Mainstream News

Texas cop fired for shooting 41 times at suspect, killing him

"A Texas police officer who fired 41 shots at a chase suspect in August has been fired. Michael Allen, 25, was shot and killed after a high-speed chase that began in Garland and ended in Mesquite, Texas. Allen was wanted on suspicion of eluding police in Sasche a few days earlier. Garland police spokesman Officer Joe Harn said Tuter violated the department's general order of use of force and its pursuit protocol. The department at first said that Tuter opened fire in fear of his life, but dashboard camera video raised concerns after it showed that Tuter had rammed Allen's truck and fired 41 shots after he cornered Allen. Tuter reloaded twice, police said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTexas cop fired for shooting 41 times at suspect, killing him

Bin Laden son-in-law court appearance reignites debate over handling of terrorism cases

"With the surprise appearance in a New York courtroom of Osama bin Laden’s son in law on Friday, the US justice system’s handling of terrorism cases itself went back on trial. Until now, alleged Al-Qaeda figures have been more likely to be blown apart by a missile from a US drone or to disappear into the netherworld of secret CIA or secretive military prisons, before resurfacing in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. But on this occasion, Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, accused of conspiring to kill US nationals, was arraigned in a wood-paneled Manhattan federal courtroom, accompanied by three lawyers and witnessed by the media." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBin Laden son-in-law court appearance reignites debate over handling of terrorism cases

U.S. diplomat warns of global effort to curb Internet freedom

"A number of countries are aggressively trying to control the Internet, a top US diplomat cautioned Thursday, insisting Washington would give no ground when it comes to curbing freedoms on the Web. The fact that many countries appeared to be investing heavily, 'billions and billions of dollars', in next generation surveillance technologies was an indication of their intentions to clamp down on Internet freedoms, Ross warned. The clamp-down was coming amid a clear shift of power all over the world from governments and other state hierarchies towards citizens and networks of citizens, he said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingU.S. diplomat warns of global effort to curb Internet freedom

Saudi rights activists given heavy jail terms

"A Saudi court on Saturday dissolved a human rights group and handed down heavy jail terms to two of its members. He also upheld a six-year prison term for one the group’s members, Abdullah al-Hamed, by a court of first instance, while also handing him a new five-year sentence and an 11-year travel ban to come into force when he leaves jail. Another rights activist with the ACPRA, Mohammed Gahtani, was jailed for 10 years and banned from travelling for 10 years. The defendants were convicted of violating a law on cybercriminality by using Twitter to denounce various aspects of political and social life in the ultra-conservative kingdom." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSaudi rights activists given heavy jail terms

Indian starving children’s fund used to fix buses

"A fund of millions of dollars raised to help malnourished children in western India has been diverted to maintain public buses, a report said on Friday. The 'Child Nutrition Surcharge' was set up 16 years ago to collect a small percentage of each bus ticket fare in major cities in Maharashtra state, where thousands of children die from malnutrition each year. But public transport officials say that millions raised have yet to be transferred to the state treasury because they allegedly need the funds to maintain buses and keep them on the road, the NDTV news channel reported." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIndian starving children’s fund used to fix buses

US drugs prosecutors switch sides to defend accused Colombian traffickers

"US prosecutors and other senior officials who spearheaded the war against drug cartels have quit their jobs to defend Colombian cocaine traffickers, saying their clients are not bad people and that United States drug policy is wrong. Senior former assistant US attorneys and Drug Enforcement Administration agents are turning years of experience in investigating, indicting and extraditing narcos to the advantage of the alleged traffickers they now represent. Feitel and Klapper spoke of recognising the humanity of their clients and called for alternatives to a four-decade-old 'war on drugs' which costs billions of dollars and incarcerates thousands." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUS drugs prosecutors switch sides to defend accused Colombian traffickers

2 Miami police officers arrested on ID- theft, tax-refund charges

"Malinsky Bazile, a young Miami police officer, pocketed about $140,000 over the past two years — but not in salary for his patrol duties, authorities say. While on duty, Bazile ran the names of more than 1,000 people in the state driver’s license database, according to a criminal complaint. Then he took their personal information and filed bogus federal income-tax returns, all to score stolen refunds. Bazile and fellow officer Vital Frederick, separately accused of tapping into the same database, were both arrested Thursday." Continue reading →

Continue Reading2 Miami police officers arrested on ID- theft, tax-refund charges

French and Italian debt chiefs warn on EU Tobin Tax

"The proposal - now in the hands of working groups - is to come into force in early 2014. It will raise a fee of 0.1pc for shares and bonds, and 0.01pc for derivatives. These rates are far higher than the Swedish tax in 1989 that led to an 85pc crash in bond sales, a 98pc fall in bond futures, and shut-down of options trading, before the experiment was abandoned. The Chancellor, George Osborne, said the FTT scheme would amount to a tax on pensioners and cost up to 1m jobs across the EU 'without costing bankers a penny'. The traders would migrate to the US or Asia, taking the financial industry with them." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFrench and Italian debt chiefs warn on EU Tobin Tax

‘Troika’ offers Cyprus bailout in exchange for tax hikes

"Cyprus needs up to 17 billion euros - almost as much as its annual gross domestic product - in emergency loans, mostly to recapitalise its oversized banking sector, hit by a Greek debt restructuring, but also to service debt and government expenses. The capital gains tax could be introduced only temporarily, for three years, and provide the government with an extra revenue of 200-300 million euros. The nominal corporate tax, which now stands at 10 percent, could be raised to 12.5 percent. The introduction of the financial transaction tax would be set at 0.01 percent of the value of trades for derivatives and 0.1 percent for stocks and bonds." Continue reading →

Continue Reading‘Troika’ offers Cyprus bailout in exchange for tax hikes

Man spends 2 years forgotten about in solitary after DWI arrest

"A New Mexico man who said he was forced to pull his own tooth while in solitary confinement because he was denied access to a dentist has been awarded $22 million due to inhumane treatment by New Mexico's Dona Ana County Jail. Stephen Slevin was arrested in August of 2005 for driving while intoxicated, then thrown in jail for two years. He was in solitary at Dona Ana County Jail for his entire sentence and basically forgotten about and never given a trial, he told NBC station KOB.com Tuesday night." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMan spends 2 years forgotten about in solitary after DWI arrest