[NPR] Days after being released from a hospital, the daughter of a former Russian spy who was poisoned in southern England last month said she didn't need help from the Russian embassy, which has accused the U.K. of holding her against her will.
"I have access to friends and family, and I have been made aware of my specific contacts at the Russian Embassy who have kindly offered me their assistance in any way they can," she said in a statement issued through police. "At the moment I do not wish to avail myself of their services, but, if I change my mind I know how to contact them."
She said she was not strong enough to give a full interview yet, but added that until she is ready, "no-one speaks for me, or for my father."
Yulia Skripal, 33, was found slumped on a bench in Salisbury on March 4 along with her father, Sergei Skripal, a former Russian intelligence officer who was convicted in Russia on charges of spying for the West and came to Britain as part of a prisoner swap in 2010.
The two were later found to have been poisoned by a type of military-grade nerve agent first developed in the Soviet Union in the 1970s. London has accused the Kremlin of trying to assassinate Sergei Skripal as an example to other potential defectors, a charge Moscow has strongly denied.
The case has sparked international outcry and set off a diplomatic row resulting in the expulsion of dozens of Russian diplomats from the U.S. and NATO member countries, and a reciprocal response from Moscow.
[Townhall] Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) was curious as to whether disgraced FBI agents Peter Strzok and Lisa Page still had security clearances and the ability to search anyone they please. So he asked the agency and received their "non-answer" on Wednesday. Yet, that non-answer told him quite a lot. In the letter, the FBI noted that all agents have security clearances, indirectly confirming the duo did too.
Paul had the letter to prove it.
Reports revealed last year that Strzok and Page sent each other several texts trashing President Trump. Strzok, who was on special counsel Robert Mueller's team in the Russia investigation, had been reassigned once the politically biased texts were discovered. Strzok had also worked on the investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's emails.
Still, the FBI's correspondence with Sen. Paul suggests the two compromised agents still have access to an "enormous" amount of information.
"They can search almost anybody," Paul said. "They do not require judicial warrant."
[AFRICANEWS] A nine-week-old baby boy has died at a local hospital in the Central Region of Ghana because his parents could not afford the cost of aiding his breathing with an oxygen machine.
According to a local media, Joy fm, the baby died at the St Gregory Hospital at Kasoa.Little Prosper’s parents told Joy News that a medical doctor on duty pulled the plug from the oxygen machine because they could not pay GHS 533 about $ 122 to keep their son alive.
Hospital authorities are tight-lipped on the issue explaining they are investigating the circumstances leading to the baby’s death.
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"Little Prosper" is an unlikely name. Ancient Hawaiians would sometimes give their infants really foul names to ward off evil spirits that might harm them. Later in life the kids would be renamed with something better.
[Khaama (Afghanistan)] The Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... ’s former foreign minister late prince Saud Al Faisal has been accused of failure to pay for the porn movies he commissioned in La Belle France. He died in 2015, age 75.
According to reports, the late prince had porn films made in Gay Paree for his private consumption and owes around 90 thousand Euros to a private company based in La Belle France.
Never trust in the payment plans of princes, especially for things their king would disapprove of.
The firm which commissioned the movies for the late Saudi prince, SARL Atyla, has reportedly filed a lawsuit with an aim to recover the debts.
The officials of the company have said that the heirs of the late prince are refusing to pay the debt of 90,000 Euros for the movies and other services allegedly ordered by Faisal’s representative.
One of the films allegedly shows a Moroccan woman ‐ described in the lawsuit as having "privileged relations" with the prince ‐ frolicking with a porn star, according to The Local Newspaper.
In the meantime, the officials of the firm have warned that may have to present the films as evidence to the court if its demands are not satisfied.
Posted by: Fred ||
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Um, is it too late for me to volunteer for jury duty?
[PRESSTV] US President Donald Trump ...New York real estate developer, described by Dems as illiterate, racist, misogynistic, and what ever other unpleasant descriptions they can think of, elected by the rest of us as 45th President of the United States... and British Prime Minister Theresa May have not been invited to the wedding of Prince Harry and US actress Meghan Markle, British media have reported.
Prince Harry is neither the sovereign nor heir to the throne, so his wedding, like Prince William’s a few years ago, is not a state occasion. President Obama was not invited to Prince William’s, so it isn’t a special snub that President Trump will not be invited to Prince Harry’s, however much those who dislike President Trump would be happy to think it is.
Contacted by AFP, a front man for Kensington Palace, the prince's official residence, said: "It has been decided that an official list of politicians -- both UK and international -- is not required for Prince Harry and Markle's wedding".
Former prime minister David Cameron ... has stated that he is certainly a big Thatcher fan, but I don't know whether that makes me a Thatcherite, which means he's not. Since he is not deeply ideological he lacks core principles and is easily led. He has been described as certainly not a Pitt, Elder or Younger, but he does wear a nice suit so maybe he's Beau Brummel ... was invited to the 2011 wedding of Harry's brother, Prince William, who is second in line to the throne after their father, Prince Charles.
Perhaps it is a snub of Prime Minister May, then. But more likely Prince Harry is even farther down the line of succession now that his big brother has several heirs of his own, and therefore, like Prince Andrew, Harry is no longer at all important. Being the spare is worse than being vice president.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/12/2018 00:00 ||
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Dissed? Good luck getting a good tee-time at a Trump golf course.
#2
Kensington Palace. Located in a third world location called Londonistan where crime is very high, the mayor one Sadiq Khan and many young people die from being run over by large vehicles driven by jihadis, have acid thrown into their faces, or are stabbed to death outside local bars.
Thanks for the favor Prince and Princess. It would not be an honor to be there.
#3
Yes, the redacted "foreign government" in the newly released DoJ/FBI documents ?
DOJ official says the Department
provided Chairman Nunes, Ranking Member Schiff, and all members of HPSCI with access to the requested document. (EC) “Remaining redactions are narrowly tailored to protect the name of a foreign country and the name of a foreign agent...”@FoxNews 3:18 PM - 11 Apr 2018 Link
According to a Justice Department official, the remaining redactions in the document are "narrowly tailored to protect the name of a foreign country and the name of a foreign agent." Specifics have been replaced with identifiers like "foreign official" and "foreign government," the official said.
"These words must remain redacted after determining that revealing the words could harm the national security of the American people by undermining the trust we have with this foreign nation," the official continued, adding that they appear "only a limited number of times, and do not obstruct the underlying meaning of the document."
Mr. Steele, Mr. Christopher Steele to the white courtesy phone please. Mr. Christopher Steele.
#6
Our media is grooming this couple to be the new media darlings of the world. Trump women are already the darlings of China and Japan. So much classier. To our media no favorable comments. Blind and so full of hatred our media is.
[TC] The fact that Facebook probably has a profile of you whether you’re a Facebook user or not might come as a surprise to some users, though today even the company’s chief executive denied knowledge of the practice ‐ or at least the term used to describe it.
In this morning’s hearing with the House Energy and Commerce Committee, New Mexico Representative Ben Lujan cornered Mark Zuckerberg with a question about so-called "shadow profiles" ‐ the term often used to refer to the data that Facebook collects on non-users and other hidden data that Facebook holds but does not offer openly on the site for users to see.
In one of the handful of slightly candid moments of the past few days, Rep. Lujan pressed Zuckerberg on the practice today:
[BBC] All 500 teachers of Millcreek School District near Erie got a 16in (41cm) bat in the wake of the Parkland, Florida high school attack in February. Though the bats are largely symbolic, Superintendent William Hall said, they are there as a "last resort".
"Unfortunately, we're in a day and age where one might need to use them to protect ourselves and our kids."
The superintendent said the aim was to have a "consistent tool" for every teacher in every classroom.
Teachers received the bats after a training day on how to respond to shooters. They will be locked up in classrooms.
Mr Hall said this was part of the district's shooting response plan, known by the acronym Trojan. This stands for Threat assessment, Run, Obstruct and barricade, Join forces, Attack, and Never give up.
An online survey also asked whether teachers in the district should be armed if the state passed laws allowing it.
"It was about 70% to 30% that people would favour that," Mr Hall said, "but we're not really actively planning that right now."
Millcreek Education Association president Jon Cacchione said this was a tool if teachers had "nothing else".
"Part of the formula now is to fight back, and so I think the bats that were provided for the staff were symbolic of that."
The baseball bats reportedly cost the school district $1,800 (£1,270).
#5
My father graduated from Millcreek High School in 1938. He and his buddy used to take their guns to school and put them in the classroom closet for the day. Then they would go hunting after school.
Today, they would lock down the entire school district. So sad how times have changed.
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You know what happens when you bring a bat to a gun fight...
[All Africa] According to a report from City Press, King Mswati III's eighth wife, Senteni Masango, died after she allegedly overdosed on medication used to treat rheumatic conditions, depression and related disorders. According to The Citizen, Masongo suffered abuse after she was denied permission to attend her late sister's memorial service and funeral, and lived alone in a mansion without a visit from her husband. King Mswati III is opposed to divorce, having said in 2017: "In our culture, once you marry someone, you're stuck with her there is no turning back".
Posted by: Fred ||
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#1
In our culture, once you marry someone, you're stuck with her there is no turning back".
[AFRICANEWS] Police in Togo have dispersed an opposition protest in the capital Lome. Reports indicate that teargas was fired to disperse protesters in Lome and in other towns across the country.
The 14-member opposition coalition calling for the resignation of the president since August last year called a two-day protest beginning today.
Reports indicate that the violent clampdown by the police led to injuries to a number of protesters. Photos shared on social media showed how a vehicle belonging to opposition chief Jean Pierre Fabre was smashed.
Posted by: Fred ||
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LONDON (AP) ‐ The British hospital treating poisoned spy Sergei Skripal on Wednesday accused a Russian TV crew of "appalling behavior" for sneaking into the facility overnight.
Footage posted online by British newspapers showed a reporter from the REN TV network walking along corridors at Salisbury District Hospital early Wednesday and commenting on the apparent lack of security.
The hospital said in a statement that "this footage shows appalling behavior on the part of these Russian journalists ‐ approaching staff in the middle of the night with no warning and without asking for any permission."
It said "any attempt to harass, intimidate or cause distress to any of our staff or patients is absolutely unacceptable and will not be tolerated."
The Wiltshire Police force said officers "attended and spoke to two men in the reception area, who were believed to be news reporters. They were asked to leave the hospital and did so. No arrests were made."
[CNBC] J.P. Morgan Chase announced plans to spend $20 billion over five years to raise hourly pay for a portion of its workforce, add jobs and open 400 branches in new U.S. locations.
The bank says tax breaks, reduced regulation and an improved business climate have made it possible to make these changes, which also include adding 4,000 jobs and increasing its charitable giving.
Earlier this month, the bank reported fourth-quarter profit that beat expectations despite a $2.4 billion charge related to the tax cuts and a difficult trading environment for its investment bank.
"Having a healthy, strong company allows us to make these long-term, sustainable investments," said J.P. Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon in a statement Tuesday. "We are excited about further investing in our outstanding workforce and expanding into new U.S. markets."
Several large U.S. companies have announced one-time bonuses, investments in jobs and facilities, and growth plans since the tax overhaul enacted in Washington late last year.
J.P. Morgan has more than 252,000 employees, about half of whom work in its consumer and community banking group. It has a little more than 5,100 branches in 23 states.
Hourly wages for some 22,000 workers will rise to between $15 and $18 in more than 100 cities, the bank said. In New York, San Francisco, Boston and Jersey City, New Jersey, the increase will be at the highest end of that range. Employees are also each getting a $750 bonus later this month.
I thought brick&mortar was dead.
Must be a revenue sheltering tax strategy in play.
More to gain in spending, depreciation and loss when they're sold than solid shareholder earnings.
[DAWN] The family of a girl who married a man of her choice gave a sound thrashing to the couple on Tuesday outside the Lahore High Court and also took the bride with them.
Humaira, a resident of Pattoki, contracted marriage with Imran Ali last month and the family of the girl had a kidnap case registered with local police against the groom.
The couple filed a petition before the high court requesting that the case be quashed for being fabricated.
On Tuesday, Humaira was supposed to appear in court to record her statement in favour of Ali. However, it's easy to be generous with someone else's money... her family members stopped the couple outside the high court and started beating them.
Some lawyers and passersby rescued the couple and tried to calm down the situation.
However, it's easy to be generous with someone else's money... the infuriated family of Humaira managed to take her with them dragging her with hair.
Posted by: Fred ||
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[DAWN] The US diplomat, who reportedly rammed into a cycle of violence, killing one and injuring another on Saturday, will have to face trial, either in Pakistain or his home country.
In case the US embassy confirms that the accused has diplomatic immunity against trial here, he could be tried in US courts.
Talking to Dawn, a police brass hat said a case was registered for the crime and that there is therefore no doubt that a trial will be conducted. The diplomat has immunity regarding arrest and detention, but not against trial. He said it was up to the US embassy to decide if the trial will be conducted by the local courts or those in his native country.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/12/2018 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] A local singer was rubbed out during a festive ceremony in Kanga village near Larkana on Tuesday, Dawn reported.
Twenty-four-year-old Samina Samoon, also known as Samina Sindhu, was allegedly rubbed out by Tarique Ahmed Jatoi while she was serenading the gathering.
She had reportedly refused to oblige his 'request' that she stand up while she sang.
The accused, who was allegedly intoxicated, had badgered the victim to comply before he shot her dead.
Samina was rushed to the Chandka Hospital, but could not survive her injuries and was pronounced dead.
The slain singer's husband told journalists that she had been six months pregnant with their child.
He has demanded that the first information report should mention that the man who shot her and two of his accomplices are accused of double murder: that of the woman and her unborn child.
Police have tossed in the slammer Maw! They're comin' to get me, Maw! the main accused.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/12/2018 00:00 ||
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The accused, who was allegedly intoxicated
Intoxicated (implies) Alcohol. Correct?
Isn't drinking one of those Crimes against Mohammad things? Right there in Sharia Law as one of those unforgivable sins with maximal bad result for the sinner?
So why isn't the perp tied in the square getting the prescribed in the Koran penalties applied to him?
[Daily Caller] Nick Saban and the Alabama football team proved how special it is having the opportunity to visit the White House on Tuesday in more ways than one.
Donald Trump welcomed the Crimson Tide to the White House yesterday to recognize the team for their national championship victory. Of course, it was a special moment for the team, but what happened after the ceremony was truly amazing.
After Trump finished praising Alabama for their incredible comeback victory over Georgia in the national championship, punter J.K. Scott pulled the president aside and asked if he could pray for Trump and his staff. A handful of Scott’s teammates then circled around Trump and bowed their heads in prayer together.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
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.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[Townhall] Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) was curious as to whether disgraced FBI agents Peter Strzok and Lisa Page still had security clearances and the ability to search anyone they please. So he asked the agency and received their "non-answer" on Wednesday. Yet, that non-answer told him quite a lot. In the letter, the FBI noted that all agents have security clearances, indirectly confirming the duo did too.
[AFRICANEWS] A nine-week-old baby boy has died at a local hospital in the Central Region of Ghana because his parents could not afford the cost of aiding his breathing with an oxygen machine.
David Cameron
[TC] The fact that Facebook probably has a profile of you whether you’re a Facebook user or not might come as a surprise to some users, though today even the company’s chief executive denied knowledge of the practice ‐ or at least the term used to describe it.
