Photo: IS launches app to turn kids into Jihadis
70 US Lawmakers Introduce Bill Against Trump’s Muslim Ban Call
Ambassador Jilani Censures NYT over Damning Editorial on Pak Role in Afghanistan
In A First, West Bengal Engineer to Stand Trial for (IS) Terror Online
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Arab World
Islamic State Launches Smartphone App to Turn Kids into Jihadis
Iran Declines to Take Part in Hajj over Dispute with Saudis
Islamic State Kills 17 Iraqi Soldiers with Suicide Truck Bombs
Senior Al-Nusra Commander Killed in Russian Air Raid in Idlib
Lebanese Army Kills Several ISIL Terrorists near Border with Syria
Syria: ISIL Convoy Destroyed in Gov't Forces' Ambush Operation in Sweida
Terrorist Groups Withdraw from more Positions East of Damascus
ISIL offensives Repulsed by Syrian Army in Homs
IRGC Commander Underlines Iran's Growing Deterrence Power
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North America
70 Us Lawmakers Introduce Bill Against Trump’s Muslim Ban Call
Flood of Americans Leaving To Join Islamic State Drops To Trickle
George Clooney slams Donald Trump's claims Americans are 'scared of Muslims' and says he WON'T be president
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Pakistan
Ambassador Jilani Censures NYT over Damning Editorial on Pak Role in Afghanistan
CJP Declines to Form 'Toothless Commission' On Panama Leaks
I will resign if proven guilty, vows PM
How a student of elite institutions turned to terrorism, JIT reveals
Pakistan, Bangladesh Summon Envoys Over Execution of Islamist Leader
Situation in Mandi Bahauddin village ‘under control’
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India
In A First, West Bengal Engineer to Stand Trial for (IS) Terror Online
ISIS Global Recruiters Set Sights on India
D13, Block 4, Clifton, Karachi: TV Sting Confirms Dawood's Address
The Day a Cancer Patient in a Delhi Metro Station Restored My Faith in Humanity
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South Asia
Over 80 Taliban Militants Killed or Wounded As Heavy Clash Erupt In Herat
Taliban IED Expert Killed With 3 Others After Blown Up By Own Explosives
Attackers kill guard at Bangladesh Rohingya refugee camp
India strongly supports Bangladesh’s anti-terror battle: Foreign secy
Hasina targets Islamic leaders at India’s instruction: Hizbul Mujhadeen chief
More troops deployed along Torkham as Pak-Afghan tensions escalates
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Africa
US Establishes Libyan Outposts with Eye toward Islamic State Offensive
Islamic State claims suicide bombing in Maiduguri
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Mideast
Eight Soldiers Killed in Operations, Helicopter Crash in Turkey’s southeast
Four Killed, At Least 10 Wounded In Diyarbakır Blast
Eight wounded in Istanbul bomb attack near military post
French, Belgian prosecutors interrogate ISIL suspects involved in Paris bombings in Turkey
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Southeast Asia
Muslim Leaders from 30 Countries Meet In Indonesia to Fight Extremism
Myanmar minister apologizes to Christians over construction of Buddhist pagodas in Church compound
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Europe
Germany Votes To Classify Maghreb States 'Safe Countries of Origin'
China Is Building a Muslim Theme Park to Promote Its State-Sanctioned Version Of Islam
British Jihadi Set To Be 'JAILED FOR YEARS' After Planning Terror Attack on Military Base
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Islamic State launches smartphone app to turn kids into Jihadis
Thursday, May 12, 2016
London: As various governments and social media platforms are toiling hard to stop terrorist organisation Islamic State (IS) from spreading its wings, The IS' propaganda arm “Library of Zeal” has released a smartphone app to teach jihadist themes to children.
Available for Android devices, the app called “Huroof" teaches kids Arabic alphabet to help them how to use deadly weapons, The Long War Journal reported.
The vocabulary taught within the app has jihadist themes. “The application was released through Islamic State Telegram channels and on other file sharing websites,” the report added.
Telegram is an app that can be set up on almost any device and allows messages to be sent to users with utmost privacy.
The smartphone application has games for kids which help them memorise how to write Arabic letters in addition to including a “nasheed” (type of Islamic songs) designed to help teach the alphabet.
The lyrics in “nasheed” are full of jihadist terminology. “Other games in the app include militaristic vocabulary with words like “tank,” “gun,” and “rocket."
According to the report, this is the first-ever phone application built exclusively for children.
Previous IS videos have shown children being trained to use weapons and become child suicide bombers.
The Taliban recently released an Android app called Alemarah. It features Taliban statements and videos. It has since been removed from Google Play Store.
The IS had also launched an app that features news and videos showing executions and battlefield victories and propagates its agenda.
Discovered by the hacking collective Ghost security group, the app was designed to “streamline access” to the terrorist group’s “propaganda”.
According to a Fortune report, the Android-based app was essentially a news portal run by the Amaq News Agency - a group believed to be tied to IS.
The app, however, may not work in regions outside the IS control. According to Ghost security group, the app is not available as a download in a marketplace like Google Play store.
Instead, a link to the download is shared between IS members through Telegram app and other encrypted communication methods.
IS has also created its own social network for jihadists called “Kilafahbook” to get around social media bans by Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
For IS, social media is prominent in formulating recruitment strategies.
According to theconversation.com, Facebook is a key platform to gather young fans, supporters and recruits to incite them to acts of violence by the means of propaganda and the use of Islamic grievance.
When it comes to real-time orchestrating of terror strikes, IS network works with encrypted messaging applications - including Kik, Surespot, Wickr and Telegram - that are very difficult to hack.
Ghost security group is a hacking collective similar to Anonymous that focuses solely upon counter-terrorism.
It claims to have “terminated over 100,000 extremist social media accounts” used by militant groups to recruit members.
newsx.com/world/28273-islamic-state-launches-smartphone-app-to-turn-kids-into-jihadis
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70 US lawmakers introduce bill against Trump’s Muslim ban call
May 13, 2016
Washington: Seventy American lawmakers have introduced a bill in the Congress to ensure people were not barred from the US because of their religion, even as presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has stuck to his controversial "temporary" ban call on Muslims.
"We cannot allow fear and paranoia to drive our public policy, especially when it comes to the defining values of our country," said Congressman Don Beyer, the lawmaker behind the move to introduce the Religious Freedom Bill.
Beyer has been able to cobble together a coalition of as many as 70 lawmakers - mostly from the Democratic party, and a few from the Republican party - to back the legislation.
"Our Founding Fathers guaranteed religious freedom for all in the First Amendment to our Constitution. People all around the world look to us as the standard for freedom, liberty, and tolerance," he said.
The bill on Wednesday gained support of over 100 ethnic and minority groups, including from Indian-American communities.
Several lawmakers in their statement made clear that the legislation was in response to the call given by Trump to prevent Muslims from entering the United States.
"This bill is about the very foundation our nation was built on, and that's religious freedom," said Congressman Joe Crowley, Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus. "Unfortunately, the rhetoric we've heard over the past year or so has not only greatly affected our national discourse, it has fanned the flames of hate and hurt innocent families," said Crowley, a former co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian-Americans.
House minority leader Steny Hoyer said regardless of what Trump may think, barring members of a particular religious group from entering the country is unconstitutional and would never be supported by the Congress or the courts.
"I hope House Republicans will join with us as cosponsors of this bill to send a strong message of support for our Constitution and the freedoms we hold dear and that have sustained us for generations," he said.
The OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates in a statement commended the introduction of the legislation. "We stand in solidarity with the Muslim community in demanding fair treatment, equal rights, and an end to xenophobic rhetoric," said Ken Lee, OCA national president.
"As a Chinese-American, the Muslim ban proposal is a shocking reminder that the Chinese Exclusion Act can never be far from our thoughts," Lee said.
Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), said: "America must uphold its ideals of religious tolerance and welcoming the stranger, or else we face a diminishing role at the table of international leadership."
Meanwhile in an interview to Fox News, Trump reiterated his proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States.
deccanchronicle.com/world/america/130516/70-us-lawmakers-introduce-bill-against-trump-s-muslim-ban-call.html
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Ambassador Jilani censures NYT over damning editorial on Pak role in Afghanistan
APP — 13 May 2016
Pakistan Ambassador to the United States Jalil Abbas Jilani on Thursday rejected assertions made in a New York Times editorial published May 12, which implicated Pakistan for the mess in Afghanistan and termed Islamabad a “duplicitous” and “dangerous” partner for the United States and Afghanistan.
In a statement that was a rejoinder to the NYT indictment, Jilani came out hard against the organisation, questioning what he called its “partisanship”.
He said the situation in Afghanistan was a “collective failure of the international community”.
“The May 12 editorial about Pakistan's role in Afghanistan is biased and negates the complex history of this prolonged conflict.
“Allegations of duplicity and double game were extremely painful as Pakistan has suffered the most due to the war in Afghanistan. Pakistan cannot be held responsible for the mess in Afghanistan which is the result of the collective failure of the international community,” Jilani said.
Alluding to the losses Pakistan has suffered as a result of the war in Afghanistan, Jilani said hundreds of suicide bombings and tens of thousands of civilian casualties were a direct result of the US-led war after 9/11.
“Instead of complaining about the heavy cost imposed on us due to sustained external intervention in our neighbourhood, Pakistan has consistently cooperated with the United States and coalition forces in sharing intelligence and decimating the terror outfits operating from the region,” he added.
Jilani also said that since 2009, Pakistani forces have been engaged in incremental operations to clear Pakistani soil from all the terrorist networks which are concentrated in this area because of “competing interests and mutual rivalries of the big powers”.
“It is Pakistan's military which 'fractured the back of Taliban' through indiscriminate counter-terrorism operations.”
Instead of putting the entire blame on Pakistan, the Ambassador said it would have been better had the editorial also commented on the protracted Afghan refugee issue and the lack of border management among as underlying reasons for regional instability.
“Omitting such fundamental questions that impede a long-term solution to the Afghan problem smack partisanship on part of the New York Times.”
Jilani made clear that Pakistan did not benefit from instability in Afghanistan and always wished them peace and prosperity. “To this end, we are pursuing mutually beneficial economic integration through the policy of a peaceful neighbourhood.”
He pointed out the groundbreaking of CASA–1000 power project on May 11, which he said will bring Pakistan and Afghanistan closer.
The envoy went on to say that Pakistan played a “completely neutral role in the Afghan elections” and has offered all possible assistance to the Ghani government to find a political solution in his country.
Referring to the quadrilateral group holding talks with the Afghan Taliban – which involves the US, China, Pakistan and Afghanistan – Jilani said talks had reiterated that long-term peace in Afghanistan can only be achieved through reconciliation between the various Afghan stakeholders.
“It is imperative that this peace initiative be given a chance to succeed in what the war has failed to achieve in the last fifteen years.”
dawn.com/news/1258121/ambassador-jilani-censures-nyt-over-damning-editorial-on-pak-role-in-afghanistan
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In a first, West Bengal engineer to stand trial for (IS) terror online
May 13, 2016
An Indian youth whose sympathy for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria made him a leading light in the online world of ISIS supporters — a 2014 study of ISIS accounts ranked his Twitter handle @shamiwitness in the top 10 accessed by Western ISIS fighters — has suffered a setback in his attempt to avoid prosecution on charges of cyber terrorism.
A special terrorism court in Bengaluru, where Mehdi Masroor Biswas, the 25-year-old electrical engineer from West Bengal, is set to stand trial for his online adventurism, has ruled that there is sufficient ground to try him on charges of cyber terrorism given the evidence with police.
Biswas was outed by UK’s Channel 4 and was arrested in Bengaluru in December 2014.
His will be one of the first in the country where an individual has been charged with terrorism for activities that took place in the virtual world rather than the physical one. It is also likely to be a test case for over a dozen ISIS online sympathisers arrested in India after him.
The court gave its ruling on April 29 after Biswas questioned the move by Bengaluru police to charge him with involvement in cyber terrorism under Section 66 F of the Information Technology Act, 2000 over his alleged ISIS-linked online activity. The charge under this section carried a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Apart from the cyber terrorism charge, Biswas is to stand trial under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 for advocating terrorism, facilitating recruitment for terrorist activities and for supporting a terrorist organisation, and Indian Penal Code sections on attempt to wage war against India, sedition, waging war against an Asiatic ally of India, provocation to rioting, and making
statements amounting to public mischief.
Biswas contested the framing of cyber terrorism charges saying he had not hacked into a computer system, created a virus or denied access to any computer system as stated in Section 66 F of the IT Act which defines acts of cyber terrorism.
Advocates for Biswas told the court last month that the youth must be discharged from the case at the stage of the framing of charges itself since police had failed to place sufficient material on record to substantiate the charge of cyber terrorism.
His advocates also argued that his online activities did not threaten the “unity, integrity, security or sovereignty of India’’ or that it was done with the “intent to strike terror in the people or any section of the people’’ since ISIS was not a banned terrorist organisation in India during his activism.
The Bengaluru police, on their part, argued that as mandated by law at the stage of framing of charges, a prima facie case of cyber terrorism had been made out against Biswas in a chargesheet and supporting documents, running into 30,000 pages, placed in court.
Police also placed printed records of some of the pro-ISIS material tweeted by Biswas while he was operating the @shamiwitness Twitter handle between January 25, 2013 and December 11/12 of 2014.
The prosecution argued that Biswas had tweeted, re-tweeted thousands of ISIS messages and also posted pictures and videos of war to support the terrorist acts of ISIS and thus abetted waging of war “against Asiatic powers like Syria, Iraq and Iran, who are in alliance with India’’.
The prosecution also told the court that Biswas allowed his Twitter account to become a meeting place for ISIS supporters trying to connect to ISIS leaders and to accounts of ISIS individuals already in Syria and Iraq.
Biswas is alleged to have led online ISIS sympathisers to the official Twitter accounts of ISIS leaders like “Sheikh Abu Hafs al Masri” to enable ISIS recruitment and guided Westerners trying to join ISIS by providing specific inputs like details of unguarded border crossings.
He is alleged to have helped a Western recruit, using the Twitter handle @TalabAlHaqq, to cross into Syria from Turkey by tweeting a message in June 2014 saying “@TalabAlHaqq walaykum salam, Tal Abyad crossing open now”.
The prosecution also alleged that Biswas supported cession of Jammu and Kashmir from India through some of his tweets in which he supported terrorists attacking civilians and Indian forces and by calling on Muslims in Kashmir to support the ISIS Caliphate.
One of the prosecution arguments that the court took into consideration while judging that there is a prima facie case for framing charges of cyber terrorism against Biswas is the argument that though ISIS was not banned by the Indian government at the time of his arrest, a UN document had equated ISIS with the already banned al-Qaeda.
“As such it is to be presumed that ISIS was a terrorist organisation banned by the UN and an organisation listed in the Schedule of UAP Act at Sl. No. 28 and Sl. No. 33 even as on 25.1.2013. In that event, there is reasonable ground to believe that the accused was fully aware that ISIS was a terrorist organisation,’’ the court observed in its order.
“The materials on record prima facie indicate that the accused had intention to threaten the unity, integrity, security and sovereignty of India as well as to strike terror in a section of the people, particularly in Kashmir,’’ the court said.
The start of his trial is expected next month.
indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/west-bengal-engineer-to-stand-trial-for-isis-terror-online-2798009/
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Arab World
Islamic State launches smartphone app to turn kids into Jihadis
Thursday, May 12, 2016
London: As various governments and social media platforms are toiling hard to stop terrorist organisation Islamic State (IS) from spreading its wings, The IS' propaganda arm “Library of Zeal” has released a smartphone app to teach jihadist themes to children.
Available for Android devices, the app called “Huroof" teaches kids Arabic alphabet to help them how to use deadly weapons, The Long War Journal reported.
The vocabulary taught within the app has jihadist themes. “The application was released through Islamic State Telegram channels and on other file sharing websites,” the report added.
Telegram is an app that can be set up on almost any device and allows messages to be sent to users with utmost privacy.
The smartphone application has games for kids which help them memorise how to write Arabic letters in addition to including a “nasheed” (type of Islamic songs) designed to help teach the alphabet.
Full report at: newsx.com/world/28273-islamic-state-launches-smartphone-app-to-turn-kids-into-jihadis
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Iran declines to take part in hajj over dispute with Saudis
May 13, 2016
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran will not send pilgrims to Saudi Arabia this year for the annual hajj, an Iranian official said Thursday, the latest sign of tensions between the two Mideast powers after a disaster during the pilgrimage last year killed at least 2,426 people.
Saudi Arabia blamed Iranian officials for the decision and suggested it was politically motivated to publicly pressure the kingdom.
Iran says Saudi "incompetence" caused the crush and stampede in the area of Mina on Sept. 24 during the hajj, which all able-bodied Muslims are required to perform once in their life. Iran has said the disaster killed 464 of its pilgrims.
Ali Jannati, Iran's minister of culture and Islamic guidance, said negotiations that took place over several months between Iran and Saudi Arabia were aimed at trying to "resolve the issue" of security during the hajj, but failed to make any headway.
Full report at: pilotonline.com/news/nation-world/world/iran-declines-to-take-part-in-hajj-over-dispute-with/article_0317487b-9c0f-5ba1-846f-d56c46f3e6e8.html
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Islamic State kills 17 Iraqi soldiers with suicide truck bombs
May 13, 2016
Baghdad: Islamic State insurgents killed at least 17 Iraqi soldiers with suicide truck bombs on Thursday in a major attack on government forces that recaptured the western city of Ramadi in December, military officials said.
The jihadist group also killed two policemen and wounded eight others in two suicide bombings in Abu Ghraib outside Baghdad, a day after killing at least 80 people in bombings at an outdoor market and two checkpoints inside the capital.
The attacks near Ramadi dealt one of the heaviest blows to the army since it drove Islamic State out of the western city five months ago.
Full report at: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Islamic-State-kills-17-Iraqi-soldiers-with-suicide-truck-bombs/articleshow/52248168.cms
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Senior Al-Nusra Commander Killed in Russian Air Raid in Idlib
May/13/2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The commander of al-Nusra Front in al-Badiyeh was killed alongside a number of his comrades in heavy Russian bombardments in the Southeastern part of Idlib province, the terrorist group confirmed in its socials media.
"Abu Hajar al-Ordoni, a notorious field commander of the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front in Idlib province, was killed in the Russian Tupolev Tu-160 heavy airstrike in Abu al-Dhuhur airbase," Coordination Headquarter of al-Nusra said.
A large number of the terrorist group's members, including commanders, were killed or wounded in the air attack.
In relevant developments on Wednesday, the Syrian fighter jets carried out several combat sorties over the gatherings and concentration centers of Jund al-Aqsa in the Southern territories of Idlib province, inflicting major damage on the group's military equipment.
Jund al-Aqsa terrorist group's strongholds near the villages of Tamanna and Sukeek came under the massive bombardments of the Syrian warplanes.
Jund al-Aqsa suffered a heavy death toll and its military hardware, weapons and machinegun-equipped vehicles sustained major damage in the raids.
en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950224000331
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Lebanese Army Kills Several ISIL Terrorists near Border with Syria
May/13/2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Lebanese Army targeted ISIL's strongholds in the Eastern territories of the county near the border with the crisis-hit Syria, killing several terrorists during the operation.
The Lebanese military forces carried out a series of attacks against the ISIL terrorists in Baalbek, which ended in the killing of several terrorists and destroyed the terrorist group’s hideout near Jaroud Qa’a.
The Lebanese soldiers also attacked a group of ISIL terrorists in Jaroud of Arsal.
In relevant developments on Wednesday, the Lebanese Army troops, tipped off by the local security forces, captured a notorious terrorist of al-Nusra Front in Arsal region.
Mahmoud Hossein Othman, a notorious terrorist with the Syrian nationality, was arrested by the Lebanese soldiers in Arsal of Bekka and was handed over to the relevant bodies.
en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950224000416
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Syria: ISIL Convoy Destroyed in Gov't Forces' Ambush Operation in Sweida
May/13/2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The National Defense Forces (NDF), tipped off by the intelligence agents, ambushed a long column of ISIL military vehicles in a region East of Sweida province, inflicting major damage on the convoy.
The NDF ambushed a long convoy of fighters of ISIL in al-Harisah, killing a dozen terrorists along a road to the provincial capital.
The National Defense Forces discovered three explosive belts among the dead ISIL terrorists.
The ISIL's abandoned vehicles contained a large cache of assault rifles, grenades, RPGs, and mortar shells; these were all confiscated by the National Defense Forces.
In relevant developments on Wednesday, the Syrian Army troops tracked and targeted a military vehicle of the ISIL in the Northeastern part of Sweida province, claiming the lives of at least 25 militants.
The Syrian soldiers hit the ISIL vehicles near the village of Khirbet Sa'ad, which ended in the killing of at least 25 terrorists and the wounding of many more.
en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950224000455
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Terrorist Groups Withdraw from more Positions East of Damascus
May/13/2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Army troops and popular forces stormed the positions of al-Nusra Front and Faylaq al-Rahman and forced the terrorists groups to retreat from more territories in Eastern Ghouta after hours of non-stop battle.
The Syrian arm men, Hezbollah, the Palestine Liberation Army (PLA), and National Defense Forces (NDF) struck the terrorist group's lines of defense and imposed full control over the village of Nolah.
At least 19 militants were killed and several others were wounded in the attacks.
In relevant developments on Thursday, the Syrian army forces stormed the two strategic towns of Zabdeen and Deir al-Asafir in the Southern part of Eastern Ghouta in Damascus.
According to a military source in Damascus, a unit of the army special forces sneaked into the Southern gates of Deir al-Asafir and ambushed a rebel unit, capturing 7 terrorists without a single shot fired.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950224000388
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ISIL offensives Repulsed by Syrian Army in Homs
May/13/2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Army troops fended off the ISIL attacks on government forces' positions along Homs-Palmyra highway, inflicting major losses on the terrorists.
The ISIL terrorists stormed the pro-government forces' strongholds near T-4 military air ports to cutoff the army's supply route to the ancient city of Palmyra (Tadmur), but their attacks were repelled by the Syrian soldiers.
The Syrian army itself closed off the Homs-Palmyra Highway due to security concerns.
The ISIL suffered a heavy death toll and its military hardware sustained major damage in the failed attacks.
In relevant developments on Thursday, the Syrian Army forces and their allies seized back control over several strategic points, including a strategic hilltop, in the Central province of Homs following heavy clashes with ISIL terrorists.
The Syrian army troops and National Defense Forces (NDF) took full control over Tal Sawwan in Homs province which overlooks the al-Sha’er Gas Field captured by the ISIL recently.
During the operations to take back the strategic hilltop tens of ISIL terrorists were killed and wounded.
en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950224000356
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IRGC Commander Underlines Iran's Growing Deterrence Power
May/13/2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- A senior commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps lauded the Armed Forces for increasing the country's deterrence power, and reiterated Tehran's preparedness to help the neighboring and Muslim states to fight against the threat of terrorism and Zionism.
"Today we are witnessing the deterrence power of the Islamic Republic reaching beyond borders and being exported to other countries," Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Second Naval Zone General Ali Razmjou said, addressing the IRGC commanders and forces in Bushehr province on Thursday.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950224000315
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North America
70 US lawmakers introduce bill against Trump’s Muslim ban call
May 13, 2016
Washington: Seventy American lawmakers have introduced a bill in the Congress to ensure people were not barred from the US because of their religion, even as presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has stuck to his controversial "temporary" ban call on Muslims.
"We cannot allow fear and paranoia to drive our public policy, especially when it comes to the defining values of our country," said Congressman Don Beyer, the lawmaker behind the move to introduce the Religious Freedom Bill.
Beyer has been able to cobble together a coalition of as many as 70 lawmakers - mostly from the Democratic party, and a few from the Republican party - to back the legislation.
"Our Founding Fathers guaranteed religious freedom for all in the First Amendment to our Constitution. People all around the world look to us as the standard for freedom, liberty, and tolerance," he said.
Full report at: deccanchronicle.com/world/america/130516/70-us-lawmakers-introduce-bill-against-trump-s-muslim-ban-call.html
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Flood of Americans Leaving to Join Islamic State Drops to Trickle
May 13, 2016
Nevertheless, he added that there are “north of 1,000” cases in which FBI agents are in the process of evaluating a subject’s level of radicalization and potential for violence. An estimated 80 percent are linked to ISIS.
“There’s still a presence online, and troubled people are still turning to this and at least being interested in it,” Comey told reporters Wednesday. “But they’ve lost their ability to attract people to their caliphate from the United States in a material way.”
In 2014 and the first half of 2015, the FBI was encountering “six, eight, 10” Americans per month who traveled to the Middle East or attempted to go there to join the jihadist group, noted the FBI chief.
Full report at: breitbart.com/national-security/2016/05/12/fbi-james-comey-americans-joining-islamic-state-down/
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George Clooney slams Donald Trump's claims Americans are 'scared of Muslims' and says he WON'T be president
12 MAY 2016
"We are not going to be scared of Muslims or immigrants or women. We are not afraid of anything. We are not going to use fear so that is not going to be an issue."
He also criticised TV networks for not talking about serious issues such as the refugee crisis.
He continued: "24 news doesn't mean you get more news it just means you get the same news more.
Full report at: mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/george-clooney-slams-donald-trumps-7957295
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Pakistan
Ambassador Jilani censures NYT over damning editorial on Pak role in Afghanistan
APP — 13 May 2016
Pakistan Ambassador to the United States Jalil Abbas Jilani on Thursday rejected assertions made in a New York Times editorial published May 12, which implicated Pakistan for the mess in Afghanistan and termed Islamabad a “duplicitous” and “dangerous” partner for the United States and Afghanistan.
In a statement that was a rejoinder to the NYT indictment, Jilani came out hard against the organisation, questioning what he called its “partisanship”.
He said the situation in Afghanistan was a “collective failure of the international community”.
“The May 12 editorial about Pakistan's role in Afghanistan is biased and negates the complex history of this prolonged conflict.
Full report at: dawn.com/news/1258121/ambassador-jilani-censures-nyt-over-damning-editorial-on-pak-role-in-afghanistan
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CJP declines to form 'toothless commission' on Panama leaks
DAWN.COM | RAZA KHAN — 13 May 2016
ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Anwar Zaheer Jamali on Friday declined the government's request to form a “toothless” judicial commission to probe revelations that have surfaced in the Panama data leaks.
The government had last month sent a letter to the Supreme Court registrar, requesting that the chief justice constitute a high-level judicial commission to investigate the veracity of the allegations against the premier and his family.
In response to the government's request, a letter issued by the SC registrar says:
“The formation of a commission under the Pakistan Commission of Inquiry Act 1956 (Act VI of 1956), looking to its limited scope will result in the constitution of a toothless commission, which will serve no useful purpose.”
Full report at: dawn.com/news/1258127/cjp-declines-to-form-toothless-commission-on-panama-leaks
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I will resign if proven guilty, vows PM
DAWN.COM | MATEEN HAIDER
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in his address to the nation on Friday, said he will resign and go home if proven guilty by the Panama Papers probe.
"I challenge all those who allege tax fraud to come forward and present evidence. If charges are proved against me, I will resign immediately," vowed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
The prime minister stated that a decision has been taken by him to write a letter to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, for the formation of a commission to probe the allegations levelled against his family and him.
We will accept the recommendations presented forth by the commission, added Nawaz.
"Once again certain elements are attempting to destabilise Pakistan in the wake of Panama Papers."
Full report at: dawn.com/news/1253723/i-will-resign-if-proven-guilty-vows-pm
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How a student of elite institutions turned to terrorism, JIT reveals
May/13/2016
KARACHI: Saad Aziz, who was awarded death sentence by the military court for his involvement in the Safoora Goth bus carnage and murder of prominent human rights activist Sabeen Mahmud and other cases on Thursday, had told Joint Investigation Team (JIT) members that they were ‘inspired’ by the sectarian conflict in Yemen, it emerged on Thursday.
Saad told the JIT that before carrying out the massacre of Shia Ismaili community members in their community bus near Safoora Goth, they had watched a video in which Houthi rebels were allegedly seen killing ‘women and children’ in Yemen.
He said one militant, Abdullah Yusuf, had asked them to watch that video, according to contents of the JIT report reviewed by Dawn on Thursday.
Full report at: dawn.com/news/1257959/how-a-student-of-elite-institutions-turned-to-terrorism-jit-reveals
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Pakistan, Bangladesh Summon Envoys Over Execution of Islamist Leader
May 12, 2016
Pakistan and Bangladesh have summoned each others’ diplomats as tensions between them rose following Wednesday's execution of a Bangladeshi Islamic political party leader, accused of committing crimes during the country’s 1971 war of independence against Pakistan.
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry called in the top Bangladeshi diplomat in Islamabad to give him a unanimously passed parliament resolution condemning the execution of Motiur Rahman Nizami.
Full report at: voanews.com/content/bangladesh-pakistan-execution/3327595.html
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Situation in Mandi Bahauddin village ‘under control’
May/13/2016
LAHORE: Rejecting some social media reports, Mandi Bahauddin police say no one has tried to attack Christian community in a village close to the town and the situation there is under control.
Tension reportedly surfaced in Chak-144 when some miscreants started spreading rumors around a month ago that a sweeper employed with a health facility in the town had committed blasphemy.
Village elders and local police apparently resolved the issue but a group of people started highlighting the matter on social media, urging ‘influential’ Muslims in particular to come to the rescue of Christian community facing threats from some activists of a religious sect.
A local Christian leader told Dawn that Imran Masih, a sweeper in a health centre in Mandi Bahauddin, attended a marriage ceremony of his Muslim colleague’s daughter and made a video of celebrations on his cell phone in mid April.
Full report at: dawn.com/news/1258038/situation-in-mandi-bahauddin-village-under-control
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India
In a first, West Bengal engineer to stand trial for (IS) terror online
May 13, 2016
An Indian youth whose sympathy for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria made him a leading light in the online world of ISIS supporters — a 2014 study of ISIS accounts ranked his Twitter handle @shamiwitness in the top 10 accessed by Western ISIS fighters — has suffered a setback in his attempt to avoid prosecution on charges of cyber terrorism.
A special terrorism court in Bengaluru, where Mehdi Masroor Biswas, the 25-year-old electrical engineer from West Bengal, is set to stand trial for his online adventurism, has ruled that there is sufficient ground to try him on charges of cyber terrorism given the evidence with police.
Full report at: indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/west-bengal-engineer-to-stand-trial-for-isis-terror-online-2798009/
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ISIS global recruiters set sights on India
May 13, 2016
Disclosures of recently-arrested ISIS recruits have revealed that the Jihadi group's global head-hunters including women from Argentina, Sri Lanka and Philippines are on the prowl for Indian youth who show any leanings to radical views on social media.
Counter-terror agencies are closely monitoring nearly 25 motivators, mostly from outside India, who are looking for potential recruits and then indoctrinating them on social media.
Sources said the three women who are on hiring spree for the Sunni terror group identify themselves as Karen from Philippines, Fatima from Argentina and Eje from Sri Lanka. Investigators say these are probably pseudomonades.
Full report at: indiatoday.intoday.in/story/isis-global-recruiters-set-sights-on-india/1/667073.html
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D13, Block 4, Clifton, Karachi: TV sting confirms Dawood's address
May 13, 2016
NEW DELHI: A sting operation by a national TV channel claimed to confirm that underworld don Dawood Ibrahim indeed lives in Karachi's posh Clifton area.
The video shows the address of Dawood's bungalow as D 13, Block 4, Clifton, Karachi, an address which has been shared by India with Pakistan on several occasions.
The channel, on the basis of interviews of guards and locals, claimed that everyone in the area knew that Dawood lived there.
Reacting to the TV report about Dawood's presence in Pakistan, the government on Thursday said that it will continue to pursue its case that Pakistan hand over the 1993 Mumbai blasts mastermind back to India.
Full report at: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/D13-Block-4-Clifton-Karachi-TV-sting-confirms-Dawoods-address/articleshow/52248704.cms
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The Day a Cancer Patient in a Delhi Metro Station Restored My Faith in Humanity
May 13, 2016
On the 8th of May, I was at Rajeev Chowk, on my way to Noida from Gurugram (Gurgaon.)
Being new to the city, I was quite confused about the platforms and went to the route map to help me get a sense of my bearings.
While I was looking at the route map, I heard a man saying, “Haan beta, puchho?” (Yes, son, tell me)
I thought it wasn’t directed at me and ignored it.
But again, the man said, “Kahan jana hai tumhe?” (Where do you want to go?)
I told him that I was on my way to Noida and he guided me on the best way to get there.
I thanked him with a smile, all the time wondering why he was helping me, only to realise that he was helping everyone.
Full report at: thebetterindia.com/55109/unsung-heroes-delhi/?utm_source=The+Better+India
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South Asia
Over 80 Taliban militants killed or wounded as heavy clash erupt in Herat
Thu May 12 2016
At least 82 Taliban insurgents were killed or wounded during a heavy clash in western Herat province of Afghanistan, the security sources said Thursday.
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said the militants were killed during the clearance operations conducted as part of the Zafar-4 military operations.
However, the local officials, said the militants were killed after launching coordinated attacks on several security posts.
The officials put the number of dead militants at 35 and at least 40 others were wounded.
Provincial governor’s spokesman Jilani Farhad said the militants were looking to take control of Char Qala and Sangistan areas of the city.
Full report at: khaama.com/over-80-taliban-militants-killed-or-wounded-as-heavy-clash-erupt-in-herat-0921
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Taliban IED expert killed with 3 others after blown up by own explosives
Thu May 12 2016
dead insurgent Afghanistan_censoredAn Improvised Explosive Device (IED) expert of the Taliban group was killed in an explosion in northern Kunduz province of Afghanistan.
The Ministry fo Defense (MoD) said the IED expert and three militants were busy in making an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) when the explosion took place.
MoD said the incident took place in Sojani village of Chardara district where the Taliban insurgents are actively operating.
Full report at: khaama.com/taliban-ied-expert-killed-with-3-others-after-blown-up-by-own-explosives-0920
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Attackers kill guard at Bangladesh Rohingya refugee camp
Thu May 12 2016
The attackers shot dead the commander and tied up other security personnel with ropes, before stealing 11 rifles and 570 rounds, local police chief Mujibur Rahman said.
"The attack occurred at 2:20 am Friday. There were 10-15 attackers who were armed. They beat and then shot the Ansar (government security guard) commander of the camp from behind. He died on the spot," Rahman told AFP.
The Nayapara refugee camp near Teknaf town, two kilometres (1.2 miles) from the Myanmar border, is home to about 25,000 Muslim Rohingya refugees who fled persecution in Myanmar's western Rakhine state, according to UNHCR, the UN's refugee agency.
Police are investigating the attack and said Rohingya refugees themselves were also suspected.
Full report at: timeslive.co.za/world/2016/05/13/Attackers-kill-guard-at-Bangladesh-Rohingya-refugee-camp
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India strongly supports Bangladesh’s anti-terror battle: Foreign secy
May 12, 2016
India on Thursday expressed strong support to Bangladesh in its efforts to fight terrorism and extremism, amid a spate of brutal murders targetting minorities, secular bloggers and foreigners.
“I told the (Bangladesh) foreign secretary that I am here also to convey government of India’s strong support for the government of Bangladesh in the matter of terrorism and extremism,” foreign secretary S Jaishankar told reporters after holding bilateral talks with counterpart Shahidul Haque.
Jaishankar particularly appreciated Bangladesh’s response to recent attacks against vulnerable sections of society.
He called terrorism and militancy an issue that “directly concerns us as neighbours” and the two countries would work “closely and bilaterally” in combating the menace.
Officials familiar with the talks said both sides also took stock of decisions made during recent meetings of various bilateral mechanisms in the areas of security and border management, railways, health, blue economy, establishment of Indian SEZs in Bangladesh etc.
Full report at: hindustantimes.com/india/india-strongly-supports-bangladesh-s-anti-terror-battle-foreign-secy/story-kfn881mniTNcPbSSj95WjM.html
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Hasina targets Islamic leaders at India’s instruction: Hizbul Mujhadeen chief
May 12, 2016
India-based Hizb-ul-Mujhadeen chief Syed Salahudin on Wednesday strongly condemned the hanging of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami chief Matiur Rahman Nizami and alleged premier Sheikh Hasina was “committing crimes and unleashing terror to appease New Delhi.”
Syed Mohammed Yusuf Shah, or popularly known as Syed Salahudin, is the head of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, a Kashmir-based and Islamic Mujahid group operating in Indian Kashmir, and head of an "alliance" of Kashmiri mujahid organisations.
Full report at: en.prothom-alo.com/bangladesh/news/104457/Hasina-targets-Islamic-leaders-at-India%E2%80%99s
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More troops deployed along Torkham as Pak-Afghan tensions escalates
Fri May 13 2016
More troops and military equipment have been deployed along the two sides of Torkham as tensions have escalated between Afghanistan and Pakistan over fencing attempt by Pakistani border guards.
The additional forces were deployed on Thursday, two days after the gate remained close for the second consecutive day.
According to the local media reports in Pakistan, the additional forces were deployed after negotiations failed between the Afghan and Pakistani officials regarding the issue.
Pakistan sent army troops and additional Khasadar Force and Frontier Corps personnel on the border on Thursday in retaliation to Afghanistan’s reinforcement of its troops and border security forces along the border, the reports added.
Full report at: khaama.com/more-troops-deployed-along-torkham-as-pak-afghan-tensions-escalates-0923
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Africa
US establishes Libyan outposts with eye toward Islamic State offensive
May 12, 2016
American Special Operations troops have been stationed at two outposts in eastern and western Libya since late 2015, tasked with lining up local partners in advance of a possible offensive against the Islamic State, U.S. officials said.
Two teams totaling fewer than 25 troops are operating from around the cities of Misurata and Benghazi to identify potential allies among local armed factions and gather intelligence on threats, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive mission overseas.
Full report at: stripes.com/news/middle-east/2.1198/us-establishes-libyan-outposts-with-eye-toward-islamic-state-offensive-1.409346
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Islamic State claims suicide bombing in Maiduguri
May 13, 2016
The Islamic State West Africa (ISWA), formerly known as Boko Haram, released a statement claiming responsibility for yesterday’s suicide bombing in Maiduguri, the capital of the northeastern Borno State. There are conflicting reports about the damage from the attack.
In the statement, the jihadist group claimed “no less than 15 were killed” and that 20 other people were injured in the suicide bombing. It went on to say that “after planning in advance, it was possible for the brother Abu Anas al Ansari (pictured above) to detonate his explosive belt in the middle of the apostate Nigerian parliament gathering in Maiduguri.” However, the numbers given by the Islamic State have widely differed with press reports from the region.
Full report at: longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/05/islamic-state-claims-suicide-bombing-in-maiduguri.php
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Mideast
Eight soldiers killed in operations, helicopter crash in Turkey’s southeast
May/13/2016
A total of six soldiers have been killed in clashes with the outlawed Kurdıstan Workers’ Party (PKK) while another two died in a military helicopter crash in the eastern province of Hakkari.
Six soldiers were killed and eight others were wounded as clashes erupted between security forces and PKK militants at the Çığlı base in Hakkari’s Çukurca district at around 4:50 a.m. on May 13.
Full report at: blast.aspx?pageID=238&nID=99119&NewsCatID=509
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Eight wounded in Istanbul bomb attack near military post
May/12/2016
Eight people were injured when a bomb-laden car was detonated near a military post in the Sancaktepe district of Istanbul on the afternoon of May 12, Istanbul Governor Vasip Şahin has stated.
Şahin said five soldiers and three civilians were slightly injured in the blast.
The governor said the explosion inside the parked car occurred at around 4.45 p.m., after a shuttle bus carrying military personnel departed from the İsmail Hakkı Tunaboyu military post.
He added that one of the injured civilians is in a critical condition while the others are all receiving treatment.
Full report at: hurriyetdailynews.com/eight-wounded-in-istanbul-bomb-attack-near-military-post.aspx?pageID=238&nID=99103&NewsCatID=341
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French, Belgian prosecutors interrogate ISIL suspects involved in Paris bombings in Turkey
May/12/2016
Prosecutors from France and Belgium interrogated three Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) suspects in Turkey in relation to the ISIL attacks in Paris that left 132 people dead on Nov. 13, 2015.
The testimonies of the suspects, identified as 27-year-old Ahmed D., a Belgian citizen with Moroccan origins, 30-year-old Syrian Ahmed T. and 24-year-old Mohammad V., were taken by the French and Belgian prosecutors under strict security measures in the Aegean province of İzmir on May 12.
Full report at: hurriyetdailynews.com/french-belgian-prosecutors-interrogate-isil-suspects-involved-in-paris-bombings-in-turkey.aspx?pageID=238&nID=99096&NewsCatID=509
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Southeast Asia
Muslim Leaders From 30 Countries Meet In Indonesia To Fight Extremism
May 10, 2016
Muslim leaders from around the world met in Jakarta this week to address the religious aspects of extremism and terrorism. The International Summit of Moderate Islamic Leaders was hosted by Nahdlatul Ulama, an Indonesian Muslim organization that claims 50 million members worldwide.
More than 300 religious leaders from 33 countries attended the two-day summit, as well as President Joko Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla of Indonesia. On Monday, Kalla denounced what he called radical youths’ misinterpretation of the idea of jihad (a word with a range of meanings), saying that such extremists mistakenly view violence and terrorism as a “shortcut” to heaven.
Full report at: huffingtonpost.com/entry/nahdlatul-ulama-conference-2016_us_5730e3eee4b0bc9cb047a41a?ir=Religion%3Fncid%3Dnewsltushpmg00000003§ion=india
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Myanmar minister apologizes to Christians over construction of Buddhist pagodas in Church compound
12 May, 2016
Myanmar's religious minister Thura U Aung Ko apologized to Christians in the Kayin state over the ongoing construction of a Buddhist pagoda on a church-owned property.
On April 23, Buddhist monk Myaing Kyee Ngu Sayadaw led the construction of a pagoda in a compound owned by the St. Mark's Anglican Church in Hlaingbwe. He also built another pagoda on the same property on May 3, according to Myanmar Times.
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Sayadaw's construction of Buddhist pagodas reportedly stemmed from his desire to reclaim ancient Buddhist lands. However, local religious officials have condemned the action, saying the the government has failed to do anything to stop the powerful monk, Radio Free Asia relays.
Full report at: christiandaily.com/article/myanmar-minister-apologizes-to-christians-over-construction-of-buddhist-pagodas-in-church-compound/52170.htm
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Europe
Germany votes to classify Maghreb states 'safe countries of origin'
May 12, 2016
In all, 422 German lawmakers in the lower house of parliament voted on Friday in favor of classifying the trio of North African countries as so-called "safe countries of origin."
There were 143 votes opposed the change, while three lawmakers abstained. The move will allow German authorities to speed up the process of sending Algerian, Moroccan and Tunisian asylum-seekers back to their nations of origin.
The decison must still be approved by the Bundesrat - Germany's upper house of parliament - before it can be implemented.
Under German law, refugees from a so-called "safe country of origin" generally have no right to asylum.
Full report at: dw.com/en/germany-votes-to-classify-maghreb-states-safe-countries-of-origin/a-19255163
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China is building a Muslim theme park to promote its state-sanctioned version of Islam
May 12, 2016
Since 1958, Yinchuan, a city 600 miles west of Beijing, has been the capital of the Ningxia region governed by China’s Hui Muslims. Now China’s leaders are spending $3.5 billion to turn it into a “World Muslim City,” replete with a mosque-like “Golden Palace,” Arabic street signs, and an elaborate light and dance show inspired by The Thousand and One Nights, that is, the version in which Aladdin was born in China.
It’s part of the government’s larger bid to improve relations with the Arab world by emphasizing shared Sino-Arab history and culture.
Full report at: qz.com/683589/china-is-building-a-muslim-theme-park-to-promote-its-state-sanctioned-version-of-islam/
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British jihadi set to be 'JAILED FOR YEARS' after planning terror attack on military base
May 13, 2016
Junead Khan, who is from Britain, had been targeting a US Air Force base in East Anglia.
But police caught on to his plans when they found abhorrent messages exchanged between him and brutal Islamic State fighter Abu Hussain.
One chilling message outlined how they planned to attack military personnel in a similar way to the tragic murder of Lee Rigby in Woolwich in 2013.
Full report at: express.co.uk/news/uk/669897/jihadi-terror-sentenced-charged-islamic-state-isis-isil-is-daesh-syria-raqqa-junead-khan
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