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Britain's UKIP Loses Only MP SUNDAY, MARCH 26, 2017 INTERNATIONAL Singaporean teen dissident granted US asylum SINGAPORE: A Singaporean teenager in Singapore,” the judge said in the deci- regards as essential for stability in a who was jailed twice after insulting the sion, a copy of which was seen by AFP. volatile region. island’s late leader Lee Kuan Yew and reli- The judge said evidence presented Several government critics have gious groups has been granted political during the hearing “demonstrates sought refuge overseas, including in the asylum in the United States, his US lawyer Singapore’s persecution of Yee was a pre- United States and Britain, among them said yesterday. Amos Yee, 18, shocked text to silence his political opinions criti- Gopalan Nair who was granted US asy- Singaporeans in March 2015 after posting cal of the Singapore government”. The lum for political persecution in the 1990s an expletive-laden video attacking Lee as US Department of Homeland Security and now holds American citizenship. Yee, the founding prime minister’s death trig- had opposed Yee’s asylum application, a filmmaker-turned-activist, was gered a massive outpouring of grief in the saying he was legally prosecuted by the detained by US authorities after he city-state. He was jailed for four weeks for Singapore government. It now has 30 arrived in Chicago in December. hurting the religious feelings of Christians days to appeal the judge’s decision. In a Speaking by telephone from Maryland, and posting an obscene image as part of statement yesterday, Singapore’s home lawyer Grossman, who has represented his attacks on Lee-whose son Lee Hsien affairs ministry, which looks after internal Yee for free, said the US government “has Loong is now the prime minister-but security, said Yee had engaged in “hate the right to appeal this decision” within served 50 days including penalties for vio- speech” but noted that such rhetoric is the next 30 days. “The law agrees that he lating bail conditions. allowed in the United States. is eligible for immediate release,” He was jailed again in 2016 for six “It is the prerogative of the US to take Grossman said. SINGAPORE: This file photo shows Amos Yee leaving the state court in weeks for insulting Muslims and in such people who engage in hate Singapore. Yee, a Singaporean teenager who was jailed twice after insulting the Christians in a series of videos posted speech. There are many more such peo- ‘Political dissident’ island’s late leader Lee Kuan Yew and religious groups, has been granted politi- online, but critics claim the real reason ple, around the world, who deliberately The lawyer said she was told by the cal asylum in the United States, his US lawyer said yesterday. — AFP was to silence him. Yee’s lawyer Sandra engage in hate speech, and who may be US Immigrations and Customs tessential political dissident, escaping much relief”. In Yee’s video attacking Lee, Grossman of Maryland-based Grossman prosecuted,” the statement said. “Some Enforcement (ICE) office that Yee will be from the sort of a pressure cooker envi- he compared the late leader, who was Law LLC told AFP by telephone that US of them, will no doubt take note of the transferred to an ICE detention facility in ronment that city-state Singapore excels prime minister from 1959 to 1990, to immigration judge Samuel B. Cole had US approach, and consider applying for Chicago on Monday and will be consid- in devising for dissidents who challenge Jesus, saying “they are both power-hun- granted her client’s application for asy- asylum in the US” it added. Singapore, a ered for release. Phil Robertson, cam- its prerogatives,” Robertson said. gry and malicious but deceive others lum. “Yee has met his burden of showing prosperous island republic of 5.6 million paign group Human Rights Watch’s Activist Shelley Thio, of the rights into thinking they are compassionate that he suffered past persecution on which has long been criticized for strict deputy Asia director, lauded the US group Community Action Network and kind”. It was watched hundreds of account of his political opinion and has a controls on dissent, takes pride in its judge’s asylum decision. “There was nev- Singapore, said Yee’s mother, Mary, thousands of times before being taken well-founded fear of future persecution racial and social cohesion, which it er any doubt that Amos Yee is the quin- received the news of the decision “with down from Yee’s YouTube page. — AFP Vehicle attacks: Easy success for IS, a challenge for police Car and knife attacks aggressively promoted by IS BASEL: In the battlefields of Syria and Iraq, the Islamic State group became infamous for its spectacular variations on explosive vehicles. For attacks in the West, it has advocated the use of the same tool but suggested a simpler method, encouraging its followers to use regular vehicles to achieve bloodshed. Experts say that vehicle attacks - whether IS-inspired or coordinated - present a unique challenge for law enforcement officials as they are nearly impossible to predict and easy to pull off. They require no advanced training, no specialized materials. Almost anyone can own or rent a vehicle. Some feel that these low-tech, lone wolf opera- WASHINGTON: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of Calif (right) and Democratic tions can have the same psychological impact as Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md react at a joke from Rep Eric Swalwell, D-Calif (center) on larger, more sensational attacks. Four people Capitol Hill. Republican leaders have abruptly pulled their troubled health care over- were killed in London on Wednesday with this haul bill off the House floor, short of votes and eager to avoid a humiliating defeat tactic in what was the worst attack on British soil for President Donald Trump and GOP leaders.— AP since the transport network bombings on July 7, 2005. Charlie Winter, a senior research fellow at The House divided: Republican the London-based International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence, rift threatens Trump agenda says what makes such attacks so frightening is the relatively low barriers to entry. WASHINGTON: The Republican Party’s blamed on conservatives like Senator Ted The method was embraced by Al-Qaeda longstanding ideological divisions were laid Cruz. Getting Republicans to line up on before being revitalized by IS. “It makes for a bare in very public fashion this week, sink- issues has often been like herding cats. One very effective unsophisticated high impact, very ing US President Donald Trump’s Obamacare need only look back to 2015, when the far- frightening form of an operation,” he said. “You repeal plan and threatening other elements right managed to drive House speaker John don’t need to know someone who can make you of his agenda. The health care bill fell victim Boehner into retirement after he tried to a bomb or buy you a gun in order to carry out an to bickering between two competing drag them into line on multiple fronts. attack. It’s a very difficult thing to fight against. groups in Trump’s party: a band of grass Many conservatives openly celebrated There is no quick fix.” British authorities on roots conservatives, centered around the Boehner’s departure-he once called Cruz a Thursday identified Khalid Masood as the man NICE: In this July 14, 2016 file photo, authorities investigate a truck after it plowed through House Freedom Caucus, who routinely buck “jackass.” But Boehner was replaced by the who mowed down pedestrians with an SUV and Bastille Day revelers in the French resort city of Nice, France, killing 86 people. In Britain, a leadership; and establishment-leaning mod- wonkish, rising young star Paul Ryan, a con- stabbed a policeman to death outside man drove a car into pedestrians in London on March 22, 2017, in an attack claimed by the erates who are more likely to seek consen- sumate establishment Republican and for- Parliament. Islamic State group. The extremist group is encouraging its followers to use vehicles to sus over confrontation. mer vice presidential candidate. While he The British national wasn’t on a terrorism achieve bloodshed. — AP The president’s failure to get them faced criticism from far-right legislators, watch list although he was once investigated for together and bring the American Health Ryan managed to tamp down the uproar by their widespread use throughout the world. “ after the US-led coalition launched airstrikes on extremism. IS claimed the attack. Rita Katz, Care Act across the finish line highlighted conservatives-until the 2016 presidential Two weeks later, an Ohio State University stu- the group. The message then evolved to spell director of the SITE Intelligence group, says it is how the internal fracturing has yet to heal. race and the emergence of Trump, the pop- dent rammed his car into a group of pedestrians out the best ways to use a knife or inflict the almost impossible for law enforcement agencies That could spell trouble for the party in ulist candidate. on campus and then got out and started stab- most damage possible with a car. IS may provide to stop IS-inspired attacks, especially vehicular- power, as Washington gears up for several bing people with a butcher knife before being “very detailed tactical information that helps the style ones like the one in London. Since 2014, legislative battles in the months ahead. “Like Dealing with divides gunned down by a police officer. IS claimed the attackers to create more damage but there is a this simple but effective method has been laid Southern California, the GOP has many fault Trump’s November election victory has attack, which left 11 people wounded.
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