Society's ChildS


Info

Syrian military seizes large amount of weapons and medical equipment in southern Damascus

Leith Aboufadel
Al Masdar News
Mon, 21 May 2018 11:33 UTC
Medical equipment
© SANA
The Syrian military police inside of the three southern Damascus towns of Babila, Beit Sahm, and Yalda uncovered another large cache of equipment left behind by the rebel forces.

The seized military equipment included telecommunication devices, mortar shells, mortar launchers, gas masks, grenades, et al.

As shown in the pictures released by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) below, the large cache of equipment was stored in a large warehouse in this part of southern Damascus:
Read More...
Heart - Black

Military psychologist arrested for sexually assaulting trauma patients using 'exposure therapy' excuse

John Vibes
The Free Thought Project
Sat, 19 May 2018 09:18 UTC
soldier trauma
A psychologist working at Travis Air Force Base near Sacremento has been arrested for sexually assaulting his patients after multiple patients accused him of misconduct and claimed that they are now "even more traumatized" because of the abuse they endured at the hands of the man who was supposed to help them.

According to a report from CBS Sacremento, Dr. Heath Sommer was working with rape victims who were sexually assaulted while deployed in the military. But instead of helping them, he added to the abuse.

Sommer reportedly used "exposure therapy" as an excuse to victimize his patients under the pretense of an experimental treatment. Exposure therapy is a psychological treatment where people are forced to confront their fears or traumas, and while this technique has many great applications, sexual assault is obviously not one of them.

It was revealed that the abuse occurred between 2010 and 2016, but it is not clear how many victims there actually were. Sommer now faces charges of sexual battery, rape, and oral copulation, to which he pled not guilty earlier this week.
Read More...
Pistol

Santa Fe High School weapons policy states firearms and ammunition prohibited

AWR Hawkins
Breitbart
Fri, 18 May 2018 09:14 UTC
Santa Fe High School shooting
© Michael Ciaglo/Houston Chronicle via AP
The weapons policy of Santa Fe High School in Texas makes clear that no firearms, imitation firearms, BB guns, or ammunition is allowed on campus.

The Substitute Teacher Handbook says, "Employees, visitors, and students, including those with a license to carry a handgun, are prohibited from bringing firearms, illegal knives, or other weapons onto school premises or any grounds or building where a school-sponsored activity takes place."

Comment: In other words, it was a 'gun-free zone'.

Read More...
Che Guevara

Maduro easily wins another term as Venezuelan president after main opposition boycotts election - US livid


RT
Mon, 21 May 2018 09:00 UTC
maduro election venezuela
Nicolas Maduro has been declared the winner of Sunday's presidential election, which saw a 46.1 percent turnout, according to Venezuela's electoral council, after the opposition branded the vote a fraud and called for a boycott.

With 92.6 percent of the vote counted, Maduro has won presidential election with 5,823,728 of the votes, National Electoral Council chief Tibisay Lucena announced. His main adversary, Henri Falcon of the Progressive Advance party, obtained 1,820,552 votes; while the independent candidate Javier Bertucci won 925,042 votes.

"How much have they underestimated our revolutionary people, and how much have they underestimated me," Maduro told a late-night crowd in front of the presidential palace. "And here we are, victorious."


Comment: Like the US has room to talk about how democracy should be.

Read More...
Info

Crimea: Russian FSB shuts down extremist group created by MP's aide of the Ukrainian parliament


TASS
Mon, 21 May 2018 10:46 UTC
Russian FSB members
© Igor Zarembo / Sputnik
The Federal Security Service (FSB) has shut down the activity of an extremist group in Crimea that had been created by an aide to Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada member of parliament, the FSB Center for Public Relations told TASS.

"The Federal Security Service and the Russian Interior Ministry have revealed the activity of an extremist group created by Erol Veliyev, aide to Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada member of parliament [Mustafa] Dzhemilev, as ordered by [Refat] Chubarov, who is the leader of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, which is outlawed in Russia, and is on the wanted list, with support from the Ukrainian Security Service," the FSB Center for Public Relations reported.

Apart from Veliyev, former boxers Steshenko and Tretyakov are also members of the group that was formed in Kharkov, FSB reported. "The extremists planned to commit crimes based on political hatred with a goal to threaten the pro-Russian Crimean Tatars and stoke national tensions on the territory of the Republic of Crimea," the Center noted.
Read More...
Boat

Syrian Navy receives high speed patrol boat from Russia


South Front
Mon, 21 May 2018 10:06 UTC
The Raptor (Project 03160) high-speed patrol boat
© www.pellaship.ruThe Raptor (Project 03160) high-speed patrol boat
On May 20, Syrian pro-government activists revealed that the Syrian Coastal Guards had received at least one Project 03160 "Raptor" high speed patrol boat from the Russian Navy. The boat is currently carrying out patrols along the coast of the city of Tartus, according to the activists.

The news outlet Shephard Military News reported on July 8, 2017 that Russia is planning to supply the Syrian Coastal Guard with new patrol boats and other equipment. Back then, the source said that the delivery of boats will begin in 2017 and will be completed in 2019.

Russian Ro-Ro ship Alexandr Tkachenko was spotted carrying military equipment including at least one Raptor high speed patrol boat while crossing the Bosporus en route to the Syrian coastal city of Tartus on April 13.

Read More...
Satellite

Satellite images reveal increased number of Russian warplanes in T-4 Airbase

Zen Adra
Al Masdar News
Mon, 21 May 2018 08:49 UTC
Satellite image of the T-4 airbase in Homs
Russia is still extensively using a large airbase in central Syria to launch sorties against positions for the rebel groups across the country, satellite images reveal.

The images, released online, clearly show four SU-25 jets, as well as a squadron of helicopters including three Ka-52 attack helicopters.

The highly-operational T-4 airbase hosts Russian as well as Iranian forces which help the Syrian Army fights the terror groups across the war-torn country.

Comment: See also: Syrian T-4 airbase in Homs province hit by airstrikes - UPDATE: Israel did it

Read More...
Arrow Down

German cartoonist sacked over Netanyahu caricature


Sputnik
Mon, 21 May 2018 01:54 UTC
Netanyahu caricature
Social media users slammed the cartoon as anti-Semitic. The newspaper offered excuses, but the author of the cartoon didn't. The elderly cartoonist claimed that being fired for an inappropriate cartoon is an unusual punishment.

German popular daily newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung fired its cartoonist after his caricature of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was harshly criticized on social media, the Turkish Anadolu news agency reported. The cartoon in the now withdrawn issue of the magazine depicts Netanyahu in the likeness of Israeli singer Netta Barzilai, who won the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest, while holding a missile in his hand. The text balloon above him said "next year in Jerusalem."

After the cartoon caused public uproar, the newspaper's chief editor, Wolfgang Krach, issued his apologies, but the 85-year-old cartoonist refused to follow the suit, which led to him being fired. Dieter Hanitzsch, the author of the controversial cartoon, said that such a punitive measure for an inappropriate drawing is not normal.

"You can reprimand him [the cartoonist], warn him, but firing is not a good way," he said.
Read More...
Network

China better prepared to deal with US sanctions on Iran than EU - analyst


Sputnik
Sun, 20 May 2018 01:48 UTC
OIL FIELD
© AP Photo / Vahid Salemi
China's state-owned energy giant CNPC is ready to replace French energy company Total's stake in the Iranian South Pars gas project. In 2017, Total and CNPC signed a 20-year contract worth 4.8 billion dollars to develop Phase 11 of Iran's South Pars field. Sputnik spoke with political analyst Tom McGregor about CNPC's acquisition plan.

Sputnik: How serious is CNPC about acquiring Total's stake in the South Pars gas project in your opinion?

McGregor: Definitely if it's available to them they will certainly look at the deal and the way the Chinese do business is that they don't make an announcement unless they are going to do something. They are very secretive about this kind of stuff, so unless there is some weird bluff, there's no reason for them to make an announcement unless they are very serious. Chances are they are already taking action and they have already moved forward on it and they are just waiting to sign the deal to see what Total does.
Read More...
Airplane

Cuba mourns after 107 killed in Boeing 737 airliner crash


Times of India
Sat, 19 May 2018 00:00 UTC
The Cuban national flag half-mast
© AFP photoThe Cuban national flag is raised at half-mast in tribute to the victims of a plane crash.
Cuba began two days of national mourning Saturday for victims of the crash of a state airways plane that killed all but three of its 110 passengers and crew.

President Miguel Diaz-Canel said an investigation was under way into Friday's crash of the nearly 40-year-old Boeing 737, leased to the national carrier Cubana de Aviacion by a Mexican company.

Three women pulled alive from the mangled wreckage are the only known survivors.

The Boeing crashed shortly after taking off from Jose Marti airport, coming down in a field near the airport and sending a thick column of acrid smoke into the air.
Read More...