[Nat Review] Wow. Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz is basically accusing the FBI of anti-Muslim bias in their arrest of her former IT staffer, Imran Awan. Several members of Awan’s family were accused of "stealing equipment from members’ offices without their knowledge and committing serious, potentially illegal, violations on the House IT network" and the FBI arrested him.
His arrest, the congresswoman said, had nothing to do with the months-long investigation of Awan as an IT worker for a variety of members of Congress. An FBI affidavit filed with the criminal complaint said Awan and his wife claimed a property used to secure a home equity line of credit was a "principal residence," when it was, in fact, a rental property.
Wasserman Schultz said there still hasn’t been any evidence presented that he’s done anything wrong involving his work for Congress. And, she said, she believes he may have been put under scrutiny because of his religious faith. Awan is Muslim. "I had grave concerns about his due process rights being violated," she said. "When their investigation was reviewed with me, I was presented with no evidence of anything that they were being investigated for.
And so that, in me, gave me great concern that his due process rights were being violated. That there were racial and ethnic profiling concerns that I had," she said. Elsewhere in that interview, Wasserman Schultz says she doesn’t think Awan was fleeing the country. The affidavit from the FBI said that Awan’s wife, Hina Alvi, left the country abruptly, with a great deal of cash in March.
#2
It took her long enough to come up with that 'defense' that it renders it automatically suspicious, like she had to think about it good & hard. Usually it's a reflex for Democrats to use the race card - don't leave home without it!
#4
Anti-muslim bias, huh?
"The affidavit from the FBI said that Awan’s wife, Hina Alvi, left the country abruptly, with a great deal of cash"
To precise, $12G. In cash. With no transfer paperwork. They counted the money. Then they let her go to Pak.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
08/04/2017 18:28
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#5
The laptop she loudly claimed as hers, she now says is Awan's.
Throwing Awan under the bus for whatever it contains.
Emergency crews were treating at least 10 people due to a suspicious package found at the IRS building near downtown Kansas City, Missouri on Friday morning.
Several emergency crews were on scene across from Union Station along Pershing Road. HAZMAT teams were evacuating potions of the building.
Crews said the 10 people affected were vomiting.
There was no immediate information from officials on the circumstances surrounding the package, but officials confirmed there was no powder involved. A box of honesty & ethics?
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/04/2017
12:43 ||
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#1
Frank, you beat me to it.
If it had been DC instead of KC the death toll would have been in the thousands.
h/t Instapundit
Turkey’s relations with the EU and place within NATO have come under increased scrutiny over the past year, especially during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's campaign to win a constitutional referendum this April, which many saw as a power grab.
...Since the failed coup against Erdogan last year, a new narrative has emerged amongst his supporters that I call "Erdoganism."
This "Erdoganist" narrative believes that Erdogan is an historic figure who will make Turks great and Muslim’s proud again, and that you have to support him not because Erdogan needs to be supported personally, but because this is how you put your weight behind this great historical project.
By inversion, Erdoganism also suggests that if you do not support Erdogan, you are therefore not a good Turk or not a good Muslim, and you should be prosecuted for that. I would also add that if you oppose Erdogan, you’re more than likely a proxy for foreigners.
Here is Erdoganism par excellence: blending political Islam and Turkish nationalism under Erdogan’s persona, whose leitmotif is that Erdogan is protecting Turkey and the Muslim World against foreign attacks. Those foreigners are usually Westerners, which in the Turkish context often means the Europeans. A strong anti-European and anti-Western animus guides the thinking of the pro-Erdogan bloc.
...The view of Erdogan and his supporters is that Samuel Huntington was right, there is a clash of civilizations, but he was wrong because the Muslims will win. Erdogan does not see NATO necessarily as a place where likeminded countries sharing similar values come together, it’s more his security outlet where he goes to buy security, and he needs a lot of that security against Russia. After they gave up Communism as imperial religion, Russians started reviving Russian nationalism and the view of Russia as defender of Greek Orthodox provoslavnia (literally right and glorious) religion. In this view, Russia is third Rome and liberation of the second Rome = Constantinople is a holy grail
...It used to be that in Washington, the strongest advocates for Turkey were people from the U.S. military. They had great impressions from working with Turks in NATO operations in Bosnia and Kosovo in the 1990s, they were grateful for Turkey’s part in winning the Cold War by blocking the Soviet Union’s access to the warm seas, and they were just very supportive of Ankara in general.
That is now the opposite. I would say that the people who have the most negative views of Turkey in Washington are, unfortunately, in the U.S. military as a result of a series of events, all of which took place under Erdogan’s watch. Turkey’s refusal to join the Iraq war in 2003, the collapse of Turkish-Israeli ties, the Turkish decision to buy Chinese air defense systems (although they backed down on that), Turkey’s recent decision now to buy Russian missiles, and Turkey’s lax policy in allowing radicals to cross into Syria in an effort to undermine Assad, all of these factors have hurt the relationship.
[FoxBusiness] The U.S. economy added 209,000 net new jobs in July, beating expectations for 183,000 jobs. The unemployment rate ticked down slightly to 4.3% from 4.4%, while the labor force participation rate edged up to 62.9% from 62.8% during the month. Average hourly earnings meanwhile increased by 9 cents.
The jobs numbers come on the heels of a report Wednesday from payroll processing firm ADP, which revealed that 178,000 private sector jobs were added in July, below economists' expectations of 185,000.
This suggests the remaining jobs were added by companies small enough that they choose not to pay an outside firm to handle payroll for them, the traditional engine of job growth in America.
Also:
[Ynet] The Commerce Department said Friday that the trade gap slid 5.9 percent in June to $43.6 billion.
Exports of goods and services rose 1.2 percent to $194.4 billion, the highest amount since December 2014 on higher foreign demand for American soybeans, computer accessories and other products.
What about oil and natural gas?
Services exports reached a record $65.4 billion. US exports may be getting a lift from a pickup in global economic growth and a drop in the value of the U.S. dollar against other currencies. A weaker dollar makes American products a better bargain in foreign markets. Overall imports slipped 0.2 percent to $238 billion on a drop in demand for cellphones and other household goods.
So far this year, the trade deficit is up 10.7 percent to $276.6 billion.
#1
When you are no longer under the expectation that new and more crippling regulations are about to be dumped on you (from DC Central Planning), you can take stock and expand operations rather than hunker down.
#2
FWIW, the Mass. New Corporations book for January was 152 pages (February's is 94); that's the largest I've seen since I've been getting them (about four years now).
#3
Raj, is that Mass as in Massaholia? If so does it break it out by company? I ask because my son started one a few years ago, Social Made Simple, so I know what his numbers look like.
#4
AlanC - yes it is, and it's basically an alphabetically listed data dump of very basic corporate information - name, address and a list of the officers. For the ones I send letters out to, I do go onto the website and see what industry they're in, because I'm not sending out letters to restaurants, nail salons & landscapers, just to name a few - these companies tend to be out of business real quick.
[Breitbart] The U.S. Coast Guard commandant has announced he will disregard President Donald Trump’s ban on transgenders in the military.
Admiral Paul F. Zukunft, who took charge of the Coast Guard under former President Barack Obama, says he "will not break faith" with transgenders under his command.
"The first thing we did is we reached out to all 13 members of the Coast Guard who have come out" as transgender, Zukunft said at an event at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, reports the Hill.
#8
Yep, but those in the service understand 1) Warning Order and 2) Commanders intent. WOs are just as often verbal as textual, particularly if you are in a fluid environment.
#11
Yo Paulie, what's your plan once you've left government service? Its not like you can't another Capt Crunch to run the Coast Guard...
Posted by: Regular joe ||
08/04/2017 16:38
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#12
13 Shallow Water Sailors is all it takes for this putz to toss everything away???
if DJT doesn't have Mad Dog sh!tcan him like previous comments say, all 'good order and discipline' is right down the ol' USS Ford Non urinal equipped sh!tters....
#14
Coastlines work for DHS, so Mattis is their boss. Whomever Trump picks can expect this jerkoff's insubordinate attitude to be the content of the confirmation hearings. Makes you wonder who called him with guidance and how that might constitute a crime.
Venezuela's money, the bolivar, is sinking faster and faster under an intensifying political and economic crisis that has left citizens destitute and increasingly desperate. Its depreciation accelerated this week, after a disputed vote electing an all-powerful "Constituent Assembly" filled with allies of President Nicolas Maduro, which the opposition and dozens of countries have called illegitimate.
On Thursday alone, the bolivar slumped nearly 15 percent on the black market, to be worth 17,000 to one US dollar.
In a year, the currency has lost 94 percent. Bernie Sanders' Economic Miracle
The decline has been dizzying -- yet largely ignored by the government, which uses an official rate fixed weekly that is currently 2,870 to the dollar.
Ordinary Venezuelans, however, refer only to the black market rate they have access to, which they call the "dolar negro," or "black dollar."
"Every time the black dollar goes up, you're poorer," resignedly said Juan Zabala, an executive in a reinsurance business in Caracas.
- Salaries decimated -
His salary is 800,000 bolivares per month. On Thursday, that was worth $47 at the parallel rate. A year ago, it was $200.
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/04/2017
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[FortHoodPressCenter] FORT HOOD, Texas -- Lt. Gen. Paul E. Funk II, III Corps commander, and III Corps Command Sgt. Maj. Michael A. Crosby will case the III Corps colors at 4:30 p.m. Aug. 4 at the III Corps flag pole signifying the beginning of the unit’s year-long deployment to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.
The command will lead a regional campaign of coalition and international partners synchronizing military activities as the headquarters of the Combined Joint Task Force ‐ Operation Inherent Resolve.
Combined Joint Task Force ‐ Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) was created in October 2014. CJTF-OIR serves as the headquarters for a global coalition of more than 65 nations and partner organizations, formed to militarily defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a common global enemy.
[Breitbart] President Trump gave a full-throated populist speech at a packed rally in West Virginia Thursday, where he took aim at both Republican and Democratic lawmakers for their failures on everything from foreign policy to trade to the inability to scrap Obamacare.
"We don’t need advice from the Washington swamp," he said to the electric crowd in Huntington, West Virginia. "We need to drain the swamp."
#3
Manufacturing and industry exported to China and elsewhere, job loss, huge national debt load, bank savings account interests at nearly zero, higher taxes, entitlement programs gone wild, public education decline, medical care in near complete collapse, endless wars, the list goes on.
What has the 'swamp' done for us in the past 50 years ?
h/t Instapundit
There is one thing the ctrl-left and the alt-right agree on: it is impossible to change cultures. If you're born into a culture, all your genetic predispositions make it impossible to change your eating habits and your language, much less your manners, your planning, and your ability to think as a member of this new culture.
But the hardest of all is language, which is virtually impossible to change, which is why we pay for bilingual education for children of Latin immigrants born in the U.S. and sometimes third generation in the U.S.
Because, you see, the best you can achieve in terms of learning a foreign language is the sort of halting, broken speech such as that of children and toddlers. In fact, if your children and grandchildren don't mate with English speakers, your family will never learn to speak the language and will remain an undigested cultural lump in the midst of your adopted culture forever.
This is so much an article of faith on the ctrl-left that I had to monitor my kids like a hawk all through elementary school. If I got caught up in a book Writing one, she means
and wasn’t paying attention, my kids got put in bilingual education. In Spanish. Since they’re half Portuguese, the "compassionate" teachers thought it would be easier for them to do their homework in a related language.
...The only thing that finally made the befuddled products of our teacher-training system stop inflicting Spanish on my children was my mock serious explanation that they were offending my culture, due to how often the Portuguese and Spanish were at war throughout history. And I barely managed not to burst out laughing until I was outside the school.
...The alt-right is similarly so convinced of the genetic markers for language and culture (a part of me wants to go downstairs and tell that to the biologist in the basement, because his whoops of laughter should be audible all through the country) that one particular blogger often sends his minions over to fasten onto every typo and slip of the fingers in the blogs I write first thing in the morning and wholly uncaffeinated and see in them "proof" that I’m thinking in Portuguese. Around here there is something called "Hebrish" people think in Hebrew and translate world by word into English - I used to charge double for Hebrish to English translations (cause you have to reconstruct the original Hebrew and than translate it to English).
...In fact, the only difference between the ctrl-left and the alt-right is how they envision the treatment of these "minority cultures." Mind you, unlike language, culture is genetic. At least, some components. IMO, major difference between tribal cultures (and, in my view, the principal reason they never progressed beyond tribal) is in genes for reciprocity vs. kin selection.
[AP] BALTIMORE (AP) -- Last week, the number of homicides in Baltimore surpassed 200, making 2017 a record-setting year for violence on the city’s streets.
As the body count rises, the police department has reassigned 150 officers to the city’s most dangerous areas, but is still struggling to curb the bloodshed amid internal turmoil and mounting criticism. Mayor Catherine Pugh said she’s developed a plan to stop the violence, but hasn’t yet made it public.
In the meantime, Baltimore residents are taking matters into their own hands, proposing a 72-hour cease fire that would go into effect Friday and last at least through Sunday.
"Nobody Kill Anybody"
Erricka Bridgeford, a professional conflict mediator in Baltimore, is one of the organizers of the cease-fire, whose motto is "Nobody Kill Anybody."
Bridgeford says no individual or organization alone has taken credit for the event, and that’s intentional: That way, she said, it belongs to every single Baltimore resident.
The idea is to persuade shooters to put down their guns for three whole days, and remember what it feels like to make a positive decision for themselves, and for their city.
#6
Is Baltimore going to promote tourism by putting up billboards that say: "Safer than 2% of U.S. Cities?" Or "Come visit Baltimore and the inner harbor during the 3-day cease-fire."
[Daily Caller] Fox News commentator Charles Krauthammer warned Thursday night that members of the political establishment, including some Republicans, are angling to remove President Trump from office.
In a Fox News interview with Daily Caller co-founder Tucker Carlson following Trump’s rally in West Virginia, Krauthammer warned that removing the sitting president from office would be a "catastrophic mistake" that would "cause a rupture in the country."
"I think we are really headed into very choppy and dangerous constitutional waters. We know what the Democrats want to do: they want to get control of the House and then start impeachment. Now, I happen to think, as you know, I opposed the Trump candidacy, I don’t think he is very well fit for the presidency, but fitness is not a reason for impeachment and removal -- high crimes are," Krauthammer said.
#1
I've saying from the start that impeachment is likely, because most beltway denizens don't need a reason, just a plausible excuse - which Trump seems intent on providing.
#4
Impeachment for Obama was never on the table despite his high crimes and misdemeanors because of being black. Leftwing America seems to still be guilt-ridden about race; maybe it's because they are mostly Democrats and have a long history of racism. Trump is a different story, there are no inhibitions about impeachment. The long knives are out from both parties.
[Free Beacon] Health care insurers in Idaho have requested premium rate hikes as high as 81 percent for next year, according to the state's Department of Insurance.
The five insurers serving the individual market in Idaho are Blue Cross of Idaho Health Service, Mountain Health Co-Op, PacificSource Health Plans, Regence BlueShield of Idaho, and SelectHealth.
For all plans, insurers requested rates ranging from a low of 25 percent to a high of 51 percent for a combined average statewide rate increase of 38 percent. For Obamacare's popular Silver plan, the average rate increase among all insurers was even higher at 50 percent, with one insurer requesting a high of 81 percent.
"I am deeply disappointed and frustrated to share these rates," said Dean Cameron, who directs the department. "I understand how difficult it will be for Idahoans to afford reasonable coverage, especially those without a subsidy."
He noted that premiums for the Silver plans are significantly higher due to the uncertainty of Obamacare's cost-sharing reduction program.
After three years of development, Israel Aerospace Industries has begun testing its Counter Improvised Explosive Device and Mine Suite mobile system.
The system can identify, locate and destroy improvised explosive devices and mines before troops even reach them.
According to project manager Reuven Y., the system, which is not yet operational, "is a new concept that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world. It is a breakthrough technology against IEDs."
Primarily intended for patrols during routine security missions on Israel’s borders, CIMS created by Elta, one of IAI’s subsidiaries, can detect both surface and underground IEDs, mines and roadside bombs.
"The CIMS suite was designed under the premise that no one sensor can provide the adequate probability of detection and low false-alarm rate required by today’s operational needs," read a 2014 statement by IAI when the system was first unveiled.
With an above-surface detection system, and underground mine and IED detection system, CIMS can be installed on a number of tactical combat vehicles including tanks, APCs and even unmanned vehicles.
It can be operated day or night and in any weather condition and environment.
The ADS includes a groundbreaking side-looking SAR radar, high-resolution optical detection system and an infrared multispectral investigation system. MIDS consists of a Ground Penetrating Radar and a magnetic detector.
A large, rectangular multi-sensor system is placed directly in front of armored vehicles allowing it to search and destroy the IED.
Reuven told The Jerusalem Post that CIMS is a fully automated system that "when it detects an IED it automatically informs the troops making it so that a soldier does not need to exit the vehicle."
According to IAI, CIMS has a 270° radius and when an IED or mine is identified, the system alerts soldiers with warning sounds and indicators on a screen inside the vehicle, which displays its findings.
The system also includes a firing position from where troops can shoot at the explosive device to destroy it without having to leave the safety of their vehicle.
The system’s sensors can be placed on any vehicle making it easier for customers. Reuven said the IAI plans to sell the system to the IDF as well as other armies and other governmental security agencies around the world.
#1
The IED has been the bane of ground forces in recent wars. Hope this thing works as sold. The piece said it could operate at 10k/hr (6.2 mph). That is faster than ordinance detection/disposal crews could find and clear but not fast enough to keep up with armored assaults.
#2
New ground breaking technology from the Middle East??? How could that be????
Oh, right, it's the Juice. Sometimes I wish that Israel could be moved lock stock & barrel to some nice place away from there so the world could just ignore the whack jobs.
#3
AlanC, It wouldn't make any difference, the mooselimbs are supremacists; they tend to try to dominate wherever they are. The whackjobs would not leave the rest of us alone. Places they already are, e.g. Europe are slowly being taken over. The Soros, the globalists and the NWO have encouraged and aided these mass migrations to the detriment of the countries they have migrated to.
[Dhaka Tribune] Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... is known for its extremely conservative outlook and laws towards women and women’s dress, but it seems there might soon be some respite.
Going by recent reports, the country’s new heir to the throne Prince Mohammed bin Salman has announced plans of opening a new luxury Red Sea resort on a stretch of Saudi Arabia’s northwest coastline, where women will be allowed to wear whatever they like.
The resort, which will be a kind of "semi-autonomous" destination, will relax the strict norms of women’s dressing, so they can finally wear a bikini to the beach, if that’s what they want.
A Telegraph report quoted the government saying that the resort will be "governed by laws on par with international standards". This is said to be in a bid to turn the country into a tourist hub, akin to Dubai, where women are allowed to wear bikinis on the beach, making it a preferred Middle Eastern destination for international travellers.
The Prince is reportedly hopes that once business picks up, tourism would lessen the dependence on oil in the economy.
Tourists would also not need a visa to travel to the destination, and the resort will offer activities such as parachuting, trekking and rock climbing.
The Sun reports that the Red Sea project will also include diving attractions and a nature reserve, with some areas resembling the luxury hotels, islands and lagoons of the Maldives. This is aside from the usual fare of offerings for luxury travellers, such as wellness spas, alongside the options to spot rare wildlife such as Arabian leopards and falcons at a nature reserve.
There is also the Unesco World Heritage site of the ancient ruins of Mada’in Saleh.
A statement reportedly said that construction is scheduled to start in 2019, the first phase is expected to be completed by 2022. It hopes to host a million visitors annually by 2035.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/04/2017
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#3
I'm not optimistic, recently, a Saudi woman was arrested after wearing miniskirt in video. The bikini beach will probably mean the burkas go down to the knee instead of the ankle.
[FREEBEACON] Congress is advancing an investigation into a growing scandal surrounding IT staffers working for Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz ...Congresswoman from Florida, the abrasive chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee. She has been a politician since 1992, and prior to that was in training as a political science major. Her primary accomplishment seems to be that she's Jewish... (D., Fla.), who are accused of stealing sensitive computer equipment from House politicians' offices, according to senior congressional sources who told the Washington Free Beacon the Democratic leader's refusal to answer questions could "merit resignation."
Congressional leaders have now requested a formal briefing by Capitol Police into its investigation of several Pak House IT staffers who are accused of stealing sensitive computer equipment and of illegally penetrating congressional networks.
Imran Awan, one of the staffers who worked for Wasserman Schultz and several other Democratic members of Congress, was placed in durance vile Book 'im, Mahmoud! this week when trying to travel to Pakistain and charged with bank fraud after a months-long investigation that found he wired nearly $300,000 to that country. Several other staffers tied to Awan are the focus of an investigation into claims they stole sensitive equipment and illegally penetrated the House IT network.
Leading members of Congress are growing frustrated with the pace of the criminal investigation and have moved to conduct their own independent probe into the scandal, according to multiple sources who indicated that the relevant congressional committees are making moves to start an investigation, which could include compelling testimony from Wasserman Schultz, who has been accused of stonewalling on the issue.
As more information about the nature and scope of the IT staffers' collection of privileged congressional information becomes public, politicians are seeking to immediately begin their own investigation into the situation.
Rep. Ron DeSantis (R., Fla.), a member of the House Oversight Committee and chair of its National Security Subcommittee, formally requested a briefing from the Capitol Police on Tuesday, telling the Free Beacon that the situation amounts to "one of the all-time congressional scandals in the last 30 years."
Posted by: Fred ||
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#1
Is Debbie Wasserman's brother still handling the prosecution of the Awans?
Anbar (IraqiNews.com) Thirteen Islamic State militants were killed in a security operation that was targeted al-Sahla valley, southeast of Rutba, western Anbar, a tribal official said on Thursday.
‘Security troops destroyed three IS rest houses, exploded a weapon-laden truck and filled a water well and trenches dug by the group,” Col. Lawrance al-Eissawi, commander in the Tribal Mobilization Forces in Anbar, told BasNews.
“Iraqi troops confiscated a rocket launcher, destroyed 22 bombs and 16 landmines,” Eissawi said, adding that the forces also targeted a locally-manufactured telecommunications tower in al-Suhaila region.
Military operations are still ongoing in the western desert of Anbar, Eissawi added.
On Wednesday, news reports said 13 militants were killed as army airstrike shelled IS members gathering in Rawa and Qaim towns, western Anbar.
Earlier this week, Sputnik news agency quoted local and security sources as saying that the group gathered the militants at the 25 KM region, west of Rutba, located western Anbar, to attack Iraqi common borders with Syria and Jordan.
Lt.Gen Abdul-Amir Yarallah, commander of the Nineveh Operation, ordered to besiege IS havens in western Anbar preparing to invade them, a military source said last week.
Iraqi fighter jets reportedly dropped millions of leaflets informing locals that liberation offensives for the province were nearing.
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[Dhaka Tribune] Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... has been forced to step down as Pakistain’s Prime Minister. On July 28, five bench judges of Pakistain Supreme Court unanimously found Nawaz Sharif guilty and disqualified him from holding office in Pakistain.
He came under the scanner along with his children when they were linked to offshore companies in the Panama papers. It has been alleged that Sharif’s family bought property in the UK with assets disproportionate to their known sources of income.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
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[DAWN] BAHAWALPUR: A woman along with her three minor children allegedly attempted self-immolation on Wednesday in protest against a panchayat’s verdict in Ahmadpur Sharqia.
Fatima Bibi doused herself and her two sons Hussain, Tayyub and daughter Shabana in petrol in protest against a decision of the panchayat at Munir Shaheed Chowk.
On Tuesday, a panchayat forced her husband Allah Nawaz to pay within two days a sum of Rs600,000 which he had allegedly stolen from landlord Nazar Hussain at Tibbi Izzt village.
A large number of people gathered at the scene and averted her attempt.
SHO Tahir Iqbal confirmed the incident and said a case [of suicide attempt] against Allah Nawaz was registered. He said the panchayat headed by Riffat Rehmani asked Nawaz to pay the [stolen] amount after a foot tracer (khoji) found his alleged involvement in the theft.
No action against any punchayat member was taken.
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[DailyMail] At 48, Jane Townsend is beautiful, independent — and single. She keeps fit, takes great care of her appearance and is looking for a man who is active, in good shape, articulate and emotionally open. As I have said in the past elsewhere, the men who are "active, in good shape, articulate and emotionally open" already have boyfriends.
Given her good looks and vivacious nature, eligible suitors must surely be beating a path to her door.
Yet as Jane, from Sheffield, explains, it has been a struggle: ‘The men out there are delusional. I went out with a guy who lied about his age, saying he was 47 when he was 50, who then had the gall to tell me he wanted a younger woman so he, as he put it, “could breed”. Agree with his motives or not, the man was simply being honest. Obviously something Jane wouldn't understand.
'After my divorce, I gave up my prime dating years to raise my two girls, expecting that when they left home, I’d have time left. But there has been a shift and now the men aren’t there. Where I live it’s hard to find someone cultured unless they’re eating yogurt, and the men my age all seem to be — well — more than a little overweight.’
Having been matchmaking single men and women for Femail’s Blind Date column for the past six months, I’d like to say Jane’s experiences are the exception, — but what has struck me is just how many attractive women apply who seem to have so much going for them.
They are in great physical shape, living full and interesting lives. Yet finding suitable men for them to date seems to be a heroic challenge.
This has left me wondering why a generation of single, sexy, solvent women just can’t find love. What immediately strikes female mid‑life daters — of whom I am one — returning to the dating scene in later life after a marriage or long-term relationship, is the lack of single men.
According to Jo Hemmings, a behavioural psychologist and dating coach, there are an estimated seven new women for every man on the dating scene in the 40-55 age group, so availability is clearly a big issue. My guess is that the other six have better figured out that in relationships, nothing ever gets returned. You invest time and personal resources, and the only thing waiting on the horizon is more investment of time and personal resources.
‘I’ve had clients coming to me wondering: “Am I asking too much to find an attractive, independent, solvent guy of my age?” ’ she says.
As she explains, part of the issue is that when divorce strikes, men and women react in different ways.
Men’s relationships frequently overlap; they won’t leave one partner until they find another, so they are never really single.
By contrast, women take longer to recover from a break-up. They often step out of the dating ring completely, sometimes for many years, to rebuild their lives or to focus on bringing up children.
‘When they return to dating, it’s really hard for them,’ says Jo. ‘There aren’t as many men because they have a wider pool. Men realise quite quickly that there are far fewer of them than there are women of a similar age. They then date much younger women, creating a huge void in the market.
‘Traditionally women go for men who are their age or slightly older, so they are left wondering where all the men have gone.’ Fishing
When Jo coaches women on dating, she tells them to accept the reality. ‘It’s just a fact that there is a lack of available decent men,’ she says.
‘It’s tough when you’re looking for love. You have to realise that it’s not about you, it’s just a numbers game.’ Maf is hard.
But the numbers don’t tell the whole story. Men, indoctrinated over generations to pursue younger women, are instinctively reluctant to consider those of a similar age to their own, even ones who look youthful and attractive.
It is something I regularly notice when I set up dates.
Men need to open their eyes to the amazing women in their own age bracket. When an expert tells you you "need" to do something, that is a clear sign you don't "need" to do anything.
#5
At 48... ‘It’s just a fact that there is a lack of available decent men,’
It's call competition. So many have already been taken and kept by decent women.
looking for a man who is active, in good shape, articulate and emotionally open.
BTW, are you willing to date a man 4 inches shorter than you? Someone with a decent income but not great? A tradesman? Nah, didn't think so. Those are some of the real unspoken standards that shrink your available pool of potentials. As he says Maf is hard.
#10
I have often found that when you have a significant problem, all you need to do is look in the mirror. You will see the problem staring you back in the face.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
08/04/2017 13:22
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#11
Where have all the good men gone? At that age, we're happily married for decades, and not looking for some bitter, dried up old clam.
Posted by: Regular joe ||
08/04/2017 16:33
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#15
Read "Men on Strike" by Dr. Helen Smith (wife of Glenn Reynolds, the Instapundit)
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
08/04/2017 18:31
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#16
#12 yes. The industrialized western world is this way these days. Men have not changed. Women have changed as any feminist will tell you and the result is they are alone. It is a far calmer life for a man alone. One example is the hand held devices or ear phones. Preoccupied and a warning to not disturb. Even if they aren't talking to anyone. These women are just as dissatisfied with women mates. I should say the women my age are in bad shape. Why I don't know. Perhaps hard living. They no longer live longer than men. Welcome to the new way of life. The man cave is looking pretty good right now.
#19
been divorced 23 yrs now and not looking to re-partner any time soon. I have many female friends - my best friend is female. Last (former high school) girlfriend that wanted to get serious wanted my wallet/pension. Nope
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/04/2017 20:32
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Taliban insurgents have destroyed a bridge in Chahar Bolak district of northern Balkh province, police officials said on Thursday.
The incident took place on Wednesday night after the Taliban insurgents attacked security forces check posts in the district, a spokesman for the provincial governor, Shirjan Durani said.
“The bridge was connecting a number of villages with Mazar city (the provincial capital). No one was hurt in the incident,” Durani said.
However, he did not provide further details.
The Taliban has not yet commented on the incident.
[Ynet] An official says a policeman has been killed after suspected Islamic Death Eaters attacked a cop shoppe in the northern Kenyan county of Mandera.
North Eastern regional coordinator Mohamud Saleh said Thursday al-Shabaab ... the Islamic version of the old Somali warlord... are suspected in the attack on Lafey cop shoppe. Two vehicles were burnt in the early morning attack. The incident comes a day after three people died in a suspected al-Shabaab attack in southern Kenya and days before Tuesday's national elections. al-Shabaab has threatened to disrupt the elections.
Al-Shabaab in recent weeks has stepped up deadly attacks in Kenya's border counties of Lamu and Mandera. The group has carried out more than 100 attacks inside Kenya, calling it retribution for the East African nation's deployment of troops to Somalia in 2011 to fight the Death Eaters.
[DAWN] Zookeepers never expected a 23-year-old giant panda to give birth again when she was moved to a nature reserve in southwest China to live out the rest of her days.
But Haizi, started showing interest in courtship this spring, resulting in a blind date with a male panda suitor. Four months later twin cubs, that have made her the world's oldest panda mom, China's Giant Panda Conservation and Research Center announced on Thursday.
A 23-year-old giant panda is equivalent in age to an 80-year-old human.
According to the centre, Haizi gave birth to a 175-gram (6 ounces) female and a 123.1-gram male on July 30 at southwest Sichuan province's Wolong National Nature Reserve, where 21 panda cubs have been born this year. Haizi last delivered a pair of panda twins when she was 19 years old.
"Generally, the maximum breeding age for giant pandas is 20 years old, and pandas older than that are not encouraged to participate in breeding," Li Desheng, a giant panda expert at the breeding centre, said in a statement.
"But Haizi's success demonstrates the advanced degree of care offered at our centre. It is a breakthrough in panda breeding. "
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[Khaama (Afghanistan)] The former Jihadi leader Mohammad Ismail Khan has warned regarding deteriorating security situation and possible outbreak of a security crisis after a deadly bombing on a mosque in western Herat ...a venerable old Persian-speaking city in western Afghanistan, populated mostly by Tadjiks, which is why it's not as blood-soaked as areas controlled by Pashtuns... city of Afghanistan.
Speaking during a gathering in his residence on Wednesday, Khan criticized the government for its failure to ensure security and maintain control of the districts.
Strongly condemning the attack on Jawadia mosque in the city, Khan warned that the new coalitions being formed will have a negative impact and could even result to the collapse of the government and lead to a civil war if the government did not take immediate steps to control the situation.
This comes as at least 29 people were killed and nearly 70 others were maimed after a group of jacket wallahs stormed a mosque in Herat city late on Tuesday night.
The Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group grabbed credit for a deadly bombing on a Shi’ite mosque in western Herat province of Afghanistan.
Posted by: Fred ||
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[Dhaka Tribune] Salahuddin alias Salehin, the current chief of the terrorist group Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) is a source of major headache for law enforcement in both Bangladesh and India.
Hijacked out of a prison van in Trishal, Mymensingh in 2014, Salahuddin has been out of the law enforcement’s reach, despite their success in arresting many top turbans in recent times.
Investigators in Bangladesh believe he is hiding somewhere in India. The police Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit officials have discussed him with the Indian Special Task Force and the National Intelligence Agency that recently visited Dhaka.
A CTTC officer said Indian intelligence was also somewhat bothered about Salahuddin. They fear that if he is not caught, he might be able to reinvigorate the JMB.
Salahuddin gave an interview on the terrorist YouTube channel Sahm Al Hind on July 13 that JMB is reorganising with three main objectives: Dawah or motivation, training and Kital or armed combat. This implies that JMB is trying to recruit new members.
Posted by: Fred ||
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[DAWN] Bangladesh’s Supreme Court has scrapped parliament’s power to sack top judges, in a landmark verdict that lawyers said on Wednesday bolstered the independence of the country’s judiciary.
The country’s top court restored a military rule-era provision which allows only a Supreme Judicial Council, led by the chief justice, to remove judges found to have breached the judicial code of conduct.
The full ruling released on Tuesday was quickly hailed by lawyers as a crucial safeguard for the freedom of the Moslem-majority nation’s secular judiciary. "The judgement declares the 16th amendment of the constitution as null and void. It means the highest court scraps the parliament’s power to remove top judges," said senior lawyer Syed Ahsanul Karim.
Karim said that because of the "landmark" judgement, the executive "will have no dominant role over the judiciary".
Karim said if the amendment had been left in place, it would have made top judges "subservient" to the government as they would have been under constant threat of removal.
Prime Minister the loathesome Sheikh Hasina ...Bangla dynastic politician and current Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She has been the President of the Bangla Awami League since the Lower Paleolithic. She is the eldest of five children of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangla. Her party defeated the BNP-led Four-Party Alliance in the 2008 parliamentary elections. She has once before held the office, from 1996 to 2001, when she was defeated in a landslide. She and the head of the BNP, Khaleda Zia show such blind animosity toward each other that they are known as the Battling Begums.. brought the constitutional change allowing parliament -- controlled by her ruling Awami League party -- to remove top judges in September 2014.
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[DAWN] The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday accepted a petition calling for the names of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... and his family members to be added to the Exit Control List (ECL), and will hold its first hearing of the case on Monday.
The petition, filed by lawyer Raees Abdulwahid, asks that the names of Nawaz Sharif, his children, Hassan, Hussain and Maryam, son-in-law Capt Safdar, and former finance minister Ishaq Dar be placed on the ECL and their accounts frozen.
The petition comes days after the Supreme Court (SC), in a landmark ruling on the Panama Papers case, ordered Nawaz Sharif to step down as prime minister.
The July 28 judgement concluded Sharif had been 'dishonest' by not declaring in his nomination papers for the 2013 General Election ─ as required under Section 12(2)(f) of the Representation of the People Act (ROPA), 1976 ─ a salary of 10,000 dirhams receivable as chairman of the board of Dubai-based company Capital FZE owned by his son Hassan Nawaz.
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[DAWN] A South African man kidnapped from his hotel and held hostage by Al Qaeda in Mali since 2011 has been sprung unscathed, his country's foreign ministry said on Thursday.
Stephen McGown, 42, was kidnapped from the historic trading city of Timbuktu in Mali's north along with Swede Johan Gustafsson and Dutchman Sjaak Rijke, both of whom were subsequently released.
McGown has returned to South Africa and been reunited with his family, foreign ministry official Clayson Monyela told AFP.
"It was a big surprise when he walked through the door. When I gave him a hug, he was as sound and as strong as before, so he was obviously well treated up there," Stephen's father Malcolm told news hounds in Pretoria, though Stephen himself did not attend the press briefing.
Posted by: Fred ||
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Kirkuk (IraqiNews.com) Islamic State’s toxic gases expert was killed along with three of his guards while manufacturing missiles loaded with toxic gases, southwest of Kirkuk, a security source said.
“A blast occurred on Thursday at one of the IS sites in the military district in Hawija, southwest of Kirkuk, which killed the group’s toxic gases expert called abul Qa’qa’ al-Muhajir along with three of his guards,” the source told AlSumaria News. “The explosion took place after the so-called toxic gases brigade was working on missiles loaded with toxic gases.
The source, who preferred anonymity, said “al-Muhajir, who is close to the group’s supreme leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, is considered one of the group’s prominent toxic gases expert.”
Earlier this week, the group’s Islamic police chief was killed, while five others were injured as an airstrike targeted the group’s rest house in Hawija.
Hawija, located west of Kirkuk, have been held by IS since mid-2014, when the group emerged to proclaim an Islamic “caliphate” in Iraq and Syria. The group executed dozens of civilians and security members there, forcing thousands to flee homes.
There has been pressure on Iraqi government to hasten with invading Hawija, given the humanitarian crisis people were experiencing under the group’s rule. Further offensives are expected to be launched across Iraq.
Posted by: badanov ||
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#1
Wonder if these were the guys with the Hydrogen Sulphide recipe?
[APNEWS] The actor who played Luke Duke on the 1980s television show "The Dukes of Hazzard" pleaded not guilty "Wudn't me." on Thursday to grabbing the buttocks of a female member of the cast of a musical he was supposed to appear in.
Tom Wopat was released on $1,000 bail and was told to stay away from the woman after denying indecent assault and battery and drug possession charges. He refused to comment outside court before driving away.
Wopat, who’s from New York, inappropriately touched the woman on July 23, prosecutors alleged.
"During a rehearsal the defendant allegedly walked behind a female cast member, grabbing her buttocks," they said in an emailed statement.
Wopat, 65, was incarcerated Don't shoot, coppers! I'm comin' out! on Wednesday night on a warrant on the indecent assault charge as he was leaving Waltham High School, where he was rehearsing for a performance of "42nd Street." Police said that during a search of him and his vehicle they found "two bags of white powder believed to be cocaine."
Posted by: Fred ||
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[APNEWS] West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice is switching parties to join Republicans as President Donald Trump ...New York real estate developer, described by Dems as illiterate, racist, misogynistic, and what ever other unpleasant descriptions they can think of, elected by the rest of us as 45th President of the United States... plans a visit to the increasingly conservative state.
Justice’s plans were confirmed to The News Agency that Dare Not be Named on Thursday by a Democratic Party official with knowledge of his plans. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the decision before the announcement.
The governor is expected to publicly announce his decision Thursday evening at a campaign rally with the president.
Justice was elected in November with just 49 percent of the vote, 20 percentage points behind Trump’s total in the presidential contest in the state. Trump won 77 percent of West Virginia’s Republican primary voters in May.
Posted by: Fred ||
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#1
Justice was elected in November with just 49 percent of the vote, 20 percentage points behind Trump’s total in the presidential contest in the state. Trump won 77 percent of West Virginia’s Republican primary voters in May.
It was the Russians who caused Justice to win by just 49%; 20 points behind Trump. And it was the Russians who caused Trump to win W.Va. with 77% (sarc). In fact, it was the Russians who caused me to not sleep well last night. The bastid Russians also caused a huge dead waterlogged branch to fall from one of my trees and wipe out a shutter on the front of my house. I'm looking for an FBI investigation at any time (sarc). The Democrats are still in denial that their crappy, unbelievably crooked/corrupt, inevitable little empress did not win.
[Ynet] Clashes erupted during a demonstration in Jaffa following the arrest of the brother of the young man who was rubbed out by police at the end of last week.
The protesters burned garbage cans, vandalized several shops and threw stones at coppers.
So far, 2 rioters have been tossed in the calaboose You have the right to remain silent... , as well as a senior member of the Islamic Movement
... the Moslem Brotherhood in Israel. They do all the usual social welfare stuff as well as pass millions in donations from Turkey and the UK to Hamas. The "moderate" Southern Branch runs for election as one of the Arab parties, while the Northern Branch uses stronger methods, including the Mourabitoun, the cadre of Israeli Arabs who harass Jews on the Temple Mount. Their founder died recently; he was loudly mourned as a staunch "Zionist", which suits Southern Branch marketing.
who, according to suspicions, was the one who led the festivities with the police.
The brother was arrested after assaulting several coppers stationed in the city to maintain public order, and even bringing with him additional residents to confront the forces.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
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[IsraelTimes] Members of a British jihadist terror cell who called themselves the "Three Musketeers" receive life sentences on Thursday for plotting an attack against police and military targets.
The gang, from the West Midlands in central England, was enjugged ... anything you say can and will be used against you, whether you say it or not... last August after intelligence operatives went to bug one of the members’ cars, only to find a pipe bomb and meat cleaver hidden in the boot.
All three men denied preparing an attack and claim the evidence was planted by an undercover officer, who rejected the claims during 12 days of cross examination.
Judge Henry Globe in London sentenced Naweed Ali, 29, Khobaib Hussain, 25, and Mohibur Rahman, 33, to serve at least 20 years, following a trial in which the police’s undercover operations came under the spotlight.
Jurors deliberated for 22 hours before finding the men guilty of planning an attack similar to that on British soldier Lee Rigby, who was knifed to death on a London street in broad daylight in 2013.
Another defendant, Tahir Aziz, 38, was also sentenced to life after being found guilty of the same offense, and will serve a minimum of 15 years in jail.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
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#1
What's the over/under on how long they're actually in? Given the current nature of Jolly olde I'm guessing 2 years with time off for good behavior.
[Fox] Illegal immigrant families received nearly $1.3 billion in Los Angeles County welfare money during 2015 and 2016, nearly one-quarter of the amount spent on the county’s entire needy population, according to data obtained by Fox News.
The data was obtained from the county Department of Public Social Services -- which is responsible for doling out the benefits -- and gives a snapshot of the financial costs associated with sanctuary and related policies.
The sanctuary county of Los Angeles is an illegal immigration epicenter, with the largest concentration of any county in the nation, according to a study from the Migration Policy Institute. The county also allows illegal immigrant parents with children born in the United States to seek welfare and food stamp benefits.
#2
"Sanctuary" for taxpayer boosted profits in stores and rents!
Subsidizing migrants is just a way of stealthily funding the establishment welfare state.
Deir Ezzor (Syria News) Twelve civilians were killed, while tens others were injured in unidentified airstrikes in the vicinity of al-Tabani town, west of Deir Ezzor, Qasioun News reported on Thursday.
According to local sources, the victims were from one family. Many civilians have reportedly fled the surrounding villages in the wake of the heavy shelling.
Meanwhile, clashes occurred between Islamic State militants and the Syrian regime forces in west of Deir Ezzor, as troops, positioned 20 KM away from Tabani, were attempting to advance toward the town.
The Syrian regime forces, backed by Russian airforce, are quickly approaching toward the city from three sides including the western countryside, the southern countryside on the Syrian-Iraqi borders and the Syrian Badiyah.
Posted by: badanov ||
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Resident in six villages in Kandahar’s Shah Wali Kot district, who have now moved to Kandahar, the provincial capital, claim the Taliban has “forcibly expelled” them from their villages for “cooperating with government”.
The residents also claimed that Taliban had kidnapped at least 70 people living in the district while they were traveling along the Kandahar-Zabul highway three weeks ago.
According to the residents, seven of the abducted victims have been killed, 20 were released and 32 of them are still being held by the Taliban.
“Taliban asked me to share information (about government) with them. I told them that I am not an agent. And then they threatened to kill me and told me to leave my village,” said Abdul Mannan, a resident of the district.
The women said the Taliban had taken their sons by force.
“Taliban has forcibly taken my son and the sons of others. We came here to the (Kandahar) city by foot. Some of our houses have been taken by the Taliban. We were threatened with death so we came here out of fear,” said Zarghona, another resident of the district.
The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) has confirmed that the Taliban has kidnapped more than 70 residents of Shah Wali Kot district – killing seven of them. The incident happened on Kandahar-Zabul road at least three weeks ago.
“According to our initial information, at least 70 people have been kidnapped and all of them are civilians. This has been done by anti-government armed militants,” said AIHRC acting director in the south, Fakhruddin Fayiz.
“They (kidnappers) have killed seven people and have released some of them. We have some information that a number of the hostages have been freed,” he added.
Local officials in Kandahar have not commented on the report.
Taliban has claimed that they were not involved in the kidnapping.
[APNEWS] A fire broke out after midnight Friday in one of the world’s tallest residential towers in Dubai, engulfing part of the skyscraper and sending chunks of debris plummeting below. Flaming skyscrapers appear to afflict the Doobabs of Dubai with some regularity.
Firefighters are working to bring the blaze under control and no injuries have been reported so far at the Torch Tower, located in the popular Marina neighborhood.
"Dubai Civil Defense has successfully evacuated the Torch Tower and is working to bring the fire under control," Dubai’s official media office said in a tweet.
It is the second major fire to engulf the 86-story Torch Tower, which caught fire in early 2015. There were no major casualties reported in that blaze.
An News Agency that Dare Not be Named journalist near the scene of early Friday’s blaze said more than 40 floors of the high-rise tower appeared to be engulfed in flames on one side of the building. Residents of the building could be seen crying with several saying the fire broke just after 1 a.m.
Dubai police cordoned off the area around the building, keeping people about a block away from the fire and the falling debris.
Fires have affected several skyscrapers in the United Arab Emirates, including a towering inferno that engulfed a 63-story luxury hotel in Dubai on New Year’s Eve in 2016.
Posted by: Fred ||
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#1
Owners were having trouble finding tenants and wanted to 'sell' the place to their insurance company?
[DAWN] LAHORE: A group of young lawyers barged into Lahore High Court Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah’s courtroom on Wednesday and created a hostile situation for the bench holding contempt of court proceedings against the Lahore High Court Bar Association’s (LHCBA) Multan president.
The five-member bench -- comprising the LHC chief justice, Justice Muhammad Anwarul Haq, Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti and Justice Shams Mahmood Mirza -- was scheduled to resume hearing at 11am. However, denial ain't just a river in Egypt... at the scheduled time dozens of lawyers gathered in front of the courtroom with the intent to sabotage its proceedings.
They shouted slogans against the chief justice and the other judges for hearing the case against their colleague. In the midst of the ruckus, the police deployed in front of the chief justice’s courtroom did not intervene, claiming that they wanted to avoid a clash with the aggressive lawyers.
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[IsraelTimes] IS figure Lavdrim Muhaxheri hatched plan to target Israeli-Albanian World Cup qualifier last November
The US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... group in Syria has killed a plotter of the thwarted terror attack at last year’s Israel-Albania soccer match in Albania, a US official said Thursday.
Lavdrim Muhaxheri was killed in a June 7 Arclight airstrike near Mayadin, which is close to Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria, coalition front man Colonel Ryan Dillon said.
"He was an ethnic Albanian from Kosovo and a self-proclaimed leader of ISIS imported muscle from Kosovo," he said.
Albanian authorities have charged four people over allegedly plotting to attack the World Cup qualifier in Albania last November. The game had been due to take place in the northern town of Shkodra but was eventually held in Elbasan, about 45 kilometers (28 miles) from the Albanian capital Tirana, under a massive security presence.
Dillon said Muhaxheri was "the most prominent and radical ethnic Albanian fighter" in Syria who was responsible for inciting jihadist ideology in Europe and encouraging imported muscle to travel to IS-controlled territory.
"He was also responsible for planning numerous terrorist attacks, to include the failed plot to bomb the 2016 Israel-Albania soccer match in Albania," Dillon told news hounds in a video call from Baghdad.
Kosovo, a predominantly ethnic Albanian and Moslem country, has been confronted with more than 300 of its citizens waging jihad in Syria and Iraq. It has subsequently strengthened legislation and attempted to root out radical Islamist networks.
Dillon said eight other "colleagues" of Muhaxheri had also been killed.
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[DAWN] Two Indian soldiers and two suspected bully boyz were reportedly killed in armed festivities on Thursday in held Kashmire, officials said, in another day of bloodshed in the region where tensions are high following the killing of a prominent suspected krazed killer.
The separatists were killed in Kulgam, south of the main city of Srinagar in India-held Kashmire, when they walked into an ambush laid by Indian soldiers.
"It was a deliberate and swift operation," an army officer told AFP.
In a separate incident, two Indian troops were killed and another injured in a shootout with suspected bully boyz in Shopian district, the officer said on condition of anonymity.
The soldiers came under fire as they surrounded a house suspected of harbouring krazed killers, and were evacuated from the scene. It was not clear if the people inside evaded capture.
"Three soldiers were evacuated by air but two of them died before reaching a military hospital," a police officer said.
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#1
Mostly empty train car, two transit police idling in the back, feral yoots and 'the vic'.
Apparently they exited the train and really hammered the guy.
DART was sluggish getting help to Jones and didn't get investigating until the videos surfaced.
Tal Afar (IraqiNews.com) Curfew was imposed in Tal Afar town, west of Mosul, as huge sound of explosion was heard on Wednesday, a local source from Nineveh was quoted saying.
“Huge explosion sound was heard on Wednesday evening in Tal Afar, and was followed by heaving shooting,” the source told AlSumaria News.
“Islamic State militants imposed curfew,” speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said, adding that “the reason behind the explosion was unknown, which urged the group to impose the curfew.”
The group has been on high alert as the group’s head of training camps was killed in an airstrike in the town earlier on Wednesday.
Tal Afar is one of the important strongholds still held by IS in Nineveh since August 2014. The town has been set as the next target of operations after victory was declared in Mosul on July 10.
Iraqi Defense Ministry said last week that a date has been set for the invasion of the town, however, it will not be declared to maintain the secrecy of the intended operations.
During a weekly press briefing on Tuesday, Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi said a special plan has been drawn to invade Tal Afar.
Kirkuk (IraqiNews.com) Kurdish security authorities are forcibly deporting Iraqi refugees to home regions where they fear vengeful actions from pro-government militias, a news network says.
Quoting Arab tribal sources, Saudi-owned al-Arabiya network said Kurdish security in the Iraqi province of Kirkuk are obliging Iraqi refugees to their home regions in Salahuddin province which had been recaptured from Islamic State militants.
It said, however, that the refugees are averse to returning home fearing what the channel described as “vengeful” action s from the Popular Mobilization Forces, the pro-government alliance of Shia-led militias that had fought the Islamic State.
Iraq’s war against IS since 2014 has displaced more than four million people, according to United Nations and government counts. All parties to the war have faced criticisms from U.N. and human rights groups for alleged human rights violations, including mobilization forces, which have occasionally been accused of breaches against Sunni civilians at recaptured areas, especially those suspected of affiliation with IS militants.
But Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had recurrently defended the force against accusations.
U.N., local and international human rights groups have recurrently urged Baghdad to give refugees the freedom of choice between staying at their shelter destinations and returning to their home towns.
Tal Afar (IraqiNews.com) A notorious mother of three Islamic State militants died Thursday when her house partially collapsed west of Nineveh, a local source was quoted saying.
Alsumaria News quoted the source saying that “Um Daesh” (mother of the Islamic State) died under a collapsing wall at a house in Tal Afar, the last major Islamic State stronghold in Nineveh.
“She was in her sixties and had always bragged about her affiliation with the group and used to threaten locals with her three sons who were behind several executions of innocents over the past years,” said the source.
The Iraqi government has recently set Tal Afar as the next target of operations against the Islamic State. So far, the town has been isolated from the Syrian borders and from Mosul by the pro-government Popular Mobilization.
The Iraqi government declared last month its victory over IS militants in Mosul, the group’s former capital in Iraq. Islamic State lost more than 25.000 members in more than eight months of military campaigns that began in October.
Besides Tal Afar, Islamic State still holds a few havens in Anbar, Salahuddin, and Kirkuk, all targets for future military actions.
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[AlAhram] The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... 's foreign minister vowed Thursday to "eliminate" anti-China forces from his country, signalling a shift in Ankara's stance towards Beijing's treatment of Moslem minorities.
The two countries have sparred in the past over Beijing's treatment of the mostly Moslem Uighur minority in China's far western region of Xinjiang, who have cultural ties with Turkey and speak a Turkic language.
"We treat China's security as our own security," Ottoman Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told news hounds in Beijing during a joint presser with his Chinese counterpart.
"We absolutely will not allow any activities opposing or aimed against China within Turkey or its territories, and we will take measures to eliminate any media reports aimed against China."
Cavusoglu's remarks followed a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in which both sides vowed to work together to combat terrorism.
Beijing blames unrest in Xinjiang on Islamist separatists seeking independence for the region, while Turkey in the past repeatedly expressed concern ...meaning the brow was mildly wrinkled, the eyebrows drawn slightly together, and a thoughtful expression assumed, not that anything was actually done or indeed that any thought was actually expended... s about Beijing's treatment of the minority -- with Erdogan even accusing Beijing of "genocide" in the region.
But ties have warmed as Turkey has sought to pivot away from the West and toward Asia, seeing in China a wealth of economic possibilities.
As part of China's expansive Belt and Road initiative, an economic corridor will be established between the two countries, as well as a highspeed rail linking the eastern and western regions of Turkey.
"We greatly praise China for the work it has done so far to tackle the issues confronting Islamic countries," Cavusoglu said Thursday.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
08/04/2017
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#1
Edging out the competition. "We" are the only ones to represent the interest of Turks! When you have grandiose ambitions, they include Central Asia (from where they originated to conquer Christian Europe) .
ADEN/DUBAI: Yemeni troops, backed by the United States and the United Arab Emirates, conducted raids against the local affiliate of Al-Qaeda in Shabwa province on Thursday, the Emirati state news agency WAM said.
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has taken advantage of a civil war pitting the Houthi movement against the Saudi-backed government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi to try to widen its control and influence in Yemen.
“Since early morning on Thursday, Yemeni troops and Hadrami (from Hadramout province) Elite Forces, with US and UAE backing, moved to smash elements of the terrorist organizations, especially AQAP,” WAM reported.
WAM did not say what kind of support the UAE and US militaries had provided or give details on the outcome of the raids.
The raids came a day after a suspected Al-Qaeda suicide bomber blew up his vehicle next to a military position recently set up by the Yemeni force in Shabwa province, killing six soldiers of a new anti-terrorist force set up by the UAE.
A Yemeni military official said two vehicles belonging to the anti-terrorist force were destroyed in the attack, which left an undetermined number wounded while other soldiers were abducted by Al-Qaeda members supporting the suicide bomber.
Yousef Al Otaiba, the UAE ambassador to the United States, confirmed the operation against the terrorists in a statement issued later Thursday.
“Yemeni government armed forces launched a major operation against Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) militants in the Shabwah Governorate of Yemen. The operation is being closely supported by a combined UAE and US enabling force,” he said.
Otaiba gave no details of the support provided by UAE and US forces.
Air strikes by US drones and manned aircraft against the militant group are frequent. But large-scale ground operations by regional troops have been rare since 2015, when the group was driven out of the mini-state it had established in the port city of Mukalla.
Shabwa, one of the key southern Yemeni provinces, is where the US military carried out an air strike in June that killed Abu Khattab al Awlaqi, one of the emirs of AQAP, along with two other militants.
It is also the site of Yemen’s only gas terminal, in the province’s port of Belhaf, and the pipeline feeding the terminal has been targeted several times by AQAP, Al-Qaeda’s most active branch. The terminal stopped operating after foreign experts were evacuated in 2015.
Operations against the militants are complicated by the Yemeni civil war. A Saudi-led coalition is fighting Houthi rebels backed by Iran and troops loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh in a campaign to restore the internationally recognized government of President Hadi.
The forces are largely stalemated but the fighting has plunged millions into poverty, displaced millions of others and killed more than 10,000 people.
Posted by: badanov ||
08/04/2017
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[IsraelTimes] Overnight raids in East Jerusalem neighborhoods round up alleged key figures who police say fueled violent protests
As part of ongoing security operations since festivities broke out some three weeks ago, police nabbed Drop the heater, Studs, or you're hist'try! overnight Wednesday a further 15 men suspected of playing key roles in recent violent demonstrations against Israeli security measures at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
Officers and border guards, equipped with arrest warrants, raided homes in East Jerusalem and detained the suspects for questioning, police said in a statement.
Raids took place in A Tur, Beit Hanina, Wadi Joz and Ras Al Amoud.
The detainees are suspected of taking part in riots and endangering lives, the statement said.
Following questioning they will be brought before a court to have their detention extended.
Police said that by using a combination of groundwork, intelligence-gathering, documentation, and "sophisticated use of technologies," they were able to identify major instigators of violent rioting.
During the festivities, dozens of Paleostinians gathered in a number of locations and threw stones, glass bottles and Molotov cocktails, set dumpsters alight, blocked roads, and launched firecrackers at security forces.
Five protesters were killed and a number of officers were maimed during the rioting.
"The Israel police takes a serious view of efforts to riot with the aim of shaping reality and to influence decision making, and will not allow it," the statement said.
The latest arrests come just two days after 33 people were detained in similar raids over the violence. Thirty-one of those have had their remands extended, with nine already being handed indictments.
The site is revered by Jews as the home of two destroyed biblical Temples, and is the holiest site in Judaism. Known to Moslems as Haram al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary), it houses the Dome of the Rock shrine and the al-Aqsa mosque.
[IsraelTimes] The IDF on Thursday raided the West Bank hometown of a Paleostinian terrorist who stabbed and critically injured an Israeli supermarket worker the day before.
The army did not make any arrests in the early-morning raid, an IDF spokesperson said, but soldiers entered the homes of the terrorist’s family members in an apparent search for contraband.
On Wednesday morning, just before noon, Ismail Ibrahim Ismail Abu Aram, 19, attacked an employee of a Shufersal supermarket, stabbing him multiple times in the chest, neck and head. The brutal attack was captured by the store’s security camera (warning: graphic content).
Abu Aram expeditiously departed at a goodly pace but was tackled and pinned to the ground by civilian bystanders until police arrived and nabbed Into the paddy wagon wit' yez! him.
The 43-year-old victim was rushed to the nearby Kaplan Medical Center with life-threatening injuries, a hospital spokesperson said. After an hours-long operation to stop the bleeding and repair the damage caused by Abu Aram’s attack, the victim’s condition stabilized, but remained serious, according to Dr. Doron Shindel, the head of Kaplan’s head and throat surgery department.
"He is being monitored and is receiving treatment in the intensive care unit. He is still unconscious and hooked up to a ventilator, and within the next few hours he will be brought back to an operating room to finish the surgery process," Shindel said in a statement Thursday morning.
Shortly after the attack on Wednesday, the IDF raided Abu Aram’s home in the West Bank town of Yatta, also arresting no one.
A few hours later, the army placed a cordon around the village. All traffic coming in and out of Yatta was being checked in a measure referred to by the army as a "breathing closure," the IDF said in a statement.
Khaled and Mahmoud Khayat will appear before Parramatta Court on Friday
They are facing charges of acting in preparation for or planning a terrorist act
Police said plot involved smuggling bomb onto Etihad flight out of Sydney
Bomb made of components sent through international air cargo by a senior member of ISIS, but July 15th attempt failed
A second plan was to build a weapon to release toxic hydrogen sulphide gas
Khaled Merhi remains behind bars and is held under special anti-terror laws
Update at 9:30: I just checked the link to see if the article had been updated, as the Daily Mail so often does, and it's a doozy.
The alleged ringleader of a terror plot to bring down a plane departing Sydney for the Middle East planned to send his unsuspecting brother to his death, it has been revealed.
Police said the plot ‐ to bring an improvised bomb aboard an Etihad Airways flight to Abu Dhabi ‐ was aborted at the last minute.
It may have been because the bag containing the bomb, concealed inside a meat mincer, was too heavy, AFP Deputy Commissioner Michael Phelan told news hounds on Friday.
Daily Mail Australia understands the flight in question was EY 451, which departed Sydney Airport's international terminal shortly after 3pm on July 15.
Police said Khaled Khayat, 49, took the luggage home with him from Sydney Airport, while his brother boarded the flight.
Mr Phelan said detectives believe the brother had no idea about the bomb inside his bag.
’We will be alleging the person who was to carry the IED on the plane had no idea they were going to be carrying an IED,’ he said. ’We believe he had no idea.’
Khayat, of Lakemba, and another brother Mahmoud Khayat, 32, of Punchbowl, are each charged with two counts of acting in preparation for, or planning, a terrorist act. The maximum penalty for the offence is life imprisonment.
They were remanded in jug and the case was adjourned to the same court on November 14.
Communications with ISIS began in April with the group sending components and propellants through international cargo from The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... to the men in Sydney, police said.
They then directed them on how to build a bomb with what was 'high military-grade explosives' that would have caused 'significant damage'.
Mr Phelan would not reveal who the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... link was, but said it will be alleged that the men were introduced to him by one of their family members, who is a senior ISIS member in Syria.
But authorities are confident they've now found 'every single component of that IED,' he said.
The second plan was hatched after the first one failed, police alleged, and was not necessarily targeted at a plane.
'They were talking about crowded closed spaces, you know, potentially public transport, and so on,' Phelan said, but added that they 'got nowhere near making one'.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
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#1
A second plan was to build a weapon to release toxic hydrogen sulphide gas
[ARA News] Coalition airstrikes continue to target and kill ISIS leaders and foreign fighters in Syria to support Coalition partner forces and degrade ISIS’ ability to inspire, resource and direct terror attacks around the world, the US-led coalition said in a statement today.
Most recently, the Coalition targeted and killed ISIS leaders involved in directing external operations as well as bomb making directed at regional and Western targets.
Coalition forces killed Abd al-Ghafur, a Syria-based ISIS external operations official, and one associate in an airstrike July 24 near Albu Kamal, Syria. His assistant, Abu Hammam, and three other ISIS members were killed by a Coalition airstrike on July 16 near Deir ez-Zor, in eastern Syria.
Abd Al-Ghafur and Abu Hammam were responsible for managing and directing external operations attacks and participated in attack plotting against the Middle East and Western targets, the coalition said. Their removal deprives ISIS of well-connected members with links to trans-regional terror support networks.
Abu Futtum, an ISIS explosives specialist, and one associate were killed in an airstrike July 13 near Mayadin, Syria. As a bomb maker, Futtum was a part of ISIS’ network that instructs and incites others to take the same destructive actions, encouraging lone wolf attacks across the globe using homemade explosives.
The Coalition also targeted ISIS foreign fighters from southeast Europe operating in Syria as ISIS recruiters, facilitators and attack plotters, responsible for multiple atrocities within Syria.
Lavdrim Muhaxheri was killed by a Coalition airstrike June 7, 2017, near Mayadin, Syria. Muhaxheri was an ethnic Albanian from Kacanc, Kosovo, and a self-proclaimed leader of ISIS foreign fighters from Kosovo.
He was known as the most prominent and radical ethnic Albanian fighter in Syria and was directly responsible for inciting jihadist ideology within European communities and encouraging foreign fighters to travel to ISIS-controlled territory. He was also responsible for planning numerous terrorist attacks, including the failed plot to bomb the 2016 Israel-Albania soccer match in Albania.
“Furthermore, we can confirm the deaths of four senior ISIS associates of Muhaxheri. Jetmir Ismaili, an ISIS external terror attack planner, was killed by a Coalition airstrike in Raqqah, Syria, in late June. Ismaili had key connections with ISIS external terror attack planners in Europe and Syria, and personally planned and coordinated external ISIS terror attacks,” the coalition said on Thursday.
“Razim Kastrati, an ISIS external terror attack coordinator, was killed along with five other ISIS fighters by a Coalition airstrike on June 16 near Mayadin, Syria. Kastrati moved and trained foreign fighters from southeast Europe to Syria and was involved in plotting external attacks,” the coalition added.
Irfan Hafiqi, a fellow ethnic Albanian and deputy to Muhaxheri, was killed by a Coalition airstrike on June 7 near Qayira, Syria. Haqifi was involved in plotting terror attacks abroad, and was responsible for recruiting ISIS fighters from Southeast Europe and facilitating their movements to Syria.
Orhan Ramadani, was killed by a Coalition airstrike on May 21 near Mayadin, Syria. Ramadani was responsible for actively planning external terror attacks from Syria.
“ISIS poses a global threat because of its commitment to plot, direct and incite terror attacks, and its ability to recruit, move, and finance the terrorists who commit those attacks. The Coalition will continue to target and kill ISIS terrorists in Iraq and Syria until ISIS is removed from the region and no longer pose a threat to national homelands around the world,” the coalition concluded.
Posted by: badanov ||
08/04/2017
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#1
A side effect of this activity is, as I have said before, that these clowns are turning themselves inside out to figure how our side knew where and when to strike.
If they're doing that, many of their insiders are either going to be terminated or cut out of various commo activities in order to restrict info, which is a disadvantage, or assigned someplace else. It's all good.
Of if they don't, this keeps happening.
Posted by: Richard Aubrey ||
08/04/2017 16:27
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Tal Afar (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi pro-government paramilitary forces recaptured more ground around Islamic State’s last stronghold in Nineveh province, a military officer was quoted saying Thursday.
Popular Mobilization Forces carried out a military operation east of Tal Afar, west of Mosul, said Cap. Jabbar Hassan from the Iraqi army in statements to Anadolu Agency. The offensives came as part of reinforcements in preparation to invade the town, he explained.
The PMF finished an operation to clear the road linking the regions of Adaya, west of Mosul, and ain al-Jahsh, southeast of Tal Afar, Hassan added. Forces took control of 17 villages and roads interconnecting them, he revealed.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said last month that military plans were ready to invade Tal Afar, Islamic State’s last haven in Nineveh, with the participation of mobilization forces. Abadi declared earlier this month that the city of Mosul, IS’s largest stronghold in Iraq, had been recaptured from the militant group.
Late June, PMFs said they took control over the borderline with Syria, and announced earlier this year that Tal Afar was completely isolated from IS’s havens in Syria.
Mosul (IraqiNews.com) The Shia-led paramilitary troops have announced murder of the ‘third man’ within the Islamic State group, in west of Mosul.
In a statement posted on al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Units), abu Sijad al-Karbala’i, deputy commander of the 13th brigade, said “Iraqi fighter jets killed on Thursday IS security chief known as abu Suhaib, based on intelligence information from the PMUs.”
“Abu Suhaib was targeted by an army airstrike near the brigade in al-Jighaifi region, west of Mosul on the borders between Iraq and Syria,” Karbala’i added.
In May, Badr Organization, which works under the umbrella of the PMUs, announced reaching to Iraqi-Syrian borders, after liberating the remaining villages in the vicinity of Qairawan, a main Islamic State bastion which links between Tal Afar town and the Syrian borders, and Baaj.
The target behind expanding the control of borders, according to PMUs officials, is to prevent infiltration of of IS militants from Syria to Iraq.
Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi vowed in July to keep the PMUs for several years and announced increase of their budget to raise the fighters’ wages.
PMUs, an alliance of more than 60 mostly Shia militias, are recognized by the government as a national force under the Prime Minister’s command.
Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) An Iraqi officer was killed, while another went missing in an ambush set up by Islamic State militants, south of Nineveh province, Waradana news agency reported.
“A colonel from the national security department was killed in an ambush set up by IS militants, while another officer, a first lieutenant, went missing,” a police source said.
“The ambush was set up in al-Najma village in Qayyarah, south of Nineveh,” the source added.
Iraqi troops had liberated Qayyarah in August.
Violence in the country has surged further with the emergence of Islamic State Sunni extremist militants who proclaimed an “Islamic Caliphate” in Iraq and Syria in 2014.
A monthly count by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), issued this week said 518 Iraqis were killed and injured during the month of June. Nineveh province was the most affected governorate with 233, Baghdad came next then Anbar.
Bombings and armed attacks are seen on on almost a daily basis against security members, paramilitary groups and civilians since the Iraqi government launched a wide-scale campaign to retake IS-occupied areas in 2016.
Despite declaring the victory over IS in Mosul in July, observers say IS is believed to constitute a security threat even after the group’s defeat at its main havens across Iraqi provinces.
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[IsraelTimes] Terror group brought some $200,000 into the West Bank to pay salaries of its command, operatives, Shin Bet says
Photos of the miscreants can be seen at the link.
Israel’s Shin Bet security service has uncovered a complex Hamas, the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood, money laundering operation that brought nearly three quarters of a million shekels into the terrorist group’s coffers, the agency announced Thursday.
In light of Israeli sanctions on the group, Hamas cannot freely move money in and out of the country. Through this plot, which began in early 2016, the group managed to transfer approximately $200,000 (NIS 720,000) into its Hebron offices from The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... , with help from Gazoo, in order to fund terrorist activities, the Shin Bet said.
The security service, working alongside the Israel Police, nabbed You have the right to remain silent... five Hamas members in the West Bank in connection with the operation, and also identified one operative in Gazoo and another in Turkey.
"The discovery of this operation shows the never-ending desire by Hamas operatives in Turkey and Gazoo to increase terrorism by Hamas in the West Bank," the Shin Bet said.
The security service added that this type of money laundering by Hamas takes a toll on the otherwise legitimate Paleostinian businessmen involved, who end up "paying a significant personal and financial price for these actions."
The head of the operation was identified by the security service as Muhammad Maher Bader, a senior member of Hamas in Hebron and a member of the Paleostinian parliament.
Bader, who was arrested in June, enlisted the help of two couriers, Muasseb Hashalmon and Taha Uthman, both of them residents of Hebron, the Shin Bet said.
Hashalmon and Uthman would travel to Turkey, where they would receive tens of thousands of dollars from a Hamas operative named Haron Nasser al-Din.
According to the Shin bet, the two Paleostinian men used the money to purchase commercial goods, which they would ship back to Hebron and sell. The money from the merchandise, save for a small percentage that was their cut, was then used to pay the salaries of Hamas’s high command in the West Bank city and was also given to active members of the terrorist group and to operatives who had been released from prison.
Behind the scenes, two other Hebron residents -- Umar Qimri and Yusri Hashalmon -- worked with a Gazoo-based Hamas member, Majd Jaaba, to facilitate the deals in Turkey, the Shin Bet said.
Jaaba, who was originally from Hebron, moved to Gazoo after he was released from an Israeli prison as part of the deal to release captured soldier Gilad Shalit, an agreement that saw over 1,000 convicted Paleostinian hard boyz set free.
Al-Din, originally from Hebron, was also released from prison under the Shalit deal.
In addition to breaking up the ongoing money operation, the Shin Bet said it thwarted a second plot that was still in the planning stages, in which a cement factory in Hebron would be used to launder even more funds for the terrorist group.
With the close of the investigation, the Shin Bet said military prosecutors are expected to file indictments against the five Hebron-based members of the operation within the next few days.
[DAWN] "Military rule has always brought the country back on track, whereas civilian governments have always derailed it," former president General (retd) Pervez Perv Musharraf ... former dictator of Pakistain, who was less dictatorial and corrupt than any Pak civilian government to date ... said in an interview with BBC Urdu on Wednesday, during which he lauded former military dictators.
"Dictators set the country right, whereas civilian governments brought it to ruins," he said, claiming that "military rule always brought progress to Pakistain".
The former president added that whenever a martial law was declared in Pakistain, "it was the need of the hour".
"All Asian countries have seen progress because of dictators," he said, adding that it makes no difference to the population of Pakistain whether the country is being governed by an elected government or by an autocrat, as long as there is progress and prosperity.
"What is the point of holding elections and giving liberty [to the population], if the country does not see progress?" he was quoted as saying.
During the interview, Musharraf lauded the rules of former military dictators Field Marshal Ayub Khan and Gen Zia ul Haq ...the creepy-looking former dictator of Pakistain. Zia was an Islamic nutball who imposed his nutballery on the rest of the country with the enthusiastic assistance of the nation's religious parties, which are populated by other nutballs. He was appointed Chief of Army Staff in 1976 by Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, whom he hanged when he seized power. His time in office was a period of repression, with hundreds of thousands of political rivals, minorities, and journalists executed or tortured, including senior general officers convicted in coup-d'état plots, who would normally be above the law. As part of his alliance with the religious parties, his government helped run the war against the Soviets in Afghanistan, providing safe havens, American equipiment, Saudi money, and Pak handlers to selected mujaheddin. Zia died along with several of his top generals and admirals and the then United States Ambassador to Pakistain Arnold Lewis Raphel when he was assassinated in a suspicious air crash near Bahawalpur in 1988... Holding the Bhutto era responsible for "breaking the country", he said Ayub Khan had "set a record of progress in the country."
Commenting on the rule of Gen Zia, Musharraf -- while accepting that it was "controversial" -- maintained that the former dictator's decision to help America and the mujahideen against the Soviet Union at the time of the Afghanistan invasion was a correct move.
Musharraf also spoke about his 1999 coup d'état in which he seized power from the democratically-elected government of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... He said, "The coup was staged because it was the demand of the country's people".
Musharraf added that Pakistain's citizens should have the option of to remove a civilian government and there should be "checks and balances in the Constitution" to this effect.
Posted by: Fred ||
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At least three civilians including two children were killed in an IED explosion in Kabul city early Thursday, eyewitnesses said.
In addition, the body guard of a security official was wounded.
The blast happened at about 7:15am local time in Kotal area in PD17 when an IED was detonated as a security official drove by, according to eyewitnesses.
“The children were coming from mosque when the explosion happened. One of the bodyguards of the security official was also wounded in the blast,” an eyewitness said.
However, security officials have not yet commented over the blast.
No group including the Taliban has claimed responsibility for the blast yet.
#5
Anyone notice TallyBoys are late to announce on many of these blasts?
Twice the publicity: once when the act is reported, a second time when the claim is ditto. Or even a third time, if there is an interim update of casualties and damage. Claim it the same day it occurs, and the media will quickly get in the habit of delaying release of such stories until the claim comes through.
That is the original, untouched headline, dear Reader.
[Dhaka Tribune] Over 50 central leaders of Hefajat-e-Islam ...a madrassa-based false nose and mustache of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, formed in 2010 to protest against secular education. In 2011 demonstrated violentyly against women's rights and in 2013 held large rallies demanding capital punishment of Shahbag Square protesters and banning women working outside the home... Bangladesh are planning to take part in the next national election under the banner of various registered Islamist political parties.
Although the Qawmi madrasa-based fundamentalist Islamist group claims to be a non-political movement, many of its members have already taken part in several local government elections in recent times, winning a few.
Following these victories, Islamist politicians who are affiliated with the group are now seeing the organization as a potential vote bank.
Despite its reiterations about not participating in elections, Hefazat central leadership has been silently consenting to these political aspirations. Sources within the organization say the leadership sees this as an opportunity to materialise their 13-point agenda.
Hefazat was formed in 2010 and came to prominence by mobilising opposition to the Shahbagh Movement in early 2013. It was then that they issued their now infamous 13-point charter, which included demands for a ban on the free mixing of men and women, and the death penalty for atheists.
Hefazat Ameer Shah Ahmed Shafi has said many times that his group is not a political party and they will not take part in any election.
But over the last few years, several Hefazat leaders have won public offices through local government elections, with tacit support from the group’s central command.
Nasir Uddin Munir, general secretary of Hefazat’s Hathazari municipality unit, was elected vice-chairman of Hathazari Upazila Gay Pareehad in 2014. The Hathazari madrasa is the headquarters of the group.
A Hefazat leader, seeking anonymity, said the organization sees this as a sign that they are popular among the public.
Some of the political parties where Hefazat leaders are vying for candidacies are: Nezam-e-Islami Party, Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam ...Assembly of Islamic Clergy, or JUI, is a Pak Deobandi (Hanafi) political party. There are two main branches, one led by Maulana Fazlur Rahman, and one led by Maulana Samiul Haq. Fazl is active in Pak politix and Sami spends more time running his madrassah. Both branches sponsor branches of the Taliban, though with plausible deniability... , Khelafat Andolan, Khelafat Mojlish (Ishak), Khelafat Mojlish (Habibur Rahman), Khelafat Islami and two factions of Islami Oikya Jote ... a political party in Bangladesh. In the 2001 elections the party won 2 out of 300 elected members in an alliance with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. It has a focus on building an islamic state, and has used the madrassas to gain support... (IOJ).
Sources said Hefazat now plans to field candidates in over 50 constituencies, although some of the names under consideration by the group are accused of crimes and are facing several cases.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/04/2017
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#2
Mexican architects from Estudio 3.14, a design firm based in Guadalajara, imagined a hot pink border that stretches 1,954 miles, called the "Prison-Wall."
Pink? What are the Mexicans trying to do, get even?
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/04/2017 7:42
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#3
Under state election law, convicted felons can vote and run for office as long as they are not incarcerated or guilty of certain fraud-related offenses, or crimes involving a breach of the public trust.
Damn, that is a low standard. I guess they had to lower the bar so they would have anyone running in Detroit. Please don't tell me all these candidates are Democrats.
#4
(they) have been convicted of felony crimes involving drugs, assault or weapons, a Detroit News analysis shows. Three were charged with gun crimes and two for assault with intent to commit murder. Some of the offenses date back decades, the earliest to 1977. The most recent was in 2008
Turning their lives around - on taxpayer dollars
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/04/2017 8:52
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[AffinityMagazine] A 16 year old Asian teenager who is passionate about social justice and politics. A hardcore feminist, #BLM supporter and LGBTQ+ rights advocate. I also love chocolate, Ariana Grande and cats.
#1
My first thought was "Who cares?" My second thought was this is a sad commentary on our society. My third thought was this young twerp doesn't really know anything at this age, she is just trying to get attention. There are many other kids who have their heads screwed on straight.
#4
I felt like saying 'DON'T YELL!" Mrs. JohnQC and the mother-in-law takes care of that function. I have enough trouble with the fake news no less anagram trolls or is it troll anagrams?
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[Nat Review] Wow. Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz is basically accusing the FBI of anti-Muslim bias in their arrest of her former IT staffer, Imran Awan. Several members of Awan’s family were accused of "stealing equipment from members’ offices without their knowledge and committing serious, potentially illegal, violations on the House IT network" and the FBI arrested him.
[FoxBusiness] The U.S. economy added 209,000 net new jobs in July, beating expectations for 183,000 jobs. The unemployment rate ticked down slightly to 4.3% from 4.4%, while the labor force participation rate edged up to 62.9% from 62.8% during the month. Average hourly earnings meanwhile increased by 9 cents. 
[FortHoodPressCenter] FORT HOOD, Texas -- Lt. Gen. Paul E. Funk II, III Corps commander, and III Corps Command Sgt. Maj. Michael A. Crosby will case the III Corps colors at 4:30 p.m. Aug. 4 at the III Corps flag pole signifying the beginning of the unit’s year-long deployment to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.
[AP] BALTIMORE (AP) -- Last week, the number of homicides in Baltimore surpassed 200, making 2017 a record-setting year for violence on the city’s streets.
[Daily Caller] Fox News commentator Charles Krauthammer warned Thursday night that members of the political establishment, including some Republicans, are angling to remove President Trump from office.
[Dhaka Tribune] 
[DAWN] BAHAWALPUR: A woman along with her three minor children allegedly attempted self-immolation on Wednesday in protest against a panchayat’s verdict in Ahmadpur Sharqia.
[DailyMail] At 48, Jane Townsend is beautiful, independent — and single. She keeps fit, takes great care of her appearance and is looking for a man who is active, in good shape, articulate and emotionally open.
the Islamic version of the old Somali warlord...
[DAWN] Zookeepers never expected a 23-year-old giant panda to give birth again when she was moved to a nature reserve in southwest China to live out the rest of her days.
...Bangla dynastic politician and current Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She has been the President of the Bangla Awami League since the Lower Paleolithic. She is the eldest of five children of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangla. Her party defeated the BNP-led Four-Party Alliance in the 2008 parliamentary elections. She has once before held the office, from 1996 to 2001, when she was defeated in a landslide. She and the head of the BNP, Khaleda Zia show such blind animosity toward each other that they are known as 
[DAWN] The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday accepted a petition calling for the names of ousted prime minister 
[APNEWS] The actor who played Luke Duke on the 1980s television show "The Dukes of Hazzard" 
Resident in six villages in Kandahar’s Shah Wali Kot district, who have now moved to Kandahar, the provincial capital, claim the Taliban has “forcibly expelled” them from their villages for “cooperating with government”.
[DAWN] LAHORE: A group of young lawyers barged into Lahore High Court Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah’s courtroom on Wednesday and created a hostile situation for the bench holding contempt of court proceedings against the Lahore High Court Bar Association’s (LHCBA) Multan president.
[IsraelTimes] IS figure Lavdrim Muhaxheri hatched plan to target Israeli-Albanian World Cup qualifier last November.jpg)
[DAWN] Two Indian soldiers and two suspected 
[IsraelTimes] Overnight raids in East Jerusalem neighborhoods round up alleged key figures who police say fueled violent protests
[ARA News] Coalition airstrikes continue to target and kill ISIS leaders and foreign fighters in Syria to support Coalition partner forces and degrade ISIS’ ability to inspire, resource and direct terror attacks around the world, the US-led coalition said in a statement today.
Pervez 
...the creepy-looking former dictator of Pakistain. Zia was an Islamic nutball who imposed his nutballery on the rest of the country with the enthusiastic assistance of the nation's religious parties, which are populated by other nutballs. He was appointed Chief of Army Staff in 1976 by Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, whom he hanged when he seized power. His time in office was a period of repression, with hundreds of thousands of political rivals, minorities, and journalists executed or tortured, including senior general officers convicted in coup-d'état plots, who would normally be above the law. As part of his alliance with the religious parties, his government helped run the war against the Soviets in Afghanistan, providing safe havens, American equipiment, Saudi money, and Pak handlers to selected mujaheddin. Zia died along with several of his top generals and admirals and the then United States Ambassador to Pakistain Arnold Lewis Raphel when he was assassinated in a suspicious air crash near Bahawalpur in 1988...
