Society's ChildS

2 + 2 = 4

Rwanda will proceed with the ban on used clothes despite threats by the United States

Rwanda's President Paul Kagame has insisted that Rwanda will proceed with its plan to phase-out importation of second-hand clothes despite threats from the US that the move could lead to a review of his country's eligibility for duty-free access to the American market.

President Paul Kagame.
© Rwanda Government/FlickrPresident Paul Kagame.
Rwanda's President Paul Kagame has insisted that Rwanda will proceed with its plan to phase-out importation of second-hand clothes despite threats from the U.S. that the move could lead to a review of his country's eligibility for duty-free access to the American market. President Kagame recently made the remarks while addressing a news conference moments after submitting his nomination papers to the National Electoral Commission (NEC).

Books

Rabid feminist professors claim that citations in scholarly articles contribute to 'white heteromasculinity'

balancing books
In a recent academic journal article, two feminist professors claim that citing sources in scholarly articles contributes to "white heteromasculinity."

Rutgers University professor Carrie Mott and University of Waterloo professor Daniel Cockayne advance the claim in an article published last month in the Feminist Journal of Geography, but also suggest that citation can serve as "a feminist and anti-racist technology of resistance" if references are chosen with the explicit intent of promoting "those authors and voices we want to carry forward."

Mott and Cockayne say citation practices are an issue of scholarly concern because whether a professor's work is cited by other scholars has strong implications for hiring, promotion, tenure, and how "certain voices are represented over others" in academia.

"To cite only white men...or to only cite established scholars...does a disservice to researchers and writers who are othered by white heteromasculinism," they argue, defining "white heteromasculinism" as "an intersectional system of oppression describing on-going processes that bolster the status of those who are white, male, able-bodied, economically privileged, heterosexual, and cisgendered."

Handcuffs

California cat killer gets 16 years in jail

housecat
© H. Schmidt-Roeger / Global Look Press
A man has been handed a 16 year jail term for killing 21 cats in California. He also faced an allegation of sexually abusing a dead cat.

Robert Roy Farmer, 26, was sentenced at Santa Clara County Superior Court, Friday, after pleading guilty last year to 21 felony counts of animal cruelty and one count each of misdemeanor battery and being under the influence.

The cats began vanishing from San Jose's Cambrian Park neighborhood in September 2015 and were later found dead, according to the Mercury News.

That month, police received home surveillance footage of a white man luring a cat from its owner's residence before grabbing the feline and running away. The footage prompted police to carry out "follow up investigations" into the pet's abduction.

On October 8 2015, Farmer, the son of a retired San Jose Police Department captain, was found sleeping inside his car at a Home Depot parking lot. Police searched the car and found a dead cat "concealed within the vehicle", according to a statement on Farmer's arrest.

Fire

Three people dead in Honolulu high-rise fire

honolulu apartment fire
© Hugh Gentry / AFP
At least three people died, as over 100 firefighters battled a massive five-alarm fire in a condominium in Honolulu, Hawaii. At least 12 were reportedly injured in the blaze.

A crew of more than 100 firefighters managed to bring the fire under control by 6:30pm local time on Friday, Reuters reports citing Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell.

The Honolulu Fire Department confirmed three deaths on the 26th floor, AP reported. Four of the 12 injured, including one firefighter, were hospitalized in serious condition, while others were treated at the scene, according to the Star-Advertiser newspaper.

As of 4:45pm local time (10:45pm Eastern) the flames continued to spread to multiple floors.

Video

'Putin's gentle nature bringing Russia back from its knees' - filmmaker Kusturica

Putin and Kusturica
© Kremlin Pool / Global Look Press
Award-winning Serbian director Emir Kusturica says he considers Russian President Vladimir Putin to be responsible for making Russians proud of their culture and history once again. He told RT why he holds the Russian leader in such high regard.

Editorial note: The initial version of the story misquoted the original words of Emir Kusturica as interviewed by RT Russian. We apologize for the errors, which have been corrected to properly cite Mr. Kusturica.

The renowned film director hailed Putin for his efforts to rebuild Russia, which he believes have re-established Moscow as a strong and independent power in the world, while instilling in its people respect for their heritage, which seemed to have been lost in the tumultuous 90s.

Comment:


Arrow Down

Elderly Indians sent into forest as tiger prey

Families in Uttar Pradesh are sending the elderly members of their houses into forests as tiger prey to claim compensation worth lakhs from the government.
Tiger
© ReutersVillages bordering Pilibhit Tiger Reserve are sending elderly as tiger prey.
A bizarre trend is said to be afoot in villages bordering the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR). Authorities suspect local families are sending older members into the forest as tiger prey, and their bodies then relocated to fields, to feign attacks and claim lakhs in compensation from the government.

Villagers aren't entitled to compensation if their kin die in the reserve.

There has been a string of recent fatal tiger attacks on the elderly, with seven deaths reported in the proximity of the Mala forest range alone since February 16.

Music

Gilad Atzmon on politics in music, Roger Waters, Palestine and humanitarianism

Jazz musician, author and philosopher Gilad Atzmon spoke with The Duran about Roger Waters verses the Israel lobby, the place of politics in music, freedom versus dogma and Palestinian freedom in the 21st century.

Gilad Atzmon
Recently, Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters has been in the news, not for his North America musical tour but for his politics. As an outspoken supporter of Palestine, he has come up against the Israel lobby in many western countries.

Recently, various pro-Israel activists have financed the making of a film against Waters called Wish You Weren't Here, a mockery of the Pink Floyd album and song Wish You Were Here.

Comment: For more on this topic, see:


Attention

Tennessee restricts use of Monsanto's dicamba pesticide as problems spread

monsanto
Tennessee on Thursday imposed restrictions on the use of dicamba, a flagship pesticide for Monsanto Co, becoming the fourth state to take action as problems spread over damage the weed killer causes to crops not genetically modified to withstand it.

Dicamba is sprayed by farmers on crops genetically modified to resist it but it has drifted, damaging vulnerable soybeans, cotton and other crops across the southern United States. Farmers have fought with neighbors over lost crops and brought lawsuits against dicamba producers.

Comment: More on Monsanto's Dicamba 'devastation':


Attention

New Israeli tourist attraction: "Shoot Palestinians" simulation in illegal settlement

israelis target
The latest tourist attraction created by Israelis has taken guests by storm. Those visiting Israel are now able to enter an illegal settlement in the West Bank, where they're offered the ultimate Israeli experience pretending to be a soldier shooting "terrorist" Palestinians in a new simulator.

In the illegal Israeli settlement of Gush Etzion, located between southern Jerusalem and Bethlehem, lies Caliber 3, a "counter-terrorism" academy that created a new concept in an attempt to allow the average tourist to experience how it feels to be an Israeli soldier.


Comment: Translation: "how it feels to be an illegal military occupier". Must be a tough life stealing from natives and killing them when they resist being occupied.


Visitors partake in various activities, such as shooting "targets" with real bullets, and a simulation of a suicide bombing, as well as a stabbing. The programme is available for adults and children, and even carries a three-month-long summer camp for teenage boys to give them the ultimate IDF experience.

They are also taught krav maga, a form of fighting created by Israeli security forces.

Comment: Now you too can learn to be a psychopathic Israeli! Who wouldn't want such an opportunity?

If hell existed, there would be a special place for people like these.


Attention

Young survivors of the Gaza beach slaughter three years ago have 'lost their minds'

Three of the four Bakr boys killed by Israel on the Gaza beach in 2014, fleeing for their lives
Three of the four Bakr boys killed by Israel on the Gaza beach in 2014, fleeing for their lives.
Tomorrow marks three years since the most publicized atrocity of the 2014 Gaza assault: an Israeli missile strike that killed four boys while they were playing soccer on the beach in view of the hotel frequented by international media. The boys were from the same extended family, the Bakr family, and their deaths were even reported with horror by liberal Zionist outlets.

Of course no one in the Israeli military was ever charged with a crime or even violation of orders following the rubber-stamp investigation; the killings were deemed a mistake due to alleged use of a "compound" near the beach by Hamas militants. A United Nations commission characterized the action as a likely war crime, but the U.N. was prevented by Israel from conducting an investigation in Gaza.

The case is addressed in this documentary about the conflict, posted last month by the Irish Catholic NGO Trocaire. The documentary is narrated by John McColgan, Riverdance founder, and he spends a lot of time in Gaza discussing childhood trauma.