Jewish Voice for Peace – Justice. Equality. Freedom. Chanukah 2014 – Video

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Jewish Voice for Peace - Justice. Equality. Freedom. Chanukah 2014
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Jewish Voice for Peace - Justice. Equality. Freedom. Chanukah 2014 - Video

Online freedom is declining

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A new report from Freedom House, a watchdog dedicated to promoting the cause of freedom across the globe, has been published with some interesting observations on how free various nations are in terms of their internet access.

The Freedom on the Net 2014 report, spotted by Mashable, involved evaluating some 65 countries, and the bad news is that over half of them, 36 to be precise, actually dipped in their levels of online freedom between May 2013 and 2014.

The report also observed an overall increase in pressure from governments on independent news websites --the sites which have heretofore been among the few uncensored sources of news in some countries. And more people have been arrested and/or prosecuted for digital activities than ever before.

Freedom House noted: "Dozens of citizen journalists were attacked while reporting on conflict in Syria and anti-government protests in Egypt, Turkey and Ukraine. Other governments stepped up licensing and regulation for web platforms".

Arrests due to online messages concerning political or social issues were found in 38 of the 65 studied countries, and this was most prevalent in the Middle East and North Africa, where detentions of citizens occurred in 10 of the 11 nations examined.

Freedom House also found that 41 of the countries had passed legislation (or at least proposed it) to penalize "legitimate forms of speech online", and to expand government surveillance powers (no surprise there).

The report observed an increase in sophisticated, targeted malware attacks on human rights groups and critics of governments, with such attacks being seen in half of the nations evaluated.

It makes for pretty bleak reading in many respects, though on a more positive note, Freedom House did state: "Despite overall declines in global internet freedom, pushback by civil society was amplified this year by reactions to the NSA surveillance revelations. Awareness of the threats to fundamental rights expanded beyond civil society, as ordinary users around the world became more engaged in securing their privacy and freedom of expression online".

"In select cases, long-running internet freedom campaigns finally garnered the necessary momentum to succeed", added Freedom House.

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Online freedom is declining

Facebook helps San Antonio animal shelter find Freedom, the bald eagle

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A San Antonio animal shelter is thanking the social media heavens after posts on Facebook helped in the recovery of an American Bald Eagle that escaped early Tuesday.

Staffers were working with the eagle, Freedom, at the Last Chance Forever The Bird of Prey Conservancy when the bird flew away. Officials quickly spread the word on Facebook and asked them to keep an eagle eye out for the patriotic bird.

The shelter found Freedom sometime after 5 p.m. Wednesday after some residents at a North Side apartment complex spotted the bird and immediately called the shelter.

I think social media God and Santa Claus rocks! shelter director John Karger told FOX 29. Because you know, who are you going to ask for when you need so many favors?

Freedom will continue training at the conservancy in order to prepare herself for independent living in the wild. Shell be wearing a GPS tracking device once shes released, but it seems self-evident that Freedom cannot be contained.

twhite@mysa.com

Twitter: @tylerlwhite

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Facebook helps San Antonio animal shelter find Freedom, the bald eagle

UPDATE: Prosecutors Want Freedom Industries President on Home Confinement

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Freedom Execs. Indictment

Freedom Company Information

Michael Burdette Information

Robert Reynolds Information

UPDATE 12/18/14 @ 2:45 p.m. CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Federal prosecutors want a former executive charged in a January chemical spill on home confinement with electronic monitoring.

In federal court Thursday, prosecutors requested tougher release conditions for ex-Freedom Industries President Gary Southern.

The motion lists motives to flee. Southern claimed a $16 million net worth in January, then just over $9 million in August.

It says he's a citizen of the United Kingdom and has minimal West Virginia ties aside from his criminal case. It also says Southern can leave the country on a private plane with his private pilot's license.

Prosecutors want a daily home call from Southern, no private plane travel and a secured bond.

Southern, Freedom and five other ex-Freedom officials and employees face charges for the spill that tainted 300,000 people's water for days.

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UPDATE: Prosecutors Want Freedom Industries President on Home Confinement

Freedom Industries Officials Indicted for W.Va. Chemical Spill

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West Virginia American Water customers line up for water at the Gestamp Plant after waiting hours for a water truck, only to have it emptied in about 20 minutes on Jan. 10 in South Charleston, W. Va. The lives of 300,000 people were disrupted and schools and businesses were closed for days following the chemical leak from Freedom Industries and subsequent water contamination. (Photo by Tom Hindman/Getty Images)

U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin on Dec. 17 announced that Freedom Industries Inc. (Freedom) and six former Freedom officials have been charged with various federal crimes related to the January 2014 Elk River chemical spill in Charleston that tainted drinking water for 300,000 people. Former company president Gary Southern faces 68 years in prison if convicted on all counts.

Just a mile upstream from Charlestons primary source of drinking water, the conditions at the Freedom Industries facility were not only grievously unacceptable, but unlawful, said Attorney General Eric Holder.They put an entire population needlessly at risk. As these actions make clear, such conduct cannot, and will not, be tolerated.

Southern, 53, currently of Marco Island, Fla., along with former Freedom owners and officers Dennis P. Farrell, 58, of Charleston, William E. Tis, 60, of Verona, Pa., and Charles E. Herzing, 63, of McMurray, Pa., were indicted by a grand jury sitting at Beckley, W. Va. Freedom environmental consultant Robert J. Reynolds, 63, of Apex, N.C., and tank farm plant manager Michael E. Burdette, 60, of Dunbar, W. Va., were charged by Goodwin in documents known as informations. Freedom Industries Inc. also was charged in an information.

Southern is charged with the negligent discharge of a pollutant in violation of the Clean Water Act, negligent discharge of refuse matter in violation of the Refuse Act, and violating an environmental permit. Southern also is charged with bankruptcy fraud, mail fraud and wire fraud. If Southern is convicted of all the charges contained in the indictment, he is exposed to a statutory maximum of 68 years in prison.

Farrell, Tis and Herzing are charged with the negligent discharge of a pollutant in violation of the Clean Water Act, negligent discharge of refuse matter in violation of the Refuse Act, and violating an environmental permit. If Farrell, Tis and Herzing are convicted of all the charges in the indictment, they each face a statutory maximum of three years in prison.

Holder said he hoped the law enforcement actions send an unambiguous message: that compliance with environmental safety standards is an obligation, not a choice.

Its hard to overstate the disruption that results when 300,000 people suddenly lose clean water, said Goodwin. This is exactly the kind of scenario that the Clean Water Act is designed to prevent. This spill, which was completely preventable, happened to take place in this district, but it could have happened anywhere. If we dont want it to happen again, we need to make it crystal clear that those who engage in the kind of criminal behavior that led to this crisis will be held accountable.

The misconduct alleged in the indictment includes, but is not limited to:

During the time they were responsible corporate officers for Freedom, Farrell, Tis, Herzing and Southern allegedly approved funding only for those projects that would result in increased business revenue for Freedom, or that were immediately necessary for required equipment maintenance. They allegedly failed to take action to fund other repair and upkeep projects for equipment and systems necessary for environmental compliance at the Elk River facility, including repairing defects in a containment wall, addressing drainage problems in the containment area, and developing and implementing proper protection plans.

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Freedom Industries Officials Indicted for W.Va. Chemical Spill

Wilders Prosecuted in Netherlands Over Anti-Moroccan Chanting

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Geert Wilders, the leader of the Dutch Freedom Party, will be prosecuted over an election rally he led in March that involved anti-Moroccan chants.

The Public Prosecution Service in The Hague decided to prosecute Wilders on suspicion of insulting a group of people based on race and inciting discrimination and hatred, it said in a statement today. More than 6,400 complaints against Wilders were filed.

During a televised rally for municipal elections on March 19 in The Hague, Wilders asked a crowd of supporters: Do you want more or fewer Moroccans in this city? The crowd responded by chanting Fewer! Fewer! Fewer! after which Wilders said: Ill take care of that. Wilders will also be prosecuted for anti-Moroccan statements made a week earlier.

Wilders, who campaigns on an anti-European Union, anti-Islam platform, has attracted controversy since setting up the Freedom Party a decade ago. He was acquitted in 2011 by an Amsterdam court of charges that he made remarks defaming Muslims. Wilders had called the Koran fascist and compared it to Adolf Hitlers Mein Kampf. In his 2008 film Fitna, he called upon Muslims to rip out hate-preaching verses from the Koran.

Politicians are allowed to go a long way in what they say -- that goes with freedom of speech -- but that freedom is limited by the prohibition of discrimination, the prosecutor said.

Incomprehensible decision Public Prosecutor to prosecute me, Wilders said in a Twitter posting. The elite wants to take the Freedom Party down a peg. They wont succeed. Never.

Wilders was questioned about the allegations on Dec. 8, the prosecutor said. This did not lead to new insights. Geert Wilders submitted a statement and didnt answer questions asked by the criminal investigators, the prosecutor said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Corina Ruhe in Amsterdam at cruhe@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Fergal OBrien at fobrien@bloomberg.net Eddie Buckle, Leon Mangasarian

Press spacebar to pause and continue. Press esc to stop.

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Wilders Prosecuted in Netherlands Over Anti-Moroccan Chanting

Homegrown cartoonist gets around

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A Nova Scotia-born cartoonists work swept across the country Thursday when it popped up as the daily Google Doodle.

Its totally cool. Its something everyone sees, artist Kate Beaton said in a telephone interview Thursday evening.

The worlds most popular search engine contacted her earlier this fall about doing a drawing for their daily doodle for Canada, Beaton said.

The nicest thing is that Im the one they thought of.

She describes her work as a mixed bag featuring history jokes, literary jokes and pop culture.

Google had wanted to do something to celebrate a woman in Canadian history.

Initially, they thought of using the image of suffragette Nellie McClung, but she was eventually ruled out because of her controversial support of eugenics.

Its important to take the bad with the good when you are celebrating people, Beaton said.

However, they settled on well-known female rights advocate Henrietta Edwards.

In Beatons drawing, Edwards is dressed in period clothing leading a group of marching women and carrying a banner that proclaims womens rights as townspeople look on in surprise and consternation.

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Homegrown cartoonist gets around

Operation Cyborg E19: Drakensburg Bridge | Borderlands the Pre-Sequel (TPS) (PC) – Video

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Operation Cyborg E19: Drakensburg Bridge | Borderlands the Pre-Sequel (TPS) (PC)
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Operation Cyborg E19: Drakensburg Bridge | Borderlands the Pre-Sequel (TPS) (PC) - Video

Top student guilty of sex assaults

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NC

A DISGRACED St Andrews University PhD student has admitted carrying out sex attacks on two women.

Pasquale Galianni, an award-winning astronomy specialist, who already has a previous conviction for a similar offence, denied the offences but changed his plea during his trial.

Yesterday at the High Court in Glasgow, Judge Lord Burns deferred sentence but placed him on the Sex Offenders Register.

Galiannis first victim was a 19-year-old student whom he grabbed, dragged into undergrowth, and attacked during November last year. His second offence occurred when he targeted another woman in April.

Both incidents happened at the North Haugh university campus.

The first attack victim said in evidence: He was holding me down and trying to take my tights down. I just remember him saying pretty lady. I thought that he sounded foreign. It wasnt a British accent.

He was holding me down and trying to take my tights down. I just remember him saying pretty lady

Victim

He was strong and I didnt think Id be able to push him off. I screamed and basically, after Id screamed, he got up and ran away.

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Top student guilty of sex assaults