We have seen in recent months how the Jewish community has been dealing with an abuse scandal similar to the one in the Catholic Church. This week, such allegations were leveled at an unnamed Rabbi in Israel, who is accused of at least three counts of child molestation. What is interesting is that the government is refusing to release his name, even though such information often leads other victims to come forward.
Category: International
In one of the most high-profile rape convictions in history, a three-judge panel of the Tel Aviv district court found former Israeli president Moshe Katsav guilty of multiple charges of rape and sexual harassment yesterday. While obviously painful for any country, the conviction does show a commitment to blind justice in Israel where high-ranking officials are not given effective immunity seen on other countries in the region.
Continue reading “Former Israeli President Moshe Katsav Convicted of Rape”
Newspapers are reporting that the United States State Department under Hillary Clinton made the extraordinary decision to refuse assistance requested by the United Arab Emirates into the assassination of a top Hamas commander. Israel’s Mossad is widely viewed as responsible for the assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhoh, which broke a host of international and domestic laws. The reports are based on Wikileaks documents and again suggests that the Administration misled the public in its position on the assassination.
A court in Saudi Arabia has ruled that an angry text message sent by a husband to his wife proclaiming himself divorced is binding. The man said he was just mad and did not mean it but the wife was thrilled and insisted that she was now free. The Court agreed that the SMS is a binding divorce in the Kingdom.
Continue reading “OMG We’re Divorced: Saudi Court Allows Divorce By Text Message”
We have often followed torts and criminal cases alleging different forms of professional practice without a license. This one, however, is a bit of a surprise. Chikayoshi Hishiki, 55, and two associates were arrested for violating Japan’s Medical Practitioners Law by providing coffee enemas without a license.
Continue reading “Japanese Police Arrest Three Men For Unlicensed Provision of Coffee Enemas”
The Chinese government has cut off access of lawyers to leading human rights advocate, Liu Xianbin, 42. He was charged in June for subversion for “incitement to subvert state power” for his articles that included his reflections on the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and the arrest of Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo.
Continue reading “China Cuts Off Access Of Lawyers to Leading Human Rights Advocate”
A survey conducted of people in England established this year that, for the first time, the majority of that nation are not religious. Fifty-one percent of those polled reported that they have no religion — a sharp contrast to the same poll conducted in 1985 when 67% said that they were Christians.
Continue reading “For God and Country: England Now Non-Religious Nation For First Time in History”
One of the most unique beauty competitions was held this week. About 20,000 camels are competing in the Mazayin Camel beauty competition as part of the Al Dhafrah Festival. You can pick up a looker for prices reaching millions of dirhams or just watching the curvaceous Camelus.
Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger
Police in Lancashire, England, have been investigating a series of strange home burglaries. It appears the perpetrators of the burglaries like to target homes with hot tubs. The burglars sneak onto people’s property, soak in the spas, and then enter the homes and steal from their victims.
To date, there have been four such burglaries. The “hot tub gang” has allegedly stolen thousands of pounds worth of cash and goods—including a 42-inch plasma television, a laptop computer, and a Nintendo Wii games console.
Continue reading ““Hot Tub Gang” in England Avoids Getting into Hot Water with Police”
Many of us have questioned some of the response targeting Wikileaks and the dangers that they pose to journalists and free speech on the Internet. The CIA, it appears, agrees: naming its effort the “Wikileaks Task Force” or WTF.
Continue reading “WTF on the Wikileaks Crackdown? The CIA Agrees”
Afshan Azad, 22, is a talented and beautiful actress who played Padma Patil, a classmate of Harry Potter in the Harry Potter series. She is now achieving equal notoriety in court after she sought protection from her father and brother who allegedly threatened her life over a association with a male Hindu. Her family is Muslim and allegedly wanted her to accept an arranged marriage. Her father — Abul Azad, 53– allegedly threatened her life and called her a “slag” and a “prostitute.” She also accused her brother — Ashraf, 28 — of making threats against her life. However, she then refused to give testimony in court as if the entire incident were wiped away with a memory charm.
Continue reading “Harry Potter Star in Court After Father and Brother Allegedly Threaten Her Life and Demand Arranged Muslim Marriage”
Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger
Across the Pond: This week, Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, was released on bail from a London prison. Assange will remain under “mansion arrest” at the 600-acre estate of Vaughan Smith, a London restaurateur and former war correspondent. He plans to fight extradition to Sweden where he would face sex crimes allegations.
Back Here at Home: Bradley Manning, the 22-year-old U. S. Army intelligence specialist who has been accused of leaking classified documents to Wikileaks, has been held
in solitary confinement at the marine brig in Quantico, Virginia, for five months. Before being transferred to Quantico, Manning was held in a military jail in Kuwait for two months. Manning will face a court martial on charges that he provided Wikileaks with classified information in violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Continue reading “Bradley Manning: The Forgotten Person in the Wikileaks Affair”
Submitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
The Feds have arrested 35-year-old Californian, Marc Knapp, for trying to sell an F-5B fighter jet to Iran. Knapp was nabbed in a government sting operation that crisscrossed the country from Pennsylvania to California and even ranged to Budapest, Hungary. For his part, Knapp was unconcerned that the nation that once promised “Death to America,” and is reputedly looking for a nuclear weapons capability might acquire an US-made fighter jet.
We have another encouraging statement from our ally, Afghan President Hamid Karzai who told Gen. David H. Petraeus, U.S. Ambassador Karl W. Eikenberry and other top Western officials in Kabul that one of his greatest enemies is the United States and that he wished he had gone with the Taliban when he had a chance. Previously, if you recall, Karzai stated that he wanted to actually join the Taliban in fighting the United States, so this is just a reminder.
Continue reading “With Friends Like This: Karzai Again Proclaims that He Wishes He Was With The Taliban Instead of the United States”
An Italian court increased the sentences for 23 CIA agents convicted in absentia for abducting an Egyptian imam as part of the US “extraordinary rendition” program. While President Obama has promised that no one involved in the torture program would be prosecuted and has refused to extradite the CIA employees to Italy, the Italian courts have refused to ignore the violation of Italian laws by the United States.
Continue reading “Italian Court Increases Sentences For CIA Agents in Kidnapping/Torture Case”