Category: International

Environment, International, Politics, Society

Tony Abbott Dumped As Australian Prime Minister

Malcolm_Turnbull_2014200px-Tony_Abbott_-_2010I have been highly critical of the environmental policies of Australia’s Prime Minister Tony Abbott who has led the world in rolling back efforts to deal with climate change and reducing pollution while opening up pristine areas of mining and other industries. In a move that is likely to be celebrated by environmentalists around the world, Abbott is Prime Minister no more. In a remarkable change, ruling conservatives ousted Abbott (right) as party leader in favor of former party leader and Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull (left).

Continue reading “Tony Abbott Dumped As Australian Prime Minister” →

Bizarre, International

For Sale: 4dr Sedan, Radio, and Rope Pull . . .

rope-door-876Some might think that a driver with driving violations might be able to “work something out” in a town called “Bribie,” but this is not that type of place, this was not that type of officer, and most certainly this was not just any violation. The officer saw a door flapping on a car and discovered that it was just held shut with a rope.

Continue reading “For Sale: 4dr Sedan, Radio, and Rope Pull . . .” →

Criminal law, International

Hungary Reportedly Considering Public Nuisance Charges Against Camera Woman Seen Kicking Immigrants

Screen Shot 2015-09-08 at 9.30.05 PMHungarian camerawoman Petra Laszlo has publicly apologized for kicking migrants but insisted that she was acting out of fear for her own safety. The government is reportedly considering a public nuisance claim against her though it would seem a simple case of assault. We previously discussed her controversy.

Continue reading “Hungary Reportedly Considering Public Nuisance Charges Against Camera Woman Seen Kicking Immigrants” →

International, Media

Hungarian Camerawoman Fired After Shown Tripping Refugee Father Carrying His Child

Screen Shot 2015-09-08 at 9.30.05 PMOne of the leading Hungarian broadcasters has fired a camerawoman after she was shown tripping a fleeing refugee man who was carrying his young son in his arms. The broadcaster and many Hungarian news outlets have been accused of highly negative coverage of the influx of refugees. The camerawoman has been identified as Petra László of N1TV.

Continue reading “Hungarian Camerawoman Fired After Shown Tripping Refugee Father Carrying His Child” →

Academia, Bizarre, Criminal law, International, Media, Religion, Society

Israeli Construction Company Irreparably Damaged 1,800 Year Old Sarcophagus In Effort To Hide Discovery Of Antiquities

250px-Ask_SarcopagThe world has stood appalled by the destruction of Muslim extremists in ISIS of ancient Syrian architecture and Christian tombs, including continuing demolitions revealed this week with the destruction of the famed tower tombs. A construction company in Israel however shows that you do not have to be a religious fanatic to show the same ignorance and destruction. In this case it was allegedly a case of blind greed rather than blind hate. The unnamed company was told that it could build in the sensitive area of Ashkelon where antiquities are often found (like this earlier sarcophagus) so long as they proceed carefully and report any findings (and stop work when any findings are made). The company allegedly found the beautiful 1,800 year old sarcophagus but decided to hide it rather than stop work. In the process of yanking it out of the ground with a tractor and hiding it under sheet metal, the invaluable piece was irreparably damaged. (Since the photographer for the Israel Antiquities Authority has copyrighted the photos, a curious claim for a government agency, we cannot post the pictures which can be seen here It is an ironic twist, the IAA is objecting to the damage to a historic piece that belongs to all humanity but then claims copyright to the images to ostensibly require anyone who wants to use the image to get its permission)

Continue reading “Israeli Construction Company Irreparably Damaged 1,800 Year Old Sarcophagus In Effort To Hide Discovery Of Antiquities” →

International, Military, Politics, Society, Uncategorized

Taliban Reportedly Holds Huge Meeting To Select New Leader . . . in Pakistan

Flag_of_Taliban.svgFlag_of_PakistanPakistan continues to defy the United States and the Western world in harboring Taliban fighters and lying publicly about the collusion of its intelligence services with the terrorist organization. There is no greater example that a meeting of hundreds of Taliban leaders to select their new leader. That would seem an ideal time for an attack by the United States and Afghanistan, but the meeting is being held in Pakistan and reportedly with the knowledge of the Pakistani government. The “Unity shura” will be brought to the Taliban by the country that we have given billions of dollars to in the war on terror.

Continue reading “Taliban Reportedly Holds Huge Meeting To Select New Leader . . . in Pakistan” →

Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Free Speech, International, Media, Politics, Society

Shooting the Messenger: Reporter Forced To Confess To Contributing To Fall of Chinese Market

400px-Chineseart_ExecutionpaintingThe Chinese regime followed its recent market meltdown in true Maoist fashion this week. It dragged out a journalist, Wang Xiaolu, to confess that he helped start the crash. It cannot be the centrally planned, artificially dumped up system itself. No, it was a journalist.

Continue reading “Shooting the Messenger: Reporter Forced To Confess To Contributing To Fall of Chinese Market” →

Bizarre, International, Politics, Society

Mugabe Insists “No Suffering” in Zimbabwe

200px-mugabecloseup2008 President Robert Mugabe, 91, has long been one of the world’s most heartless and merciless dictators, but he seems also on a quest to show that he is also the most clueless. This week Mugabe expressed utter surprise that his people were starving as he and his notorious and corrupt family live like emperors. He assured that there is “no suffering” in Zimbabwe.

Continue reading “Mugabe Insists “No Suffering” in Zimbabwe” →

Bizarre, Criminal law, International, Politics, Religion, Society

Indian Village Council Sentences Two Sisters To Be Raped As Punishment For Brother Running Away With Woman From Higher Caste

1024px-Flag_of_India.svgAccording to various media reports and Amnesty International, an all-male village council in India sentenced two sisters, including a 15 year old girl, to be raped as punishment for their brother running away with a married woman from a higher caste. The accounts state that Meenakshi Kumari, who is 23, and her younger sister, will then be paraded naked with their faces blackened through the streets as part of this disgraceful, primitive sentence.

Continue reading “Indian Village Council Sentences Two Sisters To Be Raped As Punishment For Brother Running Away With Woman From Higher Caste” →

Academia, International, Religion

The Shigir Idol: Russian Wooden Figure Dated At 11,000 Years Old

1bec1ab0-4e70-11e5-8f39-235a41650419_shigiridolWe have often discussed the difficulty in maintaining the creationist view of the Earth being only a few thousand years old when carbon dating and other techniques show billions of years of existence. A new such conflicting data point has emerged from Russia where a peat bog yielded a wooden idol and is 11,000 years old. What is particularly cool is that this oldest wooden figure contains a code of some ancient language that has yet to be deciphered.

Continue reading “The Shigir Idol: Russian Wooden Figure Dated At 11,000 Years Old” →

Courts, Free Speech, International, Politics

Court In Egypt Sentences Al-Jazeera Reporters To Three Years Imprisonment

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

Flag of EgyptWe previously wrote HERE and HERE of the arrest, conviction, and sentencing several Al-Jazeera reporters for the dubious accusation of aiding the Muslim Brotherhood through their coverage of the “civil war” in Egypt.

Now in its latest retrial, the Court sentenced Peter Greste, Mohammed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed to three years imprisonment for operating without a press license and broadcasting material harmful to the state. An international outcry likely will follow.

Continue reading “Court In Egypt Sentences Al-Jazeera Reporters To Three Years Imprisonment” →

Criminal law, Free Speech, International, Media

Russians Sentence Ukrainian Filmmaker To 20 Years Despite Recantation By Main Witness And Allegations of Torture

YouTube screenshot
YouTube screenshot
The crackdown on free speech continued in Russia this week with the sentencing of a leading critic of Russia’s 2014 annexation of the Crimean peninsula. Filmmaker Oleg Sentsov was given 20 years for conspiracy to commit terror attacks. Critics have denounced the case as a sham prosecution of a critic and compared the move (like so many under Vladimir Putin) as a return to Soviet-style trials for critics.

Continue reading “Russians Sentence Ukrainian Filmmaker To 20 Years Despite Recantation By Main Witness And Allegations of Torture” →

Bizarre, International

Chinese Woman Told That She Had To Dump or Drink Bottle of Cognac Before Boarding . . . She Drinks Bottle and Is Then Told She Is Too Drunk To Board

We have all been in this position. We buy a coffee or water and TSA informs us that we have to drink it or toss it before going through security. (Just on the other side of the TSA is often a Starbucks mirroring the one that you just visited and ready to sell you the same exact beverage). Many people gulp down the drinks but most are not stopped with a bottle of Rémy Martin XO Excellence worth £120. A Chinese woman named Zhao was stopped at the Beijing airport told to dump it or drink it. She drank it. She was then pronounced too drunk to board her plane.

Continue reading “Chinese Woman Told That She Had To Dump or Drink Bottle of Cognac Before Boarding . . . She Drinks Bottle and Is Then Told She Is Too Drunk To Board” →

Criminal law, International, Religion

Palmyra Falls: ISIS Reportedly Blows Up Ancient Temple of Baalshamin

220px-Temple_of_Baal-Shamin,_Palmyra We have been following the disgusting acts of the Islamic State in wiping out any culture, art, or education not directly advancing Islam. The Muslim extremists have bulldozed or dynamited ancient church and temples as well as museums under its twisted view of Islam. Now one of the greatest jewels of ancient Syria reportedly has called, at least in part. Reports state that ISIS has blown up the famed Baalshamin Temple at Syria’s ancient ruins of Palmyra. The 2,000-year-old Roman-era city was also the site of the beheading of one of the world’s leading archeologists.

Continue reading “Palmyra Falls: ISIS Reportedly Blows Up Ancient Temple of Baalshamin” →

Criminal law, International, Society

“Dumbfounded”: French Suspect Allegedly Shocked That Anyone Thinks He Is A Terrorist After Violent Train Incident

Part-PAR-Par8253997-1-1-0Either Ayoub El-Khazzani is a terrorist or one of the unluckiest and most misunderstood men in the world. El-Khazzani is accused of wounding passengers on a French train in a foiled terrorist attack. He was in possession of an AK-47 assault rifle and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. His former lawyer, however, says that he is “dumbfounded” by the allegations and that he simply found the AK-47 assault rifle “by chance.” If the lawyer’s account is accurate, his defense appears that he was planning to hold up the train and then flee. He is simply a misunderstood wannabe bank robber.

Continue reading ““Dumbfounded”: French Suspect Allegedly Shocked That Anyone Thinks He Is A Terrorist After Violent Train Incident” →