit shootings by police
California is changing its standards for when police can kill under a law signed Monday by Gov. Gavin Newsom, as it tries to deter police shootings of young minority men that have roiled the nation.
TAJIKISTAN – Two more mullahs accused of sexual harassment in Tajikistan
One of them was detained naked during a session with one of his clients.
Two more “traditional healers” were detained in Matcho district of Tajikistan on suspicion of sexual harassment of female clients. The plot of the detention of one of them showed on state television, and “Akhbor” reports on another detention.
The footage of the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs shows how the 35-year-old resident of the jamdoat Paldorak of the Matcho district Mirzoyusuf Nodirov was detained and interrogated naked.
A criminal case has been instituted against him for depraved acts (Article 142 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Tajikistan), it provides for punishment in the form of imprisonment from 2 to 5 years.
Meanwhile, “Akhbor”, citing sources, reports that on August 13, Mullah Rakhmatullo, nicknamed Devona (Mad), was detained in the same district.
Hidden cameras became evidence of the fact of harassment. The healer’s client agreed to cooperate with the investigation and captured one of the sessions. The footage shows how a man raises the hem of her dress and touches the body. Rakhmatullo released from custody on the basis of an amicable agreement between the parties. He paid the victim compensation in the amount of 30 thousand somoni (more than $ 3 thousand.)
https://asiaplustj.info/en/news/tajikistan/society/20190816/two-more-mullahs-accused-of-sexual-harassment-in-tajikistan
Pilgrims perform cosmic-like meditative dance in Bulgaria’s Rila mountains
Thousands of pilgrims gather in Bulgaria’s Rila mountains to welcome their “spiritual” new year with a cosmic-like dance performed in concentric circles, creating a striking image on the verdant mountain plain.
wikipedia : Universal White Brotherhood
The Universal White Brotherhood is a New Age-oriented new religious movement founded in Bulgaria in the early 20th century by Peter Deunov and established in France in 1937 by Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov (1900–1986), one of his followers.
[…]The main criticisms by anti-cult associations are the alleged harmful effects of the doctrine on the psyche of some followers, the diet that can lead to nutritional deficiencies, and the authoritarian nature of education
[…]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_White_Brotherhood
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2018 – Bulgaria, White Brotherhood
Deep and high in the Bulgarian Rila mountain a yearly ceremony is taking place to commemorate the passing of the summer season and beginning of White Brotherhood’s new year on August 19.
Every year several thousands members of the White Brotherhood gather to mark their New Year which falls on August, 19, as they follow the movement, founded by Bulgarian Petar Deunov, a synthesis of Christianity and Hinduism with a heavy emphasis on brotherly love, a healthy diet and living in harmony with nature.
The event organised by the White Brotherhood sect, also called Beinsa Duno. Founded by Petar Deunov, the sect’s beliefs are based on a new interpretation of traditional Christian doctrines and man’s interaction with the physical world. Worshippers also attribute spiritual powers to the mountain.As the sun rises on the mountain range, bleary eyed members of the sect begin their ceremonies by singing religious songs. Followers believe the mountains are a symbol of the Divine World.
The ceremony begins in full swing with all the members of the sect dressed in white meeting on a nearby plateau. Members of the White Brotherhood perform a sacred dance called Paneurhythmy, paying tribute to the movement of the planets and stars. Each dance has three main movements that signify the heavenly bodies. All the dances are accompanied by music with violins playing an important role in the ceremonies.
As the dancing comes to an end, the worshippers begin the journey back to their everyday lives. Summer ceremonies in the mountains have been taking place since 1929. Petar Deunov was a spiritual master and founder of a School of Esoteric Christianity. He lived July 1864 – December 1944.
The Master Petar Deunov is amongst the most famous personalities in Bulgarian history and spiritual culture. He is the adept of the involution and the evolution as a supreme and basic manifestation of the absolute, as a general law of universal life dominating everything. In his doctrine he follows also the main ideas of the karma and the reincarnation of souls. For him these are tested and indubitable truths of life. According to the Master existence is not accomplished with the so-called “material world” of tridimensional space. It manifests itself simultaneously in higher fields and worlds — astral, mental, causal and so. The powers of each higher field, being thinner and more spiritual, penetrate the lower one and create an integrated existence, an integrated life of the universal spirit.
The main principles of the new Teaching are Love, Wisdom, Truth, Equity, and Virtue. As supreme cosmic forces, they operate in every mind. Even if this process is unconscious, it is most important for the individual. The five principles are graphically represented in the Pentagram, the symbol of human development, of the man who walks the path of self-perfection.
Paneurhythmy is a sacral dance, which combines in itself movement, music and text. The performers move in a round in couples and follow the rhythm of the melodies created for the occasion. We can find the significance of the dance in the etymology of the word Paneurhythmy — universal cosmic rhythm. The total duration of Paneurhythmy is about 1 hour. An unlimited number of performers can take part in Paneurhythmy. The music is played on various instruments. Priority is given to the violin — closest to human voice interpreter of the melody.
Paneurhythmy is played from March 22nd to September 22nd early in the morning, close to nature, as the days from August 19 till August 21 the most many people come to the Rila mountain to play the dance. There, pure air and light can freely penetrate the human body and vitalize it. Since the first days of spring to the end of summer the energies that operate in nature are positive.
It’s funny how people decide to donate to a site. I just did so because of possibly my mood but, I just couldn’t take it anymore.
I wish Vlad all the world of deciding for us what our future will be.
I don’t have a good feeling.
Try not to despair, Babs. It does seem hopeless at times, but we must keep on keeping on, as they say. There isn’t much choice in the matter.
You win wars by destroying the enemies will to resist, as long as we fight they can’t win.
We are about to move to the kinetic stage of the Civil War, a war the left can’t win but by hanging on for a long time they can do a lot of damage to the rule of law. In the long run we will win but it will get nasty in the short run and for part of the intermediate run. Remember as long as we keep fighting we will win, the only way they can win is for us to stop fighting.
Socialism, what’s it good for?
https://guerrilla-capitalism.com/articles/socialism-isnt-a-failure-its-a-fraud/
PRAGER U sues YouTube – Very important lawsuit
Nigeria soldiers ambushed in Mogula near Cameroon border (thedefensepost, Aug 19, 2019)
https://thedefensepost.com/2019/08/19/nigeria-ambush-mogula-iswap/
“Four Nigerian troops were killed on Sunday, August 18 in an ambush in Borno state carried out by fighters suspected to be from Islamic State West Africa Province, two military sources told AFP.
The militants opened fire on a military patrol in Mogula village in the east of Borno state, close to the border with Cameroon, killing four soldiers and seizing two machine guns, one of the military officers said.
“Our troops came under attack by ISWAP terrorists in Mogula in an ambush in which we lost four soldiers,” the first source said.
“The attack happened around 11:00 hours when the team was on routine patrol in the area,” the officer said.
The second officer gave the same toll and said the insurgents seized two military pickups but were forced to abandon them as they slowed their escape due to the poor state of the road.
“They however dismantled the anti-aircraft guns mounted on the two vehicles and went away with them,” he said.
The sources asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak on the incident.
Boko Haram split into two factions in mid-2016. One, led by long-time leader Abubakar Shekau, is notorious for suicide bombings and indiscriminate killings of civilians. Shekau pledged allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi in March 2015, but ISIS central only gives formal backing to the other faction, which it calls Islamic State West Africa Province.
ISWAP fighters have in recent weeks been asserting their presence in areas near the border with Cameroon controlled by Shekau’s faction of Boko Haram.
On August 10, ISWAP fighters on motorcycles ambushed a military convoy 28 km (17 miles) from Mogula in an unsuccessful attempt to seize weapons, the sources said.
Decade-long cross-border insurgency
Boko Haram began its bloody insurgency in northeastern Nigeria in 2009, but it has since spread into neighboring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, prompting a regional military response. More than 27,000 people have been killed and two million others displaced, sparking a dire humanitarian crisis in the region. The U.S. assesses that Boko Haram and ISWAP have been responsible for over 35,000 deaths since 2011.
Since May, Islamic State has attributed insurgent activities in the Mali-Burkina Faso-Niger tri-border area to its West Africa Province affiliate, rather than to what was previously known as Islamic State in the Greater Sahara. In a June 15 ISIS propaganda video, ISWAP militants purportedly in Nigeria, Mali and Burkina Faso were shown reaffirming their pledge of allegiance to ISIS leader Baghdadi.
The MNJTF, which comprises personnel from Chad, Cameroon, Niger, and Nigeria, launched Operation Yancin Tafki on February 21 to battle the insurgents. It has said the cross-border operation is aimed at “making islands and other settlements in Lake Chad untenable for Boko Haram Terrorists.””
Explosions in Eastern Afghanistan Wound Dozens on Independence Day (tasnimnews, Aug 19, 2019)
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2019/08/19/2078976/explosions-in-eastern-afghanistan-wound-dozens-on-independence-day
“A series of bombings struck restaurants and public squares on Monday in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad, wounding at least 34 people, officials said, as the country marked the 100th anniversary of its independence…”
Finland Supports INSTEX in Defiance of US (tasnimnews, Aug 19, 2019)
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2019/08/19/2079048/finland-supports-instex-in-defiance-of-us
“Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto voiced his country’s support for INSTEX, a financial mechanism that the European Union has developed to maintain trade with Iran and bypass the US sanctions…”
Oil Tanker Release Shows Iran’s Int’l Power: Top General (tasnimnews, Aug 19, 2019)
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2019/08/19/2079094/oil-tanker-release-shows-iran-s-int-l-power-top-general
“Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri said the recent release of the country’s oil tanker that had been captured by the British marine forces last month shows the power of the Islamic Republic on the international scene…”
Top Judge Urges Claiming Compensation for Iranian Tanker’s Detention (tasnimnews, Aug 19, 2019)
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2019/08/19/2079104/top-judge-urges-claiming-compensation-for-iranian-tanker-s-detention
“Iran’s Judiciary chief said the Islamic Republic should claim compensation for the illegal detention of its supertanker ‘Adrian Darya’, which had been captured by the British Royal Navy and held in Gibraltar for six weeks…”
Zarif Rules Out New Nuclear Deal Talks with US (aawsat, Aug 19, 2019)
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1863106/zarif-rules-out-new-nuclear-deal-talks-us
“Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Monday said Tehran is not interested in talks with Washington, but any mediation should focus on bringing the United States back to the 2015 nuclear deal which it left last year.
Zarif was speaking in Finland after meeting Foreign Affairs Minister Pekka Haavisto, who said Europe was doing its best to salvage the deal.
President Donald Trump’s administration has taken a maximalist approach to Tehran…”
Arab Coalition: Aden Clashes Harmed Yemeni People’s Interests (aawsat, Aug 19, 2019)
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1863426/arab-coalition-aden-clashes-harmed-yemeni-people%E2%80%99s-interests
“The Saudi-led Arab coalition stressed on Monday that it will continue its operations to restore stability in Yemen, reinstate the legitimate authorities and end the coup by the Iran-backed Houthi militias.
Coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Maliki said that the recent escalation in the interim capital, Aden, by the Southern Transitional Council was “unfortunate” given the losses of life during the clashes.
These developments harmed the interests of the Yemeni people, he told a press conference in Riyadh…”
(Richard: Another medieval disease is returning.)
New Report Shows Leprosy on the Rise in Los Angeles County
Ahh, the joys of open borders and Democrat leadership.
California is not just a public toilet but now there is evidence that leprosy is on the rise in Los Angeles County.
Barack Obama changed US law in 2016 and allowed immigrants with blistering STDs and leprosy to migrate to the US.
Medscape reported:
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/08/new-report-shows-leprosy-on-the-rise-in-los-angeles-county/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=the-gateway-pundit&utm_campaign=dailypm&utm_content=daily
UAE Minister Says Confronting Houthi Coup Priority in Yemen (aawsat, Aug 19, 2019)
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1863391/uae-minister-says-confronting-houthi-coup-priority-yemen
“United Arab Emirates State Minister for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said on Monday that the priority in Yemen is confronting the coup by the Iran-backed Houthi militias.
“Any decision on Yemen must be the culmination of Yemeni dialogue within the political solution that we all aspire for,” he added.
Tensions have been high in Aden after southern separatists seized military camps and other state institutions after four days of clashes with the legitimate government forces.
Saudi Arabia intervened to end the fighting and is set to host a meeting for the rival parties.”
Egypt Court Hands out 6 Death Sentences on Terror Charges (aawsat, Aug 19, 2019)
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1863416/egypt-court-hands-out-6-death-sentences-terror-charges
“An Egyptian court has sentenced six people to death on terror charges for carrying out attacks that killed at least three people, including a policeman, on the outskirts of the capital.
Giza criminal court on Monday also sentenced 41 defendants, including 28 in absentia, to life in prison on similar charges, including possession of weapons and explosives. Another seven defendants received 15 years, and one got three years. The court acquitted 14 others.
The verdict can be appealed.
The charges stem from two different attacks in 2013 and 2015 in the town of Kerdasa, located near the famed Giza Pyramids.
Kerdasa had been a hotbed of support for late ex-president Mohammed Morsi, who was ousted in June 2013 after massive protests against his rule.”
Kurdish Forces Hand over 4 Children Born to ISIS to Germany (aawsat, Aug 19, 2019)
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1863376/kurdish-forces-hand-over-4-children-born-isis-germany
“Kurdish authorities in northeastern Syria handed over to Germany on Monday four children linked to the ISIS terrorist group.
Germany has repatriated some children of convicted ISIS terrorists in Iraq, but this was the first time it brought home children still held in Syria.
“The autonomous region handed over four children from ISIS families to a delegation from Germany,” said Fanar Kaeet, a foreign affairs official with the Kurdish authorities.
They included a boy and two sisters who had lost both parents, and a fatherless girl infant who was repatriated for health reasons, Kurdish authorities said.
All are under 10 years old, they said.
A spokeswoman for the German foreign ministry confirmed the handover to staff from its consulate in neighboring Iraqi Kurdistan at the Simalka border crossing.
“I can confirm that four children who were in custody in northern Syria were able to leave Syria,” she said.
“The children were received on the Iraqi-Syrian border by staff of the consulate in Erbil and will be given to family members,” the spokeswoman said.
“From there, the children and their family members will, we believe, travel to Germany.”
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told reporters in Berlin it was “very gratifying” that the four children were no longer in Syria.
“We will continue to work so further children can leave Syria. They are mainly small children and their accommodation there is anything but ideal,” he said.
“In the end, they can’t be held responsible for the actions of their parents,” he added.
“In each individual case there will be difficult questions to answer, such as the identification, but also organizing their departure,” Maas said.
Syria’s Kurds have spearheaded the US-backed fight against ISIS in Syria, and in March expelled the extremists from their last patch of territory in the war-torn country’s far east.
Even as they fight remaining sleeper cells, thousands of alleged ISIS fighters and family members are being held in their custody.
These include hundreds of suspected foreign fighters in their jails, and thousands of their alleged family members in overcrowded camps.
Western countries have been largely reluctant to repatriate their nationals.
But France and Belgium have brought a handful of orphans home, while the United States last year repatriated a woman with her four children.
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kosovo have repatriated dozens of women and children.
A dozen children of alleged extremist fighters have been repatriated from Iraq to Germany since March.”
Sudan’s Bashir admits receiving funds from Saudi Arabia and the UAE (memo, Aug 19, 2019)
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190820-sudans-bashir-admits-receiving-funds-from-saudi-arabia-and-the-uae/
“Ousted President Omar Al-Bashir admitted receiving funds worth millions of Dollars from UAE and KSA. Al-Bashir’s confession came during the first session of his trial on a charge related to illegal dealing with foreign currency in Sudan…”
Daesh fighter, ‘Jihadi Jack’, hopes Canada will take him (memo, Aug 19, 2019)
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190819-daesh-fighter-jihadi-jack-hopes-canada-will-take-him/
“A Muslim convert who was stripped of his British citizenship after travelling to Syria to fight with Daesh said on Monday he hoped Canada, where he is a citizen, would take him from the Kurdish prison he is being held in, reports Reuters.
Canada said on Sunday that it was disappointed with Britain’s decision to “off-load their responsibilities” by removing Jack Letts’s citizenship.
In an interview with ITV News, Letts, dubbed “Jihadi Jack” by the media, said he was not surprised he had lost his British citizenship.
“I don’t think where you are from is based on a piece of paper. These things have very little meaning for me to be honest. I don’t think British citizenship is a big deal,” he said, according to quotes provided by ITV.
“I’ve always felt that I am Canadian, my Dad is Canadian, and I never grew up being accepted as a British person anyway … I hope Canada does take me from here, I could go there, to prison of course.”…”
Good thing that we got the first strike,before Canada dumped this ingrate on us.Were it not for fraudulent welfare payments ,the west would be wog free.
Nellie Ohr is a Key Figure in the Clinton-DNC-Fusion GPS Spy-Ring | Tom Fitton
The Left Wants to Keep Racism Alive
EU: Asylum applications from Saudi nationals up 106% (memo, Aug 19, 2019)
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190819-eu-asylum-applications-from-saudi-nationals-up-106/
“The number of Saudi Arabian nationals who apply for asylum in the European Union (EU) has increased by 106 per cent within the first six months of 2019 alone, official figures released last week have shown.
According to the European Asylum Support Office (EASO), the latest data shows that 101 Saudis applied for asylum in the EU during the first half of this year, compared to 49 in the same period last year. The data reveals that 71 Saudi asylum seekers have been waiting for a response to their applications for less than six months while 86 have been waiting for over six months.
The increase in applications by Saudi nationals comes at a time when the overall number of asylum applications from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries fell 31 per cent. While Saudi Arabia has had the largest percentage change, it was by no means the largest group of applicants, with the largest being from Kuwait at 302 applicants; a 44 per cent decrease from the 548 applications submitted in the first six months of 2018.
Amid an increasingly authoritarian atmosphere prevailing in Saudi Arabia, particularly following the rise to power of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, the kingdom has taken a harsher approach to dealing with activists, dissidents and the slightest criticism against the government and its policies.
Reports of women’s rights activists and religious scholars being imprisoned and tortured within Saudi jails have been revealed in recent months, and even dissidents who live abroad have not been free of the kingdom’s tight grip. Last year self-exiled Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in the kingdom’s consulate in Turkey’s commercial capital Istanbul.
Robert Mason, associate professor and director of the Middle East Studies Centre at the American University in Cairo, informed Arabian Business that “A relatively small but rising number of Saudi university students, princes, Islamists, and teenage girls have fled the kingdom due to fear of persecution, retaliation against them for political activism, or lack of personal autonomy due to the system of male guardianship in place.”
“They are mainly seeking asylum in the United States, Canada, and Europe which have generous benefits and liberal asylum laws,” especially due to the legal prohibition of forcing asylum seekers or refugees to return to a country in which they are likely to be persecuted.
“These figures from the European Asylum Support Office highlight a worrisome trend in the post-Arab Spring period,” Mason added. “Women’s rights activists, poets, intellectuals, Islamists, and others who express political dissent in the kingdom have been rounded up in greater numbers since 2012.”
Despite the staggering increase in Saudi applications, the larger groups of applicants include Iran at 11,118 applications with an increase of 28 per cent and Syrians at 30,316 applications with a decrease of 12.5 per cent. The United States (US) also had an increase of 55 per cent, with 126 Americans having applied for asylum in the EU.”
What political problems are solved by running away?it shows a lack of character,cowardice and greed for another populations money.Once here we can expect only to be told how disgraceful our society is,how “racist” we are,and how they are the only people who can make democracy work,plus they are by no means impoverished,or starving.All we will receive in return is more strife ,murder,and primitive backwardness.
Houthis appoint ambassador to Iran (memo, Aug 19, 2019)
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190819-houthis-appoint-ambassador-in-tehran/
“The Houthis in Yemen announced the appointment of an “ambassador of the Republic of Yemen” in Tehran, a move that the internationally recognised Yemeni government considered as “a flagrant violation” of international laws. Tehran has not made any official comment on the issue of accepting the ambassador representing the unrecognised Houthi authority on its territory…”
Turkey: World should bring perpetrators of Rabaa massacre to justice (memo, Aug 19, 2019)
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190819-turkey-world-should-bring-perpetrators-of-rabaa-massacre-to-justice/
“Yasin Aktay, senior adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on Saturday called for the world to bring the perpetrators of Egypt’s Rabaa massacre to justice, Arabi21 reported.
Aktay added that the killers of Egypt’s first freely elected civilian President Mohamed Morsi should also be prosecuted and pressure must be placed on the “autocratic” regime in Egypt in order to stop the “continuous bloodshed” which started with the military coup in 2013.
“The killers of Morsi are the same killers of the people in Rabaa and they are the same people who have been destroying Egypt,” Aktay said.
“These people must be brought to justice, but Morsi and the martyrs killed in Rabaa have been in the heart and will remain a beacon for dignity and freedom,” he added.
Aktay’s remarks came during an event organised in Istanbul in commemoration of the Rabaa massacre committed by the current Egyptian regime against pro-democracy protesters who stood against the military coup which was carried out by then Defence Minister turned President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.
“The Rabaa massacre was not merely a political incident, but a humanitarian one,” he said.
He stated that the situation in Egypt has been deteriorating since the ouster of President Morsi, noting that the latest crime committed by the coup regime was “Morsi’s murder through the intentional negligence of medical care for six years.”
The Turkish official said that his country has been a secure haven for the Egyptians who fled the oppression of the coup regime.
“Turkey opened its arms to the Egyptians based on national and humanitarian grounds,” he said, noting that his country has been “the secure haven for all the Arabs persecuted during the Arab Spring.””
Palestinian Authority bans events by local LGBTQ+ organisation (alaraby, Aug 19, 2019)
https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2019/8/19/palestinian-authority-bans-events-by-local-lgbtq-organisation
“The Palestinian Authority has reportedly banned a Palestinian LGBTQ+ organisation from organising events in the West Bank, saying that such events are contrary to the “values of Palestinian society”, local media reported…”
At least 10 Burkina Faso soldiers killed in militant attack (reuters, Aug 19, 2019)
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-burkina-security/at-least-10-burkina-faso-soldiers-killed-in-militant-attack-idUSKCN1V91L8
“Unidentified militants killed at least 10 soldiers and wounded many others in an attack on a military unit in northern Burkina Faso on Monday, the army said.
Burkina Faso has been overrun by Islamist violence this year that armed forces have been unable to contain. Hundreds of civilians have died and more than 150,000 have fled as the influence of jihadist groups with links to al Qaeda and Islamic State spreads across the Sahel region.
Monday’s attack occurred in the early hours of the morning in Koutougou in Soum province, an army statement said, without providing much further detail.
“In reaction to this barbaric attack, a vast air and land search operation is seeking to neutralise the many assailants,” the statement said.
Once a pocket of calm in the Sahel, Burkina has suffered a spillover of Islamist violence from its neighbors, including the kind of ethnic attacks that have destabilized Mali in recent years.
Deteriorating security prompted the Ougadougou government to declare a state of emergency in several northern provinces bordering Mali in December, including Soum.”
Pakistan accuses India of using water as a weapon in Kashmir dispute (gulfnews, Aug 19, 2019)
https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/pakistan/pakistan-accuses-india-of-using-water-as-a-weapon-in-kashmir-dispute-1.1566227463661
“Accusing India of waging “fifth-generation warfare”, Pakistan said on Monday New Delhi had failed to inform it about the release of water from a dam that could cause flooding across the border.
Relations between the neighbours, already hostile, have been deeply strained over India’s decision this month to revoke the special status of its portion of the Kashmir region that both countries claim. Pakistan reacted with fury, cutting transport and trade links and expelling India’s ambassador in retaliation.
Islamabad said the unexpected release of water into the River Sutlej that flows from India to Pakistan was part of an attempt by New Delhi to flout a longstanding treaty between the countries.
“They try to isolate diplomatically, they try to strangulate economically, they’re trying to strangulate our water resources and water automatically will have an impact on your economy, your agriculture and your irrigation,” Muzammil Hussain, chairman of the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), told Reuters.
India was using its position upstream to wage “fifth-generation warfare” on the country, said Hussain, whose government agency is responsible for water in Pakistan.
Pakistani emergency authorities were preparing for minor flooding in several areas in Punjab state on Monday as a result of the unexpected rise in water flow, though it was not clear if any had occurred.
“India did not communicate the release of water to Pakistan,” Khurram Shahzed, director general of Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), told Reuters.
Spokesmen for India’s water ministry and foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment.
An Indian government official familiar with the matter said release of water was a “routine exercise” during the monsoon season, and that the amounts involved did not require disclosure under the treaty between the two countries.
However, the official added that poor relations between the two countries has affected information sharing.
“It was goodwill on our part that we used to share that information … those days are gone,” the official said.
India and Pakistan have long argued over water resources…”
Moroccan Man Allegedly Attempts to Sexually Assault Lifeguard in Spain (moroccoworldnews, Aug 19, 2019)
https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2019/08/280613/moroccan-man-attempts-sexually-assault-lifeguard-spain/
“Spanish police have opened an investigation into an attempted sexual assault. The alleged perpetrator is a Moroccan citizen.
Europa Press reported that the Ertzaintza police received a call to alert them of the attempted sexual assault of a female lifeguard at the beach in La Concha de San Sebastian.
The suspect attempted to sexually assault the woman in a locker room, Europa Press reported.
“The suspect suffocated the victim until she was left unconscious. Luckily, he did not achieve his goal.”
The investigation into the incident by the Spanish police is still ongoing. So far, no arrests have been made.”
Algeria Orders Expulsion of HRW’s Ahmed Benchemsi (mwn, Aug 19, 2019)
https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2019/08/280577/algeria-expulsion-hrw-ahmed-benchemsi/
“An Algerian court has ordered the expulsion of Ahmed Benchemsi, Advocacy and Communications Director for Human Rights Watch (HRW) the Middle East and North Africa division.
The court ruled that Benchemsi entered Algeria without any official authorization to act as a representative of HRW, local media said.
An investigation allegedly indicates that his trip to Algeria was “part of a foreign agenda aimed at infiltrating” the popular movement or Algerian Hirak.
Algerian security services arrested Benchemsi on Friday, August 9 during the 25th week of Algerian protests…”
200 accounts suspended over Kashmir reported to Twitter (dawn, Aug 20, 2019)
https://www.dawn.com/news/1500457/200-accounts-suspended-over-kashmir-reported-to-twitter
“The government has specified to the micro-blogging site Twitter 200 accounts that were suspended in the past week apparently for posting about Kashmir, Dawn has learnt.
Over the last one week, a large number of Pakistanis have taken to Twitter to report that accounts were being suspended after they posted in support of Kashmir. The claim came from journalists, activists, government officials and fans of the military tweeting in support of Kashmir freedom. Simultaneously, #StopSuspendingPakistanis was trending on Twitter in Pakistan.
Earlier on Sunday, Director General of the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor had said the authorities had taken up with Twitter and Facebook the suspension of Pakistani social media accounts posting content in support of Kashmir.
“Pakistan authorities have taken up the case with Twitter and Facebook against suspending Pakistani accounts for posting in support of Kashmir. Indian staff at their regional headquarters is the reason,” he had tweeted on his personal account.
Giving details about the complaint lodged with Twitter, Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Digital Media Arslan Khalid told Dawn that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had lodged an official complaint with Twitter’s regional office on Monday.
“We are approaching this case with a multi-pronged strategy where PTA has sent the complaint mentioning [200] accounts to the regional office seeking an explanation for their suspension. We are also working on a long-term strategy through the National IT Board (NITB) so that such a situation does not arise again,” he said.
Twitter, he said, held no right to moderate political debates on its platform which were well within its community guidelines.
When asked to confirm the number of accounts specified to Twitter, the PTA said it would issue a statement on the matter soon.
A list of accounts — provided to Dawn by the focal person — reportedly suspended over Kashmir in the past week, includes Twitter handles run by some government officials as well.
One such account is of the focal person to the Punjab chief minister on digital media, Mashwani Azhar. A screenshot of Twitter’s notice to Mr Azhar purports that the platform suspended the account for impersonation.
“His account was suspended for impersonation when he was tweeting on Kashmir. Another example is of Waqas Amjab of the housing ministry. The biased behaviour of Twitter over Kashmir is ridiculous,” said Mr Khalid.
“Over 45 Twitter accounts have been suspended in the last few days and the count is increasing,” said NITB CEO Shabahat Ali Shah while speaking to Dawn.
“I have written a letter to VP of the Trust and Safety wing of Twitter on behalf of the Government of Pakistan and expressed our concern about the recent suspension of Twitter accounts in context of launching protests against Indian atrocities on Kashmir. We have also mentioned there is a potential of public outburst against suspended accounts which could put human lives in imminent danger,” he shared.
In the letter, he added, Twitter had been requested to verify government officials’ accounts. “At least government accounts should not be suspended without prior notice to the authorities. The government, too, will document content posted through official channels and review complaints lodged against them,” said Mr Shah.
“I have given them [Twitter] till Aug 23 to respond after which I will reach out to its CEO Jack Dorsey. The last step will be to write a letter, with Foreign Office endorsement, to the United Nations,” he warned.
Twitter denies bias
Twitter, however, maintains that it enforced policies judiciously and ensured impartiality of all users, regardless of their political beliefs and country of origin.
Responding to allegations of censorship and biased moderation on its platform, a Twitter spokesperson told Dawn that they were founded on the principles of free expression and there was no political bias in its content review teams that determine what content is considered a violation of its rules.
“We believe people on all sides of an issue have a fundamental right to discuss them within the boundaries of our policies, which prohibit terrorism, hateful conduct, platform manipulation, and abuse. At Twitter no one is above our rules.”
Unlike Facebook, which has the greatest number of fact-checking partners in India, Twitter is yet to introduce policy on political misinformation. “Twitter exists to serve the public conversation, including in national and regional events of political importance,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson did not comment on the reasons that led to certain accounts — specified in the email — being suspended. “We don’t comment on individual accounts for privacy and security reasons,” the official said.
Twitter did not deny or acknowledge the spike in government requests from India or Pakistan following the development on Kashmir.
Interestingly, Twitter’s compliance with requests from the Indian government has improved in the recent past. For the 422 information requests from India between July-Dec 2018, there was 18pc compliance from Twitter. Out of the 667 account removal requests, the platform withheld 95 accounts and 141 tweets.
For Pakistan, however, Twitter has declined all requests for account information and removal as per the latest transparency report (July-Dec 2018).
“Twitter needs to issue a statement explaining its moderation process. There is no transparency on why certain tweets on Kashmir are in violation of its rules and how it decides to restrict content on its platform,” said Nighat Dad of the Digital Rights Foundation while speaking to Dawn.”
Turkish forces hit YPG targets in N Syria (hdn, Aug 19, 2019)
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-forces-hit-ypg-targets-in-n-syria-145885
“Turkish Armed Forces destroyed PKK terror targets in northwestern Syria, Turkey’s Defense Ministry said on Aug. 19.
The offensive came in response to the attacks and harassment fire of the PKK/YPG on Turkish army elements on the area of the Operation Euphrates Shield, the ministry said on Twitter.
Since 2016, Turkey has conducted two major military operations in northwestern Syria- Operations Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch – to purge the region of terrorist groups ISIL and the YPG, which is the Syrian branch of the terrorist organization PKK.
PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU.”
Turkey launches domestic anti-terror op. against PKK (aa, Aug 19, 2019)
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkey/turkey-launches-domestic-anti-terror-op-against-pkk/1559717
“Turkish security forces launched a domestic operation against the PKK terror group in the country’s east and southeast, the Interior Ministry said on Monday.
The large scale offensive was launched in eastern Van and southeastern Hakkari and Sirnak provinces on Sunday, the ministry said in a written statement.
Some 130 teams of police, gendarmerie, and village guards joined the counter-terrorism operation, it added.
A total of 43 caves and shelters used by terrorists have been destroyed so far, read the statement, adding the operation will resolutely continue until all terrorists will be neutralized in the region.
Turkish authorities often use the term “neutralize” in statements to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.
Gendarmerie forces commander Gen. Arif Cetin is coordinating the operation from Hakkari, the statement noted.
In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU — has been responsible for the deaths of some 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.”
Killer of Chinese barista gives self up (ansa, Aug 19, 2019)
http://www.ansa.it/english/news/2019/08/19/killer-of-chinese-barista-gives-self-up_b8736ad7-4b7f-4e18-bdfd-229b07036335.html
“The suspected killer of a female Chinese barista gave himself up Monday morning after more than 10 days on the run.
Hicham Boukssid, a 34-year-old Moroccan national, handed himself in at a Carabinieri barracks in Reggio Emilia.
He is suspected of stabbing to death 24-year-old Hui ‘Stefania’ Zhou in her family’s bar on the outskirts of the Emilian city on August 8.
She died immediately.
Prosecutors said the motive was “femicide” and that Boukssid murdered Hui because she would not respond to his advances…”