Pentagon Doesn't Know Status of All of Its Trained Fighters in Syria Thursday August 6th, 2015 at 4:33 PM
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The Pentagon can’t account for some of the Syrian fighters who went through its training program, defense officials said Thursday, nearly a week after the group’s compound came under attack in northern Syria.
 Fox News |
Prosecutor: Mexican Suspect Was at Apartment Where 5 Slain
New York Times MEXICO CITY — A man suspected in the killings of a Mexican photojournalist and four women has acknowledged being in the apartment where the slayings occurred, Mexico City's top prosecutor said Thursday. Prosecutor Rodolfo Rios told the Televisa ... Mexican suspects says he was at house where 5 slainFox News Suspect confesses to role in killings of Mexican photojournalist, 4 womenFox News Latino Police arrest serial rapist for brutal murder of Mexican journalist after his ...Daily Mail Al Jazeera America-The Yucatan Times all 105 news articles » |
 The Nation |
'No Difficulty' for France to Find Mistral Buyers: Francois Hollande
NDTV Ismailiya, Egypt: French President Francois Hollande said on Thursday there would be "no difficulty" in finding new buyers for two Mistral warships that had been sold to Russia before Paris scrapped the deal. Paris refused to deliver the warships to ... 'No Warships For You,' France Tells RussiaHuffington Post 'No difficulty' for France to find Mistral buyers: HollandeChannel News Asia France Seeking New Buyers for Mistral WarshipsABC News Financial Times -Voice of America -Economic Times all 270 news articles » |
Egypt Launches Suez Canal Expansionby webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)
Egypt has opened a major expansion of the Suez Canal that President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has billed as an historic achievement needed to boost the country's ailing economy after years of unrest.
Russian 'Food Crematoria' Provoke Outrage Amid Crisisby webdesk@voanews.com (Reuters)
Russian government plans for mass destruction of banned Western food imports have provoked outrage in a country where poverty rates are soaring and memories remainof famine during Soviet times. Even some Kremlin allies are expressing shock at the idea of "food crematoria" while one Orthodox priest has denounced the campaign, which officially began on Thursday, as insane and sinful. However, the authorities are determined to press on with destroying illegal imports they consider...
State Department officials faced sharp questions from U.S. lawmakers after reports surfaced that America’s annual report on global human trafficking had been adjusted to further the Obama administration’s international agenda. VOA's Michael Bowman reports the controversy caught the attention of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Originally published at - http://www.voanews.com/media/video/2904325.html
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NBCNews.com |
FBI Releases Surveillance Video Hoping to Solve Boston Art Heist
NBCNews.com The FBI is hoping a jerky black-and-white surveillance video will lead to a break in one of America's major unsolved mysteries — who was behind the world's biggest art heist? A pair of men entered Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum on March 18, ... New video released in infamous 1990 Boston art heistCBS News FBI hopes grainy video will help solve 25-year-old $500 million art heistReuters New video released by FBI in 25-year-old art heist at Boston's Isabella ...New York Daily News Boston Globe -Boston.com all 104 news articles » |
 Wall Street Journal |
Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane Charged With Obstruction, Perjury
Wall Street Journal Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane was criminally charged Thursday with violating grand jury secrecy laws, for allegedly leaking details of an investigation to embarrass a political foe and then lying about the matter under oath. Montgomery ... The Latest: Pennsylvania Attorney General to Fight ChargesABC News Attorney General Kane Charged In Grand Jury Leak InvestigationCBS Local Pennsylvania attorney general charged in grand jury leakChicago Tribune Pittsburgh Post-Gazette-PennLive.com -WTAE Pittsburgh all 152 news articles » |
 Chron.com |
US Senate leader McConnell: Obama's choice on Iran deal 'absurd'
Reuters WASHINGTON Aug 6 U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday rejected President Barack Obama's pitch for the Iran nuclear deal, saying it was "absurd" to argue that lawmakers' must essentially choose between the agreement or going to ... Mitch McConnell eyes breakthroughs in thor...Washington Times McConnell: Obama 'gambling' with Iran dealThe Hill (blog) Taking bow for summer, Congress leaves clashes for fallPhilly.com MinnPost all 224 news articles » |
 Reuters |
Obama's choice on Iran deal 'absurd': Senate leader McConnell
Reuters WASHINGTON U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday rejected President Barack Obama's pitch for the Iran nuclear deal, saying it was "absurd" to argue that lawmakers must essentially choose between the agreement or going to war. Flake stands out as truly undecided GOP senator on Iran dealThe Seattle Times all 136 news articles » |
 CNN |
McConnell vows full debate on Iran, promises no government shutdown
CNN Washington (CNN) Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell vowed Thursday to hold a full, comprehensive debate in September on the Iran nuclear deal during a rare press conference ahead of Congress' August recess. He also said there would be no ... UPDATE 1-US Senate leader McConnell: Obama's choice on Iran deal 'absurd'Reuters Sen. McConnell To Obama: 'Tone Down The Rhetoric' [VIDEO]Daily Caller Latest from IranPress TV all 235 news articles » |
If you’re familiar with Norway’s Bastoy Prison, you’re likely also aware of its reputation as one of the world’s nicest place to be locked up. Situated on a plus one-square-mile island, Bastoy features no walls or fences or cells, instead treating inmates to tennis courts, beaches and a sauna. It’s all part of the Scandinavian country’s emphasis on humane rehabilitation rather than harsh punishment.
But for one convicted sex offender in his 20s, the luxuries of Bastoy just weren’t enough. The inmateset sail from the island on a surfboard, using a plastic shovel to paddle less than two miles to the mainland. He has yet to be recaptured.
Escape attempts are rare at Bastoy, which was founded in 1982 and hosts approximately 115 inmates, partly because of its unparalleled amenities and partly because those who are subsequently caught have little chance of returning. Escapees are usually placed in one of Norway’s high-security facilities.
Bastoy is also notable for the amount of freedom it provides even high-level offenders: many of the prisoners are murderers, rapists and drug traffickers. Even so, the Norwegian approach appears to have proven largely effective. As of 2012, Bastoy had a recidivism rate of just 16% in the two years following prisoners’ release, compared with 43% over three years in the U.S., according to a 2011 study.
Perhaps most remarkable is the prison’s reaction to escapees:
When inmates come to his island jail, [Arne Kvernvik] Nilsen, the governor, gives them a little talk.Among the wisdom he imparts is this: If you should escape and make it across the water to the free shore, find a phone and call so I know you’re OK and “so we don’t have to send the coast guard looking for you.”
It’s unclear whether the recent escapee paid the prison that particular courtesy.
[Reuters]
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Massachusetts high court strikes down law that barred false statements in political campaigns
There are only limited options for watching the Republican debate online.
More than 21 years after a bomb ripped through a Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires, ex-President Carlos Menem, a former top judge and several other officials are on trial for allegedly derailing the investigation into the South American nation’s worst terrorist attack.
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Former Argentine President Carlos Menem failed to appear Thursday at the opening of his trial for allegedly conspiring to derail an investigation into the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires.
IMU Declares It Is Now Part Of The Islamic Stateby support@pangea-cms.com (Merhat Sharipzhan)
The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) is not only allied to the Islamic State (IS) group, it now considers itself part of it.
Russian officials have used a steamroller to crush tons of cheese, fruit, and vegetables -- defying public outrage to begin a controversial effort to destroy Western food that has been smuggled into the crisis-hit country.
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'Crazy, Stupid, Mean': Russia Slammed For Destroying Food Rather Than Feeding Poorby support@pangea-cms.com (Yevgenia Nazarets, Aleksandr Gostev, Farangis Najibullah)
As Russian authorities began to carry out their threat to crush, burn, and bury banned Western food imports, critics continued to urge them to feed the poor instead.
Russian officials on August 6 used a steamroller to crush tons of cheese, fruit, and vegetables -- defying public outrage to begin a controversial effort to destroy Western food that has been smuggled into the crisis-hit country.
Russia Destroys Piles of Banned Western Foodby ANDREW E. KRAMER
Russian officials ramped up enforcement of a ban instituted a year ago in retaliation for Western sanctions over Ukraine.
The infant lions have been adopted by their new pride leader, under the watchful eye of their uncle Jericho, in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe.
After the international outrage over the story of Cecil the lion, video footage has been released of Cecil's cubs. Report by Asana Greenstreet.
Joint Staff's unclassified system was the victim of a "sophisticated" intrusion in late July
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Researchers in the US have used artificial intelligence to better understand the military strategy of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
APNewsBreak: Email leak suggests Ecuador spied on opposition by By FRANK BAJAK and RAPHAEL SATTER
LIMA, Peru (AP) -- Ecuadorean opposition activist Dr. Carlos Figueroa was being pursued by the state when his email and Facebook accounts were hacked. Several dozen of his colleagues have similarly had their digital lives violated. All blamed President Rafael Correa's government, but no one had proof....
The Latest on Charlotte officer's manslaughter trial: Fellow officer questioned about shooting
Richmond police: White officer recovering after shootout with armed black man who was killed
"If you want to own 1.4 million vehicles... that's it," researcher says.
Health Officials: Child camping in Yosemite contracts plague, prompting investigation
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The Russian government launched a brutal crackdown on cheese in a display of culinary nationalism that marked a tightening of a year-old ban on Western agricultural products.
RAFAH, Gaza — Four people were killed and at least 43 injured here Thursday after an explosion near the ruins of a house that was destroyed last summer in an Israeli airstrike, according to Gaza health officials.Read full article >>
Footage from local news outlet Al-Ekhbariya shows Saudi Arabian forensic teams investigating the site of a suicide bombing in Abha. The blast happened in a mosque during Thursday’s midday prayers and killed at least 13 people as well as injuring a further 9. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack yet
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Photos appear to show bulldozer and oil spills at the controversial Parchin military base
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Palestinian driver also seriously hurt in incident close to scene of recent arson attack after his car overturns when Israeli forces open fire
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Larger-than-life Trump's presidential campaign will likely eventually implode, but not before damaging the Republican Party's chances in the national elections, its leaders fear
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According to a report Mr Bush made disparaging remarks about his rival for the Republican presidential nomination
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"Merkeln," a new verb meaning to do nothing or fail to make decisions is to enter the German language
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France, Russia Void Mistral Warship Dealby webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)
France's defense minister announced Thursday that his government reached an agreement with Russia to cancel the contract for the sale of two Mistral-class warships. Jean-Yves Le Drian said France would fully reimburse what Russia had already paid for the contract, without mentioning the specific amount. As part of Western sanctions for Moscow's annexation of Crimea and apparent support for pro-Russian insurgents in Ukraine, France suspended the delivery of the first warship...
Saudis Reinforce Troops Battling Yemen Houthi Rebelsby webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)
Saudi Arabia is boosting its efforts to defeat Iranian-backed Houthi insurgents in war-torn Yemen, sending in more heavy weaponry and troops in recent days. One Yemeni military source told the French news agency that Riyadh has sent in dozens of tanks, armored vehicles and personnel carriers during the past 48 hours via Wadia, a border post in northern Yemen. Several days ago, 2,800 Arab coalition troops landed in Yemen. Most were Saudi forces - special-operations, intelligence and...
ISMAILIA, Egypt (Reuters) - Egypt staged a show of international support on Thursday as it inaugurated a major extension of the Suez Canal which President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi hopes will power an economic turnaround in the Arab world's most populous country.
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - A Pakistani military helicopter being used as an air ambulance crashed near the northern district of Mansehra on Thursday, and the 12 people on board were feared dead, military officials said.
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CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan supermarkets are increasingly being targeted by looters as swollen lines and prolonged food shortages spark frustration in the OPEC nation struggling with an economic crisis.
MOSCOW (Reuters) - The main Western-backed Syrian opposition, long distrustful of Russia over its backing of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, is due to visit Moscow next week amid a renewed diplomatic push to settle the conflict, a source and Russian wires said.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and it allies conducted 27 air strikes against Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq on Wednesday, the U.S. military said.
A man who was already wanted in a second-degree murder case is now the key suspect in the shooting death of a Louisiana police officer, authorities said Thursday, as they vowed to "scour the Earth" to find him....
NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) -- Pennsylvania's attorney general was charged Thursday with leaking secret grand jury information to strike back at her critics, then lying about it under oath, in a case that could spell the downfall of the state's highest-ranking female politician....
The historian Robert Conquest, who has died at the age of 98, is credited by many as the first to reveal the extent of the horror of Joseph Stalin's regime. His books had a powerful effect on communists in the West, writes Stephen Evans.
If you were brought up in a communist home, Robert Conquest's books really were a revelation.
In my case, two of my grandparents were members of the Party (as it was invariably called without ever needing to say which party). My father's father joined not that long after 1917's October Revolution in Russia and stayed faithful (it's the right word) through the invasions of Hungary and Czechoslovakia, unshaken by every revelation and counter-revolution.
At my grandfather's dinner table in Bedlinog, south Wales, debate was intense but futile. It was like arguing with the most devout of religious believers. Whatever came down as the line in Soviet Weekly or the Morning Star stood as gospel.
He had the collected works of Stalin on his shelf (not obviously worn with reading). When my grandmother opined at the dinner table that there must be at least some crime in the Soviet Union, her husband told her to "stop her bloody lies".
My father remembered the relief he felt as a young boy in the mining village when Hitler turned on Stalin in 1941 and invaded the land of his former partner-in-crime. Before that, the family had feared internment. But now the Red Army suddenly became allies of Britain and communists became the most vociferous supporters of the cause. According to his son, my grandfather, a communist councillor, received extra petrol rations to tour the Valleys drumming up support for the war effort.
This religious atmosphere continued, and it was not un-typical during the Cold War. Any doubt cast on the achievements of the Soviet Union was simply dismissed as "Cold War propaganda". When a notable dissident was imprisoned in a mental hospital, the view was that he must be mad if he doubted the merits of Soviet socialism.
So for those of us who did have doubts, Robert Conquest's The Great Terror: Stalin's Purge of the Thirties was an extraordinary work.
It was a book which changed minds and dispelled doubt (mine included) when it was published in 1968, the year of the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in response to the liberalisation of the Prague Spring.
It laid out facts without adornment so they could speak for themselves, spelling out in clear language the detail of the purges and the executions. Fellow travellers of the Soviet Union sneered - and perhaps still sneer - but they couldn't find factual errors because Conquest's research was so meticulous.
Joseph Stalin
- Born Iosif (Joseph) Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili he adopted the name Stalin which meant "man of steel"
- He studied to be a priest but left the seminary after failing to turn up to his exams
- After Lenin's death he ruthlessly promoted himself to become dictator of the Soviet Union
- In Stalin's Great terror around 750,000 people were summarily killed
- Stalin played a decisive role in Nazi Germany's defeat in WW2
When Soviet archives were finally opened up, Conquest's descriptions remained unimpaired. There could be debate about numbers - the precise number of millions of Stalin's victims - but not about the bulk of the facts presented.
Even into the 1960s, it had seemed to many like there was a battle of equal ideas. But then came Robert Conquest's descriptions of Soviet reality.
We were told clearly how hundreds of thousands of people were shot by the Soviet secret police in a matter of months in 1937 and 1938. We learned how the purges of officers by a paranoid Stalin were so fierce that the fighting ability of the Red Army was jeopardised.
Conquest described how on a single day, 12 December 1937, Stalin and his henchman, Molotov, personally approved death sentences on 3,167 people - and then went to the cinema.
The detail was unanswerable.
And then Conquest did it again, with The Harvest of Sorrow: Soviet Collectivization and the Terror-Famine about the famine in Ukraine in 1932-33, caused by a foolish and vindictive agricultural policy driven beyond destruction by Stalin.
Conquest documented coolly what happened in individual villages. He described the cannibalism and starvation.
In the pre-war era, the great Welsh journalist, Gareth Jones, travelled through Ukraine and saw the truth of the famine, publishing articles in 1933. But bigger voices were against him, like the New York Times Moscow correspondent, Walter Duranty, who parroted Stalin's propaganda.
Duranty wrote in that august newspaper that there was no famine: "Conditions are bad, but there is no famine". And then of Stalin's policy, he invoked the notorious phrase: "You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs."
When Robert Conquest's books came out, it became undebatable that Duranty was wrong and Jones was right.
There was about the Cold War an element of faith - disillusioned communists talked of the god that died. But for the ultra-faithful, no doubt could dent the belief even as the evidence mounted before their own eyes.
When Stalin was finally denounced by Nikita Khrushchev in 1956, my grandfather became ill with a nervous condition. The collected works of Stalin were moved behind the television.
My grandfather died just as the Soviet Union collapsed. He was too confused in his old age to realise that his god had died. He never read Robert Conquest's books - he would have seen them as the most despicable Cold War propaganda.
It is said that the Mexican writer Octavio Paz said that Conquest's books "closed the debate" on Stalinism. They ended the argument. That isn't true. Nostalgia for the monster remains, perhaps even in Russia today.
But Conquest's books did open the eyes of those with minds to open. I know. I remember.
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