Society's ChildS


Eye 2

Syrian jihadists refuse offer of dialogue, begin preparations for offensive against govt troops


Sputnik
Wed, 22 Aug 2018 01:27 UTC
jihadists syria
© Reuters / Ammar AbdullahFighters of the Syrian Islamist rebel group Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, the former al Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front, ride on a pick-up truck in the 1070 Apartment Project area in southwestern Aleppo, Syria August 5, 2016
The leadership of radical groups in Syria openly declares the preparation for an offensive against Syrian government forces and refuses to hold any sort of dialogue on political settlement, Maj. Gen. Alexei Tsygankov, head of the Russian Center for Syrian Reconciliation, said Tuesday.

"The command of 'National Liberation Army' [Organization for the Liberation of the Levant, formerly Jabhat Fateh al-Sham or the Nusra Front, a terror group outlawed in Russia] 'National Front for the Liberation of Syria' and 'National Front for Liberation' openly declares preparations for an offensive against government forces and rejects any dialogue on political settlement of the conflict," Tsygankov said at a briefing.
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Roses

Uri Avnery, groundbreaking Israeli activist for a Palestinian state, passes away at 94


The National
Mon, 20 Aug 2018 15:51 UTC
Uri Avnery
© AFPUri Avnery, Israeli writer and founder of the Gush Shalom peace movement, at his home in Tel Aviv on July 26, 2011. He died on August 20, 2018, age 94.
Journalist championed the two-state solution long before it gained political traction

The man known as the first Israeli to meet Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat died in Tel Aviv on Monday at the age of 94.

Peace activist and former Knesset member Uri Avnery was also one of the first Israelis to actively push for the establishment of a Palestinian state, more than 70 years ago.

A controversial figure among fellow Israelis, Avnery was hailed as groundbreaking by his supporters and an enemy of the people by critics.

Israeli publication Haaretz on Monday described the left-wing journalist as an advocate of co-operation between Palestinians and Israelis under a joint name and an opponent of the 1947 UN Partition Plan - that is to say, a supporter of a single state.

His stance, however, changed after 1948-49 Arab-Israeli war.

Comment: We've just lost a brave warrior for peace and justice in the world. RIP Uri Avnery.


Some of his insightful articles:

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Eye 2

Spain: 'Wolf pack' rapists confronted by angry citizens at public pool


BBC News
Tue, 21 Aug 2018 00:00 UTC
Protesters wolf pack
© Getty ImagesProtesters often used the faces of the "wolf pack" in their banners
Members of the infamous "wolf pack" group convicted of sexual abuse in Spain have been forced to flee a swimming pool in Seville.

The men were present in a group with others when they were angrily confronted by swimmers.

The case involved five men sexually abusing an 18-year-old woman at the San Fermin festival in Pamplona in 2016.

It became a national scandal in Spain - and the men were released a few months into their nine-year sentence.

Their lawyers requested that the five be provisionally released pending the outcome of an appeal.
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X

Yankee go home! Turkish citizens demand expulsion of US troops from Incirlik Air Base


Sputnik
Tue, 21 Aug 2018 22:16 UTC
Incirlik air base
© AP Photo
Incirlik residents and local politicians have called on Ankara, demanding the expulsion of American troops from Incirlik Air Base and that the base be handed over to the Turkish military. Speaking to Sputnik, Turkish civilians explained why they're protesting against the US military presence in their country.

"American troops should leave Incirlik Air Base!" residents of the neighborhood of the same name in the Yuregir district of the Turkish city of Adana say, amid the escalation of tensions between Ankara and Washington.

Sputnik reached out to the enraged civilians, asking them to explain their discontent.
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Bizarro Earth

Due to PETA pressure, Animal Crackers' boxes drop cages and free beasts


Sputnik
Tue, 21 Aug 2018 22:57 UTC
After more than a century behind bars, animal crackers are now free.
new animal crackers box
© AP Photo/ Charlie Neibergall
Even though it took 116 years, the packaging of Barnum's Animal Crackers no longer depict the beasts locked up in cages. Instead, the snack now pictures a zebra, an elephant, a lion, a giraffe and a gorilla roaming freely in a grassland. The new boxes, which are currently on grocery shelves across the US, still feature the classic red and yellow coloring and bold lettering.

Comment:

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Arrow Down

Israeli military court sentences Palestinian Waed Tamimi to 14 months in prison for allegedly throwing rocks at soldiers


teleSUR
Tue, 21 Aug 2018 21:58 UTC
Waed Tamimi
© Facebook / Nariman TamimiWaed Tamimi during prostest in May.
Waed Tamimi was sentenced for throwing a rock that allegedly injured an Israeli soldier's hand.

An Israeli military court has sentenced Palestinian Waed Tamimi, Ahed Tamimi's 21-year-old brother, to 14 months in prison and a US$2,000 fine for allegedly throwing stones at soldiers in 2016 and 2017. According to the indictment, an Israeli soldier suffered a hand injury as a result of the rock thrown by Waed.

Tamimi was arrested on May 10, during an overnight raid, after being accused of being implicated in terrorist acts.

On Monday he was found guilty of throwing stones at an Israeli military vehicle that had entered the town of Nabi Saleh in the occupied West Bank. The town, where the Tamimi family lives, is one of the centers of Palestinian resistance to the expansion of Israeli illegal settlements in the West Bank.

Comment: Meanwhile, the Israeli policeman who shot and murdered a Palestinian teen gets a mere 18 months, and that is regarded as an unusually harsh punishment.

See: Israeli Supreme Court doubles sentence of officer who murdered Palestinian teen to a whopping 18 months

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Syringe

Indonesian religious counsel issues fatwa against measles vaccine amid outbreak


RT
Tue, 21 Aug 2018 19:54 UTC
Vaccination Indonesian school
© Fachrul Reza / Global Look Press 36Vaccination in an Indonesian school, August 4, 2018
Health-conscious holidaymakers considering a trip to Bali may rethink their destination, after Indonesia's top Islamic body turned against vaccines for a virus that used to kill millions before preventive shots were introduced.

In a fatwa, or religious ruling, issued by the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI), the Measles Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine has been deemed "haram," with the organization claiming that it contains traces of pork and human cells, both banned by the Islamic faith.

However, the fatwa also states that the vaccine will continue to be allowed while a viable alternative is found.
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Palette

There are too many mediocre artists

Helen Dale
Quillette
Tue, 21 Aug 2018 02:16 UTC
crappy art
Every now and again, a friend of mine holds a 'what's your unpopular opinion?' discussion in a club we jointly run.

Everyone takes turns to say something not so much outrageous or contrarian (debates are seldom about politics) but bitter - as in 'bitter truth'. People argue, say, that colonialism is a good idea (when done by the British, of course), or that sometimes historic buildings and artefacts are more important than people (and should by preference be preserved in wartime), or that corporal punishment is probably not such a bad idea for certain sorts of crimes (and criminals).

He imposes the Chatham House rule so people aren't set upon afterwards by mobs of offendotrons trying to get them sacked for wrongthink.

Well, I've decided to go public with one of my unpopular opinions.

Comment: This rabbit hole goes a bit deeper than what the article addresses. See:

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Bad Guys

5 reasons the nightmarish Saudi-led, Western-backed war on Yemen should never be forgotten - In pictures


RT
Tue, 21 Aug 2018 17:08 UTC
Mass funeral for children killed in Saudi-led coalition airstrike in Yemen
© AFPMass funeral for children killed in Saudi-led coalition airstrike in Yemen
With the death toll in the tens of thousands, millions displaced and on the brink of famine, one would think the war in Yemen should be on every front page. It's not, and here are just some of the reasons why that's wrong.

The ongoing conflict, nominally a civil war started by Houthi rebels who ousted the government, saw the Saudi-led, Western-backed coalition of Arab nations intervene in the very first days. With massive civilian casualties and a humanitarian blockade, the war has now become a catastrophe with millions of victims.

Yemen
© Khaled Abdullah / ReutersA displaced breast cancer sufferer in a shelter in Sanaa, Yemen
Still, the day-by-day nightmare of Yemen often goes overlooked in Western media in favor of stories about the supposed 'war crimes' of the Syrian government or Russia's alleged 'Novichok attack' in Salisbury. Here are five reasons why the Yemen war really matters.

Comment: See also:

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Dominoes

Video shows police officer slap girl, 14, during arrest in which two officers were injured

Tanveer Mann
Metro
Tue, 21 Aug 2018 09:10 UTC
Uk police officer slaps girl 14
© Facebook
This is the shocking moment a police officer was filmed striking a 14-year-old girl in the face during an arrest in Lancashire.

The teenager and a 52-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of assaulting police on Monday afternoon in Accrington, after two officers had to be taken to hospital after the incident.

Yet during the arrest, a male police officer from Lancashire Police could be seen hitting the girl in the face during the struggle.

Shocking footage shows the girl being referred to as a 'young woman' despite her being only 14.

A male and female officer attempt to restrain the teenager as a crowd screams 'get off her' before the male officer hits the girl.

The crowd immediately respond with one shouting 'this man's smacking up a little girl... she was smacked... you are losing your job'.

Comment: The Manchester Evening news provides a bit more detail:
"As a result of this incident, one officer sustained a bite wound to her arm and another suffered a cut to his head.

"They have both attended hospital for treatment.

"A 14-year-old girl and a 52-year-old woman have been arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer and are currently in custody.

"We understand this footage may appear concerning, however, officers are trained to use restraint techniques which may look shocking to untrained onlookers.

"A full investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident will take place in due course."

A statement on Tuesday morning added: "At around 5.45pm [on Monday], police officers were flagged down by a member of the public who reported that a large group of youths were fighting at the Market Hall on Peel Street, Accrington.

"The officers attended straight away and when they arrived, the group turned on them.

"As the officers dealt with the incident, they used reasonable force to bring the situation under control. This involved the use of an open hand strike when a 14-year-old female attempted to grab the officer's taser and radio.

"She was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer. She has been interviewed and has since been referred to the youth offending team.
This is reflective of just how much society in the UK has deteriorated that children attack police and the police resort to smacking a child in order to complete an arrest and get out of what is clearly a volatile situation: Here's another example of UK policing:



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