Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by roaringkitty

All your bases are to be demolished

roaringkitty — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 15:44:20 +0800

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Saudi Grand Mufti Calls for Demolition of Churches

Saudi Arabia's top Muslim cleric called on Tuesday for the destruction of all churches in the Arabian Peninsula after legislators in the Gulf state of Kuwait moved to pass laws banning the construction of religious sites associated with Christianity.

Speaking to a delegation in Kuwait, Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah, who serves as the grand mufti of Saudi Arabia, said the destruction of churches was absolutely necessary and is required by Islamic law, Arabic media reported.

Abdullah, who is considered to be the highest official of religious law in the Sunni Muslim kingdom, also serves as the head of the Supreme Council of Ulema (Islamic scholars) and of the Standing Committee for Scientific Research and Issuing of Fatwas.

Last month, Osama Al-Munawer, a Kuwaiti member of parliament, announced his plans to submit a draft law calling for the removal of all churches in the country, according to the Arabian Businesses news site. Al-Munawer later clarified that the law would only apply to new churches, while old ones would be allowed to stay erect.

http://www.aina.org/news/20150318125803.htm

Scientist succeed transmitting electricty via air

roaringkitty — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 15:38:43 +0800

[youtube]OLdXyASvw9U[/youtube]

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Japanese Scientists Successfully Transmit Electricity Through The Air

Scientists in Japan have successfully transmitted electric energy wirelessly through the air, proving that Nikola Tesla was onto something big.

For years debates have raged about whether or not power could be transferred through the air, and while there have been many reports of this being achieved on a small scale, there has never been a major mainstream study into the phenomenon, until now.

Scientists with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency used microwaves to deliver electricity to a specific target 55 meters away.

“This was the first time anyone has managed to send a high output of nearly two kilowatts of electric power via microwaves to a small target, using a delicate directivity control device,” a spokesman for the agency told AFP on Thursday.

“SSPS consists of a space-based power generation/transmission facility that gathers sunlight, converts it into microwaves or laser beams, and transmits those to the ground; and a power receiving facility on the ground,” explained researcher Yasuyuki Fukumuro.

“There are many technological challenges to solve before SSPS can be implemented. When transmitting power by microwaves, a significant technological challenge is how to control the direction, and transmit it with pinpoint accuracy from a geostationary orbit to a receiving site on the ground,” he added.

The SSPS project will initially be geared towards space applications, to power space stations, shuttles, and equipment, but will eventually be used for practical purposes on Earth as well.

Read More: http://www.trueactivist.com/japanese-scien...hrough-the-air/

http://www.trueactivist.com/japanese-scien...hrough-the-air/

Cleric call for death sentence for ghey sex

roaringkitty — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 15:19:30 +0800

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Indonesia’s top clerics issue fatwa against gays

The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), the most prominent Islamic clerical organization in the country, has issued a fatwa calling for the death penalty to be imposed for the crime of having gay sex.

The edict was issued earlier this month to “remind” the public that homosexuality is a “deviant sexual behavior” that the society should not tolerate, as it puts a “stain on the dignity of Indonesia.”

As Hasanuddin A.F., the head of the MUI’s fatwa commission, said, as quoted by the Jakarta Globe:

It doesn’t matter that they love each other…The law still prohibits it. In Islamic law, it’s a sexual act that must be heavily punished. It would be bad if the government allows same-sex marriage.

The fatwa is particularly worrisome given how influential MUI is in Indonesia, which is home to the world’s largest Muslim population. The organization was founded under Suharto’s New Order in 1975, and has since been the umbrella organization for Muslim clerics in the country. So when they tell believers in Indonesia that a certain group of people shouldn’t have the full protection of the law behind them, it carries quite a bit of weight. Prior fatwas issued by the MUI have been used to justify violence against the Ahmadiyah community, a sect of Islam branded as heretical by the MUI.

And given the already-high rate of violence against religious minorities in the country, the active incitement to religiously-motivated violence against the homosexuals, coming from the country’s most prominent religious body, has put Indonesia’s LGBT community on notice.

On paper, Indonesia is typically considered one of the world’s more progressive majority-Muslim countries. Its constitution officially grants its citizens freedom of religion (provided that you subscribe to one of the six religions recognized by the government) and, while same-sex marriage is prohibited, homosexuality is only officially criminalized in a few localities.

The country is also frequently held up as an example of how wrong critics of Islam are when they say that the religion is used to make life worse for those who don’t adhere to its principles. After all, only 16 percent of Indonesia’s Muslims believe that the death penalty should be assigned to apostates.

That’s low in comparison to, say, Egypt, where a 2013 Pew poll showed that 88% of Egyptian Muslims endorsed killing those who leave the faith, but it’s still awfully high. High enough to be cause for legitimate concern for Indonesians whose lifestyle doesn’t square with the one outlined for them by the country’s religious leaders.

And, apparently, high enough to make it politically risky to condemn theologically-justified calls to violence, as the Indonesian government has not yet come out against the MUI’s persecutory instruction.

Shame on them if they don’t. If they won’t stand up for sexual minorities in their own country on an issue as simple as “Should these people be alive?” then they deserve embarrassment on a global level.

It’s incumbent upon governments and ordinary citizens around the world to, in the face of edicts such as these, remind Indonesia that this isn’t how modern societies operate. When a religious body can openly advocate for the persecution and killing of a group of people, and expect to be taken seriously, it doesn’t prevent a “stain on the dignity” of their country; it creates one.

http://americablog.com/2015/03/indonesian-...fatwa-gays.html

Angel Of Death - The ISIS slayer

roaringkitty — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 14:54:35 +0800

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Anti-ISIS Hero Given Title ‘Angel of Death’ Becomes International Celebrity

In the timeless controversy of Iraq, Iran, and ISIS, international media has been quick to cover violence, deaths, and victories. But what often fails to receive light is the hidden front of the public tide. By this I mean youth: connected to the world by the internet, lives depend on the social media terrain over which a fierce battle is fought.

In every fight there is a hero. In the fight against ISIS, that hero is the “Father of the Angel of Death“.

ISIS has always been one to use propaganda. From countless execution videos to expert use of Twitter and Facebook, they have always had a keen ability to convert people, especially kids (yes, even smart ones), to their side. (It’s almost like some kind of movie.)

They even have their own figure-head action hero, who go goes by the name of Shakir Wahiyib.

Shakir has scared thousands and initiated hundreds of new recruits, but today the people of Iraq and Iran find new inspiration in their own celebrity – Abu Azrael, aka “The Father of the Angel of Death”.

With a scoped M4 rifle, an axe, and judicious war experience, Abu Azrael, real name Ayyub Faleh al-Rubaie, embodies his role well. He has several fan-made Facebook pages, one of which has amassed over 350,000 likes thus far. His catchphrase? “Illa tahin,” which more or less means he intends to pulverize the Islamic State and its supporters until nothing but “flour” remains. It’s pretty inspiring no? But al-Rubaie is more than just a character; he’s an Iraqi whose seen firsthand what jihadists can do. Abu Azrael tells news agency AFP that he saw ISIS members “butchering our sons with axes” in the Amerli area, a mostly Shiite town the jihadists besieged last year. He’s a father of five, four girls and one boy, who describes himself as “peaceful” with his children, but unrelentingly ruthless with his enemies. “I am probably in the spotlight because Almighty God made me successful in killing a number of dirty men, but all of the (fighters) are heroes,” he says.

Azrael may currently be a national folk hero. But underneath the Rambo-esque cult of celebrity is a concerned and determined Iraqi citizen who simply believes that “we are all one country and one Iraq.”

http://exile.is/anti-isis-hero-given-title...y-war-hero/2660

Woman has to disguise as man to work in Egypt

roaringkitty — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 13:52:00 +0800

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Egypt honors mother who dressed as man for 43 years to provide for family

An Egyptian woman who disguised herself as a man for 43 years in order to make a living for her daughter after the death of her husband was honored Tuesday by the government as the “ideal mother” of Luxor governorate.

The Social Solidarity Directorate of Luxor said it was awarding the “woman breadwinner” award to Sisa Abu Daooh for her years of hard work providing for her daughter and her grandchildren.

The 64-year-old Abu Daooh lost her husband while she was pregnant and after giving birth, she found herself without an income.

Her situation was complicated by a local culture opposed to women in the work place, which forced her to dress as a man and work outside the home to support her baby daughter Houda.

She worked making bricks and polishing shoes in the street among other jobs. Eventually, she married off her daughter to a man who later fell ill and couldn’t work. So, being a resourceful woman, Abu Daooh kept up her work as the breadwinner of her family.

She donned a local “jilbab” - a loose, full-length robe with wide sleeves – as well as a white turban, or sometimes a men’s hat known as a “Taqiyah” and black masculine shoes.

“I preferred working in hard labor like lifting bricks and cement bags and cleaning shoes to begging in the streets in order to earn a living for myself and for my daughter and her children,” she said.

“So as to protect myself from men and the harshness of their looks and being targeted by them due to traditions, I decided to be a man … and dressed in their clothes and worked alongside them in other villages where no one knows me.”

She added that she worked in an array of jobs, from “polishing shoes, to construction to agriculture.”

At the moment, Abu Daooh says she is polishing shoes, which earns her a “decent income.”

Her daughter Houda said: “my mom is the one who still provides for the family. She wakes up every day at 6 a.m. to start polishing shoes at the station in Luxor. I carry the work kits for her as she now advanced in age.”

Abu Daooh gave thanks to those who had helped her along the way.

“Thanks to everyone who has helped me. I hope to see Egypt in a better situation.”

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspectiv...for-family.html

Using technicality to marry one husband per week

roaringkitty — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 13:25:14 +0800

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Women 'being passed' amid older jihadists at rate of 'one a week' in Syria

A former Islamic State (IS) militant has revealed that young Muslim women travelling to Syria to marry jihadists are being passed between men at the rate of one husband a week.

While describing the shocking conditions in which young women lived in war-torn Syria, a 33-year-old former IS fighter named Hamza said that the girls were forced to marry and sleep with older commanders in marriages that lasted for just seven days, before being divorced and partnered with a new husband, reported The Daily Express.

The revelation has raised concerns over the fate of three British schoolgirls who are believed to have travelled to Syria to link-up with the extremists. Shamima Begum, Amira Abase, both 15, and Kadiza Sultana, 16, flew first to Turkey from U K before travelling by land to the Syrian border.

http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report-women...n-syria-2069861

ISIS members caught playing cross dressing

roaringkitty — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 14:06:28 +0800

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ISIS fighters dress as women in desperate attempt to flee battlefield

Underneath the robes and veils, the men put on makeup, wore dresses and some even wore women's bras; Others put on makeup but chose not to shave their facial hair.

As Islamic State-driven violence rages on in Iraq, people are using any means possible to escape, and for some that means dressing in drag.

On Monday, the Iraqi army arrested 20 male Islamic State members dressed as women in the northern city of Baquba, according to spokesman Ghalib al-Jubouri.

The arrested used a number of creative ways to pull off a realistic female disguise, as seen in the pictures originally posted on Instagram.

Underneath the robes and veils, the men put on makeup, wore dresses and some even wore women's bras. Others chose not to shave their facial hair, though still applied eyeliner, eyeshadow and blush.

The men were desperately attempting to flee the fighting in Tikrit, which Iraq's military only managed to take back from Islamic State six days ago.

It is unclear what will be the fate of the Islamic State members now that they are in police custody.

http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/ISIS-figh...tlefield-394060

All your bases are belong to us!

roaringkitty — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 13:36:30 +0800

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ISIS Vows To ‘Blow Up The White House, Big Ben And The Eiffel Tower’

En route to conquering the European cities of Paris and Rome, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria says they plan to “blow up” the White House, Big Ben and the Eiffel Tower.

ISIS spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani detailed the terror group’s plans to conquer Portugal, Spain, Paris and Rome in an almost 30-minute audio message to the West, “So They Kill And Are Killed,” which references a Koran verse.

“We won the day Europe and U.S. dreamt of reclaiming Tal Hamis, Mosul, Sinjar, Tikrit, Qaim, Derna, Tell Abyad, and more,” stated the ISIS mouthpiece, as transcribed by Ynet News.

“We — with Allah’s help — want Paris, before Rome and Islamic Iberia and after we blow up the White House, Big Ben, and the Eiffel Tower before Paris, and Rome,” al-Adnani warned. “The Muslims will return to power, to be the vanguard and lead in every place.”

The Islamic State’s al-Adnani gave Jews and Christians the ultimatum that they could either “convert to Islam or pay the ultimate price when you armies are expelled from Muhammad’s peninsula, from Jerusalem, and all Muslim lands,” Ynet news translated. He warned Christians and Jews they would soon be unable to stop the jihadi advance to the caliphate, saying, “The Jews and the Crusaders are scared and weak.”

The Middle East Media Research Institute noted the spokesman’s message is an attempt to boost morale among Islamic State militants following recent attacks against them by American-led coalition forces and local rebel fighters. The ISIS spokesman reiterates that the extremist group will ultimately prevail in its destructive plan despite its recent losses.

“We took you by surprise,” the spokesman said, asserting that Islamic caliphate rule would soon spread to Saudi Arabia and Jerusalem by threatening the region to convert to Islam or pay the jizya poll tax – a mark of religious inferiority.

http://washington.cbslocal.com/2015/03/16/...e-eiffel-tower/

Cartoonist received prize for courage

roaringkitty — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 11:54:29 +0800

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Copenhagen attack cartoonist Lars Vilks wins award

A Swedish cartoonist who depicted the Prophet Muhammad as a dog has made his first public appearance since attending a debate that was targeted in a gun attack in Copenhagen last month.

Lars Vilks received a prize for courage from a free press group, at a heavily secured event in the Danish parliament.

His cartoon offended many Muslims and he now lives under guard in Sweden.

A radicalised gunman with gang links attacked the Copenhagen debate and a synagogue, killing two people.

A film-maker died in the shooting at a cafe hosting the free speech debate, while a guard was killed in the shooting outside the synagogue.

The gunman, Omar El Hussein, was later shot dead by police.

He had recently been released from prison but is not thought to have been part of a terror cell.

Mr Vilks, who has been associated with the Swedish left, received the Sappho award from the right-wing Danish Free Press Society.

Receiving the prize, Mr Vilks said he had not aimed to become a symbol of freedom of speech.

"I am an artist and my artwork is probably difficult to understand. Many have tried to understand what that dog is about. But I don't even understand it myself.

"Some believe that it is a form of blasphemy, but I say that it is what art is all about. I show my things to the world and then the world must interpret it."

The armed security around the prize-giving - as well as its location in parliament - shows how much Denmark has changed since the February attack, says the BBC's Malcolm Brabant in Copenhagen.

Our correspondent says the show of force is something of a culture shock for what has been a peaceful and relatively secure country.

Meanwhile, thousands of people from different faiths formed a human "ring of peace" outside the synagogue where a Jewish guard was shot dead by Omar El Hussein.

The Vilks cartoon was published in 2007, a year after a series of depictions of the Prophet Muhammad in Denmark's Jyllands-Posten paper prompted protests by Muslims around the world.

Muslims regard visual representation of the Prophet as blasphemous.

http://m.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31885321

An encounter in a dream

roaringkitty — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 11:50:19 +0800

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Leader of IS 'Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi': I met the “Prophet Muhammad” and he ordered me to leave Mosul

The fear is spreading among the militants in Mosul for the predictions of liberating Mosul especially the leaders, a newspaper information pointed out that the leader of the so-called Islamic State 'Abu Baker al-Baghdadi' had a dream when the prophet Mohammad ordered him to leave Mosul province without fighting.

As Iraqi forces aided by Popular Mobilization members advance in Salah Eddin, the so-called Islamic State militants are on the run from Tikrit.

The fear is spreading among the militants in Mosul for the predictions of liberating Mosul especially the leaders, a newspaper information pointed out that the leader of the so-called Islamic State 'Abu Baker al-Baghdadi' had a dream when the prophet Mohammad ordered him to leave Mosul province without fighting.

Local sources in Mosul city reported that Da'ish (ISIS) gunmen will withdraw from the city upon personal orders of their leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

The Kurdish Democratic Party's electronic site reported that "Baghdadi ordered his fighters to withdraw from the city, following his dream that he met Prophet Mohammed, who ordered him to leave Mosul city".

The story of the dream spread among Da'ish terrorist militants and the people.

No date was given for the departure or the reasons for Prophet's orders.

On the other hand, Kurdish Peshmarga forces reported their progress on Kirkuk front and Da'ish members fled without fighting.

http://www.abna.co/english/service/middle-...6921/story.html

Apple watch unknown feature

roaringkitty — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 15:53:35 +0800

Gomen ordered monk to reincarnate

roaringkitty — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 12:14:21 +0800

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China Orders Dalai Lama to Reincarnate

The debate over whether or not the Dalai Lama will reincarnate has reached a boiling point in China, as one of its prominent party officials recently told reporters that “Decision-making power over the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, and over the end or survival of this lineage, resides in the central government of China.” The Dalai Lama recently said his spiritual lineage might end with him and that he might not reincarnate. This would upend plans by the Chinese government to pick a successor who would support its control of Tibet. The Chinese official, Zhu Weiqun, shrilly declared that the Dalai Lama’s musings are “in religious terms, this is a betrayal of the succession of Dalai Lamas in Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th Dalai Lama has taken an extremely frivolous and disrespectful attitude toward this issue.”

Sauce
TLDR full text version

Are you at the tip of the iceberg? Or further down

roaringkitty — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 10:08:13 +0800

Exercice leads to adultry and prostitution

roaringkitty — Wed, 11 Mar 2015 12:02:32 +0800

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Saudi Girls Can Now Take Gym Class, But Not Everyone Is Happy

When it comes to females and sports, Saudi Arabia is starting to change.

Saudi Arabia sent its first female competitors to the Olympics in 2012, after years of sending only men. The public schools, like many institutions, are segregated by gender, and only boys have been allowed to play sports. But girls will now be allowed to take part in their own sports and exercise programs, a move that is opposed by some hard-liners.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a new thing — and I really like it. I wish I was in school so I can have that," says Jowhara al-Theyeb.

Theyeb is 23 and just out of college, but she already has an important job. She's a recruitment manager for Gloworks, a private company that recruits women, matching their resumes with job openings in companies across the country. Every time her team places a woman in a job, there's an office ceremony.

"Once we hire any woman in the workplace, we hit the gong," she says, and then proceeds to strike it.

She has hit the gong thousands of times in the four years Gloworks has been in operation. Now, Gloworks has expanded to include Glowfit — the first licensed fitness center for women.

In a gleaming new gym, a spinning class is just one of the activities offered. There's a smoothie bar — and a prayer mat and a prayer room, in keeping with Saudi culture.

Nejda Nejm says it was her idea to open a gym, and then she persuaded her husband, who founded Gloworks. She's also thrilled by the new education policy of mandatory sports and exercise for Saudi girls.

"I think it's a big deal because this is a way of acknowledging publicly that women need to get the same treatment or care that males do," she says.

In Saudi Arabia, obesity is skyrocketing, which leads to a long list of health problems, including diabetes. The numbers are highest for women and are rising for children and teens.

The new sports policy can lead to better health, says Nouf al-Musehel, a personal trainer who has a full-time job at Glowfit.

"It is a huge dramatic change. And it's beautiful. It's just beautiful to watch the change in Saudi," Musehel says.

Not every one agrees. Religious conservatives say exercise for girls is a Westernizing influence, that it has no place in the kingdom and could lead to adultry and prostitution.

But ask Hoda al-Helaissi if sports for girls is un-Islamic, and she scoffs.

"What is the saying, 'A healthy mind for a healthy body.' It's a necessary thing," she says.

Helaissi has been part of revolutionary change herself. She made history last year when 30 women were appointed to the Shura Council, a government advisory board chosen by the Saudi king.

"It's like us, when we first went into the council. You think it wasn't done with a lot of opposition. That first year was very difficult, very difficult," she says. "You got hate mail on your private mail. Twitter was talking about it. Everywhere. But society got used to it."

The council went on to make the recommendation to include physical education for girls. She says conservatives will accept this, too, when they see their daughters benefiting as much as their sons.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2015/03...everyones-happy

Boy wanted to break up threatened by teacher

roaringkitty — Tue, 10 Mar 2015 10:57:00 +0800

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Teacher Threatened to Fail Student Who Tried to Stop Sexual Relationship: Police

Stamford, Connecticut, police have arrested a Stamford High School English teacher who is accused of having a sexual relationship with an 18-year-old student and then threatening to fail him when he tried to break off the relationship.

The teacher, Danielle Watkins, 32, of Norwalk, is on administrative leave, according to the high school. Police said she is a married mother of two.

On June, 23, the Stamford Police Department Special Investigations Unit learned that Watkins might have been involved in an inappropriate relationship with one of her students and started investigating.

Three days later, the student went to the police department and told authorities that he’d had several sexual encounters with his English teacher from September 2013 until June 2014. They took place in her car during school hours, but off school grounds, according to police.

The teen also told police Watkins sent naked messages of herself and allowed him to use her car even though she knew he didn’t have a license, police said.

In additional to the sexual allegations, Watkins supplied the teen and a friend with marijuana, which they smoked both on and off the school grounds during school hours, according to police.

At one point, the teen tried to break off the nine-month relationship. He told police Watkins assaulted him, accused him of being with someone else and threatened to fail him if the sexual encounters stopped.

The teen needed to pass the class to graduate and confided in a counselor in late June, according to police. The state Department of Children and Families as well as the Board of Education were notified.

"We are aware of the allegations. We take these issues very seriously and always act to protect the welfare of our students. The teacher in question has been, and will remain, on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. We will continue to cooperate with the police and other authorities on this matter, " a statement from Stamford Supt. Winifred Hamilton says.

Police said they also identified a 15-year-old student who Watkins allegedly gave marijuana to.

When police spoke to him, he said he smoked marijuana with in Watkins in her vehicle on school grounds during school hours and that she also provided him marijuana and rolling papers on several occasions, police said.

Police searched Watkins car, phone, and home on June 27.

When police tried to pull Watkins over during a traffic stop, she tried to hide her phone under the passenger seat and argued with police when they found marijuana in the vehicle, police said.

She was arrested and charged with interfering with a search warrant and possession of marijuana charges, police said.

When police searched the phone, they found more than 2,000 text messages and hundreds of calls between Watkins and the victim, as well as naked messages she sent, police said.

Police obtained an arrest warrant and charged her with two counts of second-degree sexual assault and sale of marijuana, Bond was set at $75,000.

A second warrant, issued for allegations concerning the second victim, charges her with sale of marijuana and risk of injury to a minor. Bond was set at $25,000 and she posted bail.

Watkins turned herself in to police on Thursday and is due in court on July 31.

Police also notified States Attorney Ornousky, who worked with the in conjunction with the special investigative unit.

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/national-in...-267498031.html

Amendment made to lower penalty for bribe

roaringkitty — Tue, 10 Mar 2015 10:34:30 +0800

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Putin Signs Amendments Lowering Penalties For Bribes

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed changes to the Criminal Code that decrease the fines that those caught taking or giving bribes will receive.

The changes were posted on the official website for Russian legislation on March 9.

The changes lower the minimum fine for accepting a bribe from 25 times the amount of the bribe to 10 times the amount.

Those caught giving bribes face a minimum fine of five times the amount of the bribe, down from the previous 15 times the amount of the bribe.

Also lowered were fines for large bribes, designated as more than 25,000 rubles (some $400), from 20 times the amount of the bribe to 10 times the amount.

Those convicted of either giving or receiving bribes also have 60 days instead of the previous 30 days to pay off the fine.

http://www.rferl.org/content/russia-putin-...e/26890137.html

Saudi Arabia - biggest terrorist exporter

roaringkitty — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 15:34:56 +0800

QUOTE

German official says Saudi Arabia top ‘terror exporter’ in Mideast

A senior German official has called for the reconsideration of Germany’s arms exports to Saudi Arabia, describing the monarchy as the leading exporter of terrorism in the Middle East.

Vice President of the German Parliament (Bundestag) Claudia Roth put forward the demand in an interview with German newspaper Welt am Sonntag printed on Sunday.

Roth (shown below) called Riyadh “the top terror exporter in the Middle East,” adding that “a large portion” of extremist militants in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq hail from Saudi Arabia.

Germany’s guidelines on weapons exports make it “crystal clear that deliveries cannot be made to such countries,” she stressed.

The Green party's politician also called for the release of Saudi activist Raif Badawi who is sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes.

“Besides the weapons deals, Germany is also discussing other trade ties with Saudi Arabia,” she said. “Pressure could certainly be brought to bear using these.”

The comments came as German Vice Chancellor, Social Democrat leader and Economy and Energy Minister Sigmar Gabriel kicked off his tour of the Middle East in Riyadh on Saturday.

The oil-rich country is reported to be “one of the most important clients of Germany’s arms industry.”

Riyadh world’s biggest arms importer

A new report shows that Saudi Arabia has overtaken India to become the largest arms importer in the world over the last year.

The kingdom’s military spending jumped 54 percent to USD 6.5 billion in 2014, while New Delhi imported USD 5.8 billion worth of weapons, said a Sunday report by IHS Inc, a leading analyst of the global arms trade.

“Growth in Saudi Arabia has been dramatic and, based on previous orders, these numbers are not going to slow down,” said Ben Moores, the report's author.

Saudi Imports will rise 52 percent to reach USD 9.8 billion in the current year, which means one out of every seven dollars spent on arms imports worldwide will be spent by Saudi Arabia.

Riyadh is said to be one of the major supporters of Takfiri militants wreaking havoc in Iraq and Syria. Saudi Arabia also backs the Bahraini regime in its crackdown on pro-democracy protesters.

The results of a recent survey conducted for German daily Bild have shown that 78 percent of Germans believe Berlin should stop selling arms to Saudi Arabia, while a further 60 percent favor breaking off trade relations all together with the Persian Gulf monarchy due to its human rights violations.

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/03/08/40...terror-exporter

Former PM knew about pedo MPs

roaringkitty — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 15:31:02 +0800

QUOTE

Thatcher 'Turned Blind Eye' To Paedophile MPs

Former prime minister Margaret Thatcher knew about politicians sexually abusing children - but failed to act against them, an MP has told Sky News.

Simon Danczuk, who exposed Sir Cyril Smith as a prolific child abuser, said: "There is no doubt about it now, from what we know, that she turned a blind eye to people who were quite clearly paedophiles. That is absolutely clear.

"It is a real stain on Margaret Thatcher's legacy and I don't get any pleasure from saying that, but she turned a blind eye to it."

The Rochdale MP also claimed the Government is refusing to publish at least four other files on historic child abuse because it was worried about what information may come out before May's General Election.

He added: "(The Cabinet Office) have resisted publishing these documents for over 12 months - that's not acceptable.

"They refused to tell the public who nominated Cyril Smith for a knighthood. A journalist managed to get that out of them after going to the Information Commissioner. It was indeed David Steel.

"And we now know they are resisting publishing at least four other files relating to historic child sexual abuse.

"We have to ask the question: Is the Cabinet Office fit for purpose?"

Asked whether Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg were colluding in a "cover-up", he said: "You can't really reach any other conclusion, can you.

"Cameron has spoken on this issue and said we'll leave no stone unturned. But his lack of action says otherwise.

"Nick Clegg has failed continually to really put any action in place. He's the Deputy Prime Minister. David Cameron is the Prime Minister.

"They are at the top of government. The buck stops with them. Why aren't they calling for all these documents to be published? Why aren't they insisting on more action?

"The reality of it is, this is the truth of the matter, we are approaching the General Election. This isn't party political, but they are concerned about what information is going to come out before the General Election, that's the truth of it.

"And the second point is they're more concerned about protecting legacies - the legacies of previous politicians. That's just not acceptable. We need less polishing of halos and more lifting of stones."

The Cabinet Office has denied trying to cover up information about Downing Street's knowledge of Smith's abuse of young boys before he was knighted.

Documents show Mrs Thatcher was made aware of the claims about the Liberal MP before he was handed the honour in 1988.

The 19-page dossier of information on the decision to give Smith the knighthood contains several letters, including an undated one from a Political Honours Scrutiny Committee member to the then prime minister.

In the letter, marked secret, Lord Shackleton said police investigated Smith in 1970 for "indecent assault against teenage boys" between 1961 and 1966.

But, the letter noted, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) decided "there was no reasonable prospect of conviction".

The letter to Mrs Thatcher said the case was reported in the Rochdale Alternative Press and Private Eye, adding: "One may regret this kind of press reporting but it could be revived if an award to Mr Smith were made."

Lord Shackleton also said it would be "slightly unfortunate" if this "episode" stopped Smith, who died aged 82 in 2010, receiving the knighthood.

But he added: "We felt it right to warn the honours system would be at some risk if the award were to be made and announced."

The documents were released to the Mail on Sunday following repeated demands for disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act since April last year.

The documents were only made public on Friday after an intervention by the Information Commissioner, the paper said.

Home Office Minister Lynne Featherstone told Sky's Murnaghan programme: "Those Cabinet files, in my view, should without doubt be published.

"We have to get to the bottom of this, high or low, it doesn't matter. Wherever we find it, we have to root out sexual abuse, child sexual abuse, child sexual exploitation."

A Cabinet Office spokesman said: "There is no cover-up nor was the Cabinet Office forced to release this information by the Information Commissioner.

"This is a sensitive and complex case and it is right that we considered advice from a range of officials. After considering the advice, the Cabinet Office decided to disclose information."

http://news.sky.com/story/1440761/thatcher...-paedophile-mps

A real "guru besar" in action

roaringkitty — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 12:33:37 +0800

Man won $2000 a month child support

roaringkitty — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 12:22:47 +0800

QUOTE

Ludacris Awarded $2,000 per Month In Child Support

After winning primary physical custody of his 1-year-old daughter, rapper/actor Ludacris, born Christopher Bridges, has also been awarded $2,000 per month in child support.

Despite having a net worth of $25 million, the judge ordered Tamika Fuller to fork over the cash to the Disturbing the Peace Records founder. Ludacris successfully argued that Paul Walker’s death caused a delay in his latest film (Furious 7) to be released, which resulted in a shortage of cash flow. The rapper said he made only $55,000 in 2013, with his expenses far exceeding that total.

Before losing custody of the child, Fuller was demanding that Ludacris pay her $15,000 per month in child support, while Luda wanted to pay only around $1,800. Following Fuller’s outrageous child support demands, the judge presiding over the case felt she was not in a position to properly care for the child.

“After review of all the evidence, the testimony of the witnesses, the report of the guardian ad litem, and the claims made throughout this entire case, I am gratified that the judge found me to be the most fit and proper parent to have primary physical custody of our beautiful daughter,” the rapper/actor told People in an exclusive statement.

http://www.thenewsnerd.com/music/ludacris-...-child-support/