Iraqi cleric who called for armed revolt over poor public services shot dead outside home in Basra

Hundreds of Basra residents mourned a Muslim cleric on Sunday who police said was killed outside his home after he suggested protesters should take up arms over poor public services in the city.

Wissam al-Ghrawi was a prominent figure in demonstrations demanding clean water and reliable electricity in the southern Iraqi city. Basra province generates more than 90 per cent of Iraq’s oil exports but suffers from contaminated drinking water and regular power cuts.

Police say al-Ghrawi was shot and killed in front of his house in the city centre by unknown assailants on Saturday night.

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/2173823/iraqi-cleric-who-called-armed-revolt-over-poor-public

Surabaya redux: terror time bomb fears as Indonesia frees Islamic extremists

Six months after three families blew themselves up in Surabaya, killing 28, Indonesia is poised to release a wave of extremists from prison. And with Christmas and an election looming, experts fear terror will return

On May 13 and 14, 28 people were killed and dozens more injured in multiple bombings carried out by three families in Surabaya, East Java.

It was Indonesia’s deadliest terrorist strike in more than a decade. And it was the first time that entire families, including children, had been involved in such attacks in the country.

Authorities tightened security in response, passing a new counterterrorism l aw and making hundreds of arrests.

But experts warn that the Surabaya suicide attacks may be just a preview of what is to come, with extremist elements in Indonesia likely to regroup, support for Islamic State (IS) likely to continue and new alliances set to emerge.

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2173651/surabaya-redux-terror-time-bomb-fears-indonesia-frees-islamic

Forbes Mag: Illegal Immigrants Cost Taxpayers $18.5 Billion/Yr. In Health Care Costs

Illegal immigrants cost the U.S. billions a year in health care costs that the illegals never pay for, a Forbes Mag. report says. And that is even though federal law supposedly prohibits this spending.

Federal law claims that no federal dollars can go to pay for health care for illegals. Unfortunately, this is a smoke screen because literally BILLIONS of our tax dollars go to fund medical care for illegals anyway.

Forbes magazine’s Chris Conover recent ran the numbers and came up with at least $18.5 billion of our tax dollars wasted on health care for illegal immigrants.

https://lidblog.com/illegal-immigrants-health-care/