Mainstream News

No more beauty contests for kids in France

"The French senate has approved a proposal to ban beauty contests for girls under 16 to prevent what a parliamentary report called the 'hyper-sexualisation' of children. The measure follows a parliamentary report 'Against Hyper-Sexualisation: A New Fight For Equality' which called for a ban on child-size adult clothing, such as padded bras and high-heeled shoes. 'Let us not make our girls believe from a very young age that their worth is only judged by their appearance,' said the author of the report, former sports minister Chantal Jouanno. According to the proposal, organisers of such beauty pageants could face up to two years in prison and a 30,000-euro ($40,000) fine." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNo more beauty contests for kids in France

France’s new ‘cat cafe’ is predictably full of rescued kitties

"France’s first 'cat cafe' opens on Saturday in Paris with an in house troupe of nine rescue cats ready and waiting to be made a fuss of by cat-loving customers. Already popular in Tokyo where there are dozens, cat cafes allow customers who cannot have a pet at home to enjoy a cup of something hot with a purring cat perched on their knees. Margaux Gandelon, the woman behind the new Cafe des Chats in Paris’s trendy Marais district, says the cats were carefully selected for their social skills and stresses that hygiene and their welfare are her top priorities." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFrance’s new ‘cat cafe’ is predictably full of rescued kitties

Dutch King tells citizens ‘to take responsibility’ as austerity implemented

"The king, who travelled through the streets of The Hague to address MPs and senators in an ornate horse-drawn golden carriage, said the transformation would be particularly noticeable in social security and long-term healthcare policies. The trade-dependent Dutch economy is in the fourth quarter of a recession and is struggling even as other European countries return to growth. The austerity measures will reduce Dutch households’ purchasing power by 0.25 percent in 2014. The budget announcement came with the government in free-fall in opinion polls. A poll said that the ruling Liberal-Labour coalition would lose around half its seats in parliament were elections held now." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDutch King tells citizens ‘to take responsibility’ as austerity implemented

Hospital doctors join thousands protesting Greece’s austerity layoffs

"Greek doctors on Tuesday joined the latest wave of strikes to hit the debt-stricken country, with thousands of public sector workers protesting against government plans for lay-offs and redeployments. In Brussels, however, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said during a visit by Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras that the unpopular policy of austerity was showing results in Greece and must be pursued to the end. Teachers from schools and universities, civil servants and lawyers are also on strike, in protest at reforms that Samaras’ centre-left coalition government is undertaking in return for international bailout funds." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHospital doctors join thousands protesting Greece’s austerity layoffs

Greece axes vacation bonus for civil workers using computers

"Recession-wracked Greece plans to scrap a perk for its civil servants who enjoy an extra six days of holiday per year — if they use a computer at work. Greece’s civil service union, Adedy, said the perk stemmed from a decision in the 1990s to give employees 20 minutes off per day to protect them from eye damage from staring at a computer screen. This was then extended on an annual basis, resulting in six days off per year. Now in its sixth year of recession, Greece has been obliged to adopt austerity measures, including pay and pension cuts that have caused widespread resentment, in return for a massive EU-IMF bailout deal." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGreece axes vacation bonus for civil workers using computers

Farm subsidies on the rise in the world’s biggest economies

"Farm subsidies in the world’s biggest economies rose in 2012, the OECD said, reversing a long-term trend as governments poured more funding into agriculture despite strained budgets and high food prices. In its annual report on global farming, the OECD said state support for farming stood at an average of one-sixth of gross farm receipts in the 47 countries covered in the assessment, about 17 percent of total receipts in 2012 compared to 15 percent in 2011. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said the rise was unnecessary as high prices for farmers made the timing opportune for governments to cut subsidies that skew food markets and disrupt trade." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFarm subsidies on the rise in the world’s biggest economies

Officer named in lawsuit for knocking teen off mini-bike when off-duty

"A St. Paul Park teen’s family alleges that an off-duty St. Paul police officer who lives in the city intentionally knocked the teen off his mini bike and verbally assaulted him. A civil suit has been filed against officer Ronald Himes by Jessica Heroux on behalf of her son Mica Franke, 16, who was involved in a May altercation with Himes and was left scraped, bruised and with a handprint on his chest. Franke told police Himes ran out into the road, hit him in the chest and knocked him off the mini bike. Franke said Himes then stood over him and proceeded to yell at him, the police report said. The lawsuit claims Franke was not given a warning and he was subjected to a 'profanity-laced tirade' from Himes." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOfficer named in lawsuit for knocking teen off mini-bike when off-duty

Police officer researched romantic rivals using criminal justice databases

"A former Tucson police officer who pleaded guilty to computer tampering for using criminal justice databases to check up on romantic rivals has been sentenced to probation. Pima County prosecutors say Andrea Middleton was given three months of probation Friday. She pleaded guilty to two counts of computer tampering last month. Middleton resigned in June from the police department, where she had worked for seven years." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPolice officer researched romantic rivals using criminal justice databases

NSA Efforts Damaged U.S. Cryptography Standard

"The fix may not be all that difficult—the tainted part of the standard is a highly inefficient algorithm that security experts identified as a problem long ago. In fact, the biggest mystery, those experts say, is why the NSA thought any company or government agency would willingly use that particular algorithm to protect their data. Despite Dual_EC_DRBG’s known flaws, prominent tech companies including Microsoft, Cisco, Symantec and RSA include the algorithm in their product’s cryptographic libraries primarily because they need it to be eligible for government contracts, cryptographer Bruce Schneier says." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNSA Efforts Damaged U.S. Cryptography Standard

Fmr. NSA chief: ‘Morally arrogant’ Snowden will probably become alcoholic

"Gen. Michael Hayden, a former NSA and CIA chief, shared a lot of opinions during a discussion at a Washington church Sunday, beyond his thoughts on terrorists' love for Gmail and the U.S. government's approach to the Internet. Discussing the 'tension between security and liberty' at St. John's Episcopal Church near the White House, Hayden criticized the reporting of NSA surveillance programs, argued that society must make a choice between security and liberty, and took personal shots at NSA leaker Edward Snowden." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFmr. NSA chief: ‘Morally arrogant’ Snowden will probably become alcoholic