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Attention

Turkish refugee camps: Centers for pedophilia and organ trafficking

refugee camp
A prominent Turkish journalist revealed dreadful facts about the Syrian refugee camps in his country that include raping children and selling the refugees' body organs and women.

Yashar Idan, the representative of BirGun newspaper in Ankara, told the Iran-based Arabic-language al-Alam news channel that tens of children have been raped in Nizip camp in Southern Turkey and the body organs of a number of refugees have been sold in the market.

According to Idan, it is a shame for the Turkish government that calls the Nizip camp a role model for other refugee camps that such crimes are committed in there, while these are only the rapists and not the camp's officials who are tried and punished.

BirGun newspaper had earlier this month revealed that 30 Syrian children were raped for months at Nizip and government authorities failed to notice. It came amid reports that Turkey is not a safe country for asylum seekers.

Clipboard

'Moderate' domestic abuse? Pakistani clerics offer guide on how to 'lightly' beat wives

pakistani woman
© Mohsin Raza / Reuters
A husband has the right to beat his wife "lightly" if she disobeys him, according to a Pakistani religious body. The organization's top cleric later added that a handkerchief, hat or turban could be used to hit spouses.

The advice is part of a 163-point legislation proposed by the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) in Pakistan, local media reported Thursday. Copies have been sent to all provincial assemblies.

"A husband may, when needed, lightly beat his wife," the bill said, as cited by Dawn newspaper, adding that "three consecutive declarations of divorce [by women] will be punishable."

The CII-proposed bill also includes plans to regulate breastfeeding and contraception.

"Mothers must breastfeed for two years," "A ban on advertisements for baby formula/substitutes for breast milk," "A woman cannot use contraception without the husband's permission" - these are a few recommendations listed on the proposed legislation.

Comment: Farzana Bari is right: this legislation is not only bad PR, it's just plain wrong. How about some equivalent legislation against husbands, for when a wife wants her man to "mend his ways"? Better yet, how about some 'legislation' teaching men to actually see their wives as human beings and develop healthy relationships?


Cards

The 25 rules of disinformation and propaganda

money deal
25 Rules of Disinformation - Possible rules of Operation Mockingbird

1. Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil. Regardless of what you know, don't discuss it — especially if you are a public figure, news anchor, etc. If it's not reported, it didn't happen, and you never have to deal with the issues.

2. Become incredulous and indignant. Avoid discussing key issues and instead focus on side issues which can be used show the topic as being critical of some otherwise sacrosanct group or theme. This is also known as the "How dare you!" gambit.

3. Create rumor mongers. Avoid discussing issues by describing all charges, regardless of venue or evidence, as mere rumors and wild accusations. Other derogatory terms mutually exclusive of truth may work as well. This method works especially well with a silent press, because the only way the public can learn of the facts are through such "arguable rumors." If you can associate the material with the Internet, use this fact to certify it a "wild rumor" which can have no basis in fact.

Comment: Further reading:


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.

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