Welcome to Sott.net
Mon, 08 Nov 2021
The World for People who Think

Society's Child
Map

Wine

Sri Lanka finally scraps 'disgraceful' law prohibiting women from buying alcohol after 60 years


RT
Thu, 11 Jan 2018 16:12 UTC
alcohol champagne
© tk2 / Global Look Press
Women in Sri Lanka will soon be legally allowed to treat themselves to their favourite tipple, after the country's government announced that it has done away with a law banning them from buying alcohol.

Female drinkers have been left parched on the island nation since the passing of a law banning them from buying alcohol in 1955. The amendment lifting the booze ban also means that women will, for the first time, be able to work in places that sell alcohol. The measure's passing was announced by Mangala Samaraweera, the Minister of Finance and Media, on Wednesday.
      Read More...
Camcorder

Bodycam slam in Big Apple: NYC police union seeks to block release of footage, public has a right to view videos


RT
Thu, 11 Jan 2018 15:48 UTC
NYC cop
© Amr Alfiky / Reuters
As NYC moves to equip its police force with bodycams by 2020, its main police union is suing to block the release of such footage without a court order. Civil rights groups say the public has a right to view the videos.

The Patrolmen's Benevolent Association (PBA), which represents two-thirds of NYC's 36,000 officers, has filed a lawsuit at the State Supreme Court this week in a bid to prevent the release of bodycam footage to the public.

Patrick J. Lynch, PBA president, criticized the practice of releasing bodycam footage to the public, saying it represents not only an invasion of privacy, but it could put police at unnecessary risk.

"This footage has serious implications not only for the safety and due process rights of police officers, but for the privacy and rights of members of the public, as well," Lynch said, in a statement that accompanied the lawsuit.
      Read More...
Eye 2

Psychopathic serial rapist could be paroled despite being given 7 life sentences


RT
Thu, 11 Jan 2018 16:03 UTC
Antoni Imiela
© Handout
Antoni Imiela raped girls as young as ten
A serial rapist who taunted his victims and their families during a sex-assault spree along the M25 motorway could be released from jail when his case comes before a parole board.

Antoni Imiela has served 14 years in prison since he was given seven life sentences for the rape of nine women and girls, eight of which occurred in just one year, it has been reported.

The callous rapist called his victim's mother during one brutal assault, to brag about the ordeal he was putting her daughter through. His first known victim was just 10 years old.

Imiela, now 63, came to the UK from West Germany at the age of seven.
      Read More...
Road Cone

Trash still piling up after last week's winter storm


CBS New York
Mon, 08 Jan 2018 15:55 UTC
piles of trash garbage
© CBS New York
Garbage is piling up on city streets across all five boroughs after Thursday's winter storm, and many residents complain their trash hasn't been picked up since Christmas.

As CBS2's Lisa Rozner reported, the Department of Sanitation says around 40,000 tons of garbage has gone uncollected in the last week.

Monday's trash sat on the curb, adding to mounds of bombogenesis snow and even more garbage dating back to the holidays.

"It's grungy and it's dirty and it stinks," Murray Hill resident Dan Kaufman said, "just like this administration."

"It's horrible, this is disgusting," another Murray Hill resident told WCBS 880's Marla Diamond. "This seems like it's gotten completely out of control."
      Read More...
Chalkboard

Russia's largest bank opens blockchain testing lab


RT
Thu, 11 Jan 2018 15:50 UTC
Sberbank
© Evgeny Biyatov / Sputnik
Sberbank, the biggest lender in Russia, has announced the launch of a lab that will work on blockchain projects. The technology which drives bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies is known for that reason, but has many other uses.

"Sberbank has opened a blockchain laboratory which will test cutting-edge blockchain technologies, generate ideas to develop blockchain-based solutions, create product prototypes, carry out pilot projects, and implement applied business solutions for Sberbank Group," the Russian banking major said in a statement.
      Read More...
Piggy Bank

Goldman Sachs of cryptos: Billionaire bitcoin buff to launch first cryptocurrency 'merchant bank'


RT
Thu, 11 Jan 2018 15:44 UTC
Michael Novogratz
© Rick Wilking / Reuters
Michael Novogratz, President of Fortress Investment Group
Billionaire Michael Novogratz has unveiled plans to launch a full-service merchant bank dedicated to cryptocurrencies and blockchain-based ventures, with the aim of getting listed on Canada's TSX Venture Exchange.

The Wall Street trader is planning to raise $200 million if the initial public offering (IPO) of his company is successful. The firm, named Galaxy Digital, is building a "best-in-class, full-service, institutional-quality merchant banking business in the cryptocurrency and blockchain space," according to Novogratz, as quoted by Bloomberg.

Galaxy Digital will reportedly focus on such areas as trading, principal investing, asset management and advisory work. Novogratz, a former chief investment officer for Fortress, describes the new enterprise as the Goldman Sachs of crypto, according to a person familiar with his plans, according to Bloomberg.

The venture will not offer any services to US residents, according to the press release.
      Read More...
Handcuffs

Robbery at the Ritz: Gunshots heard as Ritz Paris Hotel raided by axe-wielding robbers; stole £4m in jewellery

Holly Christodoulou and Peter Allen
The Sun
Wed, 10 Jan 2018 19:22 UTC
paris robbers ritz

Armed robbers stormed the Ritz Paris Hotel in Paris and stole £4 million in jewellery
Armed robbers brandishing axes stormed a luxury Paris hotel to make off with £4 million worth of jewellery.

The five men smashed windows at the famous Ritz Paris Hotel to steal the goods with two suspects currently being hunted by cops after they fled on scooters.

Three of the armed robbers were arrested at the hotel during the drama at around 6.30pm local time, RTL reports.

No one was injured in the robbery at the five-star hotel but terrified guests were told 'get down' as shots rang out.
      Read More...
Eye 2

Gay erotic clothing store's new 'covergirl' is a nine-year-old boy dressed as drag queen

Charlie Nash
Breitbart
Mon, 08 Jan 2018 11:51 UTC
Queen Lactatia nine year old drag queen
© Twitter/Brandon Hilton
House of Mann, an erotic gay BDSM clothing store, has been accused of sexualizing children after they used a nine-year-old boy dressed as a drag queen to model for them.

The nine-year-old drag queen who goes by the name "Queen Lactatia," stands sexualized in the photos, wearing a sequin onesie.

Products available on House of Mann include BDSM sex harnesses, bondage gloves, jock straps, and nipple pasties, which are all tagged with keywords such as "hot," "erotic," gay," "BDSM," "fetish," "kinky," "dominatrix," and "stripper."

After users on Facebook and Twitter complained about the company sexualizing children for an erotic brand, House of Mann owner Brandon Hilton declared, "[I] woke up to countless tweets telling me 'kill yourself' and calling me a 'pedo' after we announced 9 year old drag superstar Lactatia as our new HOUSE OF MANN covergirl... If you can't handle a kid in a sequin onesie, maybe the future isn't for you!"

Comment: Why is this not illegal? Why is Twitter taking no action? And how is this not sexualizing children and normalizing pedophilia?? The owner of House of Mann enthusiastically said it himself: "drag kids are the future!"

On this topic, we recommend Pierre Lescaudron's articles: More from The Blaze:
LGBT designer defends marketing 9-year-old drag queen: 'Maybe the future isn't for you!'
Lactatia 9-year-old drag queen
© YouTube screenshot
LGBT designer Brandon Hilton is defending his marketing photos of a 9-year-old drag queen by the name of Lactacia.
You might recall prepubescent drag queen "Lactatia" who made a big splash on the Montreal drag scene last year at the tender age of 8 - all with parental assistance and encouragement.

Notably Lactatia opined at the time, "If you want to be a drag queen and your parents don't let you, you need new parents."

Lactatia has since caught the eye of Brandon Hilton, an "LBGT artist, actor, activist & designer" who last week posted photos of the pint-sized drag queen in a sequin "onesie" as part of his clothing line, which specializes in "boudoir couture ... that coaxes out that inner diva."


After initially writing that Lactatia is 8 years old - the drag queen's age appears to be 9 - Hilton defended the photos, saying he "woke up to countless tweets telling me 'kill yourself' and calling me a 'pedo' after we announced 9 year old drag superstar Lactatia as our new HOUSE OF MANN covergirl..."

"If you can't handle a kid in a sequin onesie, maybe the future isn't for you!" Hilton added.


"I think this new generation of drag kids is brilliant and inspiring!" Hilton added in another tweet, noting that Lactatia is part of "the future" and that House of Mann "is just making sure" the young drag queen looks "SICKENING!"

"[P]eople will talk no matter what, might as well give them something FIERCE to look at!" Hilton added.

And apparently Twitter was unconcerned about the images of Lactatia:


But by the time Monday rolled around, Hilton was in full defense mode, tweeting that when Lactatia "picked a custom onesie from us, we did not think to discriminate against her due to her age. Lactatia has the right to wear a onesie."

He added: "When she sent us photos, to post among the other posts of our customers in their House Of Mann costumes, we didn't think to discriminate. Because we made men's underwear and made a onesie for Lactatia does not mean that we condone child abuse."

And Hilton underscored the latter declaration for good measure:


Here's a clip of Lactatia making the rounds at RuPaul's DragCon NYC 2017:



      Read More...
Pistol

US Special Forces commit drive-by murder in Afghanistan (VIDEO)


Moon of Alabama
Thu, 11 Jan 2018 14:02 UTC
US soldiers in the Nangarhar province of Afghanistan
© Lucas Jackson / Reuters
US soldiers in the Nangarhar province of Afghanistan
A recent video mashup provided by some U.S. Special Force soldiers in Afghanistan seems to show evidence of a warcrime.

A military truck passes a civilian truck on a paved road at normal traveling speed. A soldier fires directly and intentionally at the driver of the civilian truck without any discernible reason.

This is the relevant two second long cut (repeated 5 times) from a private video mix of scenes taken during the last few months in Afghanistan.
      Read More...
Network

Whistleblowing system 'SecureDrop' co-creator James Dolan dead at 36


RT
Thu, 11 Jan 2018 12:19 UTC
securedrop
© securedrop.org
Former marine, James Dolan, who along with colleague Aaron Swartz created a secure system for communication between journalists and sources in possession of sensitive information or documents, has died. He was 36.

The circumstances of Dolan's death are not yet known, but former colleagues speculate he may have committed suicide.
      Read More...
Amazon Smile
Revolt! T-shirts