Society's ChildS


Passport

Spanish police thwart people smuggling ring that distributed fake passports


Sputnik
Fri, 04 Aug 2017 19:15 UTC
civil guardians spain
© AP Photo/ Manu Fernandez
Police have made 101 arrests and claim to have smashed a people smuggling operation in which Iranians were flown into Britain. The group, operating out of Malaga, in southern Spain, charged 25,000 euros (US$30,000) for forged Spanish passports.

Among those who were given fake passports was a five-year-old boy.

The beginning of the end for the gang was when seven Iranians were caught carrying the same fake passports while trying to board a flight from Hamburg to London.

The alleged leader of the gang was arrested at Heathrow on Thursday (August 3) as he tried to flee to Brazil via Dubai.

Fourteen gang members were arrested in Malaga and 42 people were detained, accused of selling their Spanish passports for up to 3,000 euros (US$3,500) to the gang to enable them to be copied and counterfeited.
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Christmas Tree

Polls reveals a paradigm shift on Americans' view on marijuana - 86% support legalization

Rachel Blevins
The Free Thought Project
Fri, 04 Aug 2017 19:05 UTC
us flag marijuana
The latest survey on support for cannabis legalization found that a clear majority of Americans are in favor legalizing the plant that the federal government claims is among one of the deadliest drugs in the country.

According to a survey from Harvard-Harris Poll, 86 percent of Americans now support some form of cannabis legalization-with 49 percent of respondents saying it should be legalized for both recreational and medicinal use, and 37 percent saying it should be legalized for medicinal use only.

Heartening enough is that only 14 percent of Americans are stuck in the dark ages and want to keep it illegal, according to the poll.

The poll, which surveyed 2,051 registered voters online from July 19-24, found that only 14 percent of respondents said that they think cannabis should remain illegal. In contrast, 57 percent of respondents said legalizing cannabis would make society better, and 69 percent said it would not bother them if cannabis was legalized in their state.
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Red Flag

Sodom and Gomorrah: Sex toy company to set up booths around NYC for women to try $150 vibrators

Mara Slegler
Page Six
Thu, 03 Aug 2017 18:45 UTC
hot octopuss booth
Sex toy company erects 'self-soothe' masturbation booth
A press release that went out on Thursday offering an "orgasm makeover" at an NYC masturbation pop-up called the Changing Room had editors buzzing about whether it was a dirty prank - but it's real.

British brand Hot Octopuss, which previously set up booths around the city last year for men to "relieve stress," is now focusing on women's needs, giving them tips from "orgasm stylist" Diane Barone and letting them try out a fancy $150 vibrator called the Queen Bee in a private room.

"The room will even feature music, chosen by members of the Octopuss' social network," they say. The pop-up, which we're told is open to the public, will be at 160 Orchard St. on Thursday, August 10 and Friday, August 11 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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Handcuffs

Accused child molester busted after alert airline passenger catches him sending text messages about molesting children


RT
Fri, 04 Aug 2017 18:41 UTC
Michael Kellar, left, and Gail Burnworth
© sjpd.orgMichael Kellar, left, and Gail Burnworth
A quick-thinking airline passenger caught a suspected child molester by reading his text messages on a flight from Seattle to San Jose on Monday. Her actions led to the rescue of two children, and the arrest of a man and woman.

The woman, a preschool teacher wishing to remain anonymous, spotted her fellow passenger sending questionable texts in the row in front of her on board the Southwest Airlines flight. The man was texting about sexually molesting young children, the San Jose Police Department said in a statement.

"It was in large font, and she sees certain words and starts contemplating there's something bigger there," San Jose sex-crimes Detective Nick Jourdenais told the Mercury News. "Then the conversation transitions to children. That's the moment when she decided to preserve the evidence as best as she could."
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People 2

Poll finds some audiences tire of films filled with expletives

Paul Bond
Hollywood Reporter
Thu, 03 Aug 2017 18:36 UTC
theater
Filmmakers using "f***," "Goddam" and "Jesus Christ" as a swear risk losing some of their audience, according to a new Harris poll.

Using "Jesus Christ" to swear is the biggest offense, with 33 percent of the general public saying they'd be less likely to see a movie if they knew beforehand of that particular piece of dialogue. "Goddam" was second at 32 percent and "f***" was third with 31 percent.

Naturally, various demographics disagree on the acceptability of profanity in movies, with young people not minding nearly as much as the elderly. In fact, more than half of those 72 years of age and older will avoid movies with "Goddam" and "f***" in the dialogue.

Also, Republicans are turned off by swearing more so than are Democrats, and it's not even close. "F***," for example, will repel 45 percent of Republican moviegoers and only 25 percent of Democrats.
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Stock Down

Poll finds majority of Russians feel US sanctions will not have significant effect while dissatisfaction with Trump grows


RT
Fri, 04 Aug 2017 18:29 UTC
red square
© Konstantin Kokoshkin / Global Look Press
A large number of Russians believe the new US sanctions against their country will not have a significant effect, although the share of those who are unhappy with the actions of US President Donald Trump has again increased.

State-run pollster VTSIOM reported on Friday that research from the end of July shows that 68 percent of Russians are aware of the new sanctions introduced against Moscow by the United States. Thirty-two percent told researchers it this was the first time they had heard about the developments.

In the same study, 48 percent of respondents said they expected the new restrictions to cause no changes in Russia's policies or its relations with foreign nations. A little under a third - 28 percent - said that the consequences of the sanctions could be negative, and 9 percent believe that Russia will actually benefit from them.

In addition, 29 percent think it is best to leave the new US sanctions without any reply, while 19 percent said they supported a symmetrical response and 9 percent admitted that though they considered reciprocal sanctions necessary, they could not give any specific ideas for such steps.
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USA

West Virginia: Thousands of Trump supporters gather at rally

Ali Schmitz
Charleston Gazette-Mail
Thu, 03 Aug 2017 18:23 UTC
Trump supporters
© Craig Hudson
Thousands of people gathered outside the Big Sandy Superstore Arena in Huntington on Thursday, awaiting President Donald Trump's arrival for a rally.

The first visitors arrived early Wednesday afternoon. While there were no clear estimates of people waiting outside, the 9,000-seat arena was near capacity minutes before the president's speech started.

Organizers said people traveled from as far as New York to attend the rally.

Visitors initially were lined up at the arena, with local Republican Party organizers telling them where to stand. But at around 2 p.m., two hours before the arena was to open, people ran toward the doors, forming a large crowd in front of the entrance.

Huntington police officers said they weren't sure why the crowd mobbed the doors, but there were no injuries reported.
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Eye 1

'F**k it, wipe out Gaza,' says Avishai Ivri hired by EU for its new campaign

Ali Abunimah and Dena Shunra
The Electronic Intifada
Fri, 04 Aug 2017 19:34 UTC
Avishai Ivri
© FacebookAvishai Ivri, who stars in a promotional video produced by the EU embassy in Tel Aviv, advocates genocide of the Palestinians
The European Union has hired an Israeli who advocates genocidal violence against Palestinians as the face of a new promotional campaign.

Avishai Ivri appears in a video the EU embassy in Tel Aviv posted on its Facebook page last month.

"The European Union. You think it's anti-Israel, right?" Ivri begins. "Let me surprise you."

Ivri then rattles off trade and tourism statistics meant to convince Israeli viewers of just how much the European Union benefits Israel. He also boasts that the EU is a customer for Israel's weapons industry, particularly drones.
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Dollars

Ransom paid for British banker Stephen McGown held by Al-Qaeda in Mali for 6yrs


RT
Fri, 04 Aug 2017 19:14 UTC
Stephen McGown
© AFPStephen McGown, one of the six hostages held by Al-Qaeda's Mali branch
A British banker held by a Malian wing of al-Qaeda for six years has been freed after a reported £3.2 million (US$4.2 million) ransom was paid.

Stephen McGown was captured from his hotel in Timbuktu in 2011 while on a motorcycle trip across the continent. He was planning to set up a new home in South Africa, where he also holds citizenship.

McGown, who previously lived in Putney, southwest London, was captured alongside two other foreign nationals by the Malian jihadist group Nusrat Al-Islam wal Muslimeen, which is affiliated with Al-Qaeda.
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Attention

Venezuelan judges and opposition leader flee to Chilean Embassy


Sputnik
Fri, 04 Aug 2017 17:10 UTC
Venezuela flag
© REUTERS/ Ueslei Marcelino
A judge from Venezuela's alternative top court took shelter on Thursday at the Chilean Embassy in Caracas, which already hosts four his colleagues and an opposition leader, the Chilean foreign minister said.

Judges began fleeing to the diplomatic mission after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro threatened to jail 33 Supreme Court justices sworn in on July 21 by the opposition-controlled parliament.

"Lawyer Luis Marcano came to our residence asking for Chile's protection. With him, six people are [hiding] at the Chilean Embassy," Foreign Minister Heraldo Munoz tweeted.
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