Author: Sunfire

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BEIRUT (AP) — The United Nations faces “a problem” in shipping humanitarian aid into Syria, the U.N. envoy for the war-torn country said Thursday, pinning the blame on the lack of authorization from Bashar Assad’s government that has even disappointed Russia, the Syrian president’s key backer.

Staffan de Mistura said a U.S.-Russia-brokered cease-fire deal agreed on last week has largely reduced the violence since it came into effect on Monday, but the humanitarian aid flow that was expected to follow has not materialized.   Continue reading “UN has ‘problem’ getting aid to Syria: lack of government OK”

Mail.com

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A former Filipino militiaman testified before the country’s Senate on Thursday that President Rodrigo Duterte, when he was still a city mayor, ordered him and other members of a liquidation squad to kill criminals and opponents in gangland-style assaults that left about 1,000 dead.

Edgar Matobato, 57, told the nationally televised Senate committee hearing that he heard Duterte order some of the killings, and acknowledged that he himself carried out about 50 deadly assaults as an assassin, including a suspected kidnapper fed to a crocodile in 2007 in southern Davao del Sur province.   Continue reading “Witness says Philippine president ordered killings of 1,000”

Mail.com

JEFFERON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri’s Republican-led Legislature was poised to significantly relax the state’s gun laws and tighten its voting requirements as it prepared to convene Wednesday for a short session devoted to overriding vetoes made by Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon.

The sweeping guns legislation would allow most adults to carry concealed weapons without needing a permit while also expanding people’s right to defend themselves both in public and private places. The elections law change would require people to show a government-issued photo ID at the polls, if voters also approve a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot.   Continue reading “Gun rights, voting restrictions up for overrides in Missouri”

Mail.com

CHICAGO (AP) — The biggest street-gang trial in recent Chicago history starts in earnest Wednesday, with months of testimony expected to provide a rare look inside the gangland activity fueling deadly gun violence in the nation’s third-largest city.

On trial for federal racketeering charges are six purported leaders of the Hobos gang who prosecutors say murdered, maimed and tortured their way into controlling the most lucrative drug markets on the city’s South Side.   Continue reading “Openings set in major Chicago gang trial focused on killings”

Mail.com

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon man and his girlfriend accused of intentionally running down a black teen after an altercation in a convenience store parking lot face new hate crime charges alleging they targeted the victim because of his race.

Russell Orlando Courtier, 38, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges of first- and second-degree intimidation in the death of Larnell Malik Bruce, court documents say. Colleen Hunt, 35, who was in the passenger seat, pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree intimidation.   Continue reading “Police: Death of black teen run down in Oregon hate crime”

Mail.com

OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea (AP) — The United States on Tuesday sent two nuclear-capable supersonic bombers streaking over ally South Korea in a show of force meant to cow North Korea after its recent nuclear test and also to settle rattled nerves in the South.

The B-1B bombers, escorted by U.S. and South Korean jets, were seen by an Associated Press photographer as they flew over Osan Air Base, which is 120 kilometers (75 miles) from the border with North Korea, the world’s most heavily armed. The bombers were likely to return to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, without landing in South Korea.   Continue reading “US flies bombers over SKorea in show of force against North”

Mail.com

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — For the first time, farmworkers in California will soon be entitled to the same pay as other hourly workers after California’s governor signed an expansion of a labor policy.

Gov. Jerry Brown’s announcement came decades after labor leader Cesar Chavez and the thousands of farmworkers he organized pushed officials to recognize the union of agricultural laborers. The legislation will require that farm employers pay workers one and one-half times regular wages pay after eight hours in a day or 40 hours in a week, rather than the rate enacted in 1975 of 10 hours in one day or 60 hours in a week.   Continue reading “California expands already historic farm overtime policy”

Mail.com

BEIRUT (AP) — The Syrian cease-fire appeared to be holding on Tuesday despite sporadic and minor violations of the U.S. and Russian brokered truce, which is aimed at paving the way for the delivery of humanitarian aid and the revival of peace talks.

The deal, hammered out by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov last week, officially came into effect at sunset on Monday. The Syrian army said it would abide by the cease-fire until midnight Sunday, while maintaining its right to defend itself against any violations.   Continue reading “Syria cease-fire holding, with only minor violations”

RT

A Russian policeman held at gun point defied his captors who were demanding that he call on his fellow officers to quit on camera. His final moments were found on his busted killers’ mobile phones and now the authorities want to award him, posthumously.

Magomed Nurbagandov, 31, was a police lieutenant serving in the turbulent southern Russian region of Dagestan. On July 10, a group of four militants walking through a forest stumbled upon him and his cousin Abdurashid.   Continue reading “‘Keep working, brothers’: Dagestan cop defies militants seconds before execution”

Mail.com

HOUSTON (AP) — Miguel Moll knew the risk of rape when he was thrown into a Texas jail in 1989 after joyriding in a stolen car. Then 17, he was placed in a holding pen in Houston, and an older inmate said of the teenager, “I got this one.” The comment sparked the first of many fights Moll had while behind bars.

“The mentality you have to develop very quickly is either that of a wolf or that of a lamb,” he recalled. A generation later, the federal government has adopted guidelines intended to prevent prison rape in part by separating young offenders from adult inmates. But four years after the rules were supposed to take effect, they are proving difficult to adopt in the nation’s crowded jails and penitentiaries.   Continue reading “Jails, prisons still trying to meet federal anti-rape rules”

Mail.com

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A group of six Gulf Arab countries expressed “deep concern” Monday over a bill passed by the U.S. Congress that would allow families of Sept. 11 victims to sue the government of Saudi Arabia over the attacks.

The head of the Saudi-dominated Gulf Cooperation Council, Abdullatif al-Zayani, said in a statement that the legislation runs against the principles of international law and sets a dangerous precedent for foreign relations.   Continue reading “Gulf states hit back at Sept. 11 Saudi lawsuit legislation”

ABC News

A man who was arrested on drug charges with $171 in his pocket has been told he’ll have to pay a $175 filing fee to try to get the money back.

The Hudson County prosecutor’s office included Jermaine Mitchell in a civil action against 21 defendants charged with similar crimes to go after the money through civil forfeiture, NJ.com reported ( http://bit.ly/2c1lNog ). Prosecutors have said the money was either the proceeds of a criminal enterprise or would soon be used in one.   Continue reading “Drug Suspect Must Pay $175 to Get Back $171 Seized by Police”

RT

The BBC is seeking additional funding to expand in the Russian-speaking media space, while admitting the gains made by RT. Former MP George Galloway believes this is a sign that the mainstream media are afraid of the increasing influence of RT.

The BBC World Service has prepared written evidence into Britain’s relations with Russia. Covering the media landscape in Russia and the scope of BBC operations there, the report goes on to state that “the Kremlin is expanding its international media operations.”   Continue reading “‘MSM afraid of RT as more people turn to its common-sense reporting’ – George Galloway on BBC report”

Mail.com

NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. (AP) — A police chief showed video of a Nevada homicide suspect breaking a set of handcuffs before climbing onto a chair to remove a ceiling tile and escape from a North Las Vegas police interview room.

Alonso Perez is seen twisting and muscling the hinge of the handcuffs attaching his right wrist to a metal bar on a table bolted to the floor of the North Las Vegas police office he escaped last Friday.   Continue reading “Police video shows slaying suspect breaking cuffs, escaping”

Mail.com

SEATTLE (AP) — A teenager rode her bicycle through a mall parking lot when an off-duty officer working for a private security company pulled her down, threw her to the ground and shocked her with a stun gun.

Caught on surveillance video , the 2014 encounter with the girl, who is black, drew outrage. She initially was charged with assaulting an officer before the case was dropped. Now, she’s targeting his Washington state police department in a newly expanded lawsuit.   Continue reading “Girl on bike sues after off-duty officer throws her down”

RT

Not only the $400 million debt, but also the $1.3 billion interest on it was paid by the US to Iran in foreign currency and in cash this year, the US Treasury acknowledged.

wo planeloads full of Swiss francs, euros, and other currencies followed the initial cash payment to Iran to settle the debt dating back to 1979, the Obama administration confirmed. The planes flew on January 22 and February 5 from Europe, the White House reportedly said in a briefing it gave lawmakers after they returned from their summer recess.   Continue reading “US made entire $1.7 bn payment to Iran in foreign cash – Treasury”

RT

Children in Orlando, Florida as young as three may get a little Disney magic right at the entrance to the park, as they will now be required to have their fingers scanned, local media reports. The anti-fraud measure has been slammed as a violation of privacy on social media.

“Walt Disney World has begun requiring children from 3 to 9 years old to have their fingers scanned when they enter the theme parks, just like older kids and adults,” the Orlando Sentinel, the first to report on the measure, said.    Continue reading “Not so magic: Disney World starts scanning fingers of kids ‘as young as 3’”

Mail.com

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The board regulating Alaska’s fledgling legal marijuana industry is expected to approve licenses this week for the state’s first retail marijuana outlets. The state’s Marijuana Control Board also is expected to discuss whether certain retail stores will be given permission to have areas where customers can light up — a key issue since tourists and others would otherwise be prohibited from doing so in public.

Here is a look at where Alaska stands on marijuana sales: Q: WHAT’S HAPPENED SO FAR? A: Regulators have been writing rules for the industry since last year, after a voter initiative approved recreational use of marijuana by those 21 and older. The Marijuana Control Board has approved about 50 licenses for marijuana business operators so far, but no licenses have been approved yet for retail outlets.   Continue reading “Alaska pot regulators poised to approve retail licenses”