IRAN ( Campus security used " pepper spray " on two people at Art University )

Morality police clashes with campus security

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Monday, Jun 30 2014

 

According to Radio Zamaneh, a student at the Applied Arts University has been arrested by Iran's morality patrol, referred to as an Ershad Patrol.

The Kaleme opposition website reports that campus security tried to prevent the Ershad Patrol from returning to the campus after the student's arrest, and a serious conflict arose between the two groups. The Ershad Patrol reportedly resorted to pepper spray in order to gain access to the campus.

The report indicates that students are now collecting signatures for a petition to be forwarded to the Minister of Education, denouncing the actions of the Ershad Partol.

Kaleme calls the Ershad Patrol's violent reaction unprecedented, and one of the more violent officers involved in the incident has been identified as Hamid Ebrahimi.

The Ershad Patrol, a branch of the Islamic Republic police force, patrols streets and public places and makes arrests for "improper outfits or hijab."

Los Angeles ( One Dead, Four Wounded in Los Angeles Shootout ) Bet awards

 One person was killed and four others were wounded in a shooting at a Los Angeles restaurant on Sunday, police confirmed.

The incident occurred at an East Hollywood restaurant during a party connected with the Black Entertainment Television (BET) awards to be presented Sunday evening to African Americans who have distinguished themselves in the music and entertainment industry.

According to CBS, one person died at the Monalizza restaurant on North Vermont Ave. and two others were taken to a nearby hospital with serious injuries.

The identities of those involved were not released and early Sunday morning the area was still cordoned off by police and pools of blood were visible on the ground, local media reported.

Los Angeles Police Department officials said that the shootout was the second violent incident linked with the BET awards.

On Saturday evening, a person was stabbed – but not seriously injured – at a pre-show party held at a Hollywood nightspot.

The 14th edition of the BET Awards was to begin at 5 p.m. at the Nokia Theatre and was to be hosted by comedian Chris Rock.

USA ( NSA Continues Telephone Metadata Spying )

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Department of Justice and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) released the following statement Friday:

“On March 28, 2014, the Director of National Intelligence declassified and disclosed publically that the U.S. government had filed an application with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) seeking renewal of the authority to collect telephony metadata in bulk, and that, on March 28, 2014, the FISC renewed that authority. The DNI also announced that the Administration was undertaking a declassification review of the FISC’s March 28th Primary Order.

“On June 20, 2014, the DNI declassified and publically disclosed that the U.S. government had filed an application with the FISC seeking renewal of the authority granted in March to collect telephony metadata in bulk, and that, on June 19, 2014, the FISC renewed that authority. The DNI also announced that the Administration was undertaking a declassification review of the FISC’s June 19th Primary Order and an accompanying Memorandum Opinion.

“Following a declassification review by the Executive Branch, the DNI has released in redacted form the March 28, 2014 Primary Order, signed by Judge Rosemary M. Collyer. Separately, following a declassification review by the Executive Branch, the FISC published in redacted form the June 19, 2014 Primary Order and an accompanying Memorandum Opinion, signed by Judge James B. Zagel, re-authorizing the collection of bulk telephony metadata under Section 215. The most recent authorization expires on September 12, 2014. These Primary Orders and Memorandum Opinion re-affirm that the bulk telephony metadata collection is lawful.

MEXICO CITY ( 39 Migrants Rescued from Ranch in Northern Mexico )

MEXICO CITY – Mexican authorities rescued 39 migrants who were allegedly being held captive at a ranch in the northern state of Sonora and arrested four suspects, the federal Attorney General’s Office said.

The director of the AG’s office’s Criminal Investigations Agency, Tomas Zeron, said intelligence work and the monitoring of drug- and migrant-smuggling routes led authorities to the ranch, located near the U.S.-Mexico border in the municipality of Altar.

In addition to agents in the AG’s office, Mexican army soldiers and state police also took part in operation, which freed 26 Mexicans and 13 foreigners who were trying to reach U.S. soil.

Among the detainees was a man responsible for the ranch who allegedly extorted money from the migrants, demanding payments of up to $7,000.

Authorities also confiscated drugs and weapons at the property.

Honduras ( Two Dead in Shooting at Church in Honduras )

TEGUCIGALPA – Two people were killed and four others wounded when several armed men burst into a church in western Honduras and began shooting, the National Police said on Wednesday.

The attack occurred Tuesday night during a service at a Protestant church in Santa Rosa de Copan, a police spokesperson told reporters.

Alex Castillo, 37, and Sebastian Guillen, 18, were killed.

Four other people, three of them women, were admitted to a nearby hospital with gunshot wounds, the spokesperson said, without offering any details on their condition.

Honduras, one of the most dangerous countries in the world, suffers 90.4 homicides per 100,000 people, compared with a global median rate of 8.8 murders for every 100,000 residents.

MEXICO CITY ( One Cop Dead as Gunmen Attack Police Patrol in Mexico )

One Dead as Gunmen Attack Police Patrol in Mexico

MEXICO CITY – One Federal Police officer was killed and three others wounded when gunmen ambushed them on a highway in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas, Mexican authorities said.

The assault took place around 10:00 a.m. Thursday on the road linking San Fernando and Reynosa, according to a statement from the Tamaulipas Coordination Group, a federal-state law enforcement task force.

Armed men traveling in several pickup trucks intercepted the police vehicle and began shooting.

The wounded officers were flown to a hospital in Monterrey, the largest city in northern Mexico.

The body of the dead officer was taken to the medical examiner’s office in Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas’ capital.

Tamaulipas, which borders Texas, has long been the scene of conflict among rival drug cartels and between the gangs and security forces.

The federal government said last month it was deploying more security forces in Tamaulipas and planned to purge law enforcement agencies in an effort to rein-in violence blamed on the Gulf and Los Zetas drug cartels.

TUCSON Arizona ( Shots Fired from Mexican Helicopter over Arizona, U.S. Says )

TUCSON Arizona – Shots were fired from a Mexican government helicopter that strayed into Arizona airspace, the U.S. Border Patrol said on Friday, adding that no one was hurt.

“A Mexican law enforcement helicopter crossed approximately 100 yards north into Arizona nearly 8 miles southwest of the Village of San Miguel,” Customs and Border Protection officials in Tucson said.

“The incident is currently under investigation,” the CBP said.

The incursion occurred at 5:45 a.m. Thursday over the Tohono O’odham Indian reservation.

Two Border Patrol agents were in the vicinity at the time.

More than 5,000 Border Patrol agents are deployed in southern Arizona.

The Mexican helicopter was engaged in a counter-narcotics operation, a Border Patrol spokesman said.

Mexican officials contacted their U.S. counterparts to apologize for the incident, the leader of the Tucson Sector unit of the Border Patrol agents union, Art Del Cueto, said.

But Mexico’s Milenio television cited unnamed defense officials as denying any incursion into U.S. airspace.

While Mexican army and law enforcement helicopters were active near the border as a part of a major anti-drug operation, none of them entered the airspace over Arizona, the sources told the network.

The press office at Mexico’s defense department said it was working to gather information on the episode before issuing any statement