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Opening Statements Set For Case Against Sayfullo Saipov Over 2017 NYC Bike Path Killings 

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Opening statements are set to begin Monday in the trial of Sayfullo Saipov, who is currently facing terrorism charges after he allegedly ran over pedestrians in a rented truck on the West Side bike path in Manhattan on Halloween in 2017; killing eight people and injuring many more.

Saipov has pleaded not guilty to eight counts of murder, 18 counts of attempted murder, and other terrorism charges. His plea makes him eligible for the death penalty in what is the first federal capital case heard under the Biden Administration. 

Authorities reported that Saipov plowed through cyclists and pedestrians on the bike path before crashing the rented truck into a school bus, exiting the vehicle while waving a pellet and paintball gun before being shot and taken into custody by an NYPD officer. 

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According to a criminal complaint, Saipov told investigators that he planned the attack throughout the course of a year and chose to execute it on Halloween due to the volume of people that would be on the streets. 

“He planned to use the truck to hit pedestrians in the area the attack took place and then proceed to the Brooklyn Bridge to continue to strike pedestrians.”

The criminal complaint also revealed that Saipov told investigators ISIS inspired his attack, and he chose to use a truck as a means of “inflicting maximum damage against civilians.”

Prosecutors stated that Saipov initially wanted to display ISIS flags on the truck during the attack, but decided not to as a means of avoiding attention. 

The complaint also said that investigators found around 90 videos and 3,800 pictures of ISIS-related propaganda on his cell phone, including graphic videos of ISIS members killing “prisoners, beheadings, and instructions for how to make a homemade improvised explosive device.

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Investigators also cited in the complaint that Saipov asked to hang an ISIS flag in his hospital room after being shot and captured, and that he said he “felt good about what he had done.”

According to officials, Saipov initially came to the US in 2010, moving from Uzbekistan to New Jersey with his wife and three children, and drove for Uber. He entered into the US on a diversity immigrant visa, which “allows people from countries with low recent immigration to apply for a visa and green card,” according to the Department of Homeland Security. 

Police have stated that of the eight people killed in the attack, five were from Argentina, two were Americans, and one was from Belgium. The Argentinians were in a group of people celebrating their 30-year high school reunion. 

Reported by CNN, “Argentina’s Foreign Affairs Ministry identified the group as Hernán Diego Mendoza, Diego Enrique Angelini, Alejandro Damián Pagnucco, Ariel Erlij and Hernán Ferruchi.

Nicholas Cleves, 23, from New York, and Darren Drake, 32, from New Milford, New Jersey, were the two Americans killed. Ann-Laure Decadt, a 31-year-old Belgian woman, was also among those killed, according to a statement from her husband, Alexander Naessens.”

terror

At Least Eight People, Including Five Americans, Injured In Jerusalem Shooting Terror Attack 

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Around 1:30 am local time Sunday, police responded to reports of a “terrorist armed with weapons who shot at a bus and vehicles in a parking lot near the Old City of Jerusalem.” The attack took place near the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City, where the shooter targeted a bus in the area. 

At least eight people, including five Americans, were wounded in the attack. Two of the Americans are being treated at the Hadassah Medical Center, and three at Shaare Zedek Medical Center, according to reports from the hospitals. 

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The hospitals stated that at least two of the injured Americans were tourists and Israeli media confirmed that four of the American victims were tourists and members of the same family. 

Emergency services reported that two of the victims are in serious condition while the other six victims are mildly or moderately injured. One of the wounded individuals was pregnant and had to endure an emergency cesarean operation, both the mother and baby are in serious condition, according to the Shaare Zedek hospital. 

The US Embassy in Jerusalem said that they are “shocked and saddened by the attack,” and are currently gathering more information. A spokesperson released a statement to CNN today regarding the attack: 

“We strongly condemn all acts of terrorism and actions that exacerbate tensions. Our thoughts are with the loved ones of the victims and we wish all of them a quick and full recovery.”

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Tom Nides, the US Ambassador to Israel, also released a statement via his Twitter condemning the attack: 

“Strongly condemn the terrorist attack outside the Old City of Jerusalem. I am praying for a quick recovery for all of the innocent victims,” Nides said.

“Deeply saddened to confirm that Americans were injured in this attack. I’ve spoken with the families and will keep them in my prayers. Continuing to monitor the situation.”

According to a police spokesperson, the shooter initially fled the scene with both security forces, the Shin Bet, and the IDF in pursuit. The suspect later turned himself into the police with his weapon being immediately seized. 

The suspect is an Israeli citizen born in 1996. While he’s not known for any terror related offenses, he has a criminal record and spent time in prison, his identity has not been released. 

Israeli media outlets described the suspect as a Palestinian who holds Israeli citizenship. Police and forensic investigators have begun a full investigation into the attack.

MeToo Movement

Viral Footage Of Women Being Attacked In China Revives #MeToo Movement For The Nation

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Security footage shared online showed a violent attack on female diners at a restaurant in China, sparking outrage online and a call to revive the #MeToo movement against gender inequality, something President Xi Jinping has tried to suppress.

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Terrorism Tape

American Citizen Named As One Of The Most Wanted Terrorists In The World

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The name Jehad Serwan Mostafa may not be a name most Americans know – however, he has been named the “most wanted American terrorist in the world.”

In a recent statement, US Attorney Robert Brewer confirmed:

“Mostafa is believed to be the highest-ranking United States citizen fighting overseas for a terrorist organization. Al-Shabab’s reign of terror threatens U.S. national security, our international allies, and innocent civilians.”

Although Mostafa has been on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terror list for many years, an unsealed federal indictment has shown that he has recently been charged with extra crimes that relate to his alleged connections with Al Qaeda affiliate Al-Shabab in East Africa.

After fleeing the United States in 2005, Mostafa was first indicted just five years later in 2010, however, this latest indictment also covers his previous charges and claims that during the period of March 2008 and around February 2017 Mostafa “conspired to provide material support, including himself as personnel to terrorists.”

The FBI has also stated that Mostafa has become a leader in Al-Shabab’s “explosives department,” undertaking vital positions throughout the soldier training and media sections of the group.

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It is thought Wisconsin-born Mostafa – also known as “Ahmed,” “Abu Anwar al-Muhajir,” “Ahmed Gurey,” and “Abu Abdullah al-Muhajir” – has been working on the improvement of the effectiveness of all IODs (improvised explosive devices) specifically created to attack US military bases and interests, according to government officials.

However sources have informed Fox News that Mostafa’s involvement is more sinister with an anonymous African intelligence official claiming:

“Currently, Jehad is in Somalia, and he is very close to the decision-making circles of Al-Shabab, especially their intelligence wing called ‘AMNIYAT’ and also an explosive brigade which is controlled by the powerful Al-Shabab leader, Mahad Warsame Qaley. Jehad is protected by Al-Shabab hardliners who are mainly connected to Al Qaeda. He directly gives advice to Al-Shabab’s leadership on issues related to strategies, international relations, smuggling explosive material and importation, media production, and its audience targeting.”

It is believed that 38 year old Mostafa has 16 children with his three wives, all of whom are receiving protection from Al-Shabab’s General Security, who are “in charge of overseas Counter-Intelligence and the presence of foreign fighters” in the group.

The source continued:

“The Middle Jubba region, which is under full control of Al-Shabab, is where intelligence agencies believe is his hideout. He is one of the most trusted foreign fighters within Al-Shabab, and gets more protection (than others) from the group.”

However the Mostafa that is around today is a surprise to those who knew him growing up, with many remembering him as sweet and subdued.

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Although born in Wisconsin, Mostafa was brought up in the Serra Mesa region of San Diego, California before heading to Mesa Community College. In 2005 he graduated with an economics degree from the University of California however it is alleged that he descended into the world of jihad only a few short months later at the age of 23. Heading to Yemen in 2005 it is thought he developed friendships with Muslims from other Western countries before heading to Somalia at the invitation of Al-Shabab.

While the terrorist group was establishing their hold in the war-torn country, Mostafa allegedly became affiliated within the group before they ordered future foreign fighters not to come due to the many arrests that were being carried out, with many trying to defeat the Somalian government finding themselves under arrest.

It is not just those that watched Mostafa grow up that have expressed their surprise at his radicalization. He often prayed at the Islamic Center of San Diego in Kearny Mesa and Imam Taha Hassane expressed his surprise at Mostafa’s extremist views in 2016:

“Jehad was often hanging around with the other young people. He used to play a lot of basketball outside. I was absolutely shocked to see his picture on the news connected to terrorism.”

Although his family have never responded to requests for comments – his father Halim Mostafa Gabori passed away from a heart issue in 2018 while his mother Sumaiyah is a school teacher, and he has an older brother who works as a software engineer – a family friend reported that the family were “deeply disappointed” and the family rarely mentions him any more.

One of the most deadly organizations in the world, Al-Shabab – Arabic for “The Youth” – became an insurgent faction based on their harsh interpretation of Islam in the late 1990s although they did not join Al Qaeda until 2012. The group peaked between 2009 and 2011 when they were in control of the majority of southern and central Somalia and although they were removed from the capital in 2011 they moved towards a “more covert form of guerrilla warfare.”

Will Hartley, a terrorism and security consultant, observes that the “concern that Al-Shabab was re-establishing itself prompted a renewed US focus on the group in the latter years of the Obama administration, and that has continued under Trump.”

Red Heart with Stethescope

Research Shows Lifestyle Changes and Medicine as Effective as Surgery for Heart Disease

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According to a recent large study, stents and coronary artery bypass surgery are not more effective treatment options than intensive drug treatment and lifestyle changes that incorporate healthy habits, causing a new controversy in the medical field of cardiology. The subject of the best way to treat people with narrow coronary arteries has long been the subject of fierce discussion among doctors and researchers, with most doctors opting to implant stents into clogged arteries in order to treat people who have heart disease. Stents are tubes made out of wire mesh that force arteries open, allowing blood to flow more vigorously through the body. This type of surgery is very common, and it is even performed when patients have no symptoms or only experience pain after exerting themselves.

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The findings of the study were released on Saturday during the American Heart Association’s annual scientific conference, and the study was the largest and one of the most rigorous of its kind ever conducted. Though the study found that surgery is often lifesaving for people who had heart attacks, the procedure may be performed more often than is medically necessary, as less invasive options produce similar positive health outcomes in certain populations. Among these options are the use of drugs that lower cholesterol, which contributes to the buildup of plaque within the arteries, which in turn increases one’s risk of heart attack or stroke. Stents or bypass surgery, however, are more effective than drugs and lifestyle changes for frequent chest pain.

While the findings discourage the use of surgery in patients who are asymptomatic, they may also encourage the procedure in people who have frequent chest pain

The findings are likely to have an impact on the conversations doctors have with their patients about the best course of treatment for a wide range of heart problems. While lifestyle changes, combined with medicine, are the ideal treatment for people with heart disease who experience no or only minor symptoms, these changes can be difficult for patients to make and keep over time. Changing one’s diet, for instance, generally involves a significant shift in the way one thinks about food, and committing to an exercise routine can be especially challenging for people who are busy. Interventional cardiologists perform surgeries like stent procedures, whereas preventative cardiologists prescribe drugs and encourage lifestyle changes; these recent findings are likely to inspire disagreements between these two specializations.

While the findings discourage the use of surgery in patients who are asymptomatic, they may also encourage the procedure in people who have frequent chest pain, as implanting stents was shown to be effective both in reducing chest pain and lowering the risk of a cardiovascular event. The study also highlighted the importance of smoking cessation in reducing one’s risk for heart attacks and strokes, as quitting smoking is perhaps one of the most significant lifestyle changes a person can make to improve their health overall, especially as he or she ages. 

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While implanting stents is an effective treatment option in some cases, it is not totally effective; in the study, patients who had stents implanted suffered heart attacks at a rate of 5.3% whereas the group receiving medical therapy only underwent heart attacks at a rate of 3.4%. However, after four years had passed, the group with invasive procedures fared better than the other group, having heart attacks at a rate of 13.3% as opposed to 15.5%. While these findings need to be studied further, they may be the result of the fact that many people fail to maintain lifestyle changes over the course of several years. For treating chest pain, stents had a clear advantage over the other therapies, as they relieved chest pain in 50% of patients whereas medical and lifestyle therapy relieved chest pain in only 20% of patients. That being said, both options have been shown to be effective treatments for a number of heart problems, and thanks to modern medicine, people suffer from untreated heart issues at a lower rate than in the past.