Society's ChildS


Bad Guys

Playing to the crowd: A fraudster who faked his stories for years got to be Germany's top reporter

Kirill Kuznetsov
RT
Sat, 22 Dec 2018 20:00 UTC
Claas Relotius
© Markus wetClaas Relotius
Germany has been rocked by a scandal involving one of the top reporters writing for the reputable Der Spiegel magazine, who turned out to be a fraudster. What made a fabulist into a star? Let's look at some of his stories.

Claas Relotius, the 'brilliant reporter'-turned-fabricator, carved his way to pages of some of the most prestigious German newspapers with curious, sentimental and touching human stories from everyday life. Although, some of these intimate private stories clearly had some political angle.

Comment: An excerpt of Der Spiegel's apology. One hopes they've learned a lesson about partisanship in journalism.
Anyone entering the atrium of the SPIEGEL headquarters at the Ericusgraben in Hamburg's Hafencity has, opposite the wall, the motto of SPIEGEL founder Rudolf Augstein in mind, in which the journalistic ideal of the house condenses in its most concise form: "Say what is . " That has always been the mission, and no one should consider the silver letters to be mere wall decoration or journalistic folklore. Say what is, that is, in the words of the Statute of 1949:
"All processed in the SPIEGEL and recorded news, information, facts must necessarily apply [...] corrections can not afford the SPIEGEL."
That is true. It is obligation. Word by word.

That's why the fall of Relotius marks a low point in the SPIEGEL's 70-year history . The self-imposed goals have been missed, far undercut their own claims, old values ​​hurt, how often exactly and in what ways, will still be determined. The young editor, who mimed the big reporter, cleared his office on Sunday and quit his contract on Monday.

[...]

"DER SPIEGEL apologizes to anyone who has appeared in the SPIEGEL with false quotes, invented details of their lives, in imaginary scenes, in fictional locations or otherwise in false contexts in articles by Claas Relotius. The house also apologizes to its readers, to all the esteemed colleagues in the industry, to the prize committees and juries, to the journalism schools, to the Rudolf Augsteins family, to business partners and customers. DER SPIEGEL will convene a commission , which will also include external officers, to clarify the events and to avoid recurrences."


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Newspaper

The War on Terror was both 'won' AND 'lost' in a single edition of the Daily Telegraph


RT
Thu, 20 Dec 2018 17:28 UTC
Daesh
© VOA
Either the War on Terror has been won and it's time to go after Russia, or there's a new wave of terrorists on their way to Europe. The Telegraph was a confusing read for those who picked up today's edition.

The British newspaper covered all its bases, by running stories declaring on the one hand "We've won the War on Terror," while on the other, that Europe is under threat from Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) terrorists.

Telegraph readers face a choice about which story they are ready to put most trust in. The warning of a terror threat to Europe posed by returning jihadis comes from the head of Interpol Jurgen Stock. He says there's a risk of jihadists returning from the Middle East to cause chaos in what he's calling "ISIL 2.0."

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X

Berlin: German court rejects accessory charges against 95yo 'guard' at Nazi camp where thousands perished


RT
Fri, 21 Dec 2018 21:05 UTC
Mauthausen
© Reuters/Leonhard FoegerBarbed wire is pictured in the former concentration camp Mauthausen.
A Berlin court has rejected a case against a former Nazi SS guard accused of accessory to the murder of tens of thousands inmates of the Nazi death camp in Mauthausen, where the 95-year-old was said to have served.

In an quite unusual decision, the German court said it does not see evidence to support charges of accessory to murder in the case of a man identified only as Hans Werner H. The suspect was accused of serving as an SS guard at the Mauthausen in Austria between October 1944 and May 1945 - a period when prosecutors say more than 36,000 people were killed there.

Although the suspect was not accused of any specific killings, he was still charged with accessory to murder as he allegedly knowingly and willingly facilitated the work of the death camp. The man himself admitted being a member of the SS but said he never set foot in the camp. Instead, he said he briefly served as a guard at an armaments factory in the Austrian city of Linz, which was linked to another Nazi camp.
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NPC

Idiot celebrity Alyssa Milano mocks veteran's border wall crowdfunding effort, gets rightfully Twitter-flogged


RT
Sat, 22 Dec 2018 12:39 UTC
Alyssa Milano mocks vet crowdfunding border wall
© Reuters / Danny Moloshok /Mike SegarThe actress-turned-Democratic firebrand was left red-faced as after she took aim at the crowdfunding campaign to build a border wall between the US and Mexico, now at over $13mn. Milano, one of the most prominent #MeToo movement stars, has been rallying behind virtually every anti-Trump and pro-Democratic cause.
Actress Alyssa Milano waded out of her depth as she slammed the border wall crowdfunding, implying the money should instead go to veterans. She was instantly reminded the campaign was started by a triple amputee vet.

The actress-turned-Democratic firebrand was left red-faced as after she took aim at the crowdfunding campaign to build a border wall between the US and Mexico, now at over $13mn. In a tweet on Thursday, Milano wrote: "Oh, yes! Let's #GoFundTheWall while not taking care of our veterans. Cool. Cool. Cool."


It was not long before the tweet ignited a firestorm on Twitter, as many noticed Milano hadn't done her homework, as the GoFundMe page was started by Air Force veteran Brian Kolfage, a Purple Heart recipient, who lost three limbs in a rocket attack in Iraq.

Comment: Most Hollywood celebrities (with few notable exceptions) would do well to stick to their area of competence (assuming they have one).

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Sherlock

US arrests Chinese national, charged with stealing trade secrets from Phillips 66

Tyler Durden
Zero Hedge
Sat, 22 Dec 2018 19:32 UTC
Hongjin Tan industrial espionage phillips 66
© Hongjin Tan / LinkedInHongjin Tan, in a photo taken from his LinkedIn profile.
One day after the US officially declared war on Chinese "cyberwarriors", the DOJ announced late on Friday that 35-year-old Chinese national and legal permanent resident, Hongjin Tan, was arrested on Dec. 20 and charged with theft of trade secrets from his employer, an unidentified U.S. petroleum company.

"Hongjin Tan allegedly stole trade secrets related to a product worth more than $1 billion from his U.S.-based petroleum company employer, to use for the benefit of a Chinese company where he was offered employment," said Assistant Attorney General Demers. "The theft of intellectual property harms American companies and American workers. As our recent cases show, all too often these thefts involve the Chinese government or Chinese companies. The Department recently launched an initiative to protect our economy from such illegal practices emanating from China, and we continue to make this a top priority."
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Arrow Down

AI stealth programming? Alexa blurts out 'Kill your foster parents', chats about sex in AI experiments

Jeffrey Dastin
Reuters
Fri, 21 Dec 2018 15:08 UTC
Alexa Just Ask
© REUTERS/Elijah NouvelagAlexa has passed the creepy line: Consumers might not realize that some of their most sensitive conversations are being recorded by Amazon’s devices, information that could be highly prized by criminals, law enforcement, marketers and others.
Millions of users of Amazon's Echo speakers have grown accustomed to the soothing strains of Alexa, the human-sounding virtual assistant that can tell them the weather, order takeout and handle other basic tasks in response to a voice command.

So a customer was shocked last year when Alexa blurted out: "Kill your foster parents."

Alexa has also chatted with users about sex acts. She gave a discourse on dog defecation. And this summer, a hack Amazon traced back to China may have exposed some customers' data, according to five people familiar with the events.

Alexa is not having a breakdown.

The episodes, previously unreported, arise from Amazon.com Inc's strategy to make Alexa a better communicator. New research is helping Alexa mimic human banter and talk about almost anything she finds on the internet. However, ensuring she does not offend users has been a challenge for the world's largest online retailer.

Comment: Amazon, like Google and Facebook has truly passed the creepy line:

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Stock Down

Ukrainians spend half of their income on food, highest in Europe


RT
Sat, 22 Dec 2018 11:14 UTC
Ukraine poverty
© Valentyn Ogirenko / ReutersAn average Ukrainian earns just €190 per month. The highest average net salary, according to the analysts, is in Switzerland. An average Swiss earns no less than $5,000 per month after taxes.
If you think basic items are costing you too much, take a look at this year's research by RIA Novosti, which shows how much people in European countries spend on food, alcohol and leisure.

By far the highest expense for households in Ukraine is food, according to statistics revealing the spending habits of average families in 40 European countries. Ukrainians spend more than half their income - 50.9 percent - buying groceries, the study found. And few can afford to visit restaurants and hotels, where only 2.8 percent of their budget is spent.

Ukraine's place in the ratings has not changed in two years, as a similar research in 2016 also put the country at the bottom of the list. Back then, 54 percent of its citizens' incomes were spent on food.

Comment: Life for Ukrainians since the US-sponsored coup has gone from bad to unbearable: Also check out SOTT radio's: NewsReal: Donbass Leader Assassinated as Russia Exposes Chemical Plot in Syria

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Eye 2

Female pimp busted for trying to sell underage girl's virginity in Russia


RT
Sat, 22 Dec 2018 18:44 UTC
pimp pedophile
A venturous lady from Saint Petersburg attempted to cash in on the virginity of a 15-year-old girl she met online. She managed to find a generous buyer in Moscow for the unusual article...but he turned out to be an undercover cop.

A hotel room with a large bed, white sheets and dimmed lighting was rented for the night. The rich client was also there and the final details were being agreed.

The female pimp asked the man not to hold back the girl for too long after the deal is done because she had "strict parents" and had to be home in time.

And then the moment she was so eagerly waiting for had arrived. He passed her the cash. The whole 650,000 rubles (almost $9,700) she demanded for the teen's maidenhood.

Comment: See also:

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Books

'Smart' uniforms use chips to track Chinese students in fight against school truancy


France24
Fri, 21 Dec 2018 16:12 UTC
China truancy uniform trackers
© Agence France-PresseThe uniforms use chips to monitor the location of students and can record their exit and entry into school The uniforms use chips to monitor the location of students and can record their exit and entry into school
Schools in southern China are using chip-powered "smart" school uniforms to track their students in a bid to tackle truancy and boost attendance, according to state media.

The uniforms use chips to monitor the location of students and can record their exit and entry into school, according to the tech firm behind the tracking devices.

"When students enter the school, the smart uniforms help take a photo or video of them," explained principal Ran Ruxiang, whose elementary school in Guizhou province started rolling out smart uniforms last November.

Comment: The creepiness of China monitoring social behaviour is undeniable. But at least they are upfront about it and the reasons it's being implemented. The US? Not so much.

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Ambulance

Train derails in France leaving at least 14 hurt

Matt Drake
Daily Star
Fri, 21 Dec 2018 16:53 UTC
train derails marseille
© @InfosFrancaisesOver 10 people have been injured in Marsielle, France after a train derailed on Friday December 21, 2018
At least 14 people are injured after a French metro train derailed in Marseille.

Over 14 people have been injured at the train derailed on Friday, local media citing transport authorities report. None of the injuries are thought to be life-threatening, but people have been taken to hospital.

The incident was reportedly caused by a failure of the rubber tyre on one of the wheels as it rode over a piece that fell from the traction system.

A spokesman for RTM said: "The incident occurred shortly after 8:30am (7:30am GMT).

"A part of the traction system broke off and damaged a tire went off the rail. Fourteen passengers were slightly injured due to the ceiling grilles falling inside the cars."

The incident will require shutting down traffic along a segment of one of the two lines of the transit system.

Comment: At least 28 injured as tram derails and flips over in Lisbon, Portugal

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