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Putin grants Russian citizenship to American MMA champion Jeffrey Monson

Jeffrey Monson
Another American celebrity has joined the likes of actor Steven Seagal and basketball player Jamierra Faulkner in becoming a Russian citizen.

Jeffrey Monson, a legendary mixed martial arts and Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion hailing from St. Paul, Minnesota, was granted Russian citizenship by decree of President Vladimir Putin yesterday, TASS reports.

The decree, published on the official legal information internet portal of the Russian Federation reads:

Info

Russia and China holding joint military cooperation talks

Russia China military
The Chinese and Russian militaries have been getting a lot closer lately, and Chinese diplomats paying visit to Russia have been playing a role in it recently. The topics of talks, held yesterday, between the two nation's military top brass, involved cooperation on confronting military issues that are perceived as common threats.

The Global Times reports:
The armed forces of China and Russia held their 20th round of strategic consultation in Beijing on Wednesday.

The two sides exchanged views and reached broad consensus on current international and regional hotspot issues and on further deepening China-Russia military cooperation under the new circumstances.

They pledged to firmly implement the important consensus reached by leaders of the two countries, boost bilateral military cooperation and make new contributions to pressing ahead with military strategic cooperation.

Li Zuocheng, member of the Central Military Commission (CMC) and chief of staff of the CMC Joint Staff Department, met with the Russian delegation during the consultation.

Attention

Uber adds panic button to their app for passengers in case of sexual assault by driver

Car driver
© Tatiana Morozova / Global Look Press
Ride-hailing company Uber has added a panic alarm to their app in the United States so that riders have a quick way to contact 911 if they are attacked by the driver.

The company announced plans to introduce the feature nationwide last month. A number of Uber drivers have faced accusations of sex crimes for years.

"While no one should ever have to call 911 when using Uber, no form of transportation is 100 percent free of incidents," CEO Dana Khosrowshahi said at the time. "If ever faced with an emergency situation, we want to help you get the help you need."

Hardhat

Russia ready to extend Trans-Siberian Railway through Korean peninsula

Trans-Siberian Railway
© Ilya Naymushin / ReutersA passenger train moves along a bridge of the Trans-Siberian Railway
The world's longest railway spanning almost the entire length of Russia - the Trans-Siberian - could get an extension to North and South Korea.

A memorandum on the project was signed 10 years ago, but talks have been frozen after relations between the two Koreas deteriorated. The recent thaw has seen Seoul and Pyongyang more open to improving ties.

"Nobody canceled the project and we still consider it to be extremely important... Technically, we are fully ready to connect the Trans-Korean highway with the Trans-Siberian Railway," a spokesman for the project, Gennady Bessonov, told RIA Novosti.

According to him, the whole problem lies in political relations between North and South Korea. "We have modernized the section from Hasan station in Russia to the North Korean port Rajin. Further connection is possible to Pyongyang and then to Seoul," Bessonov said.

Cross

'What in God's name!' Twitter rages over Televangelist pleading with flock to buy him 4th private jet

Jesse Duplantis
© Jesse Duplantis Ministries / Twitter
US televangelist Jesse Duplantis wants his congregation to chip in to buy him a new private jet - his fourth - because God told him so, apparently.

Duplantis implored his congregation to help fund private jet number four because, if Jesus was alive today, he "wouldn't be riding a donkey."

According to Duplantis, whose wealth is valued at least $40 million, he hesitated about the purchase, until he remembered a tip God gave him back in 1978, "I didn't ask you to pay for it. I asked you to believe for it." Duplantis took the divine message to mean 'ask your flock to fork out for it.'

The evangelical preacher explained the need for a fourth private jet on his 'This week with Jesse' show, in which he stood next to framed pictures of his fleet of jets before pointing out that the aircraft he bought 12 years ago required refuelling, meaning he had to pay "exorbitant" refuelling costs.

Cell Phone

Cell footage of Parkland shooter plotting massacre released

nikolas cruz
Cellphone footage has been released that shows Nickolas Cruz in the hours before he opened fire on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The disturbing videos give insight into a deranged individual who excitedly plotted the massacre and looked forward to the fame and notoriety it would bring him.

"Hello, my name is Nik, and I'm going to be the next school shooter of 2018. My goal is at least 20 people with an AR-15 and a couple tracer rounds," Cruz said as he filmed himself before carrying out a shooting that killed 17 people.

"The location is Stoneman Douglas in Parkland, Florida. It's gonna be a big event, and when you see me on the news, you'll know who I am," Cruz said. He then chuckled and said in a high-pitched tone, "You're all going to die! Pew pew pew pew pew. Ah yeah. Can't wait."

In the next video, Cruz is wearing what appears to be a bright orange shirt, khaki shorts, black tennis shoes, and a black cast on his arm. With the camera aimed at the ground, he can be heard saying, "Today is the day. The day that it all begins. The day of my massacre shall begin. All the kids in school will run in fear and hide. From the wrath of my power, they will know who I am."

"I am nothing. I am no one. My life is nothing and meaningless. Everything I hold dear I let go," Cruz said in a monotone voice. In addition to a troubled past that included dozens of incidents in school and numerous reports to the police, Cruz was also reportedly taking antidepressants for depression and emotional issues.


Comment: Cruz obviously has emotional issues - a lot of them. Shallow affect, immaturity, superficial theatricality. Cruz lives life like it's a video game, because he lacks the ability to see other people as actual people. He only thinks of himself, sees himself as a victim, and resents other people for being normal.


Green Light

Danish MPs greenlight ban on wearing full face veils in public

Women in niqab Christiansborg Palace
© Mads Claus Rasmussen / ReutersWomen in niqab at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark, May 31, 2018.
Danish lawmakers have voted in favor of a law prohibiting the wearing of full face veils, such as the niqab or burqa, in public. A repeat offender won't face prison as proposed, but could receive a $1,600 fine.

The majority of Danish MPs (75 against 30, with more than 74 absentees) adopted the law commonly referred to as the 'burqa ban' on Thursday after weeks-long negotiations. Thus the country joined other European countries, which have already introduced similar restrictions, including Austria, Bulgaria, and the Netherlands.

"It's a good day for Denmark," one of the parties that introduced the law, right-wing Dansk Folkeparti (The Danish People's Party (DPP) wrote on a Facebook page announcing the measure.

Star of David

Israel approves construction of 2,000 illegal homes in West Bank

Israel settlement
© REUTERS / Ammar Awad
This is the first Israeli approval of settlements in the West Bank since the US diplomatic mission was officially transferred to Jerusalem, a move which aggravated Palestinian protests, causing bitter resentment and anger throughout the Arab world.

Israel has given the green light to the construction of 1,958 new settlement units in the West Bank, Peace Now, an Israeli movement monitoring settlements activity, told AFP.

According to the settlements watchdog, about 700 homes have already been totally approved, whereas the rest have moved through the first stage of approval.

Comment: Further reading:


Cross

Churchgoers told not to confess sex abuse secrets to Church of England clergy because they will be 'duty bound' to tell the police

Church minister
© Lynne Cameron /PAChurch of England canon law states that information divulged during confession must be kept secret.
Christians have been told not to confess sex abuse secrets to Church of England clergy because they will tell the police.

Guidance from the diocese of Canterbury says clergy must tell penitents that if their confession "raises a concern about the wellbeing or safeguarding", the priest will be "duty bound" to tell the "relevant agencies".

Church of England canon law states that information divulged during confession must be kept secret.

The issue was raised during the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse earlier this year, amid concerns that evidence of abuse could be kept from the authorities.

The national church is currently considering the issue after a review was launched in 2014, and a working group is due to discuss in December.

Comment: Funny, the church didn't seem all that 'duty bound' to report sex abuse when it was one of their own doing it. See also:


Eye 2

'Pale and listless, impossible to teach, staff paying for basic necessities': Documentary Children of Austerity exposes reality of life in Britain

UK PM Theresa May axes unit devoted to preventing child poverty
© GettyLatest figures showed 3.9m children - one in four - in the UK are growing up in relative poverty
"Pale and listless" children are the real-life victims of Tory welfare cuts, the president of the National Union of Teachers says in a newly released Redfish documentary.

Under the Tories, who have been in power for eight years, it's now estimated that 30 percent of children - 4.1 million minors - are now growing up in poverty.

A UK teachers union reported earlier this year that nearly 90 percent of teachers find it "all but impossible for them to teach," and often have to provide their pupils with basic necessities such as food, clothes and sanitary items.

Comment: The UK economy was failing before but it went into freefall with the implementation of austerity. Lest we forget, back in 2007/8, the big financial institutions lost their capital gambling in the markets ponzi-schemes and, amid warnings of worldwide economic collapse, the public purse was emptied to bail them out. It is that debt that was shouldered by the public that was then used as excuse for austerity.

Overtime a government driven propaganda campaign has brainwashed swathes of people that, actually, it's 'benefit-scroungers' who are the cause for the country's problems. The fact that even those in work are still earning below poverty wages have to resort to food banks or borrowing money from predatory lenders just for the basic necessities is lost on a detached elite who, while freezing salaries for nurses and doctors, felt it right to award themselves another pay rise, taking the total to £11,000 in just 3 years.