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What about your workers? Amazon's Bezos gets flack for $2bn fund to help homeless & children


RT
Fri, 14 Sep 2018 12:32 UTC
Jeff Bezos
© Joshua Roberts / Reuters
Jeff Bezos, president and CEO of Amazon and owner of The Washington Post, September 13, 2018.
Amazon CEO and world's richest man Jeff Bezos has invoked Twitter wrath for seemingly an all-around commendable cause - setting up a charity fund to fight homelessness and create a preschool network for the underprivileged.

The so-called Day One Fund will be multi-billionaire businessman's most significant foray into philanthropy to date. The 2$ billion pledged by Bezos will be used to finance two separate funds to be created. The first one, "The Day 1 Families Fund" will provide grants to organizations and groups that help accommodate homeless families, while "The Day 1 Academies Fund" will run a network of Montessori-based nurseries in impoverished communities. Bezos was previously criticized for giving relatively little to charity.


Comment: Bezos' new "philanthropist" bent would probably be a bit more authentic if he actually took care of the dire working conditions that lead to homelessness. See also:

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Mr. Potato

Petrov & Boshirov may have been mocked on Twitter, but Salisbury's self-esteem is the biggest victim


RT
Thu, 13 Sep 2018 16:52 UTC
Salisbury Cathedral
© Toby Melville / Reuters
Salisbury Cathedral, 13 Sept 2018
RT's interview with the two Russian men accused of being behind the Skripal poisoning has revealed a Twitter widely cynical about both their innocence, and Salisbury's claims to be an international tourist hotspot.

Whatever your views on the Skripal poisoning and the guilt or innocence of suspects Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, few could argue it has been a bad day for the self-esteem of Salisbury and its much-admired cathedral. The majority on social media clearly think the town is awful and certainly not worth a 3,000-mile round trip.

But with the optimism of knowing God is on its side, and the 'no publicity is bad publicity' mantra ringing in its ears, Salisbury Cathedral itself is not wasting its new-found notoriety. It sent out a promotional tweet detailing the mighty 123-meter erection which apparently attracted Petrov and Boshirov in the first place.

Comment: See also:

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Stop

Russian Liberal Democrats draft bill allowing for official duels


RT
Fri, 14 Sep 2018 11:26 UTC
Russian Duel The Northern Story
© Sputnik
A still frame from Yevgeny Andrikanis's movie "The Northern Story"
The Russian Liberal Democratic party has drafted a bill allowing for official duels and detailing rules for such combat. The move comes after the head of the National Guard challenged an opposition figure to a fight over slander.

The motion, prepared and drafted by MP Sergey Ivanov states that a duel between Russian citizens should be possible - although it should by no means be deemed a normal way of settling scores.

"In recent times there is a tendency among civil servants to challenge citizens who express opinions that differ from the official point of view to duels. In order to systemize the main reasons of such challenges and the rules of actual duels we propose this bill," the lawmaker wrote in the note attached with the draft.
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Handcuffs

Six police officers beat man to a pulp after he challenges them to a fight

Matt Agorist
The Free Thought Project
Fri, 14 Sep 2018 11:26 UTC
John Perez police attack
A video has gone viral on Facebook this week showing a half dozen Allentown police officers attack a man for challenging them. The video has since sparked an internal review in the department.

The video was captured on a resident's surveillance camera and although it has no sound, it does show that at no time did John Perez, 34, ever attack or otherwise become physically combative with police.

According to Perez, police were responding to a domestic disturbance near his home when he approached them to find out what was going on. As the video shows, Perez is seen walking up to the group of 8 officers and simply standing in front of them.
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Newspaper

Radical Russian groups attack on 'art' exhibition sparks Moscow police probe


RT
Thu, 13 Sep 2018 10:17 UTC
'Celestial Jerusalem.'
© Picture from SERB group Facebook page
Police in Moscow are investigating an attack by vandals at a contemporary art exhibition named 'Celestial Jerusalem.' Activists from the self-styled 'Russian liberation movement' or SERB have claimed responsibility for the attack.

The attack took place at the Moscow Contemporary Art Center Winzavod, which currently hosts the exhibition of paintings by artist Vasily Slonov called 'Celestial Jerusalem.' Vinzavod Director Aleksandr (Alex) Sharov wrote on his Facebook page that on Wednesday afternoon a group of unidentified people poured some "pungent-smelling liquid" on the floor of the gallery, took several paintings off the walls and carried them out. Sharov also wrote that the police had not taken any action to stop the attackers.

Some visitors to the exhibition recorded the incident on video and posted the footage to social networks. Many users recognized the attackers as activists from the so-called 'Russian liberation movement' or SERB - a radical conservative group known for attacks on art exhibitions and opposition figures.

Comment: The exhibition could hardly be considered art, and, in this instance at least, the promoters would probably have been best left alone to fade into obscurity:

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Attention

2 injured as car rams into pedestrians in southern France, driver reportedly shouted 'Allahu Akbar'


RT
Fri, 14 Sep 2018 08:28 UTC
police nationale
© Gonzalo Fuentes / Reuters
A car hit pedestrians near a bar in Nimes overnight, slightly wounding two people, AFP reports. Witnesses reportedly heard the driver shouting "Allahu Akbar," but there is no official confirmation of a terrorist attack so far.

A white Peugeot crashed into a security barrier set up for a popular bullfighting festival around 1am Friday (11pm GMT Thursday), according to AFP. The driver, reportedly a 32-year-old man, tried to flee but was arrested at the scene.

Comment: Below is a selection of car ramming attacks that have happened in the last few months:

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Attention

Sexual abuse among children reportedly 'prolific' in English schools


Sputnik
Thu, 13 Sep 2018 08:02 UTC
school swing
© Pixabay
The scale of sexual abuse and bullying between classmates in Schools in England is "prolific and increasing," a teacher who wanted to remain anonymous told Sputnik. "It's a huge concern to me both as a parent and as a teacher."

A new report published by the British government's Women and Equalities Select Committee reveals the scale and impact of sexual harassment and violence in schools.

According to police figures in England and Wales, one child is raped in school every day and in primary schools and three sexual assaults are reported to the police every school day.

"I never thought this would be part of my role as a teacher and as a parent it makes me feel very concerned that my child is at risk in a place that's supposed to be a safe environment," a teacher who wanted to remain anonymous told Sputnik. "At my school in London we frequently had to shut down Whatsapp groups to prevent images going viral."

The British government is accused of failing to collect information on the number of sexual assaults carried out in schools in England but despite the lack of data on the number of incidents when sexual violence or rapes take place, the parliamentary committee has been able to determine the scale of the problem through research, surveys and questionnaires.

Comment: Alarming, if true. However, there isn't enough data here to draw firm conclusions. As we know, definitions of sexual assault and rape have expanded in recent years, so it is unclear if this 'increase' in assaults is due to an actual increase in various types of assaults, or simply due to the inclusion of a wider number of types now classified as assaults. The raw numbers could be lower, the same, or higher. They may in fact be higher, which would definitely be cause for concern. Children are being sexualized at younger and younger ages, and to a greater degree than they were even 20 years ago.

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Beaker

British police feel 'unwell' after raiding home of chem weapons expert critical of govt's Salisbury account

James Fielding and Nick Constable
Daily Mail
Thu, 13 Sep 2018 06:41 UTC
Chris Busby
A chemical weapons expert who appears on the Russia Today TV news channel has been arrested after officers discovered potentially hazardous materials at his home in Devon.

Former research scientist Dr Chris Busby - an outspoken critic of the British Government's handlings of the Salisbury poisoning - was held after officers reported feeling unwell during a raid on his property yesterday morning.

Police had initially targeted the address in the sleepy seaside town of Bideford over concerns for a woman's welfare.

However officers complained of feeling unwell and were immediately checked over by an ambulance Hazardous Area Response Team and fire crews.

A search of the property found items required analysis from specialist officers and a bomb disposal team.

Devon and Cornwall Police said there is not believed to be any risk to the public, and the officers treated are unharmed and have returned to duty.

Comment: There's something about the account of this raid that has us feeling inexplicably unwell... A strange, fishy smell. In fact, it kind of smells like mass hysteria. The officers were unharmed, yet felt 'unwell'. Might that have something to do with the priming that is washing over British society about Russian spies and nerve agents. And of course, Busby's connection tor RT and outspokenness on the government's lies are entirely coincidental.

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Fire

More than 50 properties explode in flames in three Boston suburbs after 'gas main meltdown'

Minyvonne Burke
The Daily Mail
Thu, 13 Sep 2018 01:07 UTC
gas explosion boston
© Associated Press
Officials said residents who have gas service with Columbia Gas should leave their homes immediately
'There are so many fires, you can't see the sky':

Officials in Massachusetts say there are up to 70 fires burning in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover after problems with the natural gas system.

Multiple people have been hurt, including one firefighter in Andover. Town officials said two civilians in Andover were also injured.

In Lawrence, at least four people were said to be undergoing treatment at Lawrence General Hospital, according to WHDH. A woman trapped in her house during the explosion suffered leg injuries, and a man in a car nearby was seriously injured by a falling chimney.

According to The Eagle Tribune, officials have alerted Holy Family Hospital in Methuen to expect multiple admissions.
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Eye 1

Police summon Indian bishop accused of repeatedly raping nun amid protests


RT
Thu, 13 Sep 2018 20:20 UTC
Franco Mulakkal protesters
© AFP/ SHAMMI MEHRA
A bishop accused by a nun of repeatedly raping her over two years has been summoned for questioning by police in India. It comes as several nuns continue to protest outside the High Court to demand justice for the sister.

Amid claims that authorities are failing to take action against the bishop, police have summoned Franco Mulakkal, the head of the Jalandhar diocese in the northern Punjab state, for questioning on September 19.

A 43-year-old nun from the Missionaries of Jesus accused the bishop of raping her up to 13 times for two years from May 2014. Police said they will decide after questioning Mulakkal whether to arrest him in connection with the allegations, which were first made by the nun on June 27.
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