Rappers have long used their song to glorify their past crimes and criminal credentials. However, in England, the rap song itself was the crime for Ishmael McLean, 22, from Greenford, and Rowan Simon, 18. They are accused of using an Internet song to intimidate witnesses to the murder of Jason Johnson, 24.
Continue reading “Beating the Rap: English Convict Two Men on Use of Rap Song to Intimidate Witnesses”
Category: International
A new report lists the top nations in terms of both the amount of aid and the nations that gave the most as a proportion of their gross national income. What is striking is the total absence of nations like Russia and China from either list despite their criticism of U.S. foreign policy.
Continue reading “Season’s Best: The Giving List”
The Swiss are poised to vote on a disturbing attack on religion: a ban on minarets on mosques used for the adhan (call to prayer). If passed, the referendum this Sunday would be a clear denial of a basic human right for Muslims and an act of popular intolerance against a minority group.
Continue reading “Call to Prejudice: Swiss to Vote on Ban on Mosque Minarets”
The Nobel Prize Committee has issued a formal complaint against the Iranian government after the Nobel medal and diploma of human rights activist and lawyer Shirin Ebadi was taken by officials from her bank safety deposit box. Ebadi has been routinely harassed by the Iranian government since she was selected for fighting for the rights of activists, children, and women in the repressive regime.
Continue reading “Iranians Confiscate Nobel Medal and Diploma of Shirin Ebadi”
While today is the largest consumption of turkeys in the year, Nepal still holds the record for the largest sacrifice of animals. This week Nepal will carry out the ritualistic slaughter of more than 250,000 animals as part of the blood sacrifice to Gadhimai, a Hindu goddess of power. Most of the killings occur at and around the Gadhimai temple of Bariyapur.
Scandal has rocked the Sudoku community. Eugene Varshavsky of Lawrenceville, N.J. has been stripped of his third place position in the national Sudoku after cheating allegations were raised due to his sharply uneven performance. As a Sudoku addict, I am crushed. Not since the Black Sox Scandal and Shoeless Joe Jackson has such alleged depravity brought the great so low.
Continue reading “Say It Ain’t So-duku, Joe: Scandal Rocks the Puzzle World”
Ali Sibat is a Lebanese citizen who counsels couples and viewers on television, making predictions about their future. Saudi police arrested Sibat when he was visiting Medina last year and accused him of being a sorcerer. He was convicted without a lawyer and sentenced to death.
Perhaps it was inevitable with the rapid increase in the use of tasers, but police are now tasering animals. Toronto police tasered a deer that was found near a commercial building after it was tranquilized by a veterinarian.
Continue reading “Fawning Innocence: Police Taser Deer”
Note to self: When parking a car in London, walk slowly away from the vehicle. Michael Raphel recently went on a birthday cruise on the River Thames. When he returned, police had blown up his car.
Continue reading “Walk, Don’t Run: English Police Blow Up Car After Spotting Motorist Running For Boat”
It appears that Barbie has found religion. After rebelling with Harley Davidson Barbie and bikini Barbie. There is even an S & M Barbie in all leather and fishnet stockings. Now, however, there is Burka Barbie.
President Barack Obama made an surprising concession, long sought by the Chinese government, in his recent visit to China. While largely ignored by most reporters covering the speech, Obama stated the following: “We did note that while we recognize that Tibet is part of the People’s Republic of China, the United States supports the early resumption of dialogue between the Chinese government and representatives of the Dalai Lama to resolve any concerns and differences that the two sides may have.”
When Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari was being beaten and interrogated for 118 days as an accused spy he expected death but not the Daily Show. During his beatings, the Iranian interrogator played a segment from John Stewart’s Daily Show under the apparent belief that it is a real news program and revealed Bahari’s spy activities.
The tension between the Church of Scientology and Australian political leaders continued to grow last week. First, there was the allegation of the Church obstructing a criminal investigation, here. Then, there was the call for a criminal investigation of the Church by a powerful member of the legislature, here. Now, educators and parents are outraged over material distributed to elementary children heralding L. Ron Hubbard as one of history’s greatest figures and a symbol of human rights.
Continue reading “Scientology Accused of Spreading Propaganda to Elementary Students in Australia”
It was probably not the reptile logo on an Izod shirt that gave Michael Plank, 40, away at the Los Angeles International Airport. It was more likely the 15 live lizards strapped to his chest under the shirt, including 11 skinks.
Continue reading “Stewardess, the Man Next to Me Skinks: California Man Arrested at Airport With 15 Reptiles Tied to Body”
You cannot trust anything today. After generations were taught how the little pig who built his house out of straw was negligent, a straw house has not only been built in England but it has even passed the industry standard fire safety test. Called the Balehaus@Bath, it is built of pre-fabricated straw-bale and hemp sections and would resist the most determined, wind-blowing wolf.
Continue reading “I’ll Huff and I’ll Puff . . .: English Architects Build Wolf-Proof, Fire-Proof Straw House”