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Showing posts from April 30, 2017

Praise Allah! Islam goes evangelical in Nigeria’s south

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AFP People pray at the Nasfat Islamic Centre in Aseese, Ogun State, Nigeria. Image Credit: AFP Lagos: Sunday morning is usually the preserve of Christian pastors in the Nigerian megacity of Lagos but a new form of worship is emerging to challenge the monopoly. “Praise Allah!” shouts the imam of the Nasrul-lahi-li Fathi Society of Nigeria (Nasfat) before thousands of his faithful, gathered under tents on the outskirts of the city. Pacing up and down through the crowd, he punctuates his message with vigorous “Allahs” in the trademark bombastic style of Nigeria’s evangelical preachers. Entranced, men and women sitting on multi-coloured prayer mats, raise their hands to the heavens. Nasfat is one of a growing number of groups practising “charismatic Islam” in response to the massive success of pentecostal Christianity in Nigeria, said Ebenezer Obadare, a sociology professor at the University of Kansas. It has introduced “new modalities of prayer, modes of proselytising, a

Daesh leader in Egypt vows to step up attacks on Christians

Muslims told to avoid Christian gatherings and western embassies AP Cairo: The leader of a Daesh affiliate in Egypt vowed to escalate attacks against Christians, urging Muslims to steer clear of Christian gatherings and western embassies as they are targets of their group’s militants. “Targeting the churches is part of our war on infidels,” the unidentified leader said in a lengthy interview published by the group’s Al Nabaa newsletter on Thursday. He said that churches, security posts and institutions, as well as places where “crusader nationals of western countries” gather were all “legitimate targets.” He also called on Muslims who don’t join terrorists to carry out lone wolf attacks across Egypt, and complained that a large number of Egyptians were antagonistic to his group’s call and mission. “This is an apostasy from Islam and they have to hurry up and repent,” he said, urging Egyptians who oppose the group to either harbour, support, or join them. He also decried

Emmanuel Macron blasts huge hacking attack just before French vote: Cyber Security

French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron`s team blasted a "massive and coordinated hacking attack" against his campaign after a flood of internal documents were released online late on Friday, barely 24 hours before the election. Paris: French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron`s team blasted a "massive and coordinated hacking attack" against his campaign after a flood of internal documents were released online late on Friday, barely 24 hours before the election. The centrist candidate`s furious staff said the release of thousands of emails, accounting documents and other files was an attempt at "democratic destabilisation, like that seen during the last presidential campaign in the United States". The documents spread on social media just before midnight on Friday -- when 39-year-old Macron and his far-right rival Marine Le Pen officially wrapped up campaigning for Sunday`s election -- with his aides calling the leak "unprecedented i

The many loopholes of a Syrian ceasefire deal

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Image Credit: REUTERS  The Syrian war has dragged on for so long for a variety of conflicting and complicated reasons — one being total lack of imagination. Both sides have tried, for six long years, to defeat their enemies with a clear-cut military victory on the battlefield, but have realised that this is becoming very difficult. Neither has been able — or willing — to invent something creative until Russian President Vladimir Putin came up with a formula last Tuesday, which was signed off by the Turks and Iranians at the last session of talks in Astana on Thursday. It has also been discussed with United States President Donald Trump and seemingly been approved by him as well. From a nationalistic perspective, the agreement is a disaster for all Syrians because it permanently empowers foreign players to interfere with their domestic affairs and even legitimises their troop deployment. From a humanitarian perspective, though, it is very good news because it offers to ease the

Russia says Syria de-escalation agreement takes effect at midnight

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Russia says Syria de-escalation agreement takes effect at midnight A de-escalation agreement in Syria takes effect at midnight but Russia's air force will continue strikes against Islamic State elsewhere in the country, Russian news agencies cited the Defence Ministry as saying on Friday. The largest of the four de-escalation zones is in northern Syria and includes Idlib province and adjoining districts of Latakia, Aleppo and Hama with a total population of over 1 million, the ministry said. Iran and Turkey agreed on Thursday to Russia's proposal to establish the de-escalation zones. But details of the memorandum the three guarantors signed were sketchy, while the main Syrian opposition group said it lacked all legitimacy. The zones appear intended to halt conflict in specific areas between government forces and rebels, and would potentially be policed by foreign troops. The fact that the de-escalation agreement was supported by the United Nations, the U

Europe is trying to keep Russia from influencing its elections

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France and Germany fear propaganda and espionage favouring pro-Kremlin candidates France and Germany fear propaganda and espionage favouring pro-Kremlin candidates IN AN influential article in 2013, Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian general staff, described a new doctrine (often termed “hybrid warfare”) involving “information conflict” alongside diplomacy and military force to achieve geopolitical aims. To Americans, the Russian-sponsored hacking and distribution of fake news during last year’s presidential election were a shocking example of this strategy. Yet there is little new about it. The Kremlin has been using spooks and shills to sway Western politics since the days of the Soviet Union. The difference now is that the rise of social media and of populist politics, on both the right and the left, have provided new tools and allies to work with. With France and Germany facing elections this year, Europe expects to be the next target of what the KGB used to call “active

U.S. Far-Right Activists Promote Hacking Attack Against Macron

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By  MARK SCOTT MAY 6, 2017 Emmanuel Macron with supporters on Friday in Rodez, France.   Christophe Ena/Associated Press..  After months of trying to move the political needle in favor of Marine Le Pen in the French presidential election, American far-right activists on Saturday threw their weight behind a  hacking attack  against her rival, Emmanuel Macron, hoping to cast doubt on an election that is pivotal to  France  and the wider world. The efforts were the culmination of a monthslong campaign against Mr. Macron after his candidacy began to gain steam earlier this year, with digital activists in the United States and elsewhere regularly sharing tactics, tips and tricks across the English- and French-speaking parts of the internet. It is unclear whether the leaked documents, which some experts say may be connected to hackers linked to  Russia , will affect the outcome of the election on Sunday between Ms. Le Pen, the far-right candidate from the National Front and M

Terror, feudal politics and delays could hit China-Pak corridor, says Chinese scholar

Multiple security issues and political uncertainties mark the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a top Chinese scholar has said, adding opinion is divided on the viability of the project both in the short and long term. The CPEC, whose cost has been projected at more than $46 billion, cuts through Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK), leading to protests from India over the issue of sovereignty. Despite New Delhi’s concerns, China has pumped billions of dollars into the corridor, making it a flagship and prestige project under President Xi Jinping’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) since he announced it in 2013. But is the CPEC turning into a corridor of uncertainty? “China and Pakistan share the belief that economic development can help stabilise Pakistan and improve its domestic security situation. However, China also recognises that the security, political, and cultural risks and uncertainties facing the economic corridor cannot be overlooked,” Shi Zhiqin, execu

New York: Man accused of planning to bomb to help Islamic State

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While searching the home, officers found a pressure cooker stored behind a roll of bubble wrap in his bedroom closet. By:  AP  | Newark | Published:May 6, 2017 7:02 am Heavily armed counterterrorism officers take shelter from the rain as they stand against the front of a watch store in Times Square. (AP Photo) A New Jersey man arrested after stabbing the family dog had plans to construct and use a pressure cooker bomb in New York City and, if necessary, become a martyr in support of the Islamic State group, federal prosecutors have said. Gregory Lepsky, 20, of Point Pleasant, was charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organisation. Investigators say he had praised the Islamic State group’s leader, Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, in online messages. He was arrested in February after investigators said he stabbed and threatened to kill the dog. After police arrived, investigators said Lepsky threatened to kill his mother and told police that

Press censorship: Blank space replaces New York Times article criticising Pakistani army

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"While we understand that our publishing partners are sometimes faced with local pressures, we regret and condemn any censorship of our journalism," said a spokeswoman for the New York Times By:  AFP  | Islamabad | Updated: May 5, 2017 11:44 pm The article said that Pakistani army seemed to be sending the message to the Taliban that they would be forgiven if the Talibani prisoners testified that “they hate India as much as we (the army) do.” (Representational Image) An International New York Times opinion piece criticising the powerful Pakistani army was censored by its local publisher on Friday, replaced by a blank space in a country where it can be dangerous to speak out against the military establishment. The online version of the piece by Mohammed Hanif, a high-profile satirist and novelist whose critiques of Pakistani society regularly appear in the New York Times, was trending on Pakistani social media by this afternoon. In the article, entitled “Pakistan’s

Clashes in northwest Syria after de-escalation zones take effect: Sources

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The Britain-based war monitoring group said government forces shelled the nearby towns of Kafr Zita and Latamneh. By:  Reuters  | Beirut | Published:May 6, 2017 7:19 am The Syrian government supported the de-escalation plan, but said it would continue to fight what it termed terrorist groups. (Representational) Syrian government forces and rebels clashed in the northwestern province of Hama on Friday shortly after a Russian-led deal to establish de-escalation zones took effect, a monitor and a rebel official said.  Fighter jets fired at the rebel-held village of al-Zalakiyat and nearby positions in the Hama countryside, where the combatants exchanged shelling, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The Britain-based war monitoring group said government forces shelled the nearby towns of Kafr Zita and Latamneh. There was no immediate comment from the Syrian army. Mohammed Rasheed, a spokesman for the Jaish al-Nasr rebel group based in Hama, confirmed that fighting h

Trump counterterrorism strategy urges allies to do more

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National security strategy, to include the counterterrorism mission - which is especially important since no such strategy has been produced publicly since 2011." By:  Reuters  | Washington | Published:May 6, 2017 10:15 am In Picture, US President Donald Trump (AP Photo) A draft of President Donald Trump’s new counterterrorism strategy demands that U.S. allies shoulder more of the burden in combating Islamist militants, while acknowledging that the threat of terrorism will never be totally eliminated. The 11-page draft, seen on Friday by Reuters, said the United States should avoid costly, “open-ended” military commitments. “We need to intensify operations against global jihadist groups while also reducing the costs of American ‘blood and treasure’ in pursuit of our counterterrorism goals,” states the document, which is expected to be released in coming months. “We will seek to avoid costly, large-scale U.S. military interventions to achieve counterterrorism obje