Monday, August 5, 2013

Russian blogosphere finds something fishy about Putin's pike

The Russian president purportedly caught a 45-pound pike on a recent outing. But some suspect that's a fish story.

By Fred Weir,?Correspondent / August 2, 2013

Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a big pike he caught while fishing during a mini-break in late July in the Siberian Tyva region of Russia. The Kremlin said the pike weighed in at 45 pounds, but Russian bloggers are skeptical.

Alexei Nikolsky/Presidential Press Service/RIA-Novosti/AP

Enlarge

Everybody knows that when fishermen get competitive, they are prone to start telling whoppers about the size of their catches.

Skip to next paragraph Fred Weir

Correspondent

Fred Weir has been the Monitor's Moscow correspondent, covering Russia and the former Soviet Union, since 1998.?

Recent posts

' + google_ads[0].line2 + '
' + google_ads[0].line3 + '

'; } else if (google_ads.length > 1) { ad_unit += ''; } } document.getElementById("ad_unit").innerHTML += ad_unit; google_adnum += google_ads.length; return; } var google_adnum = 0; google_ad_client = "pub-6743622525202572"; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '1'; google_feedback = "on"; google_ad_type = "text"; // google_adtest = "on"; google_image_size = '230x105'; google_skip = '0'; // -->

But when they happen to be the leaders of fraternal post-Soviet countries, those fish stories may threaten to take over news cycles, and the natural skepticism of those who hear such tales can take on unexpected political freight.

Something like this appears to have overtaken President Vladimir Putin's latest publicity stunt. When he embarked last weekend on a fishing trip to a remote region, it's likely the last thing on his mind was to fan political controversy, much less international rivalry. But he reckoned without the freewheeling Russian blogosphere, and the competitive macho instincts of his Belarussian neighbor, President Alexander Lukashenko.

Mr. Putin visited Tyva, a mountainous republic in southern Siberia, where he piloted a speedboat and, in his now familiar bare-chested style, landed a large pike with a spin-fishing rod. As usual, the Kremlin proudly posted a video of Putin holding up the massive fish and giving it a kiss, along with an entire photo album depicting that feat as well as the president's other vigorous activities.

The Kremlin announced that the fished weighed in at 21 kg, or about 45 pounds.

"I personally saw the scales and was present in the weighing. It was seriously more than 20 kg," Putin's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, was quoted as saying by the independent Interfax news agency.

Russia's pesky blogosphere hooted with derision and also produced pretty convincing evidence that the Kremlin's claim was greatly exaggerated.

One blogger used the Kremlin's own photos of the 5'7" Putin to deduce the fish's length at just under 3 feet and then employed standard fishermen's tables to calculate the fish's actual weight a mere 15.4 pounds, or barely a third of what the Kremlin had claimed.

Another took the route of publishing photos of other fishermen with their catches ? visibly bigger pikes that Putin's, yet somehow weighing half or less of what Putin's "golden fish" was claimed to be.

"The Kremlin probably weighs its fish by the same method it counts votes" in elections, one blogger sneered.

And then Mr. Lukashenko, the flamboyant president of neighboring Belarus, got into the act.

"I personally hauled in a catfish weighing 57 kilograms [126 pounds]! I caught three catfish: 57, 24, and 7 kilograms," during a recent outing on the Pripyat River, Lukashenko said in remarks carried by Belarussian state TV Tuesday.

The Kremlin did not respond. But many in Belarus must have shuddered: The Pripyat River flows from Belarus almost directly into the radioactive exclusion zone of the Chernobyl atomic power station in Ukraine, which suffered one of history's worst nuclear accidents in 1986.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/AvlaDToxPdI/Russian-blogosphere-finds-something-fishy-about-Putin-s-pike

Golden Corral Colin Kaepernick mos def Chris Pratt ramadan rick perry iOS 7 Beta 3

Iran Inaugurates President Hassan Rohani

?

Iran Inaugurates President Hassan Rohani

?

by Stephen Lendman

?

On June 14, Iranians elected Rohani decisively. He won a clear first round majority. He'll serve four years. He's head of state.

?

Obama failed to congratulate him. He hasn't recognized his legitimacy. He's a longtime distinguished leader. He's held numerous high level positions.

?

He combines diplomacy, politics and scholarship. He's called the "Diplomat Sheikh." He's written many books, articles and research papers.

?

He urges peace and reconciliation. He promises "government of hope and prudence." He pledged "constructive interaction with the world."

?

He faces enormous challenges. US/Israeli imperialism matters most. It's lawless. It's belligerent. It's destructive. It's unrelenting.?

?

It targets independent governments. It wants satraps replacing responsible leaders. It wants subservient pro-Western states in place of sovereign ones.?

?

On August 3, The New York Times headlined "Iran's President Puts New Focus on the Economy," saying:

?

On Saturday, Rohani vowed "to work with the outside world to lift 'oppressive sanctions???' " They're illegal. They harm ordinary Iranians most.

?

"People called for change and improvement in their living standards. They want to live better," said Rohani.

?

The Washington Post headlined "Iran's new president takes oath of office, asks West to abandon 'language of sanctions.' "

?

He hopes to ease economic pressure on his people. He asked foreign leaders to respect Iran responsibly. Negotiate fairly, he stressed, saying:

?

"If you seek a suitable answer, speak to Iran through the language of respect, not through the language of sanctions." ?

?

Negotiations require "bilateral trust building, mutual respect and the lessening of hostilities."

?

Sunday's inaugural was impressive. Leaders and other officials from over 50 countries attended. They did so for the first time since Iran's 1979 revolution. They came to pay respect.

?

Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei officially endorsed Rohani publicly. He did so during a Saturday ceremony.

?

Rohani promised responsible leadership. "The Iran that (its enemies) predicted would be dragged into internal dispute and face a chasm between the system and the people according to their plans created a great epic and disappointed (them) through the vibrant participation of people from all walks of life," he said.

?

Iranians expect leaders to create stability, allay their concerns, and resolve problems responsibly, he added.

?

"I believe that the power of the government lies in strengthening popular support and fulfilling the pledges made to the people. This commitment requires loyalty and honesty with the people."?

?

The electoral outcome "was not the result of a chasm between the people and the ruling system since the Iranian people chose a person as president who had serious responsibilities for years in the system of the Islamic Republic of Iran."?

?

"The election demonstrated the Iranian people's pursuit of dignity."

?

"The orientation of the administration is toward saving Iran?s economy, interacting with the world constructively, and reviving morality."

?

"We will take new steps for the elevation of the status of the Iranian people, while serving national interests, and for the removal of the sanctions."

?

He'll pursue a moderate path. He prioritizes improving living standards. He'll avoid "hasty" decisions.

?

After his speech, Ayatollah Khamenei said efforts should address economic and scientific issues.

?

"Political (ones) are also important. I approve of the comments that the respected president made in regard to dealing wisely with various international issues, political issues, issues concerning international relations, etc."?

?

"But this should be done with a wise and foresighted approach."?

?

"However, we have enemies who do not understand the language of logic."?

?

They "have been unable to undermine the foundations of the Islamic system or prevent the country from making progress."

?

He praised Rohani. He stressed his sincere efforts. He served Iran responsibly throughout the post-1979 period.

?

Friday was Quds Day. It's commemorated on Ramadan's last day. It expresses solidarity with Occupied Palestinians.?

?

It opposes Israeli control of Jerusalem. It's a universally recognized international city. It's been so since 1947. Quds is its Arabic name.

?

Rohani addressed the occasion. He was misquoted. It's done repeatedly. It's done irresponsibly.?

?

Western leaders twist his words. They do so against other independent leaders. It's done for political advantage. Media scoundrels repeat Big Lies irresponsibly. They do it repeatedly.?

?

They're addicted to lying. Perhaps they lost perspective. Maybe they can't distinguish between fact and fiction.

?

They misquoted Rohani calling Israel "a wound that???needs to be removed." Netanyahu responded saying:

?

"We are standing 100% by our (earlier) statement regarding Rohani. We knew the Iranians would hurry to deny it, but we are not retracting our statement."?

?

"Rohani has shown his true colors sooner than expected. This is what the man thinks and it is the action plan of the Iranian regime."

?

"There is a new president, but the goal of the regime has not changed - to develop nuclear weapons to threaten Israel, the Middle East and peace and security in the entire world."

?

He's unrelating. He menaces world peace. He heads a nuclear armed and dangerous regime. It's Israel's most extremist in history.?

?

It's why today is the most perilous time in world history.

Rohani's a different kind of leader. His inaugural speech showed it. So did his Quds day comments.

?

Accurately translated, he said:

?

"Quds day, which is in memorial of Imam (Khomeini), is a day that people present the unity of Islam against any type of oppression or aggression."

?

"And in any case, in our region, it is an old wound that has been sitting on the body of the Islamic world, in the shadow of the occupation of the holy land of Palestine and the dear Quds."?

?

"And this day, in fact, is a remembrance that Muslim people will not forget this historical right and will always stand against oppression and aggression."

?

He spoke accurately, responsibly and honestly. Occupied Palestine's a "wound???on the body of the Islamic world." It affects humanity.

?

It's scandalous. It's oppressive. It demands undoing. It's essential for equity, justice and peace.

?

A Final Comment

?

Since 1979, America's been hostile to Iran. Obama refuses to recognize Rohani's legitimacy.

?

On August 4, a duplicitous White House statement headlined "Statement by the Press Secretary on the Inauguration of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran," saying:

?

"On the occasion of Dr. Hojjatoleslam Hassan Rouhani?s inauguration today as the Islamic Republic of Iran's seventh president, we again congratulate the Iranian people for making their voices heard during Iran?s election."?

?

"We note that President Rouhani recognized his election represented a call by the Iranian people for change, and we hope the new Iranian government will heed the will of the voters by making choices that will lead to a better life for the Iranian people."?

?

"The inauguration of President Rouhani presents an opportunity for Iran to act quickly to resolve the international community?s deep concerns over Iran's nuclear program."?

?

"Should this new government choose to engage substantively and seriously to meet its international obligations and find a peaceful solution to this issue, it will find a willing partner in the United States."

?

Obama addressed Iranians. He spurned Rohani. He did so irresponsibly. Tehran prioritizes peace and stability.?

?

It wants equitable relations with all nations. It wants constructive change. Washington's no honest partner.

?

Permanent war is official policy. Independent governments aren't tolerated. Advancing America's imperium matters most.

?

On August 4, Syria's President Assad congratulated Rohani. He urged boosting strategic relations.

?

He stressed doing so "in all fields." He encouraged it for mutual interests. Unity's effective resistance.

?

Rohani condemned Western-sponsored terrorists. They're waging war on Syria. He's confident they'll lose. He urges peaceful conflict resolution.

?

He thanked Assad for his genuine support. He said both countries stand united. They're together against common challenges. Resistance is their best defense.

?

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.?

?

His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity."

?

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html

?

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.?

?

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

?

It airs Fridays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

?

http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour?

Source: http://warisacrime.org/content/iran-inaugurates-president-hassan-rohani

Walmart Black Friday 2012 Paula Broadwell Tilted Kilt Barbara Palvin Yahoo Fantasy Football Nick Foles Auguste Rodin

Facebook Homes Most Popular Feature Comes to the Android App

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

Source: www.asiabulletin.com --- Saturday, August 03, 2013
Android app Thursday, bringing with it one of the most popular features of Facebook Home: Cover Feed. Now Android users can take advantage of the lock screen from Facebook Home without having to download and install the Android launcher. SEE ... ...

Source: http://www.asiabulletin.com/index.php/sid/216214513/scat/d805653303cbbba8

chris bosh Chris Andersen Xbox Kawhi Leonard Shailene Woodley Kim Kardashian baby name Erik Spoelstra

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Sony Xperia Z Ultra gets its first update, minor improvements

Sony recently announced its Xperia Z Ultra phablet and the 6.4-inch beast with its Snapdragon 800 chipset is by far the most powerful device in the current market. Sony is yet to launch its monstrous phablet outside of Asia, but the company has already rolled out a firmware update for it.

The latest firmware for the Sony Xperia Z Ultra has a July 19 build date and is pretty minor. There is no change log available, so it appears its was all about squashing some of the bugs that were spotted after the market release.

The firmware update is currently available on the PC companion and is not seeding over-the-air (OTA). Sony has officially announced that the Xperia Z Ultra will be getting the latest Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update, but that's going to come later on with another update.

By the way, we have already got our hands on the gigantic Sony Xperia Z Ultra and you can check out hands-on impressions here.

Source

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_z_ultra_gets_its_first_update_brings_improvements-news-6508.php

oklahoma news brandon rios rock and roll hall of fame 2012 nascar news doppler radar colorado rockies moonshine

#Minters : Are any of you struggling to get out of debt? Here's the secret to...

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151518093576573&set=a.10150175961466573.300150.6949921572&type=1

4th of July Brad Stevens wimbledon declaration of independence fourth of july American flag Happy 4th of July

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Fossil of Dinosaur Death Match Headed for Auction

A well-preserved fossil of two dinosaurs locked in a deadly battle is expected to go for $7 million to $9 million at auction later this year, but the sale is already brewing controversy.

The Cretaceous combatants in the fossilized duel are Nanotyrannus lancensis, a tiny Tyrannosaurus rex, and Chasmosaurine ceratopsian, a close relative of the Triceratops. Both stood about 8 feet (2.4 meters) tall, measured between 25 and 35 feet (7.6 to 10.6 meters) long and suffered fatal wounds in the fight. The Chasmosaurine skull is pierced with Nanotyrannus teeth and the Nanotyrannus skull and chest seem to have been kicked in.

In announcing the Nov. 19 sale, the auction house, Bonhams, said the dinosaurs "may hold the key to answering one of the most puzzling questions for paleontologists today" ? whether Nanotyrannus represents a separate genus or just a T. rex juvenile. [Paleo-Art: Dinosaurs Come to Life in Stunning Illustrations]

"The Nanotyrannus involved in the 'Dueling Dinos' is only the second example ever found, and by far the most complete, offering the best hope to date of answering this pressing scientific question," Bonhams said in a press statement.

The fossil could be purchased by a museum or by a private individual who loans it to an institution, but it's not a guarantee that it will end up in the hands of scientists, and many paleontologists object to the sale and collection of such specimens.

Earlier this year, the fossilized skeleton of an Asian relative of T. rex known as Tarbosaurus bataar was returned to Mongolia after it showed up on the auction block (by way of the black market) and sparked an international custody battle. Unlike the Mongolia case, the dinosaur bones up for sale at Bonhams were found on private land in the United States and legally excavated by fossil prospectors. Clayton Phipps, a fossil hunter who calls himself Dino Cowboy, discovered the dinosaurs on his neighbor's land in the Hell Creek formation Montana in 2006, the New York Times reported.

Some scientists argue that high prices may encourage fossil-looting on federal lands and in places like Mongolia. They also worry that hurried excavations by commercial hunters threaten to destroy important, but less glamorous, contextual evidence, according to the Times. Jack Horner, a dinosaur paleontologist of Montana State University, was quoted as saying he considered the fossil headed for auction "worthless" since it was not collected as a scientific specimen.

Meanwhile, fossil hunters argue that they find specimens that would have otherwise been unknown to scientists or left to deteriorate. A fossil dealer involved with the "Dueling Dinos," Peter Larson of the Black Hills Institute of Geological Research, told the Times that Phipps excavated the fossils to the highest standard, saying, "I would put our skills up against any museum."

Follow Megan Gannon on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on LiveScience.com.

Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fossil-dinosaur-death-match-headed-auction-131941360.html

BET Awards 2012 4th Of July 2012 Zach Parise Spain Vs Italy Euro 2012 Pepco erin andrews erin andrews

Zimbabwe: Hello Robert Mugabe, for five more years

Rivals say President Mugabe forces stole the elections, and are calling for nonviolent protest.

By Aislinn Laing,?Correspondent / August 1, 2013

If the top brass of Robert Mugabe's political party, the Zanu PF, are correct, Mr. Mugabe will be handed another five-year term of office to add to the 33 he has already spent in power.

Skip to next paragraph

' + google_ads[0].line2 + '
' + google_ads[0].line3 + '

'; } else if (google_ads.length > 1) { ad_unit += ''; } } document.getElementById("ad_unit").innerHTML += ad_unit; google_adnum += google_ads.length; return; } var google_adnum = 0; google_ad_client = "pub-6743622525202572"; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '1'; google_feedback = "on"; google_ad_type = "text"; // google_adtest = "on"; google_image_size = '230x105'; google_skip = '0'; // -->

That result would quash the hopes, perhaps forever, of Morgan Tsvangirai, a former trade unionist who is on his third challenge to President Mugabe and has endured years of arrest and beatings by the Zimbabwean security forces for his political opposition.

There appear to be few overt clashes on the street. But tension is high over yesterday's vote that one side claims to have been rigged, even as many Zimbabweans today went about their business and seemed steeled for five more years. ?

Didymus Mutasa, a senior Zanu PF official and minister in Mugabe?s cabinet, said his party appeared to have won more than the 71 percent of the parliamentary vote they obtained at Zimbabwean independence three decades ago.

"From what we can tell from on the ground currently, we are definitely doing much better than in 1980," he said.?

He suggested that Mugabe had won big in the presidential poll. "There's no doubt that we are going to do much better than 50-plus-1 [the target for a presidential poll win that avoids a runoff] this time," he said.

Another, unnamed Zanu PF source told Reuters that they had ?buried? the Movement for Democratic Change [Tsvangirai's party]. ?We never had any doubt that we were going to win," the source said.

Riot police had gathered in Africa Unity Square, close to the MDC headquarters in downtown Harare, yesterday ? a flash point for clashes following previous, disputed elections in Zimbabwe.

Despite having been buzzing with excited party supporters wearing red t-shirts in the runup to the poll, the venerable Harvest House was closed yesterday, its metal gates firmly shut, and there was no one to be seen.?

Today, however, some campaign posters bearing Tsvangirai?s photograph and promising ?change? had been ripped down and fluttered around on the pavement.

Roy Bennett, an exiled MDC senator, issued a statement calling for a mass campaign of passive resistance.?

?There needs to be resistance against this theft. I'm talking about people completely shutting the country down - don't pay any bills, don't attend work, just bring the country to a standstill,? he said.

The MDC is also thought to be instructing lawyers to ask Zimbabwe?s Supreme Court to declare the elections invalid on the grounds that up to a million people had been denied their vote and opposition parties had been denied their legal right to examine the voters? roll before polls opened.

Tsvangirai told reporters that delayed reforms to the biased state media and security services had affected the poll, that Zanu PF supporters had been bused to voting places, and that in rural areas many voters were intimidated by traditional chiefs into supporting the party.

?This election has been a huge farce. It is a sham election that does not reflect the will of the people,? he said.

?The shoddy manner in which it has been conducted and the consequent illegitimacy of the result will plunge this country into a serious crisis.??

However, they may not get the backing from the international community that they have been calling for. America and the European Union were blocked from observing the vote and the task was handed instead to the African Union and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Although they have still to reveal their findings, SADC?s technical committee on Thursday praised Zimbabwe?s Electoral Commission for conducting?a "peaceful, credible and effective" process.

Independent election observers have, however, backed claims by Tsvangirai and his party that the electoral role had been ?systematically? tampered with.?

The Zimbabwe Election Support Network sent 7,000 observers around the country and said it was ?deeply concerned? about voter violations. Speaking at a press conference in the capital Harare yesterday, its chair Solomon Zwana said it had been much harder to vote in urban areas, where the MDC is strongest, than in rural areas, where Zanu PF holds most sway.

Mr. Zwana said it was not enough for the vote to have been peaceful. "For the election to be credible, they must offer all eligible citizens a reasonable opportunity to register to vote, to inform themselves about the candidates and for the votes to be properly counted," he said. "We are deeply concerned that for urban voters, the first three principles have been violated."

Tiseke Kasambala, from New York-based Human Rights Watch, agreed that there were ?major flaws? with the election process.

?We?ve spent weeks investigating the runup to the poll as well as informally watching the voting, and what we saw supports wider concerns raised today by local monitors,? she said. ?These flaws and irregularities call into question the credibility and fairness of the election.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/ABrC7CeGfnM/Zimbabwe-Hello-Robert-Mugabe-for-five-more-years

bks new dark knight rises trailer khloe and lamar oklahoma city thunder sunoco titanic ii babe ruth

The Jewish Press ? ? Shame On Shame

The Jewish Press ? ? Shame On Shame

Phoenix among 'most miserable sports cities'

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

Source: www.ktar.com --- Thursday, August 01, 2013
...

Source: http://www.ktar.comhttp:0//arizonasports.com/118/1652694/Phoenix-ranked-among-miserable-sports-cities

brave Stephanie Rice Meet the Pyro Karen Klein Colorado fires Summer Solstice 2012 Waldo Canyon fire

Friday, August 2, 2013

Sentencing set in Cleveland kidnap-rape case

Ariel Castro looks down during court proceedings Friday, July 26, 2013, in Cleveland. Castro, who imprisoned three women in his home, subjecting them to a decade of rapes and beatings, pleaded guilty Friday to 937 counts in a deal to avoid the death penalty. Defense attorney Jaye Schlachet is on the right. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Ariel Castro looks down during court proceedings Friday, July 26, 2013, in Cleveland. Castro, who imprisoned three women in his home, subjecting them to a decade of rapes and beatings, pleaded guilty Friday to 937 counts in a deal to avoid the death penalty. Defense attorney Jaye Schlachet is on the right. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Images from the video provided by Hennes Paynter Communications shows from left: Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight. The three women held captive in a Cleveland home for a decade broke their public silence in a 3-minute, 30-second video posted on YouTube at midnight Monday July 8, 2013. They said the support and prayers of family, friends and the public is allowing them to rebuild their lives after what Berry called "this entire ordeal." (AP Photo/Hennes Paynter Communications)

Ariel Castro looks over at the prosecutors table during court proceedings Friday, July 26, 2013, in Cleveland. Castro, who imprisoned three women in his home, subjecting them to a decade of rapes and beatings, pleaded guilty Friday to 937 counts in a deal to avoid the death penalty. In exchange, prosecutors recommended Castro be sentenced to life without parole plus 1,000 years. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Ariel Castro looks at the judge during court proceedings Friday, July 26, 2013, in Cleveland. Castro, who imprisoned three women in his home, subjecting them to a decade of rapes and beatings, pleaded guilty Friday to 937 counts in a deal to avoid the death penalty. In exchange, prosecutors recommended Castro be sentenced to life without parole plus 1,000 years. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy J. McGinty listens to court proceedings in the plea agreement of Ariel Castro, Friday, July 26, 2013, in Cleveland. Castro, who imprisoned three women in his home, subjecting them to a decade of rapes and beatings, pleaded guilty Friday to 937 counts in a deal to avoid the death penalty. In exchange, prosecutors recommended Castro be sentenced to life without parole plus 1,000 years. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

CLEVELAND (AP) ? Three months after an Ohio woman kicked out part of a door to end nearly a decade of captivity, a onetime school bus driver faces sentencing for kidnapping three women and subjecting them to years of sexual and physical abuse.

Prosecutors are expected to detail Ariel Castro's daily assaults on the women, recounted in diaries that compared the women's experience to that of prisoners of war. With the possibility of the death penalty for a forced miscarriage taken off the table, Castro stands to get life in prison plus 1,000 years on Thursday.

Cuyahoga County prosecutor Tim McGinty said in a sentencing memorandum filed Wednesday that Castro, who chained his captives and fed them only one meal a day, "admits his disgusting and inhuman conduct" but "remains remorseless for his actions."

The memorandum says many of the specific charges in Castro's indictment reflect conduct documented by one of the women in her diary.

"The entries speak of forced sexual conduct, of being locked in a dark room, of anticipating the next session of abuse, of the dreams of someday escaping and being reunited with family, of being chained to a wall, of being held like a prisoner of war ... of being treated like an animal," it says.

The sentencing could take up to four hours, court officials said, with Castro, his attorneys, his victims and prosecutors getting a chance to speak. The legal team representing the women's interests declined to comment in advance on whether they would testify or send statements to the court.

In the court filing, McGinty offered new details of Castro's treatment of the women, who he said were kept "in a state of powerlessness" through physical, sexual and psychological violence.

"He made them believe that their physical survival depended on him, and he threatened to end their lives if they did not comply with his every demand," McGinty said.

Castro lured one of the women into his Cleveland home with the promise of a puppy for her son and tricked another by saying she could see his daughter, said McGinty.

He chained his captives by their ankles, fed them only one meal a day and provided plastic toilets in their bedrooms which were infrequently emptied, the filing said.

He menaced them with a gun, threatened them with tales of other captives, some of whom hadn't made it home, and at one point locked all of them in a vehicle in his garage for three days while he had a visitor.

Castro claimed he didn't have an exit strategy from his complicated double life and finally gave the women a chance to escape by leaving a door unlocked, the court filing said.

The women, each kidnapped separately when they accepted a ride from Castro on Cleveland's blue-collar west side, quickly escaped after Amanda Berry kicked out the door panel May 6 and Castro was arrested within hours. The women disappeared separately between 2002 and 2004, when they were 14, 16 and 20 years old.

There was no comment from Castro's defense team on the eve of sentencing.

Other horrific details of the women's ordeal had already emerged, including tales of being chained to poles in the basement or a bedroom heater or inside a van, with one woman forced to wear a motorcycle helmet while chained in the basement and, after she tried to escape, having a vacuum cord wrapped around her neck.

Castro repeatedly starved and beat one of the victims each time she was pregnant, forcing her to miscarry five times.

He forced the same woman on threat of death to safely deliver the child he fathered with another victim on Christmas Day 2006. The same day, prosecutors say, Castro raped the woman who helped deliver his daughter.

Prosecutors will ask the judge to prohibit Castro from ever seeing his daughter, now 6.

McGinty says experts will also discuss how Castro was able to keep the women captive for so long.

Berry, 27, made a surprise onstage appearance at a rap concert last weekend, and a second victim, Gina DeJesus, 23, made a few televised comments as a privacy fence was being erected around her house. The third victim, Michelle Knight, 32, appeared with Berry and DeJesus in a video in early July thanking the community for its support.

___

Welsh-Huggins reported from Columbus.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-08-01-Missing%20Women%20Found/id-d551d265bc824bed9299f4969a272bc3

wilson chandler bristol motor speedway prometheus grand canyon skywalk tonga pid corned beef hash

Sony continue ses soldes d'?t? sur le Playstation Store avec une nouvelle liste...

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.facebook.com/Gamekyo/posts/10151498749305496

Daily Show provisional ballot rush limbaugh rush limbaugh karl rove Election 2012 Results polling place

Russia grants Snowden a year's asylum, summit in doubt

By Timothy Heritage and Alissa de Carbonnel

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia granted American fugitive Edward Snowden a year's asylum on Thursday, allowing the former U.S. spy agency contractor to slip quietly out of Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport after more than five weeks in limbo but angering the United States.

The White House, which wants Snowden sent home to face trial for leaking details of government surveillance programs, signaled that President Barack Obama might boycott a summit with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in September and one official said high-level talks next week were "up in the air".

"We see this as an unfortunate development and we are extremely disappointed by it," White House spokesman Jay Carney said. "We are evaluating the utility of the summit."

Snowden has avoided the hordes of reporters trying to find him since he landed from Hong Kong on June 23, and gave them the slip again as he left the transit area where he had been holed up. Almost unnoticed, he was driven away from the airport by car.

"Over the past eight weeks we have seen the Obama administration show no respect for international or domestic law but in the end the law is winning," Snowden, whose first leaks were published two months ago, was quoted as saying by the WikiLeaks anti-secrecy group which has assisted him.

"I thank the Russian Federation for granting me asylum in accordance with its laws and international obligations."

Grainy images on state television showed the 30-year-old's document, which is similar to a Russian passport, and revealed that he had been granted asylum for a year from July 31.

A Russian lawyer assisting Snowden said he had gone to a safe location which would remain secret, and that he could now work and travel freely in the country of 142 million.

State television also showed a picture of Snowden, wearing a backpack and a blue button-up shirt, getting into a grey car at the airport driven by a young man in a baseball cap.

"He is the most wanted man on planet Earth," Anatoly Kucherena, Snowden's Russian lawyer with links to the authorities, told Reuters. "He has to think about his personal security. I cannot tell you where he is going."

"He can live wherever he wants in Russia. It's his personal choice," he said.

OTHER OFFERS OF ASYLUM

Snowden, who had his U.S. passport revoked by Washington, had stayed at a hotel at the airport, Kucherena said, but was "psychologically exhausted".

"Imagine yourself daily (having to listen to) 'Dear passengers, the flight to New York, the flight to Washington, the flight from Rome'," the lawyer said.

Snowden, whose revelations have fuelled a debate in the United States about civil liberties and national security needs, was accompanied by Sarah Harrison, a WikiLeaks legal researcher.

"We would like to thank the Russian people and all those others who have helped to protect Mr. Snowden. We have won the battle - now the war," WikiLeaks said on Twitter.

WikiLeaks issued its statement as the case against Private Bradley Manning continued for releasing classified U.S. data through its website.

Snowden hopes to avoid a similar fate. Nicaragua, Bolivia and Venezuela have offered him refuge, but there are no direct commercial flights to Latin America from Moscow and he was concerned the United States would intercept any flight he took.

He was forced to bide his time in the transit area between the runway and passport control, which Russia considers neutral territory. Kucherena had given Snowden Russian books to help pass the time and says he has started learning Russian in preparation for his stay, which could be extended after a year.

"I am so thankful to the Russian nation and President Vladimir Putin," the American's father, Lonnie Snowden, told Russian state television. He is expected to come to Russia to see his son shortly.

It is not clear what Snowden plans to do in Russia, although he is said to want to travel around the country. VKontakte, Russia's answer to social networking site Facebook, has already offered him a job.

He has also received a marriage proposal by Twitter from Anna Chapman, the glamorous former agent who was deported to Russia from the United States in a Cold-War style spy swap in 2010.

STRAINS IN TIES

Russia's decision to harbor Snowden steps up the level of support he is receiving from Moscow but Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov played down concerns about the impact on relations with the United States.

"Our president has ... expressed hope many times that this will not affect the character of our relations'" he said.

But talks next week between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and their Russian counterparts were now under threat, a U.S. official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

It is not clear whether Obama might also consider a boycott of a G20 summit in Russia in September, immediately after the planned summit with Putin, or of the Winter Olympics which Russia will host in the city of Sochi next February.

Putin says he wants to improve relations with the United States that are strained by issues such as the Syrian conflict, his treatment of political opponents and foreign-funded non-governmental organizations. But he would have risked looking weak if he had handed Snowden over to the U.S. authorities.

More than half of Russians have a positive opinion of Snowden and 43 percent wanted him to be granted asylum, a poll released by independent research group Levada said this week.

Putin has said Snowden must stop anti-U.S. activities, but it was not clear whether the American had agreed to do so. Snowden has said that he does not regard his activities as hostile to the United States.

There has already been diplomatic fallout from Snowden's leaks, which included information that the U.S. National Security Agency bugged European Union offices and gained access to EU internal computer networks, even though the EU is an ally.

China, Brazil and France have voiced concern over the spying program and U.S. ties with Latin American states have been clouded.

(Additional reporting by Gabriela Baczynska, Alexei Anishchuk, Katya Golubkova and Gleb Stolyarov in Moscow, Mark Felsenthal in Washington and Andrew Osborn in London, editing by Elizabeth Piper and Michael Roddy)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fugitive-snowden-leave-moscow-airport-lawyer-115137750.html

Diwali elmo Kevin Clash Walmart Black Friday 2012 Paula Broadwell Tilted Kilt Barbara Palvin

Maskal, Armstrong headlines Urban Music Party awards | Malawi ...


By Nyasa Times Reporter

July 31, 2013 ????? 0 Comments

Email This Post?Email This Post

Two of the country?s celebrated afro-pop artists, Maskal and Armstrong have been lined up to spice up this year?s Urban Music Party (UMP) Media Awards set for Saturday 3rd August, 2013 at Nanzikambe Arts Caf? in Naperi.

Initially, the awards were expected to be given out during this year?s UMP main festival at Blantyre Culture Centre last Saturday but were deferred to this weekend after electrical problem cut cut short the event.

One of the UMP festival organizers, Ken Limwame disclosed to Nyasa Times that the awards will be given out to three media practitioners from print, radio and online as special recognition for their role in the Arts sector and enormous contribution towards the growth of urban music.

Limwame said: ?During the main festival we managed to give out the Life Time Achievers Awards to both late Vic Marley and the Black Life Entertainment. We could not proceed, however, with the event due to electrical problem, which our technicians failed to identify and rectify, and stand by generator could not help either. This is why we have decided to have a special event for the awards presentation?.

Armstong: One of the headline act

Armstong: One of the headline act

The selection of the media awardees was decided by 36 artists and 10 deejays that were nominated by the public for the UMP Festival?s Headliner voting process. Aside the awards, organizers are also set to give out medals to some of the nominated artists who missed it out during main event.

During the Nanzikambe event which will be open to the public at K500 as gate fee, the Ndamusowa star, Armstrong will share a stage with his former Nde?feyo Entertainment label mate, Maskal of Udalire and Zili ndi Iwe hits, apart from other artists.

Limwame said the media has played a pivotal role in the development of the local urban arts and culture industry, and they are influential in determining which direction it has to take.

?However their role has not been properly recognized or honoured. UMP feels by awarding selected Media practitioners for their best work will propel media excellence and in a way help develop local urban arts and culture,? said Limwame, one of the Directors for Nde?feyo Entertainment.

On UMP Festival Urban Music Party (UMP) Festival was successfully held on 27 July, 2013 at Blantyre Culture Centre (formerly French Culture Centre) with spectacle and glamour; and as organizers, we were overwhelmingly impressed with the response.

The pre-show at Chichi?s Spot Club in Chinyonga was unprecedentedly packed to the brim on Friday night and the final event as well as the after-party at Blue Elephant on Saturday night received one of the biggest crowds this year.

?And many thanks to everybody, including the sponsors, who participated in this year?s UMP Festival as well as the media, which was above the bar, working tirelessly, in ensuring that the festival was successful. After a 2 year break, we are happy that, overall, our key objectives were met. We are proud of our achievement in producing this unique festival.?

The festival was supported by Airtel Money, GOtv (Multichoice), Star Radio, Blantyre Newspapers Limited (BNL) among others. It is being organized by a team put together by Nde?feyo Entertainment and Prime Time Media.

Source: http://www.nyasatimes.com/2013/07/31/maskal-armstrong-headlines-urban-music-party-awards/

Garcinia Cambogia Little Things One Direction Bob Ross Hurricane Categories Hurricane Sandy new jersey atlantic city

TransCanada to build pipeline to Canada?s Atlantic coast

TransCanada CEO Russ Girling, right, and TransCanada president of energy and oil pipelines Alex Pourbaix announce the company is moving forward with the 1.1 million barrel-per-day Energy East Pipeline project at a news conference in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Thursday. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jeff McIntosh)

TORONTO ? Pipeline company TransCanada said Thursday it will proceed with a $12 billion plan to pipe 1.1 million barrels of oil per day from Western Canada to the country?s Atlantic coast ? moving enough oil to replace all imports in Eastern Canada and still have enough left for exporting crude overseas.

The announcement of the Energy East pipeline comes as TransCanada faces stiff environmental opposition to its proposed Keystone XL pipeline from Alberta to refineries in Texas. President Barack Obama?s initial rejection of Keystone XL went over badly in Canada, which relies on the U.S. for 97 percent of its energy exports.

The pipeline, the most expensive in TransCanada?s history, would run from Hardisty, Alberta, to Saint John, New Brunswick, ending where a new deep-water marine terminal will be built to handle the world?s largest crude-carrying vessels.

TransCanada CEO Russ Girling said Canadian producers want access to international markets but said the primary purpose of the Energy East pipeline will be to supply refineries in Eastern Canada which imports 750,000 barrels of foreign oil a day. The Canadian government said 83 percent of crude oil deliveries to Atlantic Canadian refineries and 92 percent of oil deliveries to refineries in Quebec in 2012 were imported, primarily from the Middle East, Nigeria and Angola.

Girling called it an historic opportunity to connect the oil resources of Canada?s west to eastern consumers and noted that Canadian oil could be shipped to the U.S. Eastern seaboard, Asia, including China and India, and Europe.

?It?s a bit farther to get to Asia from the East Coast than the West Coast but it can be competitive in certain circumstances,? Girling said. ?This provides them with the option and opportunity to do that.?

Canada has stepped up efforts to diversify its energy exports, but a proposal by Enbridge to build a pipeline from Alberta to Canada?s Pacific Coast that would allow for exports to Asia faces stiff environmental and aboriginal opposition.

TransCanada?s Energy East pipeline has broad political support in Canada, however, and is far more likely to be approved than Enbridge?s proposed pipeline to Canada?s Pacific Coast, where the fear of oil spills is especially acute in British Columbia, with its snowcapped mountains and deep-ocean inlets.

All three pipelines require approval. The $7 billion Keystone XL pipeline has become a contentious issue in the United States. Project supporters, including unions and lawmakers from both parties, tout the jobs it would create and demand its approval, while environmentalists urge the president to reject it, saying it would carry dirty, carbon-intensive oil.

The State Department expects to issue a final report on Keystone XL later this year on whether the project should move forward. The department has authority over the pipeline because it crosses a U.S. border.

New pipelines are critical to Canada, which needs infrastructure in place to export its growing oil sands production from northern Alberta. The region has the world?s third largest oil reserves, with 170 billion barrels of proven reserves. Daily production of 1.5 million barrels from the oil sands is expected to increase to 3.7 million in 2025. Only Saudi Arabia and Venezuela have more reserves.

A lack of pipelines and a bottleneck of oil in the U.S. Midwest reduced the price of Canadian crude in recent years and led to a boom in transporting oil by train. A fiery train derailment that killed 47 in Quebec last month highlighted the danger of moving oil by rail.

Source: http://fuelfix.com/blog/2013/08/01/transcanada-to-build-pipeline-to-canadas-atlantic-coast/

Texas explosion Paul Kevin Curtis gucci mane Chicago sinkhole Panda Express illuminati illuminati