Society's ChildS


USA

Poll finds two-thirds of American voters believe mainstream media publishes fake news

washington monument tourists
© Sputnik/ Vladimir Astapkovich
A majority of US voters across the ideological spectrum believe the traditional news media reports a lot of fake news, according to a poll by Harvard University and Harris Polling on Wednesday.

"Sixty-five percent of voters believe there is a lot of fake news in the mainstream media," a news report explaining the poll revealed. "That number includes 80 percent of Republicans, 60 percent of independents and 53 percent of Democrats."

The Hill, which had exclusive access to the poll, reported that many conservatives believe media outlets have loosened reporting standards on President Donald Trump to include material from anonymous sources that would not be reported about a more traditional Republican or Democratic presidential administration,

Bomb

Police confirmed two people dead, after suspected suicide bombings at Jakarta bus station

Police guard at scene of an explosion in Jakarta, Indonesia May 24, 2017
© Darren Whiteside / ReutersPolice guard at scene of an explosion in Jakarta, Indonesia May 24, 2017
Fatalities and multiple injuries have been reported following what Indonesian police say are two apparent suicide blasts at Kampung Melayu bus station in eastern Jakarta.

Police say that two people have been confirmed dead, including one suicide bomber, Reuters reports.

A senior official said that the attackers specifically targeted a police checkpoint located outside the station terminal, which mostly serves as a hub for vans and small buses.

Elshinta Radio reported that the explosions occurred five to 10 minutes apart in a crowded area, causing extensive damage. Photos from the scene appear to show dismembered limbs and a severed head.

Red Flag

Programmer denied prize money in UK military competition due to his Russian citizenship

Vladimir Iglovikov
© Vladimir Iglovikov / FacebookRussian programmer Vladimir Iglovikov
A Russian programmer says, despite his success in a challenge held by the British military, he feels discouraged because the rules were changed to exclude people from countries deemed unworthy by Transparency International.

The Data Science Challenge is a regular competition held by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), an agency within the British Ministry of Defence, and sponsored by the UK's intelligence agencies MI5 and MI6. The aim of the challenge is to foster expertise in processing data for the military and security fields.

So far two rounds of the competition have been held, and Vladimir Iglovikov took part in both. He says he and his colleague took third place in the first challenge and received their prize money in full.

TIglovikov came second in the second challenge, but this time the rules were different. They said monetary prizes would not be paid to bank accounts or individuals living in country's with a score of 37 or less on Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index for 2014.

Dominoes

Venezuelans are the top nationality seeking asylum status in the US

venezuela protests
© Carlos Garcia Rawlins / ReutersOpposition supporters clash with riot security forces in Caracas, Venezuela, May 18, 2017

Comment: Readers should keep in mind that the main reason that so many Venezuelans are seeking a new country to live in is because of the US Deep State's destabilization efforts in Venezuela and throughout Latin America. If the CIA could leave foreign governments and countries alone, the people living in those countries would have much better lives.


For the first time, the number of Venezuelans requesting asylum status in the US have surpassed applicants from China, Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico. Venezuelan applications are expected to continue rising after a 160 percent increase in just one year.

In fiscal year 2016, Venezuelans seeking asylum in the US shot up 160 percent compared to the previous year, jumping from 5,605 to more than 14,700, CNN reported Tuesday.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services data reportedly shows citizens of Venezuela will likely continue driving up the record number of asylum applications.

Nearly 50 people have died during three months of protests against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro amid an economic crisis and subsequent turmoil.

The Venezuelan government blames foreign influence and international media coverage for fanning the flames of crisis in the country.

Bulb

Baltimore police create online submission form for victims of sexual abuse after revelations from Netflix documentary 'The Keepers'

priest
© Charles Platiau / Reuters
Baltimore police have created an online submission form for people to report sex offenses related to a Netflix documentary series "The Keepers" which deals with widespread sexual abuse at Archbishop Keough High School in the 1960s and 70s.

The seven-part documentary series, which premiered on Friday, also covers the unsolved murder of one of the teachers, Sister Catherine Ann Cesnik.

On Tuesday, Baltimore Police made the online submission form available for those who would want to report any instances of sexual abuse related to the series.

"We have been contacted by victims from the past who want to report the sex offenses that occurred to them. The murder investigation related to this Netflix series was handled by the Baltimore County Police Department," the website reads.

Stock Down

Russian security committee reports terrorism-related crimes down 90% in past 5 years

Russian National Guard's special units
© Evgeny Yepanchintsev / Sputnik
The number of terrorism-related crimes in Russia has fallen by 90 percent over the past five years, but the number of terrorist members of various extremist groups remains unchanged, the head of the National Anti-terrorism Committee has said.

"Over the past five years, the number of crimes related with terrorism has fallen 10 times. The effectiveness of preventive measures exercised by law enforcement agencies has increased," Aleksey Kovalev said at the Modern Security Systems - Antiterror conference, currently underway in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia.

The official elaborated that the number of terrorism-related crimes committed in 2011 was 365, but fell sharply to 34 in 2016. He also said that in 2015 security agencies prevented 35 crimes connected with terrorism, while in 2016 the number of thwarted attacks was 45.

Cow Skull

Venezuela's Maduro targeted by 'shamanic curse' from former Amazonas governor

Liborio Guarulla
© Cristian Hernandez/EPALiborio Guarulla
Venezuela's embattled government has endured weeks of violent street protests, criticism from its neighbours, and sustained diplomatic pressure - including the announcement on Thursday of fresh US sanctions against eight supreme court judges.

This week, however, Nicolás Maduro's administration was targeted by a very different strategy: a shamanic curse.

The ritual was performed by Liborio Guarulla, the former governor of Amazonas state, who earlier this month became the second opposition politician to be banned from political office this year after former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles.

On Wednesday, Guarulla, a member of the Baniwa indigenous community, took his revenge, by enacting a "Dabukuri" rite, which can serve either to summon prosperity and abundance - or as a curse that brings suffering and loss.

Fire

'They told me to die & threw a Molotov at me': Protester set ablaze during Venezuelan riot

man on fire venezuela
A government supporter set on fire during opposition riots in Venezuela's capital, Caracas, is in a coma suffering from severe burns and stab wounds, his doctor told RT. Another man was also injured by rioters who were apparently trying to kill him.

Gruesome footage of a man named Orlando Figuera, 21, was broadcast on state television this weekend. It shows dozens of people at an anti-government demonstration in Caracas surrounding the man, dousing him with gasoline, and setting him on fire in Plaza Altamira in the east of city.

"He received six wounds in the torso with burns over 54 percent of his body surface, both second and third degree," Alexis Parra Soler, a doctor treating Figuera, told RT.

Horrifying images from the scene show Figuera running while nearly naked with flames on his back. "A person was set on fire, beaten up, stabbed... They nearly lynched him, just because he shouted out that he was a 'Chavista,'" said Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, referring to supporters of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela established by late leader Hugo Chavez.

Speaking on state TV, Maduro described the torching as "a hate crime and a crime against humanity." The 21-year-old victim, who sustained heavy injuries, severe burns, and stab wounds, was taken to intense care.

Bullseye

Trumponomics budget cuts target Medicaid and food stamp programs, slashes $3.6 trillion over 10 years

trump
© Gali Tibbon / AFP
The Trump administration's $4.1 billion budget proposal calls for increased spending on law enforcement, the military and the US-Mexico wall, but cuts spending for programs for the poor by slashing funding for Medicaid and cutting food stamps.

"We looked at this budget through the eyes of the one's paying the bills," said Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Mick Mulvaney told reporters at the White House on Tuesday.

"[F]or years and years we've looked at the budget in terms of the people in the back end of the program, the recipients of the taxpayer's money, and we haven't spent nearly enough time focusing our attention on the people who pay the taxes. Compassion needs to be on both sides of that equation," he said.

Under this view, Medicaid, a federal-state health care program for the poor and disabled, would be slashed by more than $600 billion over 10 years. It also envisages capping payments to states and providing more flexibility to manage Medicaid recipients.

Comment: The U.S. economy has left behind and forgotten the lives of millions


Ambulance

Middle East crisis: Ongoing violence and conflict spur the spread of cholera

refugee camp
© Reuters/ Khaled Abdullah
Cholera and conflict have jeopardized the lives of some 24 million children across the Middle East and North Africa, while health facilities have been under siege, according to UNICEF.

"Violence and conflict in the Middle East and North Africa have put in jeopardy the health of 24 million children in Yemen, Syria, the Gaza Strip, Iraq, Libya and Sudan," the release stated. "Parties to conflicts should put an immediate end to attacks on health facilities."

Water and sanitation services have been compromised, leading to waterborne diseases to spread while there are not enough preventative health care and food to meet children's needs, the release added.

The release also stated that in Yemen 9.6 million children are in need of food and healthcare followed by 5.8 million in Syria, 1 million in the Gaza Strip, 5.1 million in Iraq, 450,000 in Libya, and 2.3 million in Sudan.

UNICEF appealed for children's needs to be prioritized in all conflict-affected countries through urgent funding for the health and nutrition sectors, sustained access to all children in need for UNICEF, the release added.

Comment: Over 23,000 people now infected with Cholera in Yemen