North Korea soldier who defected had immunity to anthrax | New York Post
wild
Category: International Affairs,
Chess champion to miss Saudi Arabia tournament over women’s rights
A two-time world chess champion has said she will not defend her titles at a tournament held in Saudi Arabia because of the way the kingdom treats women as “secondary creatures.”
…The sport’s governing body, Fide, had claimed a measure of success in persuading Saudi authorities to allow female competitors to compete in high-necked white blouses and blue or black trousers instead of full-body abayas.
However, for Muzychuk, it was not enough. “I am going to lose two world champion titles, one by one,” she wrote on Facebook. “Just because I decided not to go to Saudi Arabia. Not to play by someone’s rules, not to wear abaya, not to be accompanied getting outside and altogether not to feel myself a secondary creature. Exactly one year ago I won these two titles and was about the happiest person in the chess world but this time I feel really bad. I am ready to stand for my principles and skip the event, where in five days I was expected to earn more than I do in a dozen of events combined. All that is annoying, but the most upsetting thing is that almost nobody really cares. That is a really bitter feeling, still not the one to change my opinion and my principles. The same goes for my sister Mariya – and I am really happy that we share this point of view. And yes, for those few who care – we’ll be back!”
Chess champion to miss Saudi Arabia tournament over women’s rights | Sport | The Guardian
Go, girl!
Tehran Police Say Women Will No Longer Be Arrested For Violating ‘Islamic’ Dress Code
On Wednesday, Tehran police announced that women will no longer risk arrest for breaching the country’s conservative interpretation of Islamic dress code, which includes a ban on wearing nail polish, heavy makeup or loose headscarves. Instead, violators will be ordered to take police-instructed classes on “Islamic values,” while repeat offenders could still be subject to legal action
Tehran Police Say Women Will No Longer Be Arrested For Violating ‘Islamic’ Dress Code | HuffPost
hmmm
The Power Politics Behind Trump’s Jerusalem Declaration
For Palestinians, Trump’s Jerusalem declaration ended all hopes that the long-moribund peace process might lead to an independent Palestinian state.
…In recent years, Abbas has satisfied all of Israel’s demands but has still been rejected by Netanyahu. And now, Trump’s declaration had exposed the hopelessness of the U.S. serving as a fair arbiter.
…The U.S., a sponsor of the Oslo Accords, has openly violated one of its paramount provisions: that the status of Jerusalem be decided in final-status negotiations. Any pretense of Trump’s impartiality is gone, and, no Palestinians will be waiting to hear the promised peace plan by Jared Kushner.
…Since returning home, in 1978, I have closely tracked the stream of legal changes that allowed Israeli settlements to develop near Ramallah and in numerous other parts of East Jerusalem and the West Bank. I wrote extensively about Israel’s plans to annex the areas it occupied in 1967 by gradually extending Israeli laws to its ever-growing settlements. I firmly believed that if these violations of international law became known, Israel would no longer be able to carry them out. I was wrong.
…Gradually, during the early two thousands, the Israelis limited Palestinian access to Jerusalem by building the separation wall. They justified it as necessary to stop suicide bombings, but none of the restrictions were reversed when security conditions improved.
…It is important to remember that the Palestinians have consistently called for Jerusalem to remain undivided, and urged that when it became the capital of both states, Israel and Palestine, it would remain an open city. After a peace settlement, the city would serve as a model of coëxistence. Instead of furthering this objective, Trump and Netanyahu have condemned us, both peoples, Israeli and Palestinian, to perpetual conflict.
The Power Politics Behind Trump’s Jerusalem Declaration | The New Yorker
Sigh….
Pete Hoekstra said claim that he said the Netherlands has ‘no go zone’ is ‘fake news.’ Then the reporter showed him video of him exactly that.
A Dutch journalist just asked new U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra why he said there are “no go” areas in the Netherlands, where radical Muslims are setting cars and politicians on fire.
Hoekstra denied it, and called the claim “fake news.”
The reporter then showed Hoekstra a video clip of himself at a congressional hearing in 2015 saying: “The Islamic movement has now gotten to a point where they have put Europe into chaos. Chaos in the Netherlands, there are cars being burned, there are politicians that are being burned. …And yes, there are no-go zones in the Netherlands.”
sighhhh
Saudi Arabia Lifts Ban on Movie Theaters After 35 Years
Conservative Saudis and the country’s Islamic clerical establishment have typically frowned upon non-religious forms of entertainment, including cinema and music. Religious police still patrol shopping malls and gender segregation is enforced across the kingdom.
The government didn’t say whether the cinemas would have family-only sections, or different show times for men. Movies would be edited according to the “standards of the Kingdom” and would not “contradict with Sharia Laws and moral values,” according to a ministry statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.
Saudi Arabia Lifts Ban on Movie Theaters After 35 Years – Bloomberg
hmmmm
Thousands join Tel Aviv ‘March of Shame’
A demonstration took place in Tel Aviv last night against the ‘Recommendations Bill’, the bill that in its current version will forbid publication of Israel Police’s recommendation of whether or not to pursue an indictment at the conclusion of a criminal trial. If enacted, the bill will apply retroactively to cases involving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Globes English – Thousands join Tel Aviv ‘March of Shame’
hmmmmm
Golden Krust founder commits suicide in Bronx factory
Golden Krust founder commits suicide in Bronx factory – NY Daily News
R.I.P maker of delicious goodies, innovator, and inspiration. You did good during your time here. You did lots and lots of good.
Comments From The Peanut Gallery 