News: Europe

Law Enforcement

French and Spanish police hold anti-terror drills ahead of Paris Olympics The exercise began in Bayonne, France, where the practice scenario involved assailants staging an attack before fleeing to San Sebastián, Spain, where they took hostages.

June 12, 2024   

(Euronews) The national police of Spain and France conducted a simulated terrorist attack exercise ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The surprise exercise, called Operation Optimus, aimed to enhance response capabilities. It was overseen in Spain by the General Information […]

Government & Politics

Rochdale loyalties tested by Galloway’s Labour challenge on Gaza policy Flamboyant MP tells the National his by-election victory was a signal that British Muslims could provide a significant general election upset

June 9, 2024   

(National-UAE) Rochdale, says its current MP George Galloway, will be remembered as the place where Britain’s Muslims saw that there was a new way of finding a political voice. His view, although bound with self-interest, was certainly borne out during the National’s […]

Law Enforcement

Suspected IS supporter arrested at Cologne airport The suspect allegedly supported an offshoot of the Islamic State. He also reportedly unsuccessfully applied to work at Euro 2024-related events.

June 9, 2024   

(Deutsche Welle) A suspected supporter of the Islamic State (IS) was arrested a week before the start of the UEFA European football championship in Germany, the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office said Sunday. According to a spokesperson for the Karlsruhe authority, the suspect […]

Demonstrations

Germany debates deportations to Afghanistan, Syria A deadly knife attack that killed a police officer has triggered demands to allow deportations to Afghanistan. Anti-immigration rhetoric is being stepped up ahead of the elections for the European Parliament.

June 7, 2024   

(Deutsche Welle) Colleagues, family and politicians converged on the city square in Mannheim on Friday to remember the young policeman who sustained deadly injuries one week ago. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier laid flowers. A 25-year-old man originally from Afghanistan, who is married […]

Government & Politics

UK election: What is The Muslim Vote — and why does it matter? The campaign backs a list of MPs for the election, and has been driven by Labour's early support for Israel’s war on Gaza

June 6, 2024   

(Middle East Eye) Launched in December 2023, The Muslim Vote (TMV) is a campaign in the UK supporting parliamentary candidates for the upcoming election in constituencies with a significant Muslim electorate. Much of its driving force has been the early support from the […]

Crime

Polish soldier dies after clash with migrants on Belarus border As Poles prepare to vote in the EU election on June 9, the soldier’s death could provide a boost to anti-immigrant parties.

June 6, 2024   

(Politico) A Polish soldier has died after being stabbed by a migrant on the country’s border with Belarus, Warsaw’s military said Thursday. The soldier was involved in a clash with migrants attempting to cross Poland’s northeast border from Belarus on May 28, […]

News: Europe

Paris Olympics: ISIS circulates ‘detailed attack manuals’ on using drones to hit games Terrorism expert tells the National there is a good chance ISIS and other groups are plotting an assault on crowds

June 5, 2024   

(National-UAE) ISIS extremists have published “detailed” manuals for adapting drones to attack the Paris Olympics, a counter-terrorism expert has told the National. Matt Mooney believes there is a “moderately high” probability that there will be a drone attack using a home-made bomb […]

Law Enforcement

West Yorkshire Police officer given community order over pro-Hamas WhatsApp posts Mohammed Adil pleaded guilty to posting two images supporting the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the banned terrorist group, following the 7 October attacks in Israel.

June 4, 2024   

(Sky News) A police officer from West Yorkshire has been given a community order after posting images of Hamas fighters on Whatsapp, days after the 7 October attacks on Israel. Mohammed Adil, from Wibsey in Bradford, escaped a prison sentence for supporting […]

Demonstrations

Mannheim knife attack: Authorities suspect Islamist motive German federal prosecutors have begun investigating a knife attack which left a police officer dead in Mannheim. On Monday, thousands of people gathered in the southwestern German city to pay their respects.

June 4, 2024   

(Deutsche Welle) German authorities say they believe there was an Islamist motive behind a knife attack at an anti-Islam rally in the southwestern German city of Mannheim on Friday during which a police officer was killed. The federal prosecutor, Germany’s highest prosecuting authority […]

Alcohol & Drugs

Foxtrot and Rumba: Who are the violent Swedish gangs doing Iran’s bidding? Rival groups are led by Rawa Majid, known as the Kurdish Fox, and his former associate Ismail Abdo

May 31, 2024 and   

(National-UAE) Two notorious Swedish criminal gangs have been named as the groups recruited by Iran to carry out attacks on Israeli [targets] and Iranian dissidents. Foxtrot is led by Rawa Majid, known as the Kurdish Fox, while his former criminal associate, Ismail […]

Crime

Mossad: Iran-backed criminal networks behind attacks on Israeli embassies in Europe Swedish intelligence agency confirms that Tehran is using local organizations — including the Foxtrot and Rumba crime rings — to attack Israeli and Jewish targets

May 30, 2024   

(Times of Israel) Iran is behind a string of terror attacks by criminal networks on Israeli embassies in Europe since October 7, the Mossad intelligence agency said in a rare statement on Thursday. Sweden’s Säpo security service confirmed the report in a […]