Government & Politics

UN decries dangerous Med migrant pushbacks

(AFP) The UN voiced alarm Friday at reports that countries are failing to help migrants in distress on the Mediterranean Sea, blocking assistance by NGOs and coordinating pushbacks of their boats. UN rights office spokesman Rupert Colville warned during a virtual press […]

Government & Politics

Refugee policy EU’s ‘biggest inadequacy,’ says Germany’s Heiko Maas Germany's foreign minister took aim at the EU's approach to refugees, saying nothing has been solved since the 2015 migrant crisis. He also called again for a scheme to distribute asylum-seekers across the EU.

(Deutsche Welle) German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has accused European Union member states of not doing enough to solve the continent’s migrant dilemma. Speaking at an online conference hosted by re:publica and the Media Convention Berlin, Maas said the manner with which […]

Deradicalization

European prisons releasing 1,000 returned ISIS fighters in 2020 poses new security challenge UN co-ordinator tells 'The National' that counter-terrorism effort is crucial after military defeat

(National-UAE) The threat from ISIS will be greater after the release of 1,000 of its returned fighters from European prisons over the course of 2020, chief analyst at the UN told the National. Efforts to reform Europeans from the ISIS battlefields through […]

Clerics & Preachers

Inquiry against controversial imam abandoned

(Swiss Info) The justice authorities have dropped a legal inquiry against an imam in central Switzerland suspected of making controversial statements about wife-beating. The cantonal prosecutor’s office in Lucerne announced that it could not find evidence supporting allegations raised by the SonntagsZeitung […]

Crime

France: Scholars, activists call for dismissal of rape case against Tariq Ramadan The signatories say the process 'has gone on far too long,' and accuse the justice system of 'prejudice'

(i24) Nearly 150 university professors, intellectuals, and activists from around the world have signed a letter addressed to France’s justice minister urging her “to put an immediate end to the masquerade of justice” against a Muslim academic. The document, which was published […]

Government & Politics

Mossad gave Berlin intel on Hezbollah ops on German soil ahead of ban — report Unnamed Israeli official tells TV Germans were provided info on warehouses where terror group stashed materials for explosives, as well as money laundering networks

(Times of Israel) Israel’s Mossad spy agency gave information to Germany on Hezbollah’s activities on its soil ahead of the country banning the Lebanese terror group this week, Channel 12 news reported Saturday. Germany branded the entirety of the Iranian-backed group — […]

Government & Politics

German government bans Hezbollah — Interior Ministry Authorities have designated Hezbollah a terrorist organization and banned its activity on German soil. Police conducted raids on four associations linked to the Islamist group.

(Deutsche Welle) German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer on Thursday banned all Hezbollah activities in the country, his ministry spokesman said on Twitter. He also confirmed that “police measures are underway in several federal states concurrently,” and added that even in times of […]

Government & Politics

British government asked to account for rise in Muslim Brotherhood activity MP Andrew Rosindell calls for international action to stop the group exploiting coronavirus downturn

(National-UAE) A senior British politician has demanded international action to prevent extremists taking advantage of the coronavirus crisis to “exploit” vulnerable people. Andrew Rosindell has raised his concerns at the highest level of British government, asking ministers to answer questions over the […]

Demonstrations

German Jew sues Berlin to stop antisemitic Quds Day rally Iranian regime-sponsored rally attracts neo-Nazis, members of Hezbollah and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

(Jerusalem Post) After the city-state of Berlin declined to take action against an annual Iranian regime-sponsored protest calling for the destruction of Israel, German Jewish retiree Gilbert Kallenborn filed a lawsuit to stop the rally. The Berlin-based B.Z. paper reported on Monday […]

Banks & Banking

HSBC to block donations to Palestinian aid charity Interpal British bank will no longer process standing orders, in Ramadan blow for one of UK's leading pro-Palestinian aid organisations

(Middle East Eye) British bank HSBC has told customers in the UK that it will stop processing standing order payments to the Palestinian aid charity Interpal from next month. The bank sent out letters earlier this month to account holders who make […]