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MEAN STREETS MEDIA
Saturday, December 31, 2016
Thursday, December 29, 2016
Apparently, naked pictures sell products
A small Austrian firm making ski goggles has proved sex sells after they tripled their turnover by posting pictures of themselves wearing their gear while naked on the internet.
The ski glasses producer "Naked Optics" from the sound of music city of Salzburg on the border of Germany is currently running its naked people campaign on social media and it is proving an enormous success.
They said they were inspired to come up with the saucy strategy by the company's name "Naked Optics", and that it involved one of the company founders and some friends getting undressed in front of the camera to advertise the ski goggles.
The manufacturer has been producing its unique line in China for a low price, using the same company as other big name manufacturers, meaning customers get the same quality at a lower price, hence the no-frills name "Naked Optics". They are also selling them exclusively on the internet, which again cuts costs.
Christoph Fink, 28, the founder of the company, said: "This way, the margins for the retail sector are shortened in some cases to 100 percent, while the costs for the design and the fee for the employees are removed."
They said they were inspired to come up with the saucy strategy by the company's name "Naked Optics", and that it involved one of the company founders and some friends getting undressed in front of the camera to advertise the ski goggles.
The manufacturer has been producing its unique line in China for a low price, using the same company as other big name manufacturers, meaning customers get the same quality at a lower price, hence the no-frills name "Naked Optics". They are also selling them exclusively on the internet, which again cuts costs.
Christoph Fink, 28, the founder of the company, said: "This way, the margins for the retail sector are shortened in some cases to 100 percent, while the costs for the design and the fee for the employees are removed."
French police hunt 'killer' of Japanese student
Police in France are hunting for a Chilean man suspected of killing a Japanese student in the eastern town of Besancon, sources close to the case said Thursday.
The man is the ex-boyfriend of Narumi Kurosaki who was studying French at the university in Besancon before she went missing on the night of December 4th-5th.
Although her body has not been found, police have concluded she was killed after studying CCTV footage, checking her phone records and speaking to witnesses who reported screams at her university residence.
The Chilean suspect, who was in contact with Kurosaki before she arrived in France in August, is believed to have travelled to his home country, the source added, asking not to be named.
Police have also discarded a possible sighting of Kurosaki two weeks after her disappearance at a cafe in the town of Verdun, 300 kilometres to the north of Besancon.
"Judicial police have identified the girl seen in Verdun. It's not Narumi," a police source told AFP, asking to be named because they were not authorised to speak to the media.
Although her body has not been found, police have concluded she was killed after studying CCTV footage, checking her phone records and speaking to witnesses who reported screams at her university residence.
The Chilean suspect, who was in contact with Kurosaki before she arrived in France in August, is believed to have travelled to his home country, the source added, asking not to be named.
Police have also discarded a possible sighting of Kurosaki two weeks after her disappearance at a cafe in the town of Verdun, 300 kilometres to the north of Besancon.
"Judicial police have identified the girl seen in Verdun. It's not Narumi," a police source told AFP, asking to be named because they were not authorised to speak to the media.
Jogger sexually assaulted in Munich’s English Garden
A 45-year-old woman was attacked and sexually assaulted while out running in Munich’s central park on Sunday evening.
The woman was running in the Oberföhring area of the park at some time between 7.30pm and 8.20pm when the attack happened, police report.
The English Garden is a park which stretches through northern Munich into the town centre, following the bank of the Isar river.
The woman lost consciousness during the assault. When she came to she found herself lying away from the path. She then went to a nearby restaurant where she was picked up by police and emergency services.
Due to the wounds she had suffered, she was then brought to hospital.
Police say that the current state of their investigation leads them to believe the woman was sexually assaulted.
The murder commission have now taken over the enquiry due to the severity of the woman’s injuries. She is not however in a life-threatening situation.
Police say they are withholding further information for the sake of the investigation.
The attacker is described as male, 40 to 50 years old and wearing dark jogging clothes and a bobble hat.
The English Garden is a park which stretches through northern Munich into the town centre, following the bank of the Isar river.
The woman lost consciousness during the assault. When she came to she found herself lying away from the path. She then went to a nearby restaurant where she was picked up by police and emergency services.
Due to the wounds she had suffered, she was then brought to hospital.
Police say that the current state of their investigation leads them to believe the woman was sexually assaulted.
The murder commission have now taken over the enquiry due to the severity of the woman’s injuries. She is not however in a life-threatening situation.
Police say they are withholding further information for the sake of the investigation.
The attacker is described as male, 40 to 50 years old and wearing dark jogging clothes and a bobble hat.
Germany -Man drives over and kills woman ‘for kissing the road.'
A young man felt so provoked by a couple kissing on a zebra crossing that he drove them over, killing the woman, prosecutors in Frankfurt said on Wednesday.
Acting under the influence of alcohol, the 26-year-old stopped at a zebra crossing when he noticed a couple kissing on the road, according to the prosecutors.
When they carried on kissing regardless of the traffic on the road, he drove on, stopping two metres in front of them, in the incident which took place in September 2015.
But the couple still kept kissing. Feeling provoked, the young man put his foot on the pedal and drove into them.
The 38-year-old male was lightly injured in the crash. But the 40-year-old woman fell under a front wheel of the car and died through suffocation.
When they carried on kissing regardless of the traffic on the road, he drove on, stopping two metres in front of them, in the incident which took place in September 2015.
But the couple still kept kissing. Feeling provoked, the young man put his foot on the pedal and drove into them.
The 38-year-old male was lightly injured in the crash. But the 40-year-old woman fell under a front wheel of the car and died through suffocation.
Tuesday, December 20, 2016
Sunday, December 18, 2016
Friday, December 16, 2016
Security forces kill IS suicide bombers who attacked 3 neighborhoods in Mosul
Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) Security Committee of Nineveh Provincial Council announced on Wednesday killing a number of the Islamic State (IS) suicide bombers who attacked three neighborhoods in the eastern side of Mosul.
Head of the Security Committee, Mohamed al-Bayati, said in a press statement, “Members of the IS attacked the neighborhoods of al-Nour, al-Ta’mim and al-Qadisiyah in the eastern side of Mosul.”
“The terrorist group used suicide bombers and booby-trapped vehicles in the attacks that were repulsed by the Counter-Terrorism forces,” Bayati added.
“The Counter-Terrorism forces killed a number of the attackers, as well as destroying some of the booby-trapped vehicles used in the attack,” Bayati further explained.
Moreover, Bayati revealed that the IS takes advantage of the bad weather to launch attacks on liberated neighborhoods.
He also revealed that security forces are completely controlling the situation in these neighborhoods, and IS couldn’t advance any further in these areas.
Joint security forces, backed by Army Aviation and international coalition, continue liberating the remaining areas of Mosul.
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Vegan News - Swedish woman makes buns with her "Breast milk ."
Breast milk is not usually an ingredient in Swedish Lucia saffron buns. But one food blogger has gone viral after she made and ate the traditional pastries using her own milk.
"It was my husband who had the idea," Jennifer Barmer, who runs the vegan food blog Living Green together with him, told The Local. "He has several friends who have baked using breast milk."
Swedes gorge on saffron buns – called lussekatter or lussebullar – every year on and around December 13th, the day the saint Lucia is celebrated across the Nordic country.
So Barmer spent a few days collecting the spare milk left over from breastfeeding her young baby before she baked a batch of the buns a couple of days ahead of Lucia.
"They turned out great. If I hadn't known it was breast milk I would just have thought they were ordinary Lucia buns with a bit more sugar than usual," she said.
READ ALSO: Six things not to tell a Swede on Lucia day
While Sweden has a reputation for being tolerant and family friendly, the subject of breastfeeding has been hotly debated in recent years. Add to the equation that breast milk Lucia buns are not particularly common, and Barmer's twist on the recipe quickly went viral.
The former contestant of TV baking competition Hela Sverige Bakar (based on The Great British Bake Off) said the reactions have been both positive and negative.
"Many women have said that they've also used breast milk to make for example pancakes, but have not dared to say anything. Sometimes someone has to be the first one to say it for others to dare admit it too. It shows how shameful breast milk is still considered to be."
"Others have said things like 'yuck', 'disgusting', 'breast milk is for babies'. And these are people who drink a different kind of breast milk, from the cow, on a daily basis," she added.
Swedes gorge on saffron buns – called lussekatter or lussebullar – every year on and around December 13th, the day the saint Lucia is celebrated across the Nordic country.
So Barmer spent a few days collecting the spare milk left over from breastfeeding her young baby before she baked a batch of the buns a couple of days ahead of Lucia.
"They turned out great. If I hadn't known it was breast milk I would just have thought they were ordinary Lucia buns with a bit more sugar than usual," she said.
READ ALSO: Six things not to tell a Swede on Lucia day
While Sweden has a reputation for being tolerant and family friendly, the subject of breastfeeding has been hotly debated in recent years. Add to the equation that breast milk Lucia buns are not particularly common, and Barmer's twist on the recipe quickly went viral.
The former contestant of TV baking competition Hela Sverige Bakar (based on The Great British Bake Off) said the reactions have been both positive and negative.
"Many women have said that they've also used breast milk to make for example pancakes, but have not dared to say anything. Sometimes someone has to be the first one to say it for others to dare admit it too. It shows how shameful breast milk is still considered to be."
"Others have said things like 'yuck', 'disgusting', 'breast milk is for babies'. And these are people who drink a different kind of breast milk, from the cow, on a daily basis," she added.
Spain - Sex store depicting the iconic biblical scene gets vandalised
It’s not unusual for stores across Spain to get into the seasonal spirit with their own special version of a nativity scene in the shop window.
But when Non Sit Peccatum, a sex shop in the town of Talavera de la Reina near Toledo chose to display sex toys depicting the iconic biblical scene, it caused somewhat of fuss.
READ MORE: 12 weird and wonderful Christmas traditions celebrated in Spain
Shop owner HĂ©ctor Valdivielso commissioned an artist to paint the figures of Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus on ceramic dildos.
At first, the display proved popular and people would pause outside to take photos of the unusual nativity scene.
But it wasn’t long before it started to draw negative attention and the owner was subjected to angry outbursts by people claiming to be offended.
"A man with his wife ordered me to remove the offending scene and said that if I didn’t he would remove it himself," Valdivielso recounted on his Facebook account, adding that he was subject to a barrage of insults and had to call the police.
Next the shop sign was vandalised with the word ‘pecadores’ - sinners – and the owner discovered a group calling themselves the Children of the Virgin Mary had launched a boycott on the store.
One day a crowd of around a dozen people gathered outside the shop to harangue customers.
"It was affecting my business," explained Valdivielso. "Who wants to come to a store like this to hear a sermon?".
Last week, he withdrew the window display and replaced it with a poster inviting passersby to vote on whether he should reinstate it.
READ MORE: 12 weird and wonderful Christmas traditions celebrated in Spain
Shop owner HĂ©ctor Valdivielso commissioned an artist to paint the figures of Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus on ceramic dildos.
At first, the display proved popular and people would pause outside to take photos of the unusual nativity scene.
But it wasn’t long before it started to draw negative attention and the owner was subjected to angry outbursts by people claiming to be offended.
"A man with his wife ordered me to remove the offending scene and said that if I didn’t he would remove it himself," Valdivielso recounted on his Facebook account, adding that he was subject to a barrage of insults and had to call the police.
Next the shop sign was vandalised with the word ‘pecadores’ - sinners – and the owner discovered a group calling themselves the Children of the Virgin Mary had launched a boycott on the store.
One day a crowd of around a dozen people gathered outside the shop to harangue customers.
"It was affecting my business," explained Valdivielso. "Who wants to come to a store like this to hear a sermon?".
Last week, he withdrew the window display and replaced it with a poster inviting passersby to vote on whether he should reinstate it.
Japan’s Empress Michiko Diagnosed with Acute Bronchitis
TOKYO – Japanese Empress Michiko, 82, canceled her schedule for last weekend after she was diagnosed with acute bronchitis on Friday, a spokesman for the Imperial House said on Monday.
Emperor Akihito’s wife was expected to attend a national karate championship in Tokyo on Sunday, but instead took repose at her residence at the Imperial Palace.
After a cough and fever, Empress Michiko was diagnosed with acute bronchitis on Friday, but she does not need to be hospitalized, according to the Japanese Imperial Household.
Despite a cardiac test last year and the cancellation of some events in 2010 after suffering what was suspected to be an asthma attack, the empress seems to be in good health.
However, the health of her 82-year-old husband Emperor Akihito has been more fragile since a heart bypass operation in 2012.
Millions of Believers Gather at the Virgin of Guadalupe in Mexico City
MEXICO CITY - Carrying large idols of the dark-skinned Virgin of Guadalupe on their backs, millions of devotees of all ages on Monday visited the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, breaking any previous attendance record.
As every Dec. 12, the Calzada de Guadalupe Avenue of the capital was flooded with the tide of pilgrims who formed long lines to enter the church with excitement, faith and exhaustion.
"She is everything to us and she is so miraculous. And that's why we come here to pray for a miracle. We come to ask for a baby. I already have babies, I have three, but (...) now I want (another)," 32-year-old Noemi excitedly told EFE during her first visit to the church.
2016 marks the 485th anniversary of the Virgin Guadalupe's appearance to indigenous Juan Diego on the Tepeyac hill several times, the last time on Dec. 12.
As reported by the Secretariat of Public Security of the capital, more than 7.11 million pilgrims have come to the church this year.
The pilgrims came from all over and arrived on foot, by car or bus and even by air. Pierre Gondard came from the south of France together with a group of devotees from his country.
His emotion was evident within a few meters of being able to see the Virgin closely, with which Pope Francis shared some 20 minutes of prayer alone in February.
"We are in a march of humility and God gives what he wants to give," he reflected shortly before entering the basilica.
Around the basilica, many of the believers spent the night lying on the street on cardboard boxes.
Covered with blankets, Jorge Antonio, 11, rested a few hours after riding a bicycle for six hours to visit the virgin and "pray for the family."
With an empty stomach, he said how difficult it was to be part of this tradition of his town, Atotonilco de Tula, Hidalgo, in central Mexico, which performs the pilgrimage on bicycle since 35 years.
The group of 150 people from his town spent a few hours to sing to the dark-skinned Virgin at six o'clock in the morning and then returned to the village.
Many devotees came as a family, such as the family of Luis Martinez, who said that he came walking from the town of Amecameca, Mexico State, to pray for the health of his wife, who had undergone operations at her knee several times.
The Ministry of Public Security of Mexico City mobilized 3,200 agents and 800 auxiliary police to receive the believers.
Three "Dirty cops," Found Burned to Death in Mexico
MEXICO CITY – Three members of Mexico’s federal police were found burned to death inside a vehicle in the southern state of Guerrero, the Attorney General’s office said Friday.
The murders took place on the highway linking the Pacific coast cities of Acapulco and Zihuatanejo, the AG Office said in a statement “profoundly lamenting” the deaths.
Authorities “will carry out an exhaustive investigation to identify and detain those responsible for such regrettable deeds,” the statement said.
Mexican media outlets said the triple-murder took place around 5 pm Thursday, when a group of armed men set the officers’ vehicle on fire with the cops inside.
Left next to the burned-out vehicle was a message from the killers accusing the slain cops of ties to organized crime.
Corruption is rampant in Mexico and it is not uncommon for members of law enforcement to be on the payroll of drug cartels and other criminal outfits.
Monday, December 5, 2016
Saturday, December 3, 2016
Sherri Papini Case - Real or hoax ?
A woman at the local sheriff’s office said a hoax had not been “ruled out,” but the sheriff later said they believe the abduction was real.
In a Wednesday interview with NBC’s “Today” show, Bosenko said it appeared Papini’s cellphone and earbuds had been “neatly placed.”
“They had been set in some grass with the screen facing up, and then the earbuds to the phone were loosely coiled and appeared to be placed on the screen,” he said. “It did somewhat appear to be that it was placed there purposely.”
Friday, December 2, 2016
German Islamist spy was Spanish gay porn actor
The bizarre story of a spy for Germany's domestic secret service who was revealed to be an Islamist got even stranger when media reported on Wednesday that he was also once a gay porn star.
Both Bild and the Washington Post reported on Wednesday that the 51-year-old former employee of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) had appeared in gay porn movies before his conversion to Islam in 2014.
According to Bild, agents found the pornographic films in which he appeared while searching his home. The material is not of relevance to the investigation, but will remain a footnote to what is fast becoming the most surreal spy scandal in modern German history.
DPA reports that this is the first time that the BfV has found an Islamist among its agents.
Bild reports that the man was originally from Spain, but had later become a German citizen. Also a father of four children, he had hidden his radicalization from his family.
The agency said on Tuesday that the man had "made Islamist remarks online under a false name, and had offered internal information during online chats".
His chat partner was believed to be another BfV employee. According to the Washington Post, he gave away such precise information that the agents were quickly able to identify him and arrested him the next day.
German media had reported that he was believed to have been planning a bombing at the BfV headquarters in the western city of Cologne.
Der Spiegel and Die Welt said the suspect had partially admitted to the allegations by making references to bomb attacks carried out "in the name of Allah".
But a BfV spokeswoman told AFP that she could not confirm media reports that he was plotting an attack, saying there was no "evidence of a real danger to the office or its workers".
The Washington Post reported that a senior official from the BfV said those who interviewed the man say he may have been mentally ill, and perhaps even had multiple personalities, raising questions about how he could have been employed in the first place.
According to Bild, agents found the pornographic films in which he appeared while searching his home. The material is not of relevance to the investigation, but will remain a footnote to what is fast becoming the most surreal spy scandal in modern German history.
DPA reports that this is the first time that the BfV has found an Islamist among its agents.
Bild reports that the man was originally from Spain, but had later become a German citizen. Also a father of four children, he had hidden his radicalization from his family.
The agency said on Tuesday that the man had "made Islamist remarks online under a false name, and had offered internal information during online chats".
His chat partner was believed to be another BfV employee. According to the Washington Post, he gave away such precise information that the agents were quickly able to identify him and arrested him the next day.
German media had reported that he was believed to have been planning a bombing at the BfV headquarters in the western city of Cologne.
Der Spiegel and Die Welt said the suspect had partially admitted to the allegations by making references to bomb attacks carried out "in the name of Allah".
But a BfV spokeswoman told AFP that she could not confirm media reports that he was plotting an attack, saying there was no "evidence of a real danger to the office or its workers".
The Washington Post reported that a senior official from the BfV said those who interviewed the man say he may have been mentally ill, and perhaps even had multiple personalities, raising questions about how he could have been employed in the first place.
Fugitive British sex offender arrested in Benidorm
Spanish police said on Friday that they have arrested a British fugitive who was convicted in Britain of raping two teenage boys.
Officers arrested the unidentified man on Monday in Benidorm on Spain's eastern coast less than 24 hours after a European arrest warrant was issued for him, police said in a statement.
Spanish police said he fled to Spain after it was discovered that he sexually abused two brothers aged 14 and 16 on 22 occasions in Britain between 2007 and 2010.
"The fugitive befriended the victims' parents, who allowed him to spend time with their sons, unaware of the sexual acts the boys were subjected to," the statement said.
A British court sentenced the man in absentia to 43 years in jail for six counts of rape and several counts of sexual assault on the minors.
Spanish police had already detained him for possession of a "huge amount" of child pornography which he shared online.
Spanish police said he fled to Spain after it was discovered that he sexually abused two brothers aged 14 and 16 on 22 occasions in Britain between 2007 and 2010.
"The fugitive befriended the victims' parents, who allowed him to spend time with their sons, unaware of the sexual acts the boys were subjected to," the statement said.
A British court sentenced the man in absentia to 43 years in jail for six counts of rape and several counts of sexual assault on the minors.
Spanish police had already detained him for possession of a "huge amount" of child pornography which he shared online.
Putin Willing to Cooperate with Trump to Fight Terrorism
MOSCOW – The Russian president said on Thursday that he is ready to cooperate with the administration of United States President-elect Donald Trump in the fight against international terrorism.
During his annual State of the Nation Address to the Federal Assembly, President Vladimir Putin said “We hope to unite our forces with the United States in the fight against the real threat, not the fictional one – international terrorism.”
Putin emphasized that he is not interested in disputes or making new enemies, and wants to normalize relations with the U.S. based on commitment “to a friendly, equal dialogue, to upholding the principles of justice and mutual respect in international affairs.”
He also said that U.S.-Russia cooperation to solve global and regional issues responds to the interests of the whole world.
Putin highlighted that this task is also fulfilled by Russian soldiers fighting in Syria, and warned that “attempts to upset the strategic balance are extremely dangerous and could lead to a global catastrophe.”
As for the European Union, the head of the Kremlin said he is prepared for a dialogue to create a Eurasian union.
The Russian leader also shed light on strengthening the cooperation with Asian countries, especially China and India, but denied that this would dictate a cooling of relations with the United States or the European Union.
3 Turkish Soldiers Killed in PKK Guerrilla Attack
ISTANBUL - Three Turkish soldiers were killed and three others wounded on Friday in clashes with Kurdistan Workers' Party fighters in Hakkari province, southeastern Turkey, according to security forces.
Several PKK fighters were also injured in the crossfire, according to the semi-official Anadolu news agency.
Security forces told Anadolu that the operation was ongoing on GĂĽven mountain with the support of the Turkish air force.
Meanwhile, Turkish police arrested 16 suspected PKK members in Gaziantep province, near the Syrian border.
The PKK and the Turkish government suspended in July 2015 a ceasefire which lasted more than two years, and thousands of Kurdish fighters and hundreds of Turkish soldiers have died since.
China's Top Court Rules a Man Executed 21 Years ago Was Innocent
BEIJING - China's Supreme Court Friday revoked the sentence of a man, executed 21 years ago for raping and killing a woman in the northern Hebel province, after another man confessed to the crime.
Nie Shubin was executed in 1995 at the age of 21 years and the case resurfaced in 2005 when Wang Shujin admitted he had committed the crime.
In 2014, the Supreme Court decided to review the case and on Friday concluded that Nie was innocent.
The evidence used to sentence Nie was neither sufficient nor accurate and did not meet the conditions for a sentence, according to a statement by the court.
Nie confessed to the crime just a few days after his arrest although it appears he did it under pressure while in custody, his lawyer had said at the time.
In the statement, the Supreme Court says there are doubts regarding the veracity and legality of Nie's confession, which in principle corroborated the other evidence.
The court's decision was received with some bitterness by Nie's family, who has been proclaiming his innocence in the courts and his mother told a local daily that she was happy with the decision but that it had come too late.
In its latest report Amnesty International reported that torture continues to be a part of police routines in China, which has a very high percentage of sentences and the highest number of executions in the world, according to human rights groups.
"The overturning of the original verdict is a very positive move, and shows how some within the Chinese government - especially the Supreme People's Court - are willing to correct historic injustices," AI researcher William Nee said.
"However, this case also illustrates that the death penalty as currently applied in China is still flawed and prone to mistakes. The only way to truly ensure that tragic cases like Nie Shubin don't recur, is to stop tinkering with the machinery of death, and abolish the death penalty," he told EFE.
Monday, November 28, 2016
Trump Claims He Won Popular Vote, If “Illegal” Votes for Clinton Are Deducted
WASHINGTON – President-elect Donald Trump claimed Sunday that he not only won the electoral vote but the popular vote as well, if the “millions” of “illegal” votes cast for his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, in the Nov. 8 election are deducted from the tally.“In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally,” wrote Trump on Twitter, referring to the vote recount effort in three states being headed by Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein.
In the Nov. 8 election, Trump apparently garnered at least 270 electoral votes, which technically is all that is required to win the presidency regardless of whether or not a candidate wins the popular vote.
Trump won 290 electoral votes to Hillary Clinton’s 232, with the votes from Michigan still untallied, although Clinton beat the New York mogul by at least two million votes in the popular vote.
In his tweet, one of several that Trump has fired off in the wake of the Clinton campaign’s stating it will “participate” in the recount effort, the magnate offered no proof of the alleged irregularities he claims took place in the voting, although he said that it would have been much easier for him to win the popular vote if he had limited his campaign to three or four states.
“It would have been much easier for me to win the so-called popular vote than the Electoral College in that I would only campaign in 3 or 4 -- states instead of the 15 states that I visited. I would have won even more easily and convincingly (but smaller states are forgotten)!” said Trump in two separate tweets.
Trump said earlier Sunday on Twitter that “nothing will change” as a result of the recount campaign, adding that Clinton “conceded the election when she called me just prior to (my) victory speech and after the results were in.”
In addition, the next day, Clinton telephoned Trump to say that “we have to accept the results and look to the future,” he said, paraphrasing what she had said in one of the presidential debates.
“So much time and money will be spent – same result! Sad,” the president-elect went on to say, via Twitter.
This is the first time that Trump has claimed that illegal votes were cast for Clinton, while all during the campaign he had stated that the election was going to be “rigged” against him and threatened that he might not acknowledge the results if he lost.
According to the latest vote tally, Clinton obtained 64.22 million votes to Trump’s 62.21 million.
Stein’s campaign last Wednesday launched a fundraising effort to finance vote recounts in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan, all of which Trump apparently won by narrow margins.
Wisconsin announced on Friday that it will conduct a vote recount in response to the formal request presented by Stein and another independent presidential candidate Rocky De La Fuente.
According to the Green candidate’s campaign, there is “compelling evidence of anomalies” in voting in the three states in question and, therefore, it is necessary to verify the results in those states’ counties that depend on electronic voting machines to tally the ballots.
Clinton’s campaign, meanwhile, is backing the decision by Wisconsin authorities to conduct the recount despite saying that no irregularities have been detected in the election, and it said that it will also support recounts in Pennsylvania and Michigan if the Green Party, as expected, formally requests them.
On Saturday, Trump issued a statement in which he called the Green Party’s effort a “scam.”
Israel Bombs South Syria after IS-Linked Militant Attack
JERUSALEM - The Israeli army bombed a building in Syria used to launch an Islamic State-linked attack against a military patrol, said an army statement on Monday.
An Israeli military source told EFE that the Air Force on Sunday hit an abandoned United Nations building which had been used as an operational center by Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade, a local organization that swore allegiance to the IS.
Early Sunday morning, the IS opened machine gun and mortar fire against a Golani Brigade patrol on duty in the Golan heights, which Israel has occupied since 1967.
The Israeli army responded by bombing the vehicle the militants were driving.
The military spokesperson could not confirm the exact number of casualties during the operation.
The Golan Heights have been a hotspot of violence since the Syrian conflict began five years ago, with stray artillery shells often landing on the Israeli occupied zone.
Israel responds by returning fire against the attackers or by shelling Syrian army positions.
The last incident took place on Nov. 9, when Israeli aircraft bombed a series of Syrian positions in response to a shell that hit Israeli occupied territory.
32 Bodies, 9 Heads Found in Clandestine Graves in Southern Mexico
CHILPANCINGO, Mexico – The prosecutor’s office of the southern Mexican state of Guerrero said on Thursday they have recovered 32 bodies and nine severed heads from 20 clandestine graves in Cerro Tenanchitla in Zitlala municipality.
Roberto Alvarez Heredia, spokesperson of the Guerrero Coordination Group, made up of federal and state forces, said experts from the prosecutor’s office and the forensic medical service recovered the human remains, which were taken to the state’s capital, Chilpancingo, to start the process of identifying them.
He added although the excavations of the graves were complete, personnel from the Secretariat of National Defense will continue scanning the area for more clandestine graves.
The prosecutor’s office said in a statement that human remains were found in only 17 of the 20 clandestine graves and that none of the bodies have been identified so far nor any arrests made.
An anonymous tip-off led the police to the graves in Zitlala, where they also rescued alive a kidnap victim and recovered several abandoned vehicles
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Wolf kills beloved pet dog at farmhouse door in Galicia
Published: 22 Nov 2016 15:19 GMT+01:00
Tatiana DĂaz Fernández said she was standing in the door of her rural home in Mintiráns, near MuxĂa, when a wolf appeared from the darkness and snatched up her tiny pet.
The four-year-old dog weighed just 4 kg and was likely killed instantly in the jaws of the wolf before the wild animal bounded off into the night.
The tiny dog was a Pomeranian weighing just 4kg. Archive photo:Greg Treharne / Flickr
"I just opened the door to let the dog out so it could do its business and then, barely 30cm from my feet it was snatched by a wolf," the distressed owner told La Voz de Galicia.
It is just the latest in a spate of attacks by wolves on dogs in the area, reported the newspaper. In late October two farm dogs that lived outside in nearby A Frouxeira were found dead, having been ripped apart by wolves.
Residents in the region say they are now scared to leave their dogs outside or even let their children play in the garden.
"We know that the wolf is a very protected animal, but how can we dare live like this?" said DĂaz.
"People are scared to let their dogs go out and we are afraid for the children," she said.
The episodes highlight the fragile coexistence between farming communities and Spain’s indigenous wolf population.
Spain’s population of Canis lupus signatus, was hunted to the point of near extinction by the middle of last century but thanks to conservation efforts has made a comeback over recent decades.
There are now estimated to be more than 2,000 individual wolves from at least 250 distinct packs roaming Spain, from the mountains of the northern Spain to just 80km of Madrid in the Sierra Norte.
But farmers are not always happy about the conservation efforts complaining that the wolf attacks aredepleting their livestock. Regional governments spend tens of thousands of euros each year compensating their losses.
Iraqi government left thousands of Iraqi Sunnis civilians displaced from #Mosul,
#MosulAid
— #IRAQ شمرية العراق (@moonnor27) November 23, 2016
Iraqi government left thousands of Iraqi Sunnis civilians displaced from #Mosul, with no food, no water, no tents
shame on you pic.twitter.com/t3KEwKWiFu
Friday, November 18, 2016
Kosovo Police Arrest 19 Suspected IS Militants, Foil Terror Plans
BELGRADE – Kosovo police in the past 10 days have arrested 19 suspected Islamic State militants suspected of preparing an attack during a soccer match in neighboring Albania, police said on Thursday.
The group was planning terror attacks in Kosovo and against the national Israeli soccer team and fans, police said, as cited by Kosovo news site “Zeri.info.”
The terror plans, allegedly led by a man identified as L.M., included an attack during the World Cup 2018 qualifying round between Albania and Israel played on Nov. 12.
Albanian authorities moved the match from the city of Shkodër, northwestern Albania, to the central city of Elbasan over fears of a possible attack.
Israel won the match 3-0, amid heightened security involving over 2,000 police officers.
Of the 19 detainees, 18 were held in preventative detention.
All of the arrested were Kosovars, with the exception of a Macedonian national.
Kosovo police reportedly found 2.5 kilograms of explosives, among other weapons such as assault rifles, shotguns, pistols and munitions, as well as extremist literature.
In 2015, Kosovo – a former part of Serbia that was granted independence in 2008 – approved 15-year prison sentences for Kosovars caught fighting in a foreign conflicts.
U.S. Intelligence Chief to Step Down
WASHINGTON – The U.S. director of national intelligence, James Clapper, announced on Thursday that he will leave the post on Jan. 20, 2017, when President Barack Obama hands over the White House to Donald Trump.
“I submitted my letter of resignation last night, which felt pretty good,” the 75-year-old Clapper said during an appearance before the House of Representatives Select Committee on Intelligence.
“I got 64 days left and I think I’d have a hard time with my wife anything past that,” he said.
The retired Air Force lieutenant general signaled some time ago that he was ready to leave the government.
Clapper initially stepped away from public life in 1995, but returned to the national security sector following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Obama named him to the post of director of national intelligence in 2010.
As Washington’s spy chief, Clapper had to respond to questions and concerns about the extent of the U.S. intelligence community’s surveillance of private individuals and the issue brought him into conflict with some in Congress.
“During Director Clapper’s tenure, senior intelligence officials engaged in a deception spree regarding mass surveillance. Top officials, officials who reported to Director Clapper, repeatedly misled the American people and even lied to them,” Sen. Ron Wyden said Thursday in a statement.
In March 2013, during a hearing of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Wyden asked Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper the following question:
“Does the NSA collect any type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans?”
Clapper, who was under oath, responded “No, sir.”
“It does not?” the Oregon Democrat asked again.
“Not wittingly. There are cases where they could inadvertently perhaps collect, but not wittingly,” the director said.
Three months later, whistleblower Edward Snowden provided documents showing that the U.S. National Security Agency had collected the telephone records of tens of millions of U.S. residents.
Additional revelations detailed NSA programs to collect individuals’ Web-browsing histories, chat logs, e-mail usage and physical locations.
Mexico Urges Mexicans in U.S. to Avoid Confrontation
MEXICO CITY – Mexicans living in the United States should avoid “conflict situations,” Mexico’s government said Wednesday in a statement about dealing with the possible effects of Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election.
The triumph of the Republican real estate mogul, who launched his campaign with a speech denouncing Mexican immigrants as criminals and “rapists,” presents Mexico with a set of potentially major challenges.
In recommendations released by the Foreign Relations Secretariat, Mexican communities in the U.S. are urged “to reinforce dialogue with state and local authorities, on the understanding that local policies determine, to a great degree, the daily lives of Mexicans” north of the border.
Expats are likewise encouraged to strengthen ties with U.S. civil rights organizations.
Mexico’s government also appealed to Mexican communities in the U.S. “to avoid all situations of conflict and not to engage in actions that could lead to administrative or criminal sanctions.”
Since defeating Democrat Hillary Clinton last Tuesday, Trump has retreated from his campaign promise to deport all of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S., suggesting instead that he will expel around 3 million people.
Trump also indicated some flexibility about the exact nature of the wall he vows to erect on the U.S.-Mexico border.
The secretariat announced measures to improve communication with Mexicans in the U.S., including the creation of a 24-hour, toll-free telephone hotline to request information or report incidents.
Another response will be to expand the presence of mobile consulates in the U.S. to offer “comprehensive protection and documentation services to a larger number of people in their communities.”
The secretariat said that the embassy and consulates will make it easier to obtain identification documents, such as passports and birth certificates, for the U.S.-born offspring of Mexican citizens.
Sunday, November 13, 2016
Two Brits arrested for blowing up ATM's
Published: 11 Nov 2016 14:52 GMT+01:00
The two unnamed men were arrested during a pre-dawn raid on Wednesday at a residence in Calahonda, a resort between Marbella and Fuengirola that is popular with British expats.
Officers from the National Police in Malaga suspect the two men of carrying out robberies at 13 different ATMs in towns across the Costa del Sol during the summer.
The thieves blew up the ATMs using explosives or acetylene gas before making off with large amounts of cash.
Officers discovered hand grenades at the property as well as gas cylinders, electrical cables and other equipment used to carry out the raids.
They also found cannabis and cocaine at the property.
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