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12 May 2011 10:03

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World: John Demjanjuk convicted after lengthy Nazi death camp trial

  • before John Demjanjuk, a 91-year-old retired U.S. autoworker, is reportedly a notorious Nazi death camp prison guard. As a result of this he lost his U.S. citizenship and has been tried on various charges since the 1980s.
  • now After his extradition to Germany in 2009, he was tried in a lengthy trial that ended with his conviction as an accessory to murder at a death camp. He was sentenced to five years in prison. Note that he’s 91.
  • next He was released pending appeal. As Demjanjuk no longer has a country to call his own (he’s literally a citizen of nowhere), he’s pretty much stuck in Germany until the appeals go through. Again, he’s 91. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 May 2011 17:56

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World: Uganda’s anti-gay bill may be moving forward soon

  • Uganda’s anti-gay bill still exists, everyone: The legislation, authored by MP David Bahati, originally imposed the death penalty for people found guilty of “serial” homosexuality (it’s been reported that this penalty has now been removed from the bill), as well as prison sentences for first-time offenders, and heterosexuals who know of a gay person but don’t report it (presumably still in full swing). It’s self-evidently vile, evil, and has no place whatsoever in a civil society. There were reports last night that officials would vote on the bill today, but it’s not on the docket; the AP is reporting that the bill may come up for debate on Friday. source
  • The political connection David Bahati is a member of “The Family,” (though he was dis-invited from their last National Prayer Breakfast, a D.C. staple) a secretive religious brotherhood which counts many U.S. politicians as members — Republican Senators Tom Coburn and Jim DeMint, and Kansas Governor Sam Brownback, for a few high-profile examples.
  • Living in Bahati’s world David Bahati had claimed that he would remove the death penalty from the bill, and it’s been alleged that’s happened. Don’t presume a change of heart, though. Journalist Jeff Sharlet, who authored two exceptional books about “The Family,” claims Bahati told him his true ideal very plainly: “to kill every last gay person.”
  • The climate in Uganda Uganda is a pretty harrowing place for gays. Homophobia is rampant throughout Uganda, often hinged on wild, sinister claims about homosexuals stealing away children. It was in this climate that Uganda’s only prominent gay activist, David Kato, was brutally murdered with a hammer in his home, earlier this year. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 May 2011 17:01

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World: Underwater robot captures Fukushima plant destruction

  • The scene at a spent fuel-rod pool: Here’s a video captured by an intrepid underwater robot — scenes of the tsunami-wreaked destruction in one of the spent fuel-rod pools at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan. Honestly, everything just looks chopped up and blown to hell. It’s a chilling reminder of the threat posed when natural events don’t unfold as planned. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 May 2011 16:40

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World: Libyan opposition forces seize Misrata airport

  • None of Gaddafi’s soldiers found: Today was a strong day for the Libyan opposition, which seized the airport in Misrata, the city that has seen the big share of bloody fighting this last month. Misrata is a tactically important city for the opposition, lying closer to the capitol of Tripoli than does their eastern stronghold, Benghazi. It’s basically been the front line of this civil war, but with reports in recent days of NATO bombings aimed at Gaddafi’s Tripoli compound, could opposition forces gain some ground? source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 May 2011 10:31

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World: Osama bin Laden’s family wants an investigation into his death

  • Without agreeing to the ways of OBL as to how he professed, believed and operated, We Omar Ossama Binladin, and my brothers, the lawful children of the Ossama Binladin (OBL) herewith demand an inquiry under UNO to reach to the accuracy of the facts as stated by United States into the fundamental question as to why our father was not arrested and tried but summarily executed without a court of law.
  • A statement from Osama Bin Laden’s family • Expressing anger with the decision to kill the al-Qaeda leader without giving him the respect of a court of law. The family also is greatly upset about his burial (“His sudden and un witnessed burial at sea has deprived the family of performing religious rights of a Muslim man,” they write.) and claim not to believe that he was actually killed. “We are not convinced on the available evidence in the absence of dead body, photographs, and video evidence that our natural father is dead,” they say, while appealing for a wider investigation of what happened. No matter the nature of the man, we think the family deserves the U.S. government to respect these wishes. (via newsflick) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 May 2011 10:16

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U.S., World: Navy’s forward-thinking gay marriage stance folds amid pressure

  • forward … Earlier this week, the Navy (the most progressive of the military branches, apparently) announced they would let their chaplains perform gay marriages if the Pentagon gives the all-clear for openly gay service members. Gay rights advocates cheered.
  • … and back Unfortunately, Congress did not cheer. More than 60 House members pressured the Navy to reverse course, saying it violated the Defense of Marriage Act. The Navy backed down. Boo. One step forward for gay rights, then two big steps back. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 May 2011 16:44

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World: Pakistan, China eyeing stealth chopper used in Bin Laden raid

  • The perils of leaving footprints: During the U.S. raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan, one of their top secret new stealth helicopters clipped a rotor against the wall surrounding the hideout and was left apparently inoperable. The SEALS tried to burn and destroy it on their way out, but what was left were still large portions of a secret, cutting-edge aircraft downed on foreign soil without permission. As such, Pakistan would like a peek — their officials have already said that they’re “very interested” in examining the remains, and added that they might let the Chinese check it out, too. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

10 May 2011 16:14

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World: NATO airstrikes rock Tripoli during the night

  • Witnesses claim Gaddafi’s compound was the target: Some have cried foul over NATO’s increased bombings against Gaddafi territories, saying that the mandate for civilian protection, but the U.N. resolution authorizing the no-fly zone uses a rather vague phrase in defining the mission. It states: “…to take all necessary measures to protect civilians under threat of attack in the country, including Benghazi, while excluding a foreign occupation force of any form on any part of Libyan territory.” A pro-military force type might read that and say, “well, the civilians are in danger as long as Gaddafi is in power.” We’d likely agree with that. It is a bigger and bloodier mission than expected, however, and that may have consequences in public opinion and diplomacy. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 May 2011 22:45

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World: World population is growing really, really fast

  • 12% of everyone who’s ever lived is alive today source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 May 2011 22:26

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World: World population is growing really, really fast

  • 12% of everyone who’s ever lived is alive today source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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