Sweden Considers Emergency Closure of Bridge to Denmark

THE TELEGRAPH: Swedish government prepares proposal to halt traffic across the Oresund bridge to Denmark in bid to stop influx of asylum-seekers

Sweden’s government is rushing an emergency bill through parliament which will give it the power to halt road traffic across the Oresund Bridge to Denmark — bringing any future influx of asylum seekers to a sudden and dramatic halt.

The bridge, made famous by the popular television drama The Bridge, is used by 20,000 road commuters a day and has been the main entry route for those seeking asylum in Sweden. The country is expecting to receive some 190,000 asylum-seekers this year.

“This bill, if passed, would give the government the ability in an emergency to close the bridge without having to deal with it in parliament, because that would probably take too long”, Elin Tibell, press secretary to infrastructure minister Anna Johansson, told Sweden’s Dagens Industri newspaper.

Trains across the bridge will continue to run, but operators expect travel times to double from 30 minutes to an hour as police carry out passenger checks.

It comes as European ministers meeting in Brussels discussed sweeping measures to reintroduce border checks for up to two years, in an effective suspension of the thirty-year-old Schengen agreement. » | Richard Orange, Copenhagen | Thursday, December 3, 2015

Pakistani Lawyer Files Petition for Return of Koh-i-noor Crown Jewels Diamond

The Koh-i-noor diamond is set in the state crown of Queen Mary,
consort of George V, and last worn by the Queen Mother.

THE GUARDIAN: Gem set in crown last worn by Queen’s mother belongs to Punjab province and was forcibly taken by British colonialists, says petitioner in Lahore

A lawyer in Pakistan has filed a court petition seeking the return of a diamond he says Britain forced India to hand over in colonial times.

Once the largest cut diamond in the world, the 105-carat Koh-i-noor is one of the crown jewels. It is set in a crown last worn by the Queen’s late mother during her coronation.

Lawyer Jawaid Iqbal Jafree filed the petition at the high court in Lahore on Wednesday naming Queen Elizabeth II as a respondent. The application asks that Britain hand back the diamond, now on display in the Tower of London.

India also has made regular requests for the jewel’s return, saying the Koh-i-noor is an integral part of the country’s history and culture. In 1850, Britain’s then colonial governor-general of India arranged for the huge diamond to be presented to Queen Victoria. » | Reuters | Thursday, December 3, 2015

EDL Co-founder Tommy Robinson to Launch New UK Anti-Islam Movement

BT.COM: The co-founder of the far-right English Defence League (EDL) Tommy Robinson is to launch a new UK anti-Islam movement.

The co-founder of the far-right English Defence League (EDL) Tommy Robinson is to launch a new UK anti-Islam movement.

The former EDL leader, who left the group in 2013 to work with anti-extremism think-tank The Quilliam Foundation, will signal a return to politics on Thursday in an interview with Channel 4 News, the broadcaster said.

He is to appear on the programme to discuss launching a "new anti-Islam street movement in the UK", believed to be international far-right group Pegida - whose roots are in Germany.

Mr Robinson spoke at a Pegida rally in the German city of Dresden last month where, according to a Facebook post by the group, he spoke about the Paris attacks and said he wanted them to "save our culture, save our country, save our future". » | PA | Thursday, December 3, 2015

Putin kritisiert Ankara erneut

Greece: Refugee Electrocuted to Death on Macedonian Border after Clashes

A refugee was electrocuted to death on the Greek-Macedonian border near the Idomeni crossing, Thursday. Fellow refugees read Muslim prayers for the deceased, who is believed to be of Moroccan origin.

Russlands Präsident droht der Türkei: „Nur Allah weiß, warum sie das gemacht haben“

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Wladimir Putin droht Ankara nach dem Abschuss eines russischen Kampfflugzeugs mit weiteren Sanktionen. Die westlichen Staaten macht der Präsident für die Ausbreitung des Terrorismus verantwortlich.

Russlands Präsident Wladimir Putin hat der türkischen Führung schwere Vorwürfe wegen der angeblichen Unterstützung von Terroristen gemacht. „Wir wissen, wer jetzt in der Türkei den Terroristen hilft, sich zu bereichern, indem das gestohlene Erdöl verkauft wird“, sagte Putin am Donnerstag in seiner Rede an die Nation. Das türkische Volk sei fleißig, aber das „Regime“ in Ankara sei verräterisch. » | Quelle: dpa | Donnerstag, 3. Dezember 2015

«Les Turcs vont regretter» la destruction d'un avion russe

Vladimir Poutine a proféré des menaces lors de son adresse
annuelle devant les parlementaires, le gouvernement et les
gouverneurs des régions de Russie.

LE MATIN: SYRIE — Vladimir Poutine a dénoncé la Turquie et affirmé que la Russie «n'oubliera jamais».

La Russie «n'oubliera jamais» la destruction d'un avion militaire russe le 24 novembre au-dessus de la frontière syrienne et les Turcs «vont regretter ce qu'ils ont fait», a prévenu jeudi le président russe Vladimir Poutine. «Nous n'oublierons jamais cette complicité avec les terroristes. Nous considèrerons toujours la trahison comme l'un des pires et des plus vils actes. Que ceux en Turquie qui ont tiré dans le dos de nos pilotes le sachent», a déclaré le président lors de son adresse annuelle devant les parlementaires, le gouvernement et les gouverneurs des régions de Russie.

«Je ne comprends pas pourquoi ils ont fait ça. Seul Allah le sait», a-t-il ajouté, suscitant les applaudissements de l'assemblée. «Il semble qu'Allah ait décidé de punir la clique au pouvoir en Turquie en la privant de la raison et du bon sens». «Il ne faut pas attendre de nous une réaction nerveuse, hystérique, dangereuse pour nous et pour le monde entier», a-t-il promis. «Nous n'allons pas brandir les armes». » | ats/nxp | jeudi 3 décembre 2015

‘Turkish Government to Blame for Terrorist Funding’ – Retired US Army Major General

Russia is preparing a draft UN resolution aimed at cutting off financing to terrorist groups, including ISIS. The jihadi group makes up to 1.5 million dollars a day from black-market fuel exports. The Russian government says it has proof that most of the oil sold by terrorists makes it way to Middle East markets via Turkey. Paul Vallely, a retired Major General of the US Army, thinks world powers need to put greater pressure on the Turkish government.

Charges for 'Disrespect' in Australian Court after Accused Rejects Any Authority Other Than Islam

Supreme law courts in Sydney, Australia

THE TELEGRAPH: New South Wales will introduce laws to ban disrespectful behaviour after a 25-year-old man refused to stand in court for four judges

The Australian state of New South Wales will introduce laws to ban “disrespectful behaviour” in court after a devout Muslim charged with attempted murder repeatedly refused to stand, saying he did not recognise the authority of the judiciary.

Milad bin Ahmad-Shah al-Ahmadzai, 25, caused a public outcry – and his conduct was criticised by local Muslim leaders - but authorities said his failure to stand did not appear to be illegal under existing contempt laws.

Al-Ahmadzai has been charged with the vicious beating and shooting of a man outside a gay sex club in Sydney, apparently after the man interrupted an attempt to break into a mechanic business next door to the club.

For the past 18 months, al-Ahmadzai has refused to stand in court, insisting he was “not at the behest of any authority other than Islam”.

Dismissing his conduct as unacceptable, Gabrielle Upton, the state’s attorney-general, said she will introduce legislation early next year to create a new offence for disrespectful behaviour in court. » | Jonathan Pearlman, Sydney | Thursday, December 3, 2015

THE GUARDIAN: Man who refuses to stand in court to be considered for contempt: The NSW attorney general, Gabrielle Upton, seeks advice on whether man on attempted murder charges should be investigated ‘for breaches of contempt’ » | Australian Associated Press | Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Victim of Sydney sex club shooting shown running for his life in disturbing CCTV »

Vladimir Putin: Terrorists Use Money Made in Turkey to Launch Attacks against West and Africa

THE TELEGRAPH: Russian president says God is punishing the ruling elite of Turkey by taking away their sanity after the deaths of Russian servicemen when Turkey shot down its warplane

Vladimir Putin has launched another scathing attack on Turkey, vowing not to forget its shoot down of a Russian plane, as he opened his annual state of the nation address to parliament, discussing security and Syria.

The Russian president pulled no punches and claimed God was punishing Turkey's leaders by "stripping" away their insanity [sic].

"We will not forget this complicity with terrorists. We always considered and will always consider treachery to be the ultimate and lowest act. Let those in Turkey who shot our pilots in the back know this," Mr Putin told politicians in his address.

Mr Putin told the country that Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) was a "barbaric ideology", suggesting the group were like Nazis that the world must come together and fight against.

"In the 20th century, when people were not willing to join forces to fight Nazism they had to pay for that with tens of millions of innocent lives. Today we face this barbaric ideology, and we should set aside our differences and unite in one anti-terrorist front under international law and the United Nations."

He added: "Terrorists in Syria pose a special threat. They receive money and weapons, build up their forces, and if they win there sooner or later they will come back to Russia and we will have to fight them here.

"Our forces fight in Syria for Russia - for the security of our people, first and foremost. In fighting terrorism Russia is acting with extreme responsibility."

Mr Putin then addressed the escalating war of words with Turkey, claiming yet again that Ankara let Isil terrorists sell oil, an allegation Turkey denies strongly.

"We know who it is who profits in Turkey by letting terrorists sell oil there. Terrorists use that money to plan attacks against us, France, Mali and others. It was in Turkey that terrorists from the north Caucasus used to find refuge, and some of them are still there." » | Roland Oliphant, Moscow | Thursday, December 3, 2015

Russia: ‘Allah Decided to Punish Turkey’s Leaders by Making Them Lose Their Minds’ - Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on Russia's relations with Turkey in the wake of Turkey's downing of a Russian Air Force jet, during his state of the nation address in Moscow on Thursday.

US State Dept Dismisses Russian Evidence of Turkey Aiding ISIS

The Pentagon rushed to defend Turkey, calling it an important partner in the fight against terrorists, despite earlier claims from Washington that Ankara was supporting extremist groups in the region. RT’s Gayane Chichakyan was at a US State Department briefing dealing with these allegations.

Good Grief! Obama Thinks Christmas Is about Loving Tiny Trees

Obama on San Bernardino Shooting: We Should Not Accept This as Normal

Barack Obama comments on the shooting in San Bernardino, California, on Wednesday morning that left 14 people dead and 17 injured. Extending his sympathies to the families of those who were killed, the US president says there is a ‘pattern of mass shootings’ in the country that has ‘no parallel anywhere else in the world’ and steps need to be taken to stop these attacks in the future

Follow the developments on the Guardian’s live blog

Hilary Benn Speech in Full: 'We Must Now Confront This Evil'

Wednesday’s Commons debate will be remembered for Hilary Benn’s extraordinary wind-up speech, in which he powerfully (but politely) challenged his own leader and asserted Labour’s claim to be the party of activist, hard-edged internationalism. Towards the end, he compared the imperative to bomb Isis in Syria to ‘why this entire House stood up against Hitler and Mussolini’

Egyptian Sheikhs Lead Islamization Campaign in Africa: Jesus Is the Slave of Allah and His Messenger

Erdogan & His Family Involved in ISIS Oil Trade - Russian MoD

Turkish leadership, including Erdogan & his family are involved in ISIS oil trade, Russian MoD announced on Wednesday, showcasing satellites images and footage from oil facilities and Syrian-Turkish border.

Saudi Arabia 'Destabilising Arab World', German Intelligence Warns

Prince Mohammed bin Salman is believed to have played a key
role in Saudi Arabia's decision to intervene in Yemen

THE TELEGRAPH: It is unusual for the BND spy agency to publicly release such a blunt assessment on a country that is considered an ally of the West. Germany has long-standing political and economic ties with Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is at risk of becoming a major destabilising influence in the Arab world, German intelligence has warned.

Internal power struggles and the desire to emerge as the leading Arab power threaten to make the key Western ally a source of instability, according to the BND intelligence service.

“The current cautious diplomatic stance of senior members of the Saudi royal family will be replaced by an impulsive intervention policy,” a BND memo widely distributed to the German press reads.

The memo focuses particularly on the role of Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the 30-year-old son of King Salman who was recently appointed deputy crown prince and defence minister.

The concentration of so much power in Prince Mohammed’s hands “harbours a latent risk that in seeking to establish himself in the line of succession in his father’s lifetime, he may overreach,” the memo notes. » | Justin Huggler, Berlin | Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Britain Is Arming Saudi Arabia in Yemen Conflict

MoD confirms is arming Saudi Arabia in Yemen conflict where 80% of the people face humanitarian disaster.

‪'Saudi Arabia Is to Blame for ISIS' Success'‬

Massoud Shadjareh, Chair of the Islamic Human Rights Commission criticized David Cameron's approach to the UK terror threat.