Society's ChildS


Jet2

Two US Navy F-18 Super Hornet fighter jets crash in the Atlantic off North Carolina's coast

US fighter jets
© Mike Blake / ReutersUS F-18 fighter jets.
Two of the US Navy's F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets have crashed off the coast of North Carolina on Thursday, the US Coast Guard confirmed. Their crews have been recovered and taken to a hospital.

Four people have been recovered and taken to the Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Norfolk, Virginia, the Virginian-Pilot reported citing Coast Guard Petty Officer Fagal Nifin.

Nifin said the extent of the crew members' injuries is "unknown." One of the crew had a leg injury, reported WCTI.

Comment: See also: Egypt's head of forensics denies reports of explosion and human remains retrieved from missing EgyptAir Flight 804


Megaphone

Outrage in Brazil: Teenage girl gang raped by more than 30 men, video posted to web

outrage in Brazil
© Ueslei Marcelino / Reuters
Social media users have voiced outrage on Twitter as Brazilian police continue to search for more than 30 men believed to be involved in raping a teenage girl and posting a video of the attack online.

The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, allegedly visited her boyfriend's house in Rio De Janeiro and was drugged before waking up in a different house, surrounded by dozens of men, according to the BBC.

It was only when she reportedly returned home later that day, she discovered her attackers had filmed the incident and posted images on social media.

The 40-second video clip was also shared on Twitter, attracting a series of misogynistic comments before being removed from the site.

Green Light

Putin only world leader to apologize for traffic jams in Athens

Russian President Vladimir Putin
© Sputnik
Russian President Vladimir Putin was the only world leader to apologize for the inconvenience his visit created to the residents of the Greek capital of Athens, national media reported.

The outlet singled out Putin's remark made at joint statements with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras as unique in the face of customary safety measures and traffic arrangements during official visits.

"I am thankful to the people of Athens for the warm reception and ask their forgiveness for certain problems that may have been created," Putin was quoted as saying by the news247.gr online news outlet late Friday.

Eye 1

In Germany crimes against migrants increased fivefold over 2015

refugees
© ASSOCIATED PRESS
The number of crimes against migrants increased fivefold in 2015, Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said.

The number of crimes against migrants continues to grow throughout Germany, Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said, as quoted by the local media.

"Already in 2015, the number of attacks on refugees and refugee reception centers increased fivefold from 199 to 1031 cases. In the first months of 2016, the situation has further deteriorated," Funke media group quoted de Maiziere as saying.

Comment: Further reading: NATO-linked think tanks control Europe's reaction to refugee crisis


Red Flag

UK security services 'accidentally' delete biometric records of potential terror suspects

british police deleter terrorists biometric profiles
© Monty Rakusen/Getty Images/Cultura RF Fingerprints being analysed in a laboratory. Officers failed to meet deadlines in the paper trail that would have allowed them to store the data, which meant it was deleted six months after it was collected.
Police have accidentally deleted the DNA and fingerprint evidence of up to 800 terror suspects due to an administrative error.

The important material was accidentally thrown out because the correct paperwork had not been submitted, according to a report by the Telegraph.

Current rules state that evidence must be destroyed after six months if the subject has committed no offence.

However, special legislation allows for the information to be kept indefinitely if an application is made to have it deemed of national security importance. In this case the application was not submitted on time and the material was destroyed.

The error first came to light in March when it was reported only 450 files were affected, but a new report says the number of lost samples could be as high as 810.

Biometrics Commissioner Alastair MacGregor QC told the BBC on Friday that up to 108 files would have been approved for indefinite retention on national security grounds.

Bomb

Terror spree in Tartus and Jableh, Syria, survivors tell story

bomb blast
© SANA / ReutersSyrian army soldiers and civilians inspect the damage after explosions in Tartus.
A series of blasts that struck the Syrian coastal cities of Jableh and Tartus left a trail of over 140 dead on Monday. As medics fought to help survivors live, RT managed to talk to some of those injured in the gruesome terror attack.

Four car bombs and three suicide bombers shook the relatively peaceful existence of the two Mediterranean cities, known for their loyalty to Damascus. According to the Syrian foreign ministry, terrorists first detonated a car bomb at the main bus station in Tartus, which was immediately followed by two suicide bomb explosions, one inside the bus station and the other in a nearby residential neighborhood.

At least 48 people were killed in Tartous on Monday. Visiting the site of the bus terminal atrocities, an RT Arabic crew managed to view firsthand the scene of the extensive destruction, noting that many of those killed and injured had been school children or university students.

Arrow Down

Machine bias: Flawed computer algorithm used throughout U.S. to predict future criminals is biased against blacks

pre-crime software
© Josh Ritchie for ProPublicBernard Parker, left, was rated high risk; Dylan Fugett was rated low risk.
On a spring afternoon in 2014, Brisha Borden was running late to pick up her god-sister from school when she spotted an unlocked kid's blue Huffy bicycle and a silver Razor scooter. Borden and a friend grabbed the bike and scooter and tried to ride them down the street in the Fort Lauderdale suburb of Coral Springs.

Just as the 18-year-old girls were realizing they were too big for the tiny conveyances — which belonged to a 6-year-old boy — a woman came running after them saying, "That's my kid's stuff." Borden and her friend immediately dropped the bike and scooter and walked away.

But it was too late — a neighbor who witnessed the heist had already called the police. Borden and her friend were arrested and charged with burglary and petty theft for the items, which were valued at a total of $80.

Compare their crime with a similar one: The previous summer, 41-year-old Vernon Prater was picked up for shoplifting $86.35 worth of tools from a nearby Home Depot store.

Prater was the more seasoned criminal. He had already been convicted of armed robbery and attempted armed robbery, for which he served five years in prison, in addition to another armed robbery charge. Borden had a record, too, but it was for misdemeanors committed when she was a juvenile.

Yet something odd happened when Borden and Prater were booked into jail: A computer program spat out a score predicting the likelihood of each committing a future crime. Borden — who is black — was rated a high risk. Prater — who is white — was rated a low risk.

Two years later, we know the computer algorithm got it exactly backward. Borden has not been charged with any new crimes. Prater is serving an eight-year prison term for subsequently breaking into a warehouse and stealing thousands of dollars' worth of electronics.

Comment:


Airplane

KoreanAir jet catches fire just before takeoff at Japan's Haneda Airport

Korean Air engine fire in Tokyo
© Kyodo / Reuters Firefighters spray foam at the engine of a Korean Air Lines plane after smoke rose from it at Haneda airport in Tokyo, Japan, May 27, 2016
A dramatic rescue has taken place on a runway at Tokyo's Haneda Airport after one of KoreanAir Boeing's engines caught fire just before taking off.

Social media has been flooded with photos and videos showing the plane being sprayed with foam by fire trucks and crowds of passengers gathered next to the runway.

The incident took place as Flight 2708 was preparing to head to Seoul. At least two fire trucks arrived to battle the flames, Japanese television reported. It also showed emergency chutes and the plane surrounded by white foam.

All 302 passengers and 17 crew members were safely evacuated from the jet.

According to Kyosuke Okada, a government official assigned to Haneda, the cause of the incident is as yet unknown.

The authorities had to temporarily halt flights at Haneda Airport, which is the fifth busiest in the world. In 2015, it served over 75 million passengers.


Comment: Some other aircraft related incidents in recent times include: Planes suddenly 'disappearing' from radar, sometimes in "unprecedented" blackouts; more planes diverting due to "electrical burning and smoke smells", dramatic evacuations following 'catastrophic' engine failure, "engine fires" and plane wings "bursting into flames".


Footprints

Judge breaks rank by sentencing nonviolent drug offender to probation instead of prison

gavel
© unknown
It appears that America has awakened to the problem of mass incarceration - an issue underscored by the fact that the U.S. holds less than 5 percent of the world's population but houses about 22 percent of the world's prisoners. Congress is now making a token effort at criminal justice reform, including the reduction of mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent offenders, but even this faces opposition from the most fervent police state crusaders.

In the face of inaction, one New York judge is stepping outside the box to breathe life into a much-needed national debate. Judge Frederick Block of the Federal District Court chose not to send a woman to prison who was convicted of felony drug charges, instead sentencing her to probation.

Block said that the plethora of collateral consequences that people face after being convicted—amounting to 50,000 federal and state statutes—serve "no useful function other than to further punish criminal defendants after they have completed their court-imposed sentences."

Attention

Brought to you by NATO: Terrifying migrant boat disaster witnessed as orphaned baby steals Italy's heart

Baby migrant survivor
© Lia Bartolo / Facebook
The Italian Navy has released dramatic footage of a rescue off the coast of Libya where they brought 562 migrants to safety after their overcrowded boat capsized.

The fishing vessel overturned Wednesday when migrants reportedly rushed to one side after spotting the naval boat nearby. At least five people are believed to have died in the tragedy.

The Italian navy patrol boat Bettica responded to a call for help made by a satellite phone some 18 nautical miles off Libya, according to The Local.

As the rescue boat approached the migrants to prove them with life jackets, the sudden push of passengers caused the vessel to overturn.

boat capsized Libya
A helicopter and several rubber boats were deployed in the rescue operation.

The video shows the migrants swimming for life jackets and buoys, and later being pulled to safety.

Comment: These tragedies would not be occurring without NATO's war on the world: