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British appeals court rejects extradition of accused hacker Lauri Love over woeful US prison conditions

Lauri Love
© Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP
Lauri Love
A British appeals court on Monday rejected demands from the U.S. government for the extradition of an accused British hacker, Lauri Love, citing the inability of U.S. prisons to humanely and adequately treat his medical and mental health ailments. Extradition to the U.S., the court ruled, would be "oppressive by reason of his physical and mental condition."

Rejecting the prosecutor's pleas that "the British courts should trust the United States to provide what it said it would provide" in order to secure Love's health and safety, the court instead invoked extensive medical and psychological testimony that conditions inside American prisons are woefully inadequate to treat Love's ailments. As a result, extradition and incarceration inside the U.S. prison system would exacerbate those health issues and produce a high risk of suicide.

Love, 33, is accused by the U.S. government of participating in the 2012 and 2013 hacking of the computer systems of various U.S. military agencies and private companies. The U.S. Justice Department, citing a confidential FBI source who claimed to have accessed chat rooms in which Love plotted with others on how to use the stolen data, indicted Love in three different states (New Jersey, New York, and Virginia) on felony hacking and theft charges. Love (pictured above after Monday's victory) was arrested in 2013 by British authorities and released on bail. Ever since, the U.S. government has sought his extradition from the U.K. for him to stand trial, and ultimately be imprisoned, in the U.S.

Stop

Turks try to block Syrian Army offensive, forced to retreat and lick wounds

turkish tank
Here is what we know for sure:

Comment: As long as the Turks, their FSA, and the YPG are fighting against each other, the Syrian government will give its tacit approval - Russia too. But there are limits. It appears Turkey is testing them. Not a smart move.

See also:


Info

Saddam's eldest daughter Raghad named on Iraq's most-wanted list

Saddam Hussein's daughter Raghad
© AFP
Saddam Hussein's daughter Raghad is on a wanted list published by the Iraqi security services
Iraqi security services on Sunday published the names of 60 people wanted on suspicion of belonging to Daesh, Al-Qaeda or the Baath Party of late dictator Saddam Hussein.

The list, seen by AFP, includes the name of Saddam's daughter Raghad, who lives in Jordan.

It also features 28 suspected Daesh terrorists, 12 from Al-Qaeda and 20 Baathists, giving details of the roles they allegedly play in their organisations, crimes of which they are suspected and in most cases, photographs.

Attention

German special forces seize weapons, drugs and propaganda in raid on alleged far-right group

Far-right extremism Germany
© DPA
Officers outside a property in Thuringia on Friday.
Special forces raided several addresses in north and east Germany on Friday, confiscating weapons from what they allege is an extremist right-wing group.

The raids, supported by officers from seven German states, took place in the early morning hours in Thuringia and Lower Saxony against 14 properties. At one location, a man who was not under suspicion attacked officers, lightly injuring two of them.

Along with guns and ammo, police seized drugs, propaganda material, mobile phones and computers. The guns were found at the home of a man who had a licence to carry them, but police said that state authorities would re-evaluate whether he was fit to hold a gun licence.

The raids were part of an investigation into 13 individuals accused of forming a criminal organization.

Comment: See also: Far-right 'Reich Citizens' in Germany building own army, preparing for a 'Day X'


Eye 2

Man convicted of 4 consecutive life sentences for raping 3-month old relative and filming assault

prison
© Stephen Lam / Reuters
A 38-year-old man from Texas has been sentenced to four consecutive life sentences for repeatedly raping a 3-month-old relative and filming it, after the jury heard horrific accounts of his numerous child abuse cases.

David Vincent Akins Jr. was arrested in 2016 and charged with sexually abusing the 3-month-old girl after videos found on his personal computer revealed persistent abuses of the child who happens to be a family member. The child was repeatedly abused, starting from 2013 until the pornographic videos were unearthed three years later, investigators said.

Five victims also came forward at the Montgomery County trial to share their stories of the horrific ordeals suffered at the hands of Atkins. They included two female relatives who claimed he raped them, one at the age of 5 and the other from age 3 to 11. It was also revealed that Atkins already spent time in juvenile detention for rapes committed when he was 14.

Family

Mum finds heartbreaking note written by 8yo daughter saying she wants to die over being bullied at school

Millie O’Neill
© Liverpool Echo
Millie O’Neill
An eight-year-old girl has written a heartbreaking note telling her parents she wants to die after being tormented by bullies at school.

Mum-of-two Naomi O'Neill, 28, was stunned when she found the note at the bottom of her eldest daughter Millie's bed.

She told the Liverpool Echo that Millie has been bullied for weeks - with one pupil telling her he would "slaughter" her family - and is so afraid that she has tried self-harming in a bid to be kept at home.

The schoolgirl wrote in her letter: "Not one kid in the world should feel the way I feel when I get bullied. It makes me sad, I feel different, weird, not important, angry, dumb and hurt." She made a desperate cry for help, writing: "Please help me stop getting bullied."

Dollars

Texas state district judge charged with bribery

Texas judge bribery Delgado
© Nathan Lambrecht
State District Judge Rodolfo "Rudy" Delgado, center, walks out of federal court behind his attorney Aldolfo "Al" Alverez, right, after posting bond for charges of bribery Monday February 5, 2018, in McAllen, Texas.
Judge took bribes for 'favors' on cases

In an indictment unsealed Monday, the federal government alleges that state District Judge Rodolfo "Rudy" Delgado accepted bribes for at least 10 years on cases in his court in exchange for favorable "judicial consideration."

The 64-year-old judge who presides over the 93rd state District Court, and who is known for subjecting those in his courtroom to oftentimes long-winded, boisterous manners of expression, appeared worn from three days in federal custody and somewhat soft-spoken moments after walking out the front doors of the federal courthouse after posting bond.

Delgado, wearing a suit-jacket, tie and slacks and accompanied by attorney Adolfo "Al" Alvarez, declined to answer subsequent questions regarding the allegations that he accepted bribes from at least one local attorney, who told federal agents he had bribed the judge since at least 2008.

Ambulance

Toddler found freezing to death on porch after wandering from home

Wynter Parker
© Phil Masturzo/Beacon Journal/Ohio.com
Stuffed animals are on the front porch of an apartment building in Ellet as a makeshift memorial to two-year-old Wynter Parker was found unresponsive in the cold on Friday. Wynter later died at the hospital
A toddler who was found by her mother on a porch in freezing temperatures and later died had wandered from home when her father fell asleep, police said Monday.

Two-year-old Wynter Parker's mother left for a few hours Friday afternoon only to come back and find her unresponsive on their apartment's front porch, authorities said. The Akron Beacon Journal reports she called 911 and screamed "she's frozen."

The girl later died at a hospital. Temperatures on Friday ranged between 12 and 19 degrees Fahrenheit (-11 and -7 degrees Celsius).

Roses

Russian MoD: Body of hero Russian Su-25 pilot retrieved from Syria and returned to Russia

Fallen military pilot Major Roman Filipov
© Maksim Blinov / Sputnik
Flowers laid at the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow in memory of fallen military pilot Major Roman Filipov
The body of Major Filipov, the Su-25 pilot shot down in Syria who then blew himself up with a grenade rather than be killed by militants, has been recovered and returned to Russia, the Defense Ministry said.

"Russian military intelligence, in cooperation with its Turkish colleagues, has returned to Russia the body of pilot Major Roman Filipov, who heroically died in Syria on February 3," the Ministry said.

Filipov's military funeral is to take place in his hometown of Voronezh on February 8, in keeping with his family's wishes, the Ministry added.

Comment: The Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday it had requested Turkey's assistance in obtaining debris of the Russian Su-25 jet downed by terrorists in the Syrian province of Idlib on February 3.
"The Russian Defense Ministry sent a request to the Turkish side to assist in obtaining all the debris of the Russian Su-25 attack aircraft downed by terrorists by MANPADS [man-portable air defense systems] in the airspace over the Syrian province of Idlib on February 3," the ministry's statement read.

The ministry noted that its experts were "particularly interested in remains of the Russian attack aircraft's engines with traces of the missile impact in order to precisely identify the MANPADS type used by terrorists, production site and channels of supply to Syria."



Info

Deputy Director Mikhail Petukhov: Russia and Indonesia to agree delivery contract for Su-35 fighter jets

Russian Su-35 fighter jet
© Marina Lystseva/TASS


It was reported earlier that Jakarta wanted to buy 10 Su-35 multirole fighters


Russia and Indonesia will shortly agree technical details of a contract for the delivery of Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets to Jakarta, Deputy Director of Russia's Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation Mikhail Petukhov told TASS on Tuesday.

"Indonesia continues to be one of Russia's basic partners in the Asia-Pacific Region. The negotiations on the delivery of Su-35s to the Republic of Indonesia are continuing. Importantly, the sides are willing to successfully complete the negotiations. I hope that the experts from both sides will shortly agree separate technical aspects. At the same time, I would like to note that all the requirements of the Indonesian legislation have been taken into account and will be adhered to by the Russian side," he said.

Comment: See also: Sanctions workaround: Indonesia barters coffee, tea and palm oil in exchange for Russian fighter jets