It has been a rough few weeks (work, travel, health, etc.), so I going to hang out with friends and family for the rest of the day. Blogging will return tomorrow morning.
Sunday, 30 November 2014
Canadian Citizen Kidnapped In Syria - Reports
The Canadian government has said it is trying to verify reports that one of its citizens has been kidnapped in Syria.
Fan Dies In Madrid 'Ultras' Football Violence
Hooligans do battle on the Spanish capital's streets, with one man dying in hospital after being dragged from a freezing river.
Mother of MH17 plane crash victim sues Ukraine in European court: paper
BERLIN (Reuters) - The mother of a German woman killed when Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was downed over eastern Ukraine in July is suing the Ukrainian authorities at the European Court of Human Rights for failing to close their airspace, a German paper reported.
Russia link and Le Pen dynasty mark French National Front congress
LYON, France (Reuters) - France's far-right National Front re-elected its leader Marine Le Pen with a 100 percent mandate on Sunday at a party congress marked by closer ties to Russia and the rise of a new generation of the Le Pen dynasty.
Champion Robertson edges past Wilson
Defending champion Neil Robertson beats Kyren Wilson 6-5 to reach round three of the UK Championship in York.
Lionel Richie to play Glastonbury
Soul star Lionel Richie will play the Sunday teatime slot at next year's Glastonbury Festival, its organisers announce.
Briton Shaw wins World Cup gold
Bryony Shaw wins gold as British sailors claim four medals at the inaugural Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi.
Couple Accused Of Keeping Boy Behind Fake Wall
The child's father and stepmother were denied bail as they appeared in court to answer charges including cruelty to children.
Cyber Monday: Shops Gear Up for Online Surge
After the Black Friday splurge, now online stores are hoping to tempt shoppers - but one former Archbishop is not happy.
Russians protest against health cuts
Thousands of Russians hold marches in Moscow and other cities in protest against health reforms involving hospital closures and job losses.
Germans honour slain 'role model'
Tributes are paid in Germany to student Tugce Albayrak who died after defending two teenage girls reportedly being harassed by a group of men.
VIDEO: From truck driving to balloon twisting
Aaron Smyth is an award winning balloon artist who used to be a truck driver.
Germany says 300 jihadists facing trial, anti-terrorism laws working
BERLIN (Reuters) - Nearly 300 people are facing prosecution in Germany for supporting Islamic State (IS), German Justice Minister Heiko Maas has said, adding that it was a sign that anti-terrorism laws were working and tougher legislation was not needed.
VIDEO: Mellor apology 'seemed genuine'
Taxi drivers have been saying what they think of David Mellor's apology - he was recorded arguing with a driver earlier in the week.
China Bans UK MPs From Hong Kong Visit
A group of MPs has been told by the Chinese embassy it will be turned away if it tries to make a research visit to Hong Kong.
VIDEO: Jude Law submerged in new role
In his latest movie, Jude Law plays a submarine captain whose crew are trying to salvage Nazi gold from a sunken U-boat. He spoke to Andrew Marr.
Elderly Couple Trapped Under 'Runaway' Car
A man has been killed and a woman left with serious injuries after the vehicle rolled down a hill in Swansea and hit them.
Khamenei tells Iran armed forces to build up 'irrespective' of diplomacy
DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday the armed forces should increase their combat capability regardless of political considerations, in an apparent allusion to continuing nuclear talks with the West aimed at easing tension in the Middle East.
London 'could get car-free Sundays'
Mayor of London Boris Johnson says he will review the idea for car-free Sundays in parts of central London.
Supporter dies after clashes in Madrid
A Deportivo La Coruna fan dies following violent clashes outside the stadium before his team's game at Atletico Madrid.
A Short Story On A Hypothetical Middle East Nuclear War
An interception by the Iron Dome anti-missile system is seen as rockets are launched from Gaza towards Israel before a 72-hour ceasefire was due to expire August 13, 2014. Credit: Reuters/Amir Cohen
How The Middle East’s First Nuclear War Started -- Mathew Burrows, Politico
The following is a fictional story by Mathew Burrows, who, for the past decade, has overseen the creation of the National Intelligence Council’s Global Trends Report—an intelligence-based futurist guide that has become essential reading for the White House as well as the Departments of State, Defense and Homeland Security.
As the United States enters the final hours of nuclear negotiations with Iran this weekend, it is worth considering the possible paths forward depending on the outcome of the Geneva meetings. You never know—this story could already be happening.
***
Jamil Khoury woke at night in a cold sweat, shaken by the magnitude of what he had done. He had always considered himself a peace-loving man—having grown up in Lebanon, he knew what war could do to a country. And now it looked as if he would be responsible for war on a scale no one had ever seen.
He sat for a while in silence watching the sun creep in through the shutters until his phone rang. He answered, and after a brief call, resolved to get the next flight from Beirut to New York. If he could just talk to Lars, Lars might be able to help.
**
Read more ....
My Comment: A short story on a hypothetical Middle East nuclear war. Let us hope that it remains like that .... a story of fiction.
Ill Teenager's Treatment Branded 'Abhorrent'
Charities condemn the handling of the case after the girl is held in police custody because no NHS beds were available.
Qatar court overturns conviction of U.S. parents in death of adopted girl
(Reuters) - An appeals court in Qatar on Sunday overturned the convictions of a Los Angeles couple who were sentenced to three years in jail for the death of their adopted African-born daughter, but the government was refusing to let the couple leave the country, a spokesman for the family said.
Southampton 0-3 Manchester City
Manchester City beat Southampton to move into second place and cut Chelsea's Premier League lead to six points.
Russians march through Moscow to protest healthcare reforms
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Over a thousand Russians marched through central Moscow on Sunday to protest against reforms to the healthcare system and to demand better wages and working conditions for doctors.
A Conversation On What It Means To Kill In War
Troops are trained to kill, but not to deal with the consequences of killing.(Reuters/Andrew Burton)
It’s Time For An Honest Conversation About What It Means To Kill In War -- Phil Zabriskie, Quartz
Last week, General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a Congressional committee that his office was still considering whether or not the US should send ground troops to Iraq to fight ISIL (a.k.a. the Islamic State). Some in Congress and the military think the idea is past due, and that only American combat troops can neutralize the threat ISIL poses to Syria, Iraq, and beyond.
1
With Chuck Hagel’s resignation as defense secretary on Nov. 24—not to mention a move to slow the troop withdrawal in Afghanistan—a shift in policy may indeed be in the offing. But what everyone must understand is that if boots are put on the ground and a fighting war begins, American servicemen will not only likely be killed, but will also be killing.
That may sound obvious. Of course combat soldiers have to kill. And yet over the past year, as I’ve been reporting and writing about killing in combat—a project born from time spent covering the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and several other countries over the past decade—I’ve seen that this part of combat, obvious though it may be, remains one of the least discussed and most overlooked, despite the profound implications it has for all involved.
Read more ....
My Comment: A sobering essay on a topic that no one wants to discuss. Fortunately .... in my own case .... I cannot relate to it. I have never killed anyone .... and it is a track record that I am very proud to hold. Unfortunately .... my father did kill a great deal of people during the Second World War .... and while I know some of the details (bits and pieces of info accumulated over the years) .... I do know that his war experience gave him horrible nightmares for the rest of his life.
Canada's Jean chosen to lead organization of Francophone states
DAKAR (Reuters) - Canadian candidate Michaelle Jean, a former governor general of Canada, was chosen as the next head of the international organization of Francophone nations (OIF) at a summit in Senegal on Sunday, the OIF said in a statement.
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