2 Birmingham firefighters shot in potentially targeted attack, suspect at large: Police

Two firefighters have been shot inside a Birmingham, Alabama, fire station in what police say may be a targeted attack. Both firefighters were hospitalized in serious condition after the shooting, which took place at about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Birmingham police told reporters. The suspect and motive are unknown, police said, adding that it’s “extremely unusual…

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Middlesex County Man Admits Communicating Threats to Attack Synagogue

A Middlesex County, New Jersey, man today admitted transmitting via the internet a manifesto containing threats to attack a synagogue and Jewish people, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Omar Alkattoul, 19, of Sayreville, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with…

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Israel files terrorism charges against two settlers in West Bank rampages

Israeli prosecutors filed terrorism-related charges on Wednesday against two Jewish settlers, one accused of desecrating a mosque and the other of setting a fire in a home, during rampages against Palestinians that drew U.S. calls for accountability. The spree of vandalism and arson by hundreds of settlers in several villages and towns in the occupied…

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Explosion damages Masonic Hall in central Athens

A small-scale explosion of an improvised explosive device caused limited damage to a Masonic Hall in central Athens on Thursday morning. Police said it received a call from an unknown person at 6.30 a.m. who reported that a bomb had been placed on 2 Sourmeli Street, the address of the Athens Masonic Hall, without mentioning…

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UN rights body passes disputed motion on religious hatred after Koran burning

The United Nations Human Rights Council on Wednesday approved a disputed resolution on religious hatred in the wake of the burning of a Koran in Sweden, prompting concern by Western states who say it challenges long-held practices in rights protection. The resolution, introduced by Pakistan on behalf of the 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC),…

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U.S. Attorney Ritz Launches National Security and Civil Rights Unit

United States Attorney Kevin Ritz has announced the creation of a National Security and Civil Rights Unit within the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee. This move permanently positions a supervisory attorney and several prosecutors to respond to and prevent hate crimes and civil rights violations, as well…

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