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WORLD NEWS Saturday 28 april 2018

Europe, U.S. police seize servers used by IS propaganda sites

By ANGELA CHARLTON, As- tacks in multiple countries, ance. High-quality videos,
PARIS (AP) — Police around from the 2016 nightclub at- complete with thrumming
Europe and North America tack in Florida to a deadly beats and slick editing
have seized servers and supermarket hostage-tak- techniques, have unlim-
data from Islamic State pro- ing in southern France last ited reach thanks to social
paganda outlets in a multi- month. While Europol said networks. Extremists with
country operation aimed the operation "punched a gentle American accents
at tracking down radicals big hole in the capability narrate radio broadcasts
and crimping the group's of IS to spread propagan- aimed at U.S. internet users.
ability to spread its violent da online and radicalize European authorities in-
message. young people in Europe," volved in the operation
The two-day operation it didn't shut down the pro- Wednesday and Thursday
was the culmination of ef- paganda altogether. said it showed the impor-
forts started in late 2015, af- For example, Nasher con- tance of international co-
ter coordinated IS attacks tinued to share IS state- operation in fighting online In this Jan.23 2018 file photo, a French solider watches code lines
that killed 130 people in ments and Aamaq reports radicalization, which has on his computer at the French Defense ministry stand during the
Paris, according to a state- Friday through channels on helped fuel deadly attacks International Cybersecurity forum in Lille, northern France.
ment from European police encrypted messaging net- in multiple countries in Eu- Associated Press
agency Europol. work Telegram. rope and the U.S.
Police notably targeted the The Islamic State group has The operation was led by diffuse IS propaganda and this week's raids. One led
IS-branded Aamaq news used sophisticated and Belgian prosecutors and to identify and arrest its ad- by Spain's Civil Guard that
agency, as well as al-Bay- ever-changing communi- also involved authorities in ministrators," the Belgian seized servers in Panama
an radio, and Halumu and cations tools to spread its the U.S., Canada, Britain, public prosecutor's office allowed authorities to iden-
Nasher news sites. Aamaq apocalyptic message to France, the Netherlands, said. Two prior international tify radicals in 133 countries
spreads information online disillusioned Muslims living Bulgaria and Romania. police operations, notably via their interaction with IS
in at least nine languag- in the West, to persuade It aimed "to destabilize this targeting Aamaq's mobile propaganda, according to
es and has been used to them to reject Western ide- apparatus by seizing and app and web infrastruc- Europol and a Civil Guard
claim IS was behind at- als of pluralism and toler- dismantling servers used to ture, paved the way for statement.q

Gang rape or sex abuse? Spain eyes changes to its rape laws

MADRID (AP) — The Span- Inigo Mendez de Vigo said "sexual assault (rape) and
ish government is consid- Friday that the Spanish gov- not only for sexual abuse."
ering whether changes to ernment respects the inde- The verdict by two judges
the law are needed after pendence of courts but in Navarra and a third's
a court rejected charges added that it "has always dissenting vote to acquit
of gang rape against five been, is and will always be the attackers has brought
men and convicted them on the side of the victims." widespread anger and so-
instead on a lesser charge He called the attack "de- cial debate in Spain. Many
of sexual abuse, an official spicable." people are calling for legal
said Friday. Justice Minister Rafael Cat- reform and criticizing what
Street protests erupted ala has begun consulta- they perceive as machis-
across Spain on Thursday tions with legal experts to mo in the judiciary.
after a court in the north- assess whether changes The Spanish criminal code
ern city of Pamplona sen- to Spain's rape laws are says evidence of violence
tenced the five men to required, Mendez de Vigo or intimidation must exist for
nine years each in prison said. Women shout slogans during a protest outside the Justice Minis- the more severe offense to
for sexual abuse. Activists Also Friday, a top prosecu- try in Madrid, Thursday, April 26, 2018. be proved.
described the attack dur- tor in northern Spain said he Associated Press Any changes to the law
ing the 2016 running of the will appeal the five men's require approval by a ma-
bulls festival in Pamplona as convictions. ince, said the attackers group named "La Manada" jority of lawmakers in parlia-
a gang rape. Jose Sanchez, the top pros- —who took pride in their or "The (animal) Pack"— ment.
Government spokesman ecutor in Navarra prov- actions on a WhatsApp should be punished for q