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Kurdish forces reach the northern gates of Raqqa after liberating four more villages
Today's Headlines
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1 14:42 Rambler in Virginia [1]
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Page 4: Opinion
7 18:37 Nero White 3083 [1]
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5 19:29 Elmineter Gravitch3625 [1]
Page 6: Politix
11 15:21 Barbara []
13 18:09 NoMoreBS [1]
-Short Attention Span Theater-
Hundreds of Chicago jail guards call out sick on Mother's Day
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/15/2017 00:34 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Keep the cell doors locked for the day and forward human rights complaints to the union.
Posted by: rjschwarz || 05/15/2017 14:37 Comments || Top||


Afghanistan
NDS rescue minor girl kidnapped from Kabul for ransom of $105 thousand
[Khaama (Afghanistan)] The Afghan intelligence operatives rescued a minor girl who was kidnapped from Kabul by a gang of kidnappers, the National Directorate of Security
...the Afghan national intel agency...
(NDS) said Sunday.

According to a statement by NDS, the gang was demanding a ransom of $105 thousand for the release of the 5-year-old girl.

The statement further added that the girl, Gay Pareea, was kidnapped 23 days ago from Kabul city and was taken to Pakistain to keep her in the custody until the ransom is recovered.

The gang was busted during a sophisticated operation conducted by the intelligence operatives, NDS said, adding that the gang was led by an individual identified as Syed Mustafa Akbari who was also famous as Agha Sahib.

The other eight members of the gang have been identified as Edris son of Mohammad Omar, Abdul Farid son of Abdul Nabi, Dil Agha son of Mohammad Naeem, Parvez son of Noor Alam, Syed Jamal son of Syed Akbar, Hekmatullah son of Aqa Jan, Mohammad Zarif son of Mohammad Shafi, and Fahima daughter of Akbar.

NDS further added that Abdul Farid was in charge of taking care of the minor girl after she was kidnapped from the city.

Posted by: Fred || 05/15/2017 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Africa Horn
17 Dead From Hunger near Mogadishu amid drought
[SHABELLENEWS] At least 17 people, mostly women and young children have died from hunger and lack of water at sprawling IDP camps near Somalia’s capital Mogadishu in the past few days.

An IDP camp administrator confirmed to Radio Shabelle, the deaths of the people, who were among thousands of locally displaced persons fled the drought-stricken regions in southern Somalia.

Thousands have been streaming into Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, in search of food aid, to escape from dying of hunger and thirsty due to the biting drought in the horn of Africa country.

The deaths of the IDPs came as the Somali National Drought Committee officials said they collected large sum of money as donation that was allocated to assist the drought-affected people.

The Somali National Drought Committee has been accused of misuse of the financial donations as people are dying of hunger and lack of water.

Posted by: Fred || 05/15/2017 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Arabia
Cholera outbreak death toll in Yemen rises to 180
A cholera outbreak in Yemen has killed 180 people since April 27, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Monday, hours after the Houthi-controlled health ministry said 115 had died from the disease in the capital Sanaa.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 05/15/2017 12:42 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Guess I will have to cancel my vacation plans.
Posted by: chris || 05/15/2017 15:40 Comments || Top||

#2  Too bad, Chris. Guess Sanaa ain't too sana-tary.
Posted by: Barbara || 05/15/2017 15:56 Comments || Top||


Oman confirms its stance alongside the legitimate (Hadi) government of Yemen
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Oman’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf bin Alawi affirmed his country’s support for Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of. Except for a tiny handfull of Jews everthing there is very Islamic...
and its legitimate government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

The Omani official said during a telephone conversation with Yemen’s Deputy Prime Minister Abdulmalik al-Mekhlafi that Muscat supports any and all efforts to achieve security and stability in a manner that preserves the territorial integrity of Yemen and preserves its national institutions and the capabilities of the Yemeni people.

For his part, Mekhlafi hailed Oman’s position in support of legitimacy and the right for Yemenis to live in peace, according Yemen’s official news agency.

The Yemeni official stressed that his country and its legitimate government are keen to develop bilateral ties with Oman in various fields and to enhance the level of coordination between the two countries.
Posted by: Fred || 05/15/2017 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Houthis


Caribbean-Latin America
Argentina's Shale Hoping for Cash Windfall
The shale boom has thus far remained a uniquely American phenomenon (for a long list of reasons), but the issue of other countries replicating that success has always been a question of when, not if. Argentina’s Vaca Muerte formation contains the second-largest reserves of shale gas in the world behind China, and as the WSJ reports, those multitudes of hydrocarbons are attracting the keen interest (and capital) of oil and gas companies:

Islam rose anew in 20th century on a tide of petrodollars
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 05/15/2017 13:11 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  ooops. H/t Instapundit
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 05/15/2017 13:16 Comments || Top||

#2  Oil companies are understandably reluctant to inveest huge amounts of capital in places that buthave a history of nationalizing company assets. High prices and profit margins and production rates can overcome thar reluctance - make back the investment before nationalization - but none of those apply there, now, or to shale resources.
Posted by: Glenmore on the road || 05/15/2017 14:15 Comments || Top||

#3  Argentina’s Vaca Muerte formation contains the second-largest reserves of shale gas in the world behind China
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 05/15/2017 14:34 Comments || Top||


India-Pakistan
FIA comes to military’s rescue as Nisar orders action against those ridiculing Pakistan Army
[DAWN] Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar on Sunday directed the Federal Investigation Agency's (FIA) Cyber Crime Wing to take action against "those ridiculing Pakistain Army on social media" in order to protect "the prestige, reputation and goodwill" of the armed forces.

"As far as the freedom of speech is concerned, the Constitution makes it clear that national security and defence institutions would not be criticised and that citizens would not engage themselves in any activity that causes damage to the prestige, reputation and goodwill of Mighty Pak Army," Nisar was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the ministry.

"Ridiculing Pakistain Army or its officers in the name of freedom of speech is unacceptable," he maintained.

The statement further said that targeting such a prestigious and disciplined institution of the country for the sake of particular interests was not only a matter of concern but a severe offence.

The minister directed the FIA Cyber Crime Wing to take strict action against all those involved in the practice "intentionally or unintentionally".

The minister directed the authority to take action without any discrimination regardless of the political affiliation and profession of those involved.

Posted by: Fred || 05/15/2017 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan


Iraq
Abadi, Sadr near alliance as Maliki renounces majority governance
[Iraq News] Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is nearing an "electoral alliance" with influential Shia religious and political leader Moqtada Tater al-Sadr
... the Iranian catspaw holy man who was 22 years old in 2003 and was nearing 40 in 2010. He spends most of his time in Iran, safely out of the line of fire, where he's learning to be an ayatollah...
in a bid to isolate former PM and premiership hopeful Nouri al-Maliki, according to a newspaper.

London-based Al Hayat said the anticipated alliance could also draw Iraq’s Vice President Osama al-Nujaifi’s Muttahidon (United) bloc in addition to Kurdish political forces, most notably the Kurdistan Democratic Party, led by Kurdish President Masud Barzani.

The purpose of all those parties is to "keep Maliki away", according to Al Hayat.

It added that Sadr’s and Maliki’s movements had been caught up in an intense rivalry, which became most remarkable in Maliki’s push for a draft law restricting the right to stage protests in a bid to curb weekly pro-reform demonstrations Sadr’s fans had staged upon a call from their leader. It noted that the draft was slated for discussion in parliament on Sunday but was adjourned due to pressures from civil society groups.

The newspaper’s speculations regarding a possible alliance came hours after Maliki said in a statement by his office that he was renouncing his call for a Shia majority rule in Iraq. He accused parties, which he did not name, of plotting against the political process by seeking to put off elections.

Iraqi parliament elections are slated for early 2018, and there is a tendency to run municipal elections simultaneously. Shia groups occupy more than a half of the parliament’s 328 seats.

According to the statement, Maliki’s announcement came during a conference on "societal reconciliation" in the southern Iraqi province of Najaf. Explaining his concession, Maliki said "the country rejects sectarianism and racism".

Maliki’s opponents accuse him of stoking sectarian divisions and failure to curb corruption throughout his two-term, eight-year premiership, besides blaming him for losing Iraqi territories to the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems....
hard boys.

Maliki is the leader of Daawa Party, of which PM Abadi is a senior member.
Posted by: Fred || 05/15/2017 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iraq


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Ruling Fatah party fares poorly in Palestinian elections
[Ynet] President Mahmoud Abbas's ruling Fatah Party posts a poor showing in Paleostinian municipal elections across the West Bank, reflecting public discontent, even though the rival Hamas, the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood, movement stayed out of the race.

President the ineffectual Mahmoud Abbas
... a graduate of the prestigious unaccredited Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow with a doctorate in Holocaust Denial...
's ruling Fatah Party posted a poor showing in Paleostinian municipal elections across the West Bank, even though the rival Islamic Hamas movement stayed out of the race, according to results announced Sunday.

The vote reflected public discontent with Abbas and his Fatah movement, whose popularity has sunk due to a weak economy, nepotism in its ranks and its failure to lead the Paleostinians closer to independence.

Saturday's vote gave Paleostinians a rare chance to cast ballots after over a decade without presidential or legislative elections. Abbas' embattled party ran virtually unopposed, and Saturday's election was seen as a litmus test of Fatah's popularity.

But the results indicated lackluster support for the party, which has dominated Paleostinian politics for half a century. In an indication of public sentiment, just 53 percent of eligible voters cast ballots. Voter turnout in the previous municipal elections, in 2012, was comparable, elections commission director Hisham Khalil said.

In Hebron, the West Bank's largest city and a Hamas stronghold, Fatah won just seven of 15 seats.

"The result wasn't great for us," said Tayseer Abu Sneineh, the head of Fatah's list in the city.

In Nablus, another major city, Fatah won 11 of 15 seats, but only after forming an alliance with Islamist candidates. Turnout in Nablus was just 21 percent.

Fatah only won clear victories in two major cities, Jenin and Jericho. In several cities, Fatah couldn't piece together enough candidates to field a campaign list, leaving local Fatah politicians to run as independents.

Roughly 2.2 million Paleostinians live in the West Bank, of whom just over 787,000 were eligible to vote. East Jerusalem's 300,000 residents didn't take part in the elections.

The Paleostinians have been divided between rival governments since Hamas defeated Fatah in the 2006 legislative elections and drove the latter out of the Gazoo Strip the following year, leaving Abbas in control only of the Paleostinian Authority autonomy government in parts of the West Bank. Repeated attempts to reconcile have failed.

Fatah and Hamas were supposed to compete in elections last year in both the West Bank and Gazoo. But with the rival factions disqualifying each other's candidates, Fatah went forward with the elections in the West Bank alone in a bid to renew its legitimacy.

The Paleostinian president is currently more than a decade into what was supposed to be a four-year term.

Hanna Nasser, head of the Central Elections Commission, said the organization plans to approach Hamas about the possibility of holding municipal elections in the Gazoo Strip.
Posted by: trailing wife || 05/15/2017 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Fatah


Science & Technology
Here's Why U.S. Special Forces Want Russian Machine Guns
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/15/2017 00:12 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  What about patent protection?
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 05/15/2017 5:37 Comments || Top||

#2  One wonders whether there could be a copyright issue with producing Russian weapons in America without a license, though Russian and Chinese spies haven’t been reticent about helping themselves to U.S. technology. Either way, it seems like a sensible and economical idea to produce foreign weapons in America, rather than having to procure them from unreliable or unsavory international arms merchants.

g(r)omgoru, Those machine guns been around so long that any patents would have expired. Note they mention 'copyright' in the article. Copyrights only apply to the original drawing and not to the actual mechanical device itself. Since the American manufacturer(s) will have to come up with their own drawings, foreign copyrights would not apply to them, although they can copyright their own drawings.

The original PK machine gun was introduced in 1961 with an improved version introduced in 1969. Picture of PKM at link.

The NSV was adopted by the Soviet Army in 1971. It is no longer being produced in Russia; the manufacturing license for the NSV ended up in Kazakhstan after the break-up of the Soviet Union. The NSV has been manufactured in Bulgaria, India, Poland and Yugoslavia under license. Picture of NSV at link

So it's been at least 46 years since the above guns were introduced. I'll say it's pretty much a safe bet we no longer have to worry about patent protections.
Posted by: Seeking cure for ignorance || 05/15/2017 9:25 Comments || Top||

#3  If the US government gets involved with this idea, it has already failed.
Posted by: chris || 05/15/2017 9:51 Comments || Top||

#4  Funny, patent infringement concerns on weapons of war.
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/15/2017 11:06 Comments || Top||

#5  1. Patents are country specific. Even if there were patents in Russia (or the USSR) they would not apply in the US. Only a patent issued in the US would be an issue.

2. Patents would have to be filed within 12 months of the first commercial availability of these weapons. After that you are statutorily barred from filing.

3. If any IP is an issue, it might be design copyright. This is "thin" protection, but an exact replica might run afoul.
Posted by: Iblis || 05/15/2017 11:37 Comments || Top||

#6  I must admit that the irony of USA stealing Russian designs tickles my fancy.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 05/15/2017 13:39 Comments || Top||

#7  Maybe I really do want to make a cheap machine shop 3D scanner.
Posted by: 3dc || 05/15/2017 22:23 Comments || Top||


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Iran’s ex-President Khatami endorses Rouhani for re-election
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Iran’s ex-president Mohammad Khatami on Sunday endorsed President Hassan Rouhani in a video message, calling on voters to give him another term in this week’s election.

"Mr Rouhani’s government has been a successful one, despite all the limitations, problems and the great expectations," he said in the video posted on social media.

"We should all go and vote for Rouhani, for freedom in thought, logic in dialogue, law in action, securing the rights of citizens and enforcing social and economic justice."

Khatami praised the government for taming rampant inflation of above 40 percent in 2013 to below 9.5 percent and the "steps" taken against stagnation.

Posted by: Fred || 05/15/2017 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iran



Who's in the News
22[untagged]
12Islamic State
4Taliban
3Houthis
2Thai Insurgency
2Govt of Pakistan
1Govt of Iraq
1al-Shabaab (AQ)
1Govt of Syria
1Fatah
1Commies
1Lashkar e-Taiba
1PFLP
1Sublime Porte
1Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis (IS)
1Govt of Iran

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Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has dominated Mexico for six years.
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Two weeks of WOT
Mon 2017-05-15
  Kurdish forces reach the northern gates of Raqqa after liberating four more villages
Sun 2017-05-14
  Iraq: ISIS leaders killed during ‘meeting’ in al-Qaim
Sat 2017-05-13
  Syrian Army Makes Gains in Rebel Area of Damascus
Fri 2017-05-12
  Turkish court sentences notorious British ISIS member wanted by US, UK
Thu 2017-05-11
  Jakarta’s Christian governor jailed for blasphemy
Wed 2017-05-10
  US ignores Turkey’s objection, approves arming Kurdish forces in Syria
Tue 2017-05-09
  Egypt issues life sentence for Muslim Brotherhood chief
Mon 2017-05-08
  Confirmed: Head of ISIS In Afghanistan Killed In Raid By 50 U.S. Special Ops, 40 Afghan Commandos
Sun 2017-05-07
  Ismail Haniyeh elected new head of Hamas
Sat 2017-05-06
  New Jersey Man Charged With Attempting to Support ISIS, Planning NYC Bombing
Fri 2017-05-05
  US drone strike leaves 7 ISIS-K militants dead in East of Afghanistan
Thu 2017-05-04
  Kurd, Turkish army troops fighting near Rojava
Wed 2017-05-03
  Taliban kill 27 ISIS militants in East of Afghanistan
Tue 2017-05-02
  FBI translator married ISIS terrorist she was supposed to investigate: report
Mon 2017-05-01
  Al-Qaeda ready to join forces with Saudi-led groups to fight ‘Houthi Shia’ in Yemen

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