Why I Am Campaigning to Ban Donald Trump From the U.K.

The U.K. may not be a perfect democracy (is there one?), but it has laws that allow citizens to take action or request information. While such tools exist, I believe they should be used.

The U.K. has banned more than 100 people for unacceptable behavior, including preaching hatred. These include Michael Savage, a radio show host banned for “fostering hatred,” Pamela Geller, a founder of the anti-Muslim group Stop Islamization of America, and Terry Jones, a Florida pastor who tried to organize a Quran-burning protest. After months of considering the pros and cons, I decided to create a petition to ban Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump from U.K. entry for hate speech.

Scott Olson—Getty ImagesRepublican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks to guests during a campaign stop at Iowa Central Community College on Nov. 12, 2015 in Fort Dodge, Iowa.

My interest in Trump dates back to when he visited Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in 2006 and promised to build a money-spinning, job-creating golf course. His plan hinged on Scotland overturningenvironmental protection on the Menie estate. I watched as rules were bent and residents were subjected to what I considered harassment from private security. Anthony Baxter and Richard Phinney, documentary journalists, were arrested on the estate for a “breach of the peace.” They were not charged (see Baxter’s film You’ve Been Trumped). 

I also watched as “The Donald” was awarded an honorary degree from Robert Gordon University in 2010. Dr David Kennedy, a former principal of the university, handed his own degree back in disgust. 

The promised jobs and money have not appeared. Instead we have an ongoing legal battle with Trump, who is trying to stop wind farms from being built offshore near his property.

Attacking wind power is one thing—but attacking one race, religion, nationality after another in increasingly outlandish, inflammatory, hate-filled statements is even more worrying. His recent call to ban all Muslims from the U.S. was the final straw.

Do I want someone like this preaching hatred when there is so much of it in the world? Absolutely not. The idea for the petition also seemed popular with people including members of protest group Tripping Up Trump. So I bit the bullet and went for it. I also created a petition asking for his honorary degree to be overturned. It hardly seemed in keeping with the university’s policies on equality.

At best, I hoped for a few thousand signatures—if any. But the reaction has been overwhelming: at the time of this writing, more that 400,000 people have signed the petition. In addition, the university revoked Trump’s degree, and the Scottish government withdrew his position as a “Global Scot” business ambassador.

The British government has said it will not refuse Trump entry. Still, the reaction to his hateful statement has been encouraging. Perhaps people are weary of prejudices.

Indian court pardons US man for role in Mumbai attack

A court in the Indian city of Mumbai has pardoned an American national of Pakistani origin, as part of a possible deal allowing him to give evidence about his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

David Headley appeared in court on Thursday via video link from the United States, where he is serving a 35 year jail sentence for his role in the attacks that killed at least 166 people, and for conspiring to attack a Danish newspaper. 

Headley earlier told the court he would appear as a witness if he was pardoned.

The court agreed to Headley's plea and asked him to disclose all the information he had revealed to the US court, local media reported.

"The court's decision to agree in such a deal is significant. The prosecution hopes Headley helps to more clearly connect the attacks to Pakistan," said Al Jazeera's Nidhi Dutt, reporting from New Delhi.

Headley testified in the Mumbai court in accordance with his agreement with the US government that he would participate in foreign judicial proceedings.

Indian police want to question Headley about the alleged involvement of Pakistani army and intelligence officials in the attacks that left 166 people, including six Americans, dead in the Indian metropolis.

Headley has confessed to being a member of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the Pakistani armed group behind the attacks. He went on scouting trips to Mumbai, making videos of buildings that were targeted in the three-day siege.

Headley, who was earlier questioned by Indian federal investigators, said three senior Pakistan army officers played a key role in the attacks, media reports said.

During a separate 2011 trial against Tahawwur Rana, a Pakistan-born Canadian citizen, Headley described his initial contacts and training with LeT on repeated trips to Pakistan. He said he was introduced to a retired Pakistani military officer at a mosque.

He also said that the LeT fighters consulted with Pakistani intelligence (ISI) officials on a number of matters.

"These groups operated under the umbrella of ISI ... they co-ordinated with ISI," Headley testified under questioning by prosecutor Daniel Collins.

Pakistan has repeatedly denied involvement.

Seven men, including Lashkar operations commander Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi are currently undergoing trial in Pakistan.

In 2012, India executed the only surviving gunman, Ajmal Kasab, who was given the death sentence by the Indian courts.

5 Arrested in Germany After Woman Dies In Apparent Exorcism

(BERLIN) — German police have arrested five South Koreans on suspicion of murder following the death of a relative in an exorcism ritual in the city of Frankfurt, prosecutors said Thursday.

Officers discovered the body of the 41-year-old woman in a hotel room Saturday when the suspects called a priest after it became apparent that the victim had died, prosecutor Nadja Niesen said. “When he saw what had happened he notified the reception, and they called police.”

She identified the suspects as relatives of the victim — a 44-year-old woman, her 21-year-old son and 19-year-old daughter, and two 15-year-old boys, one of whom is the son of the dead woman.

“They all belonged to one big family,” Niesen said. “They came to Germany from South Korea six weeks ago and had rented a house in Sulzbach, but didn’t stay there much.”

Niesen said the suspects wanted to expel a “demon” they believed had possessed the woman. They exerted “massive force on her chest and stomach area” while stuffing a towel and clothes hanger into her mouth to stop her screaming, she said.

“According to our current information the suspects subjected the victim to pain and agony for at least two hours, and their actions were motivated by a callous and merciless attitude,” said Niesen.

“The woman eventually died from asphyxiation as a result of the massive chest compression and violence to her neck,” she said.

A second woman, also aged 41, was found inside the garage of the house the family had rented, said Niesen. She was taken to a hospital suffering from hypothermia and dehydration.

“It’s not clear exactly what happened to her, we are still investigating that,” Niesen said.

What Are The Chances Of A White Christmas?

For the rest of the UK, rain and strong or even gale-force winds appears more likely over the holiday season than a festive dusting of snow.

Northern and western parts, including areas hit by the recent devastating floods,are predicted to experience the heaviest rain and highest winds.

A longer-term forecast issued by the Met Office for the Christmas period and into the New Year said it "seems more likely than not" that the unsettled weather of November and early December would continue.

The latest update said: "This would suggest that all parts of the UK will see rain and strong or gale force winds at times, with the north and west of the country experiencing the heaviest and most frequent rainfall as well as the strongest winds.

"Further south and east some drier and more settled spells will intersperse the wet and windy periods.

"Overall temperatures are likely to be mild for the time of year, although there will still be brief colder spells leading to a risk of frost, and snow over northern hills."

Sky Bet is offering varied odds for snow on Christmas Day, depending on the part of the country.

Currently, in Aberdeen it is 2/1, 5/1 in Birmingham, and 6/1 in both Cardiff and London.

In the meantime, flood-hit areas are keeping a wary eye on the weather as the Met Office issued a severe warning for heavy rain and snow for North Wales and the North West of England on Saturday.

Up to 60mm of rain could fall in parts, and the Met Office said: "Given saturated ground, be aware of the potential for some localised flooding of land, roads and properties, as well as some travel disruption."

However, this was not expected to be as widespread or severe as that seen at the weekend.

The forecaster also said there was a chance of rain turning to snow in northern areas, which could cause traffic difficulties, especially where flooded roads have been closed and more minor routes are in greater use.

Sky News weather producer Joanna Robinson said: "A band of rain will move north across the UK and Ireland on Saturday and may well stall over northern England and north Wales, before returning south again on Sunday.

"There's still some uncertainty on where the heaviest rain will fall, but northern England and north Wales could see 20 to 40mm, locally 60mm.

"Central and western parts of Ireland will also be at risk, with potentially higher rainfall amounts there.

"Any rain falling on already saturated ground and flood affected regions will be unwelcome and bring the risk of further flooding.

"As the rain moves into colder air on Saturday it will bring the additional hazard of snow for the Cumbrian Fells, the Pennines and the hills of North Wales.

"On Monday, another spell of wet and windy weather is forecast, but from the middle of next week it may briefly turn drier and calmer.

"That won't last long though as the mild, unsettled and potentially stormy weather regime looks to continue through the second half of December.

"Areas in the North and North West will be most at risk."

Human Remains Identified As Missing Woman's

Natalia Doherty was last seen in April 2003

Natalia Doherty, 50, was last seen in Eastbourne, East Sussex, on 15 April 2003.

Officers discovered parts of a skeleton when they searched the garden of a house in Icknield Way in Luton, Bedfordshire.

Dental records have now confirmed they are those of Ms Doherty.

Two men, aged 66 and 39 and both from Luton, were arrested on suspicion of murder on Wednesday. They have been bailed until 27 January.

The 66-year-old was previously held on suspicion of assisting an offender and preventing a lawful burial.

A Bedfordshire Police spokesman said: "Natalia's family are being kept up to date with developments and are receiving the support of police family liaison officers.

"Investigations continue at the property."

Ms Doherty had been living in Eastbourne at the time of her disappearance but was known to have travelled to stay with her ex-husband, Gerald Doherty, in the Regents Arms pub in Luton.

US visa crackdown 'a step too far'

New York, US - For Hadi Ghaemi, an Iranian American, moves this week to tighten controls on travel to the United States set a worrying precedent.

On Tuesday, politicians voted to stop anyone who has visited Syria, Iraq, Iran or Sudan during the past five years - or nationals of those countries - from travelling to the US under a visa-free scheme that is available to many Europeans, even for dual citizens who also live in a non-effected country.

According to Ghaemi and other campaigners, it is the thin end of the wedge.

Not only would it make it harder for many academics, aid workers, businessmen and other Europeans with Middle Eastern connections to visit the US easily, it also reinforces negative stereotypes about the region, he said.

The bill would institute changes, including new visa requirements for citizens of Syria, Iraq, Iran or Sudan, along with anyone who has travelled to those countries in the previous five years, unless they had been on government business or military service.

President Barack Obama's administration supports the measures.  The upper house has not yet scheduled a vote on the bill, which could be included in a trillion-dollar spending bill that Congress must pass soon to avoid a government shutdown.

Some 20 million visitors enter the US annually under the visa-waiver scheme.  They are already screened in a government-run system, and the White House has recently unveiled upgrades to that and other aspects of the programme.

The scheme has been used by would-be attackers, including the "shoe bomber" Richard Reid in 2001, and Zacarias Moussaoui, the "20th hijacker" of the September 11 attacks, who entered the US on a French passport and no visa in 2001, according to a government probe.

Kevin McCarthy, a Republican politician, warned of 5,000 holders of Western passports who have been to Iraq or Syria in the past five years and could have been radicalised, like the Paris attackers. "Those are gaps that we need to fix," he told Congress this week.

[This] ... automatic exclusion from the visa-waiver programme is a step too far because it would [affect] businesspeople, humanitarian workers, medical workers, journalists. David O'Sullivan, EU ambassador

The bill is backed by the US Travel Association and the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) even though visa-free visitors boosted the US economy by $190bn last year and supported nearly one million jobs.

"We don't feel it dramatically alters the landscape, while providing more enhanced security measures," Terry Dale, the president and chief executive of USTOA, told Al Jazeera. "We want to dot our i's and cross our t's when it comes to security."

But Yolanda Rondon, a lawyer for the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, said that it reinforced prejudices about the Middle East and could herald a clampdown on applicants for tourist, business or student visas.

"Some people from the region are already waiting two years just to come and visit family in the US or undertake a business-related trip," Rondon said. "It's an agenda to shut down the immigration system and exclude Arabs or people perceived to be Arab, including Muslims."

'A step too far' 

Republican politicians and governors have already tried to halt Obama's plan to let 10,000 Syrian refugees into the US in the next year. That bill has not gone anywhere in Congress and looks unlikely to advance.

Others question the K-1 fiance visa scheme that was used by Tashfeen Malik, a 29-year-old Pakistani, to come to the US from Saudi Arabia to marry her American-born husband, Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, before the couple killed 14 people in San Bernardino this month.

Jamal Abdi, the director of NIAC Action, an advocacy group for Iranian Americans, warned that the new bill does little to boost security while discriminating against many Europeans who hold dual citizenship with Iran and other listed countries.

What came out of the House was drafted in the toxic political environment spawned by Donald Trump, and frankly by other Republicans running for president, and the fear that they have stoked following the Paris attacks and San Bernardino shootings," Abdi told Al Jazeera.

Under the new rules, visa-waiver scheme members would have to share counterterror information with the US. All visitors would be checked against Interpol databases, and members would have to issue "e-passports" with biometric data.

David O'Sullivan, the European Union ambassador to Washington, said new rules on biometric passports would be "cumbersome" and warned that many Europeans would lose the right to visa-free travel.

"Making the mere fact that you have been to one country in the last couple of years mean an automatic exclusion from the visa-waiver programme is a step too far because it would mean businesspeople, humanitarian workers, medical workers, journalists," O'Sullivan told Al Jazeera.

"Frankly, people who have visited those countries for more malevolent purposes are unlikely to declare they have made such trips."

Next April, EU members will discuss a visa-waiver scheme that is reciprocal - meaning rule changes by the US can be counterbalanced by similar restrictions from European countries, O'Sullivan added.

For Ghaemi, the US would be "shooting itself in the foot" with new rules that ultimately make it harder for both Europeans and Americans to cross the Atlantic for conferences.

"Our work requires a lot of travel to Geneva, Brussels and European capitals for advocacy," he said. "If our staff had to apply for a European visa every time we had to travel, it would bring that work to a halt."

Cartel leader Chapo Guzmán threatens war on ISIS after terrorists destroy drug shipment

Mexican drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzman has a lot of enemies: the Mexican government, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Donald Trump.

But now the world's most powerful drug trafficker is taking one what is arguably the world's most feared organization, ISIS.

Chapo's anger toward the radical jihadist group does not stem from some sense of altruism for the victims of the recent attacks in Paris or San Bernardino, but instead from concerns about his bottom line after ISIS destroyed several of his Sinaloa Cartel's drug shipments moving through the Middle East.

In a harshly worded email to ISIS, which was leaked by the website Cartel Blog, Guzmán sent a stark warning to ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi about messing with the cartel's business.

"You [ISIS] are not soldiers," Guzmán purportedly wrote. "You are nothing but lowly p**. Your god cannot save you from the true terror that my men will levy at you if you continue to impact my operation."

Guzmán added: "My men will destroy you. The world is not yours to dictate. I pity the next son of a whore that tries to interfere with the business of the Sinaloa Cartel. I will have their heart and tongue torn from them. It looks like it's on."

The Sinaloa Cartel is considered the world's largest drug trafficking organization, with operations running throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa, Australia and Asia. In the Middle East, the cartel has become a major provider of cocaine, ecstasy and other so-called party drugs to oil-rich princes and businessmen throughout the region.

Islamic State fighters, however, abhor the use of drugs and have systemically been destroying any cartel shipments they get their hands on.

While the group is prolific on social media and in their video output, ISIS has so far not responded to the threats from Guzmán.

In his letter, Guzmán also hints that if he succeeds in destroying the terrorist group then he should be given immunity from prosecution. Guzmán made a highly-publicized escape earlier this year from a maximum security prison in Mexico, where he was awaiting trial on drug trafficking charges.

"It would be ironic that the group who ends up taking out ISIS is El Chapo's drug cartel!" Guzmán reportedly wrote. "They seem up to the task and it could be worth giving immunity to this guy in exchange for him and his boys taking out ISIS once and for all!"