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Integration on hold in Norway: Immigrants face revocation of residence status

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NordenBladet – “People have felt on solid ground, and now they’re having the rug pulled out from under them,” says researcher Jan-Paul Brekke. The threat of losing their residence permit can be perceived as such a great burden that it affects immigrants’ health and participation in Norwegian society, according to a new report. Most people still end up being allowed to stay in Norway.

Even after many years in Norway, an immigrant with legal residence status may receive notification that she could lose her right to stay.

This was the situation for Amina from Afghanistan, who suddenly received a letter stating that the authorities were considering revoking her residence permit. She was interviewed for the recently published Norwegian research project.

“I thought – are they just going to take my permit away without even asking me? Can they just do that? It was very scary and gave me a sickening feeling,” Amina said.

Tough experience
The letter from the authorities affects two groups. One group includes those who have a residence permit or citizenship that the authorities suspect was granted on a faulty basis – due to fraudulent or inadequate information.

The second group consists of refugees whose country of origin has sufficiently improved conditions, so that authorities consider it safe for the refugees to return.

Jan-Paul Brekke of the Norwegian Institute for Social Research led a project commissioned by the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) to study how the intensified review of residence permits and citizenship is affecting immigrant communities. The report was presented in June.

“It’s a tough experience. These are people who have a residence permit and then lose it. They feel like they’re having the rug pulled out from under them,” Brekke says.

Uncertainty may create health problems
The researchers interviewed 27 immigrants from Afghanistan and Somalia who have been affected in one way or another by the revocation of their right to live in Norway.

Individuals who received the letter don’t know whether they’ll be able to stay in the country or even when they will receive an answer. All they know is that the authorities are reviewing their case, and it’s taking a long time.

Some people find that the uncertainty and waiting time have caused them serious health problems.

One man says that the content of the letter was so stressful for one relative that the relative was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. The researchers have not verified this information.

“Some people receiving this notification are in a fragile situation from before. The uncertainty is undoubtedly contributing to their stress,” says Brekke.

Losing motivation
Immigrants also shared with the researchers that they are losing their motivation to build a future in Norway.

They ask themselves why they should bother to learn the language, work, or send their children to kindergarten if they could be sent home at any time.

Ayaan, a woman in her 30s from Somalia, has had a residence permit for seven years.

“I had the aim of completing primary school … and this has affected my capacity to concentrate … so that’s a pity. I had a dream to get a permanent job, but now I am less motivated to apply for a job … it’s hard. And I had ambitions about getting a driver’s license, but that’s difficult without a residence permit,” she says.

Now she is afraid of losing her permit, even though she hadn’t received a letter from the authorities as of her interview with the researchers.

Norwegian-Somalis with Norwegian citizenship had been citizens for an average of five to ten years when their cases were opened, according to statistics from the UDI from March 2017 to December 2018. Some have been citizens for over 20 years.

Cases involving revocation of citizenship were put on hold pending a political decision as to whether or not these cases should be dealt with by the courts in future.

During this period, about 2,500 Somali cases and 500 Afghan cases of all types were handled. Approximately every fourth case was finalized.

Of these, three out of four cases were dismissed.

The researchers estimate that for half of the Somalis, the processing time is at least 15 months. Most of them are eventually allowed to stay, sometimes even if the authorities conclude that their country of origin has become safe to return to.

“This may be because children have been in Norway for a long time or because we think that girls should not be sent back to Somalia because there is a risk of female genital mutilation,” says Hanne Jendal, director of UDI’s Asylum Department.

Risk of poorer integration
In the meantime, immigrants have lost valuable years as part of Norwegian society, the researchers believe.

“Integration is on hold. The cost for Norway is that we risk poorer integration for those who are affected,” says Brekke.

He believes the authorities must consider these costs against the current practices in regulating immigration.

The UDI has renewed temporary residence permits for people waiting to hear whether they need to leave because their country of origin has become safe, “so they can continue their life here even if they have the threat of cessation hanging over their heads – and I realize that’s a huge burden,” says Jendal.

She points out that reviewing cases for cessation when the situation in the home country has changed is a task the Asylum Department has been given.

Consequences of a strict policy
The process of revoking a residence permit is a result of tightening the asylum policy in the wake of 2015, the year when many refugees came to Norway.

“Now we’re seeing the consequences of a strict policy for those who are affected,” says Brekke.

The immigrants who were interviewed deal with the uncertainty in different ways. Some are trying to continue their everyday lives as normally as possible and just deal with the fear of being deported.

Others give up their long-term dreams for the future and focus on short-term planning.

Some prepare for everything while others are paralyzed and unable to prepare for anything.

Life put on hold
The researchers believe the long processing time is unfortunate.

Waiting for a response from the immigration authorities not only affects the person whose case is up for review. The UDI does not process applications from others in the family while one family member’s case is being considered. Many individuals’ lives are thus put on hold.

“The whole process grinds to a halt for both the individual and the other family members,” Brekke says.

Norwegian-Somalis are the group most affected by the revocation process.

“It’s easy to imagine the anxiety spreading among Somalis in Norway that any one of them could lose their residence permit,” he adds.

Improve communication
Since most immigrants end up being allowed to remain in Norway, Brekke wonders whether the authorities have set an unwieldy process in motion with little output at the other end.

“For a lot of people, the long wait is filled with uncertainty – and then nothing changes,” he says.

Brekke acknowledges that the authorities need to have a system to ensure that application information is correct. But, he says, they have to improve the system, make it faster and communicate better so people understand what they’re facing.

“We recognize that there are clearly areas where we need to improve,” says Jendal from UDI.

She says that the UDI takes the report recommendations seriously and is already working on improving the available information. Currently, the Directorate has had three informational meetings for individuals who have been notified that they may have to leave Norway.

She can’t promise that the case processing time will get shorter right away.

“Ideally, we’d like to be able to process these cases faster. But the caseload is enormous, and we have limited resources, which is regrettable,” says Jendal.

She won’t comment on whether she thinks politicians should increase resources to the Directorate in order to do the job faster. The report encourages such an increase.

The researchers also recommend that the authorities commit to deadlines so that immigrants at least know what they can expect during the review of their case and when they will be informed of the outcome.

“We are working hard to be clear with the users about how long they’ll have to wait to get an answer,” Jendal says.

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Reference: Jan-Paul Brekke, Simon Roland Birkvad and Marta Bivand Erdal: Losing the Right to Stay. Revocation of immigrant residence permits and citizenship in Norway – Experiences and effects. Department of Social Research, report 2019: 9.


Featured image is illustrative. (Pexels)
Source: forskning.no

Three Islamic State group supporters were sentenced to death by a court in Morocco for murder of Scandinavian tourists

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NordenBladet – Three Islamic State group supporters were sentenced to death by a court in Morocco on Thursday over the beheadings of two Scandinavian women on a hiking trip in the High Atlas Mountains.

The defendants had asked God for forgiveness during their final statements at a packed courtroom in Sale, near the capital Rabat, following an 11-week trial of 24 suspects. His expressionless face framed by a beard and a traditional kufi cap, alleged ringleader Abdessamad Ejjoud appealed to God to “forgive” him. The 25-year-old street vendor and underground imam has confessed to orchestrating the attack with two other radicalised Moroccans last December. He and two others admitted to killing 24-year-old Danish student Louisa Vesterager Jespersen and 28-year-old Norwegian Maren Ueland in murders that shocked the North African country. Prosecutors and social media users had called for the death penalty for all three, despite Morocco having a de facto freeze on executions since 1993. Younes Ouaziyad, a 27-year-old carpenter who admitted to beheading one of the tourists, also asked for “God’s forgiveness”. “There is no god but God,” said the third alleged assailant 33-year-old Rachid Afatti, who has admitted to filming the grisly murders on his mobile phone.

Journalists had gathered outside the anti-terrorist court ahead of the ruling. “We expect sentences that match the cruelty of the crime,” lawyer Khaled El Fataoui, speaking for Jespersen’s family, told AFP. Helle Petersen, her mother, in a letter read out in court last week, said: “The most just thing would be to give these beasts the death penalty they deserve.” Ueland’s family had declined to take part in the trial. The prosecution has called for jail terms of between 15 years and life for the 21 other defendants on trial since May 2. The court sentenced Kevin Zoller Guervos, a Spanish-Swiss convert to Islam, to 20 years for joining a “terrorist group”. The only non-Moroccan in the group, Guervos was accused of having taught the main suspects how to use an encrypted messaging service and to use weapons. His lawyer, Saad Sahli, said Guervos had cut all ties with the other suspects “once he knew they had extremist ideas” more than 18 months ago.

All but three of those on trial had said they were supporters of the Islamic State group, according to the prosecution, although IS itself has never claimed responsibility for the murders. The three killers of the women were “bloodthirsty monsters”, the prosecution said, pointing out that an autopsy report had found 23 injuries on Jespersen’s decapitated body and seven on that of Ueland. Ejjoud had confessed at a previous hearing to beheading one of the women and Ouaziyad the other while Afatti filmed. The defence team argued there were “mitigating circumstances on account of their precarious social conditions and psychological disequilibrium”. Coming from modest backgrounds, with a “very low” level of education, the defendants lived for the most part in low-income areas of Marrakesh. The court however ordered the three to pay 2 million dirhams ($200,000) in compensation to Ueland’s parents. Jespersen’s lawyers have accused authorities of failing to monitor the activities of some of the suspects before the murders. But the court rejected the Jespersen family’s request for 10 million dirhams in compensation from the Moroccan state for its “moral responsibility”.


Rachid Afatti (left), Ouziad Younes (centre), alleged mastermind Ejjoud Abdessamad (right) and Abdelrahim el-Khayali (not pictured) allegedly camped out in the High Atlas Mountains two days before the murders. Picture: Morocco Police

Read alos:
‘Mastermind’ of backpacker beheadings arrested: Abdessamad Ejjoud, Rachid Afatti and Younes Ouaziyad are three of the prime suspects in the murder of two Scandinavian hikers Maren Ueland and Louisa Vesterager Jespersen

Norway hesitates over Iran response

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NordenBladet – The Norwegian government is still thinking over a request from the US for a military contribution towards boosting security in the waters off Iran. It won’t be easy for Norway to say “no,” but skepticism is running high and resistance is likely in Parliament.

Norway’s foreign and defense ministers recently confirmed the initial request from the US, where the Trump Administration is caught in a major conflict with the Iranian government. Recent attacks on oil tankers, including two controlled by Norwegian shipping interests, have heightened tensions in the area and involved Norway more directly.

Defense Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen confirmed in a carefully worded statement, which also has been recited by Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide, that the Norwegian government had “received a request from the US about a contribution to a means of strengthening security for shipping in the Straits of Hormuz.” Both went on to state that the Norwegian government is “positive to the US’ initiative,” but quickly added that there’s a “need for more information before we make an evaluation of any Norwegian contribution.”

Bakke-Jensen noted that there initially was no concrete information about what such a “mechanism for strengthening security for shipping” through Hormuz would entail. His statement, issued shortly after the NATO ministerial summit in Brussels two week ago, added that it was “therefore too early to say anything” about a Norwegian contribution, “but we will discuss this more closely with the US and other allies when there’s more clarity around the framework for a possible cooperation.”

US wants military escort coalition
Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) cited news bureau Reuters in reporting this week that the US is now proposing formation of a military coalition that would escort tankers through Hormuz. It still wasn’t clear whether any of the hard-pressed Norwegian Navy’s vessels will be sent to the highly strategic area around the Persian Gulf. The loss of one of Norway’s five frigates after a collision with a Norwegian tanker last fall has strained Norway’s naval defense capacity. Norway has also just committed one of its remaining four frigates, a submarine and fighter jets to the new NATO Readiness Initiative (NRI) that also was proposed by the US and aimed to boost NATO’s preparedness for any attack on a member nation.

Tensions, meanwhile, have continued to rise after the US blamed Iran for the recent attacks on commercial tankers and Iran responded by shooting down an American drone. The US wants to secure the important straits through which nearly a third of the world’s oil is transported.

With the Trump Administration known for going its own way, Bakke-Jensen noted that it was “positive” that the US was “taking the initiative” for a new international cooperation. He also noted that since Norway is a major maritime nation known for its large shipping industry, “we depend on free and secure navigation. We’re worried about the situation in the Gulf, and the consequences we have seen for shipping. It has rammed us directly.”

Foreign Minister Søreide has also said several times in recent weeks that she is “extremely worried” about the rising tensions between the US and Iran and the military escalation in the Gulf that’s already taking place after the US itself has sent naval vessels to the area.

Took part in earlier coalitions
Norway has contributed on earlier occasions to international coalitions aimed at securing maritime operations in international waters. In 2009, for example, Norway sent one of its then-new frigates to take part in anti-piracy efforts off Somalia. Now her US counterpart, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, has said he hopes at least 20 countries including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will take part in a new coalition at Hormuz.

NATO is also concerned about the conflict between Iran and Trump, who quickly and controversially pulled the US out of the international agreement over Iran’s nuclear program. Norway, along with its major European allies and Russia, had supported the agreement and contributed to it, still does, and was not happy when the Trump Administration reversed former US President Barack Obama’s support for the Iran Nuclear Deal and slapped new economic sanctions on Iran.

The Norwegian defense department reported that Iran was not an “official theme” at the recent ministerial meeting, but stated that it was “natural” that the “tense situation” in the Gulf was discussed. NATO has urged restraint among all involved, and wants NATO members to “avoid any further escalation” even as the US wants NATO allies to contribute to security.

Explore Estonian Culture

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NordenBladet – Estonia has a rich cultural heritage of folk song and dance, colourful handicrafts, wooden saunas and rustic food. Experience the traditional and modern sides of Estonian culture first hand at these markets, workshops, museums and festivals.

Historical traditions
Estonia has had its own distinct culture for thousands of years. In medieval times, the streets of Tallinn were buzzing with merchants, conducting trade to the far corners of Europe. Check out the Bastion Passages and Tallinn City Museum to see how life in old Tallinn was. Rakvere, Kuressaare and Narva also have fortresses the whole family will love. For an even more ancient tradition, visit a wood sauna like at Saunaküla (Sauna Village), where you can cleanse your body and mind like Estonians have for centuries.

Expressive song and dance
Estonia has one of the largest known repertoires of folk songs in the world. They demonstrate the poetic and age-old beauty of the Estonian language and are often accompanied by dances. The Tallinn Song Festival is the ultimate place to hear Estonian folk choirs, but is held only once very five years. Check out the Song and Dance Celebration 2019 or any of the annual song and dance festivals taking place all over Estonia. Another example of Estonian folklore is Kalevipoeg, Estonia’s national epic, which tells the story of a young man who battles foes and becomes King of Estonia. Visit to the Kalevipoeg Museum to learn about the tale and its connections to real places in Estonia.

Hands-on handicrafts
The Estonian aesthetic is vibrant, yet earthy and practical and can be seen in all kinds of crafts, from woodwork to textiles. Estonian national clothes are made of a striped, woven wool and colour combinations are indicative of the county, while baskets To try making your own creations, attend a workshop at the Estonian Open Air Museum or Avinurme ‘Way Of Life’ Centre. At the Maarja Magdalena Guild in Pärnu you can attend workshops or buy pieces from local artists. The Estonian Applied Art and Design Museum showcases modern items from Estonian designers where traditional influence is apparent.

Featured image: Hand made ceramic soap holder made by Estonian journalist, painter and ceramic Helena-Reet Ennet (ElishevaShoshana.com)
Source: VisitEstonia.com

Eco-friendly Scandinavian blogger praises the dandelion, widely spread in the Nordic countries, for its great might

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NordenBladet – During the weekend the weather was wonderful and since dandelions have already opened their beautiful yellow blossoms I decided to go and gather them. The dandelion is a herb with might and I gather them every year, reveals Helena-Reet Ennet in her ElishevaShoshana.com handicraft and lifestyle blog.

I use dandelions in meals of salad (roots, leaves, stems, blossoms) and I collect and dry the buds to prepare from them tasty herbal tea during the winter. Besides, I prepare soap from the extract and dried herbs of dandelions.

Our E&S handmade Goat milk and Dandelion soap is a madly popular hit product, especially among people with sensitive skin. Read about the product HERE. I gather dandelions from the clean fields of Estonia and Sweden, away from urban pollution, the majority stems from my own land. I like to know that the herb has been collected from clean and pure nature, from the non-polluted land.

I am completely anti-insect repellent. The dandelion nurtures and pampers the skin and besides it is also a helpful against parasites. Therefore it is efficient as antiseptic agent – the hands become clean with the help of nature! Vitamins A, B6, B12 and E that are found in goat milk have shown great results in the rejuvenation of skin cells and the treatment of acne.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxWxnSVnWwG/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxWyzT6nayG/

Photos: ElishevaShoshana.com/Helena-Reet Ennet
Source: NordenBladet.fi

12-YEAR-OLD Estonian violinist Estella Elisheva gives two concerts in Japan

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NordenBladet – The sixth grade pupil of Tallinn Jewish School, studying violin as her specialty in Saku Music School, Estella Elisheva (12) gives two violin concerts in Japan. For several occasions having been selected as Estonia’s best junior violinist, Estella Elisheva will be travelling to Japan in August.

“Being a delegate to represent Estonia in Japan is a major honor for me,” says the girl to NordenBladet.ee and continues that the repertoire will be selected from Estonian authors’ work together with her supervisor. Especially for the Japan tour, a folklore band of two girls will be summoned. Estella Elisheva (violin) and Sandra Sulin (Estonian zither). The project is funded by the local municipality in Japan.


Estella Elisheva (Foto: NordenBladet/ Helena-Reet Ennet)

Sandra (vasakul) ja Estella Elisheva (Foto: NordenBladet/ Helena-Reet Ennet)


Sandra kandlega (vasakul) ja viiuldaja Estella Elisheva (Foto: NordenBladet/ Helena-Reet Ennet)

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Source: Ohmygossip.ee

58 QUOTES to Inspire Success in Your Life and Business

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NordenBladet – What is success? There are many definitions, but there’s one thing all the greats agree on: Success only comes by persevering despite failure. Here are 58 quotes to inspire you to succeed in the face of failures, setbacks, and barriers.

1. “Rich people have an action mentality… while average people have a lottery mentality.”

— Helena-Reet Ennet

2. “It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.”

— Herman Melville

3. “The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same.”

— Colin R. Davis

4. “Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.”

— Henry David Thoreau

5. “Let no one discourage your ambitious attitude. Be your own motivation, be passionate and bold!”

— Estella Elisheva

6. “Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.”

–John D. Rockefeller

7. “I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.”

— Thomas Jefferson

8. “There are two types of people who will tell you that you cannot make a difference in this world: those who are afraid to try and those who are afraid you will succeed.”

— Ray Goforth

9. “Remember, the wealthy focus on earning! In the minds of millionaires, leverage is everything.”

— Helena-Reet Ennet

10. “Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value.”

— Albert Einstein

11. “Never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense.”

— Winston Churchill

12. “Stop chasing the money and start chasing the passion.”

— Tony Hsieh

13. “Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”

— Winston Churchill

14. “I owe my success to having listened respectfully to the very best advice, and then going away and doing the exact opposite.”

— G. K. Chesterton

15. “Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It’s quite simple, really: Double your rate of failure. You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn’t at all. You can be discouraged by failure or you can learn from it, so go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because remember that’s where you will find success.”

— Thomas J. Watson

16. “If you are not willing to risk the usual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.”

– Jim Rohn

17. “The ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones that do.”

— Anonymous

18. “Do one thing every day that scares you.”

— Anonymous

19. “All progress takes place outside the comfort zone.”

— Michael John Bobak

20. “People who succeed have momentum. The more they succeed, the more they want to succeed, and the more they find a way to succeed. Similarly, when someone is failing, the tendency is to get on a downward spiral that can even become a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

— Tony Robbins

21. “Don’t let the fear of losing be greater than the excitement of winning.”

— Robert Kiyosaki

22. “If you really look closely, most overnight successes took a long time.”

— Steve Jobs

23. “The real test is not whether you avoid this failure, because you won’t. It’s whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction, or whether you learn from it; whether you choose to persevere.”

— Barack Obama

24. “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.”

— Franklin D. Roosevelt

25. “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”

— Helen Keller

26. “Happiness is a mindset as quality is a result of excellence, best ingredients and high standards . When you mix happiness with high quality you’ ll create a unique formula of success, healthy lifestyle and ultimate satisfaction!”

— Ivanka Shoshana

27. “The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus.”

— Bruce Lee

28. “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”

— Colin Powell

29. “Creativity is critical to financial success! The rich know their most valuable asset is their ability to think, and because they use their mental powers so often, they become very good at it. Build your thinking muscles by pushing yourself every day to solve new problems that are directly related to amassing wealth.”

— Helena-Reet Ennet

30. “If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.”

— Jim Rohn

31. “I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure–It is: Try to please everybody.”

— Herbert Bayard Swope

32. “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”

— Albert Schweitzer

33. “Success isn’t just about what you accomplish in your life; it’s about what you inspire others to do.”

— Unknown

34. “Fall seven times and stand up eight.”

— Japanese Proverb

35. “Some people dream of success while others wake up and work.”

— Unknown

36. “If you can dream it, you can do it.”

— Walt Disney

37. “The difference between who you are and who you want to be is what you do.”

— Unknown

38. “A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that other throw at him.”

— David Brinkley

39. “In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.”

— Bill Cosby

40. “In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can.”

— Nikos Kazantzakis

41. “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

— Thomas Edison

42. “Don’t be distracted by criticism. Remember–the only taste of success some people get is to take a bite out of you.”

— Zig Ziglar

43. “The secret of success is to do the common thing uncommonly well.”

— John D. Rockefeller Jr.

44. “You know you are on the road to success if you would do your job, and not be paid for it.”

— Oprah Winfrey

45. “There is a powerful driving force inside every human being that, once unleashed, can make any vision, dream, or desire a reality.”

— Anthony Robbins

46. “The secret to success is to know something nobody else knows.”

— Aristotle Onassis

47. “I failed my way to success.”

— Thomas Edison

48. “I never dreamed about success, I worked for it.”

— Estee Lauder

49. “It´s not about the ideas. It´s about making the ideas HAPPEN! Follow your dreams!”

Estella Elisheva

50. “The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.”

— Vidal Sassoon

51. “Keep on going, and the chances are that you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I never heard of anyone ever stumbling on something sitting down.”

— Charles F. Kettering

52. “Opportunities don’t happen. You create them.”

— Chris Grosser

53. “I never did anything worth doing by accident, nor did any of my inventions come indirectly through accident, except the phonograph. No, when I have fully decided that a result is worth getting, I go about it, and make trial after trial, until it comes.”

— Thomas Edison

54. “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”

— Walt Disney

55. “Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do. Don’t wish it were easier; wish you were better.”

— Jim Rohn

56. “Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.”

— Conrad Hilton

57. “Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”

— Winston S. Churchill

58. “When becoming a billionaire is your priority number one then what would be your priority number two? Correct, there is none! You must understand one thing – there is no such thing in the world as a free lunch – as few as 0,0000272% of the world population are billionaires and this mean you would need to sacrifice something.”

— Helena-Reet Ennet

What’s your favorite success quote?

Featured image: 12-year old enrepreneur, violinist and Scandinavian teen influencer Estella Elisheva (NordenBladet)

‘Mastermind’ of backpacker beheadings arrested: Abdessamad Ejjoud, Rachid Afatti and Younes Ouaziyad are three of the prime suspects in the murder of two Scandinavian hikers Maren Ueland and Louisa Vesterager Jespersen

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NordenBladet – Morocco’s counterterrorism chief said Monday (24.Dec) that five more people have been arrested in connection with the horrific ISIS-inspired murders of two Scandinavian hikers in the High Atlas mountains, including the so-called “emir” who masterminded the killings.

Abdelhak Khiam, the head of the country’s central office for judicial investigation, identified the alleged ringleader to Agence France-Presse as Abdessamad Ejjoud, a 25-year-old street vendor who lived on the outskirts of Marrakech. Khiam said Ejjoud had “formed a kind of cell that discussed how to carry out a terrorist act inside the kingdom … targeting the security services or foreign tourists.”

A total of 18 people have been arrested in the murders of 28-year-old Norwegian Maren Ueland and 24-year-old Dane Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, whose bodies were found Dec. 17. Khaim said three of those arrested had terror-related criminal records.

Ejjoud was believed to have carried out the murders along with 33-year-old Abderrahim Khayali, 27-year-old Younes Ouaziyad and 33-year-old Rachid Afatti. Investigators have said the four men shot a video the week before the murders in which they pledged allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. However, Khiam told AFP the four had not had contact with ISIS leaders “in conflict zones, whether in Syria, Iraq or Libya.”


Rachid Afatti (left), Ouziad Younes (centre), alleged mastermind Ejjoud Abdessamad (right) and Abdelrahim el-Khayali (not pictured) allegedly camped out in the High Atlas Mountains two days before the murders. Picture: Morocco Police

Nine of the 18 men were arrested on Friday. Officials said they were heading to the area where the women were beheaded with the intent to commit a crime. According to Boubker Sabik, a spokesman for the Moroccan security and domestic intelligence services, investigators found electronic devices, knives, bomb-making materials and unauthorized rifles.

The killings have shocked Morocco, which has seen relatively few acts of terror compared to its North African and Middle Eastern neighbors. On Saturday, hundreds of people took part in a candlelit vigil outside the Norwegian and Danish embassies in the capital, Rabat.

The killings marked the first terrorist attack to hit Morocco since 2011, when a suicide bomber detonated in Marrakech and killed 16 people. More than 1,000 Moroccans have joined ISIS in recent years, and Moroccan authorities arrested 20 cells with terrorist affiliations between 2017 and 2018.

The killings have prompted concerns about the impact on Morocco’s tourist sector, which accounts for 10% of national income, as the kingdom’s relative security has been a major selling point.

 

Featured image: Danish Louisa Vesterager Jespersen (24), left, and Norwegian Maren Ueland  (28). Ms Jespersen and Ms Ueland were found dead early on December 17 above the village of Imlil near Toubkal, North Africa’s highest peak and a popular hiking and trekking destination. (Source: Facebook)
Source: foxnews.com

Violinist and travel blogger Estella Elisheva started with VLOGGING!

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NordenBladet – One of the best young violinists from Scandinavia – 12-year-old Estella Elisheva is now also a vlogger! Her mother Helena-Reet Ennet announced the news via her Facebook account.

She wrote (translated from Estonian): SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUPER EXCITED!!!!!! We decided today with Estella Elisheva that we start vlogging !!!!! How cool is that ??? !!! The first video clips are already done —- tomorrow we will continue ….. But now a question for experienced vloggers / youtubers / TV professionals or just experts — which programs (apps / systems) we should use to edit videos … for me it´s a brand new topic … any help is super much appreciated !!!! Could you please first recommend some simple and free programs !!!

https://www.facebook.com/helenareet/posts/10160778059495537?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARDhfzoJfbsqJwRtV374SGI9TzCPsB8MPdgwZdVgASMNK0rPxKLg3WK7z-o1rLjEalONNJf-n1QQNfzXNVQ07Gvg8lP-5NKhXC7Pek8jom8pCikaWLrrNl1ACVac16xipce9njk&__tn__=-R

At just twelve years old, Estella Elisheva is much sought-after violinist. Despite her young age, she finds inspiration from classical music and artists. She performs concerts all around Scandinavia and is considered to be one of the most talented musicians of her age. You can check out her website on estellaelisheva.com or subscribe to her YouTube channel.

Estella Elisheva is also active in Instagram – with over 58 000+ followers, she is one of the most followed young artists from Scandinavia. She is also one of the editors in OHMYGOSSIP teen. When the first vlog will be published is not jet known! We are very excited to see it!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BbJmz5dDSuB/?taken-by=estella.elisheva

https://www.instagram.com/p/Blkx7q5A7IY/?taken-by=estella.elisheva

https://www.instagram.com/p/BdVEoi1DT4B/?taken-by=estella.elisheva

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjtsW_rAgzM/?taken-by=estella.elisheva

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjtvDVxgOTk/?taken-by=estella.elisheva

Blogger and journalist Helena-Reet Ennet: I’m a bad money inquirer, so I often do things rather free of charge than cheaply

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NordenBladet.com
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NordenBladet – Day by day one can read that, an Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube star can earn 5-digit amounts on their channel for just a few posts. The popular American edition of AOL has contacted Helena-Reet Ennet, one of the most influential women in the Scandinavian social media; CEO and part owner five-language media group, NordenBladet, in order to investigate if such claims are true.

Nobody does not want to talk about money, but personally, I do not know people who “bath in money” from a mere social media base. I know a lot of foreign bloggers, singers and models, whose accounts also have millions of followers and who are doing well with their daily work (earn several thousands a day), but their income is not directly related to social media. Popularity in social media is already result of a great deal of work and the added value,” says Ennet, who has more than 5 million Twitter followers.

She does not believe that one will earn a five-digit amount for a few posts. “It’s relatively unlikely if it’s not a famous A-list Hollywood star. I work with very wealthy companies and government agencies, but I can only dream of such sums. I also manage social media accounts for a large number of A-listers, but I haven´t seen they get paid so big amounts. However, five digit sums do not apply, but there are four-digit ones. Maybe I’m too small nut, and of course I can not talk for everyone … as well personally I’m a very bad money inquirer. Even an extremely poor inquirer. It’s inconvenient for me to ask 500, although I should ask for 50 000 or more for the same thing,” Helena-Reet brings an arbitrary example. That’s why she delegates financial transactions, advertising sales and financial issues to others.

“I have asked for too little money and, and to be honest, I have not practically done myself any sales or advertising. I do not like selling, I like the creative side of the matter. I like to create a product that sells, not to sell the product, “says Helena-Reet, adding that in reality, the people of Estonia (including herself) should actually ask for more money and value their work, time and effort more highly. The question is, what is the price we set for ourselves. I value myself very highly, but despite my great experience and long-term dedication, I am a poor money inquirer, so I often do things rather free of charge than cheaply.”

There were written in the Finnish media, that you are giving social media lectures for 3,000 euros.. “Three thousand is a very small amount considering the information and knowledge that the client gets. I’m sure I could sell the same lecture way more expensive, the right salesman would do it with no great effort. But I think it is a good price.”

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