What goes through my my mind when I read the news with my morning coffee. …Or for the Simon's Rockers in the group, this is my response journal.
Everyone Ignored The White Man In This Famous Photo. 48 Years Later, The Real Story Emerges
Amazing. Especially the last few paragraphs.
Ahhh, Olympics. One of the reason I love you so is that I firmly believe sport is one of the few reliable ways to highlight the common threads among us and weave us together with shared humanity.
Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in St. Petersburg Tuesday, a step toward mending ties ruptured last year when Turkey shot down a Russian warplane near Syria’s border.
Judy Woodruff discusses the turmoil in Turkey with Kemal Kirişci of the Brookings Institution and Henri Barkey of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
…”A telling moment in St. Petersburg: Russia’s President Vladimir Putin welcomed Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan”
Erdogan visits Russia after coup attempt stirs tensions with the West | PBS NewsHour
hmmmm
The underground children’s center in Aleppo is a lifeline for kids who are locked away at home because of fears of airstrikes ravaging Syrian cities.
Aleppo Siege: Syrian Kids Find Childhood Deep Underground – NBC News
Sigh….
Shocked, dumbfounded, hurt. In so many words, local government officials and other individuals in the Visayas named by President Duterte as among those involved in illegal drugs denied the allegations and sought an investigation of the “unfortunate” and “disconcerting” charges to clear their names.
Local execs on Duterte drug list: Shocked, confused, families in tears | Inquirer News
hmmmm
He named judges, mayors, lawmakers, military personnel and police officers and gave them 24 hours to surrender for investigation or be “hunted” down.
Rodrigo Duterte, Philippine President, Links 150 Public Servants to Drugs – The New York Times
hmmmm
The PM is the rakshak of Dalits, or at least their votes. On the other hand, the family of Mohammad Akhlaq can fend for themselves.
In Modi Land, Not All Victims Of Cow Vigilantism Are Created Equal
hmmmm
For those who believe in democratic governments and self-rule, it would seem to be the political equivalent of shooting yourself in the foot.
Experts explain: Why the Thai ‘yes’ vote is not so strange – The Washington Post
hmmm
Japan’s Emperor Akihito says age and deteriorating health mean he is finding it hard to continue in his role, indicating he wishes to stand down.
Japan’s Emperor Akihito hints at wish to abdicate – BBC News
hmmmm
A faction of the Pakistani Taliban says it carried out a suicide attack at a hospital in Quetta which killed at least 70 people.
Quetta hospital bombing: Pakistan Taliban claim attack – BBC News
Sigh…
A forensic artist has recreated the face of a woman alive 3,700 years ago
Meet Ava, a Bronze Age Woman From the Scottish Highlands | Smart News | Smithsonian
wild!
…She was buried in a pit dug into solid rock and her skull is an abnormal shape which some suggest was done deliberately using bindings.
Maya Hoole believes advances in technology could reveal more about the remains known as “Ava”.
“…My interpretation suggests that the layout of the burial fits into a much wider trend extending as far south as North Yorkshire, and possibly much further beyond.”
Short and round skull shapes were common amongst this group, but Ms Hoole said the Achavanich specimen is exaggerated and of an abnormal, uneven shape.
The archaeologist said: “There has been much debate amongst the archaeological community for many decades about the shape. Some argue it is a hereditary trait, whilst others think there may have been a practice of head-binding which creates the distinct shape.
Effort to unlock secrets of 3,700-year-old woman ‘Ava’ – BBC News
hmmmm
A case in Sydney is the latest instance in which the powers-that-be contribute to the widespread victim-blaming and perpetrator-exonerating in relation to cyber violence against women and girls.
What bit about the wrongs of sexual threats against women do courts and men not get?
Sigh…
Google has removed the name of Palestine from its Google Maps and replaced it with Israel – a decision denounced by the Palestinian Journalists’ Forum.
Google Removes Palestine from its Maps | Palestine Chronicle
WTF?!!
Perhaps the greatest Brazilian sports star may be absent from the Rio 2016 opening ceremony on Friday.
WTF?!
Peter Scotter, 55, was in court today accused of ripping a veil from a Muslim woman’s face before throwing it on the floor of a busy shopping centre in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear.
Man, 55, ‘pulled a veil from a Muslim woman’s face’
I have said more than once that I disapprove of women covering their faces in public. I also support bans on the practice. For me it is a matter of the rights of all women trump the preferences of a few.
That said…
In no way is this OK. This is assault. Pure and simple.
There is no ban on facial veils in the U.K. and even if there was one, it is not up to the citizenry to enforce such bans. Vigilante morality police that control how women dress are the province of backwards outposts, not civilization. This man violated this woman’s space and should pay a steep price for his actions.
In Switzerland, people show their face and shake hands, Solari said in an interview on Tuesday with newspaper Blick. “Whoever comes here should abide by our rules” he added.
The case of two teenage Muslim brothers at a school in Therwil who refused to shake the hand of their teacher before and after class – a common practice in Swiss schools – generated headlines around the world at the beginning of April.
…The legislation does not specifically mention burkas or Muslims, but states that “nobody in public streets or squares may veil or hide their face”. It doesn’t apply to headscarves.
President of Locarno Film Festival defends burka ban – SWI swissinfo.ch
mmmhmmm
The court said although the comments were discriminatory, firing her for wearing the veil was not, because the clothing was likely to prevent her communicating with others.
Yup!
The mysterious origins of the British archaeological site most often associated with the legend of King Arthur have just become even more mysterious. Archaeologists have discovered the impressive remains of a probable Dark Age royal palace at Tintagel in Cornwall. It is likely that the one-metre thick walls being unearthed are those of the main residence of the 6th century rulers of an ancient south-west British kingdom, known as Dumnonia.
cool!
Death toll estimates range from 420 to over 700
Outcry as Hundreds Killed in Philippines Drug Crackdown | TIME
Whoa!
A new security law giving Malaysia’s prime minister sweeping new powers prompts concerns it could restrict human rights and stifle democracy.
Malaysia’s new security law raises rights concerns – BBC News
uh-oh….
Hu Shigen is sentenced to 7.5 years in prison in China, the second person found guilty in two days in a crackdown on legal activism.
Chinese activist Hu Shigen jailed for subversion – BBC News
sigh….
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim says he has withdrawn lawsuits against about 1,500 people, including opposition politicians, journalists and writers, for insulting him or his office.
Turkey’s Premier Withdraws About 1,500 Insult Lawsuits – The New York Times
hmmmm
Muslims across France attend Catholic Mass in a gesture of solidarity after the murder of a priest on Tuesday.
France church attack: Muslims attend Mass – BBC News
sigh…
Men in Iran are wearing hijabs in a display of solidarity with women across the country who are forced to cover their heads in public. Wearing a headscarf is strictly enforced by so-called ‘morality police’ in Iran and has been since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
this story put a smile on my cynical face
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