Showing posts with label Law. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Law. Show all posts
Mar 26, 2017
US Senate votes to let internet providers share your web browsing history without permission
Theverge.com - The US Senate has voted to overturn consumer-friendly internet privacy rules that would have prevented internet providers from sharing your web browsing history without permission.
Sep 4, 2016
Melania Trump sues Daily Mail and US blogger for $150m over sex worker claims
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| Melania Trump |
Bbc.com - Melania Trump is suing a British newspaper and a US blogger for $150m (£114m) over allegations she was a sex worker in the 1990s, her lawyer says.
Dec 12, 2015
Aug 20, 2015
Jul 3, 2015
Data roaming charges for phones to end in Europe
Theweek.co.uk - UK holidaymakers travelling to Europe will no longer face hefty bills to use the internet on their smartphones, after European authorities finally reached agreement on proposals for a single telecoms market across the continent.
Under new rules announced yesterday by the European Commission after two years of talks, "roaming" charges applied to internet use outside an individual's home country will be abolished within the European Union from June 2017.
From April next year interim measures come into force which will reduce surcharges to five cents (4p) per minute for calls or megabyte of internet data and two cents per text message, which the Commission says reduces the maximum charge by around 75 per cent compared to current caps.
That is a big difference from the current system under which, The Guardian reports, operators can charge travellers 19 cents a minute for calls, six cents per text message, and 20 cents per megabyte of data on top of their normal tariff.
The new rules also include provisions to ensure "net neutrality", which will prevent operators prioritising domestic internet traffic above overseas visitors, resulting in poor download speeds.
The BBC notes there are caveats in place that allow providers to provide higher-quality connections for specialist services such as internet television, so long as this does not compromise the overall quality of traffic for others.
Internet service providers will also be allowed to 'throttle' traffic where this is in the public interest, for example to combat the proliferation of images of child sexual abuse or in the event of a terrorist attack.
The news was generally welcomed, although some bemoaned conditions which "water down" the neutrality proposals.
Ernest Doku of uSwitch.com told website Telecoms.com that as the deal still needs to be approved by the European Parliament there remains a danger of "backtracking". He cited an earlier deal to end roaming charges by 2015, which was subsequently reversed.
Under new rules announced yesterday by the European Commission after two years of talks, "roaming" charges applied to internet use outside an individual's home country will be abolished within the European Union from June 2017.
From April next year interim measures come into force which will reduce surcharges to five cents (4p) per minute for calls or megabyte of internet data and two cents per text message, which the Commission says reduces the maximum charge by around 75 per cent compared to current caps.
That is a big difference from the current system under which, The Guardian reports, operators can charge travellers 19 cents a minute for calls, six cents per text message, and 20 cents per megabyte of data on top of their normal tariff.
The new rules also include provisions to ensure "net neutrality", which will prevent operators prioritising domestic internet traffic above overseas visitors, resulting in poor download speeds.
The BBC notes there are caveats in place that allow providers to provide higher-quality connections for specialist services such as internet television, so long as this does not compromise the overall quality of traffic for others.
Internet service providers will also be allowed to 'throttle' traffic where this is in the public interest, for example to combat the proliferation of images of child sexual abuse or in the event of a terrorist attack.
The news was generally welcomed, although some bemoaned conditions which "water down" the neutrality proposals.
Ernest Doku of uSwitch.com told website Telecoms.com that as the deal still needs to be approved by the European Parliament there remains a danger of "backtracking". He cited an earlier deal to end roaming charges by 2015, which was subsequently reversed.
Nov 15, 2014
Jul 5, 2014
Katy Perry sued by Christian musicians over copyright
Foxnews.com - A group of Christian hip-hop musicians is suing pop singer Katy Perry and her record label in federal court in St. Louis, claiming that the hit song "Dark Horse" infringes on their copyright of a 2008 song.
The lawsuit was filed Tuesday by musicians Marcus Gray and Chike Ojukwu of St. Louis as well as Lecrae Moore of Atlanta and Emanuel Lambert of Aldan, Pennsylvania. Gray goes by the stage name Flame.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Capitol Records, rapper Juicy J, producers Dr. Luke and Cirkut and songwriters Max Martin and Sarah Theresa Hudson are also named in the lawsuit. It alleges that Perry's 2013 pop hit was based on the gospel song "Joyful Noise."
Perry's publicist did not return a message from the newspaper seeking comment.
The lawsuit was filed Tuesday by musicians Marcus Gray and Chike Ojukwu of St. Louis as well as Lecrae Moore of Atlanta and Emanuel Lambert of Aldan, Pennsylvania. Gray goes by the stage name Flame.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Capitol Records, rapper Juicy J, producers Dr. Luke and Cirkut and songwriters Max Martin and Sarah Theresa Hudson are also named in the lawsuit. It alleges that Perry's 2013 pop hit was based on the gospel song "Joyful Noise."
Perry's publicist did not return a message from the newspaper seeking comment.
Apr 12, 2014
Why Are a Group of Indonesian Journalists Boycotting Starbucks?
Vice.com - The growing popularity of big American brands in Jakarta is undeniable. However, a group of journalists are boycotting some of the very biggest.
Why? Because they believe many of these brands, including Starbucks, are owned by one of the most corrupt, greedy, and filthy rich businessmen that Indonesia has ever produced.
Why? Because they believe many of these brands, including Starbucks, are owned by one of the most corrupt, greedy, and filthy rich businessmen that Indonesia has ever produced.
Business tycoon Syjamsul Nursalim embezzled over $607 million U.S. from his own bank, BDNI, during the chaos inflicted by the 1997 Asian financial crisis and subsequent Jakarta riots. After channeling the cash to offshore accounts, BDNI customers made a run on their accounts. Nursalim then convinced the state bank to bail out his flailing business to the tune of over $2.5 billion.
He was indicted and imprisoned in April 2001 by Indonesia’s Attorney General’s Office, but oddly Nursalim was granted medical leave to go to Japan for treatment shortly after. Guess what? He didn't come back.
It's not clear why the Attorney General’s Office stopped chasing Nursalim in 2004, although having friends in high places probably had something to do with it.
Now, with an estimated personal wealth of over $950 million, Nursalim resides comfortably in Singapore while 100 million Indonesians scrape by on $2 dollars a day or less (not even enough for a small Starbucks latte). The brands he owns under his primary company and biggest lifestyle retailer in Indonesia, Mitra Adiperkasa (MAP), include Starbucks, Burger King and Zara among many others.
Jakarta has more malls than any other city in the world, and in order to compete, they need the big brands. Such is MAP’s domination that they can demand whatever fee they want from new malls.
While many latte-sipping Indonesians are unaware of Nursalim’s involvement (or simply choose to ignore an inconvenient truth—some people do actually LIKE the taste of Starbucks coffee), the green and white giant cannot plead the same ignorance. Insider sources have since confirmed to VICE that Starbucks knew full well about Nursalim’s underhand activities before they formed their incredibly profitable partnership.
But not everyone is willing to support the relentless lining of Nursalim’s bulging pockets. Bambang Harymurti, CEO of one of Indonesia’s oldest news organisations, renowned upholder of the free press and qualified astronaut, is leading the charge. Bambang, who likes his coffee strong and tasty, continues to pass the truth about Nursalim (and other such cronies) onto his young generation of journalists in an attempt to make them more socially conscious. He, and many of his staff, now boycott Starbucks and the other brands of Nursalim to make an example of those Indonesians who have benefited while others have suffered.
“Those of us who are privileged enough to have jobs, and the ability to buy consumer products, should be standing up for those who have been thrown into poverty by people like Nursalim,” he said. “My main focus is to get the truth out about the way these people make their money, but in the meantime I'm more than happy to drink local coffee.”
After the near-collapse of Indonesia’s economy in 1997, GDP per capita fell over 15 percent while 51 million new poor people emerged (i.e. those living on less than $2 per day).
In an election year for the world’s third biggest democracy, journalists like Bambang are optimistic that Indonesians will take greater effort to scrutinise not only the coffee they are drinking but also the presidential candidates, many of whom have shady backgrounds of corruption and even human rights abuses.
Hopefully they will forgo the Starbucks-equivalent candidate (nice packaging but that's about it) and opt for a more honest and independent brand of politician to avoid a frothy disappointment.
Nov 18, 2013
'Killer Robot' Weapons: Fresh Calls For Ban
Sky.com - A ban on "killer robot" weapons that are able to think for themselves could move a step closer this week.
Nations will vote on whether to consider the move at the annual meeting of the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) in Geneva on Friday.
France is calling for an international agreement not to develop fully autonomous drones that select and engage targets without human intervention.
This is a move backed by the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots.
"Governments should begin to act now to ensure that human control over targeting and attack decisions is never relinquished to machines in the future," said Steve Goose, from Human Rights Watch, a co-founder of the campaign.
"Nations need to start working urgently on both national prohibitions and an international ban on these fully autonomous weapons."
Fully independent functioning weapons do not yet exist but drones operated by the US, UK, Israel and South Korea, already have some degree of autonomy and lethality.
Some militarily hi-tech countries, such as China and Russia, are believed to be moving towards systems that would leave combat decisions to machines, say campaigners.
In general the ban would apply to any fully autonomous weapon that could select and fire on targets without human intervention.
The concept of killer robots brings to mind sci-fi ideas of machines wiping out the human race, as explored in the Terminator films.
Such scenarios seem far-fetched, but Mr Goose and his colleagues believe the dangers of releasing human control over "intelligent" weapon systems are very real.
The Campaign to Stop Killer Robots is an international coalition of 44 non-governmental organisations in 21 countries that was launched in London in April this year.
Nations will vote on whether to consider the move at the annual meeting of the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) in Geneva on Friday.
France is calling for an international agreement not to develop fully autonomous drones that select and engage targets without human intervention.
This is a move backed by the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots.
"Governments should begin to act now to ensure that human control over targeting and attack decisions is never relinquished to machines in the future," said Steve Goose, from Human Rights Watch, a co-founder of the campaign.
"Nations need to start working urgently on both national prohibitions and an international ban on these fully autonomous weapons."
Fully independent functioning weapons do not yet exist but drones operated by the US, UK, Israel and South Korea, already have some degree of autonomy and lethality.
Some militarily hi-tech countries, such as China and Russia, are believed to be moving towards systems that would leave combat decisions to machines, say campaigners.
In general the ban would apply to any fully autonomous weapon that could select and fire on targets without human intervention.
The concept of killer robots brings to mind sci-fi ideas of machines wiping out the human race, as explored in the Terminator films.
Such scenarios seem far-fetched, but Mr Goose and his colleagues believe the dangers of releasing human control over "intelligent" weapon systems are very real.
The Campaign to Stop Killer Robots is an international coalition of 44 non-governmental organisations in 21 countries that was launched in London in April this year.
Jul 4, 2013
Boston University sues Apple over 1997 patent, asks for ban on iPhone sales
Gigaom.com - How do college students feel about this one? The powers that be at Boston University want a federal court to ban the sale of a wide range of Apple products — including the iPhone 5, the iPad and the MacBook Air — because they allegedly infringe a patent issued to one of its professors in 1997.
In a complaint filed this week in the Massachusetts federal court, the trustees of BU say the Apple products contain a “gallium nitride thin film semiconductor device” that is still under patent protection. Professor Theodore Moustakas applied for the patent in 1995, which means it is set to expire in 2015. Here’s an image from the patent, which describes the use of nitrogen to prepare a type of film that is “a potential source of inexpensive and compact solid-state blue lasers:”
In a complaint filed this week in the Massachusetts federal court, the trustees of BU say the Apple products contain a “gallium nitride thin film semiconductor device” that is still under patent protection. Professor Theodore Moustakas applied for the patent in 1995, which means it is set to expire in 2015. Here’s an image from the patent, which describes the use of nitrogen to prepare a type of film that is “a potential source of inexpensive and compact solid-state blue lasers:”
Boston University is not only seeking an injunction banning the sale of a wide range of Apple products, but is also asking for an accounting of Apple’s profits — meaning the school wants Apple to hand over its earnings from the last few years. If that happens, lucky BU students can expect free tuition and gold-plated water fountains (which would presumably make up for the absence of new Apple gear).
More realistically, Apple will attack the patent or else settle quietly. The episode is likely to raise the question, yet again, of how well the patent system, and the 20 year monopolies it awards, are serving America’s digital economy. In this case, some may wonder why it took BU so long to commence their gold-mining expedition.
More realistically, Apple will attack the patent or else settle quietly. The episode is likely to raise the question, yet again, of how well the patent system, and the 20 year monopolies it awards, are serving America’s digital economy. In this case, some may wonder why it took BU so long to commence their gold-mining expedition.
Jun 15, 2013
Would a smartphone 'killswitch' deter thieves?
Cnn.com - As violent crime tied to smartphone theft continues to rise nationwide, law enforcers are publicly calling on manufacturers to install "killswitch" technology that would render a stolen device useless.
The "Secure Our Smartphones" initiative, spearheaded by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón, officially launched on Thursday. The goal is to make smartphones less valuable to thieves, who can currently sell stolen devices on the black market for hundreds of dollars.
That big payoff for often little effort, dubbed "Apple picking" because iPhones typically attract the most money, has led to a shocking crime wave. Last year, about half of all robberies in San Francisco involved a mobile device. Phone-theft victims in several cities have been killed.
To address this, Schneiderman summoned executives from smartphone companies Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500), Google (GOOG, Fortune 500), Samsung and Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500) to his office in New York City on Thursday. The meeting was closed, but Schneiderman held a press conference before the summit to detail what lawmakers want.
"Our parameters for success are clear," Schneiderman said. He added later that "smartphone makers need to make every stolen phone a paperweight" -- that is, once a device is marked as stolen, it cannot be reactivated.
He stressed that any anti-theft technology needs to be "universal to all phones," and that he thinks "this problem is solvable within a year." Next year's devices should have such technology installed, Schneiderman added.
Lawmakers are putting pressure on smartphone manufacturers after an effort by carriers last year to deter crime did not work. Wireless association CTIA attempted to create a database of smartphones reported as stolen, but Schneiderman referred to that program as a "failure," as thefts continued to rise.
Gascón was blunt about his view on smartphone makers' responsibility, saying they have "a moral obligation" to address the problem.
He was also skeptical of Apple's new Activation Lock feature, which was announced Monday and will be part of Apple's upcoming iOS 7 operating system. Activation Lock requires a user to log in with the phone's associated Apple credentials in order to reactivate the device.
Gascón said he didn't think that "will get us quite where we need to go, but it's a step in the right direction." He added that they would reserve judgment until they have a better understanding of the technology, but he again stressed that lawmakers are pushing for a true "killswitch."
Schneiderman made it clear that he won't rule out legal action if the manufacturers refuse to make changes. Samsung declined to comment, while Microsoft and Google did not reply to a request for comment. Apple released a statement pointing out that the company launched its "Find My iPhone" feature back in 2009, which gives customers "more control" and acts as a theft deterrent.
Schneiderman and Gascón clearly want more, though. What such anti-theft technology will look like depends on smartphone makers. But even a killswitch may not completely end smartphone crime. If we've learned anything about modern technology, it's that any system is hackable -- and even a deactivated, "bricked" phone can be sold for parts.
But Kevin Mahaffey, the co-founder of security tech company Lookout -- which is advising Schneiderman and Gascón on the smartphone theft issue -- said putting barriers between thieves and easy money is the key to deterring much of the current street crime. If a thug needs to pay a hacker a few hundred dollars to reactivate a bricked device, that should lessen the incentive to steal.
"From a security standpoint, there are always ways around any system," Mahaffey said. "There is no silver bullet. But these thieves are not technologically savvy, most of the time -- and if you layer different solutions together it can make a huge difference. At this point, implementing any smart solution is better than the situation we have now."
The "Secure Our Smartphones" initiative, spearheaded by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón, officially launched on Thursday. The goal is to make smartphones less valuable to thieves, who can currently sell stolen devices on the black market for hundreds of dollars.
That big payoff for often little effort, dubbed "Apple picking" because iPhones typically attract the most money, has led to a shocking crime wave. Last year, about half of all robberies in San Francisco involved a mobile device. Phone-theft victims in several cities have been killed.
To address this, Schneiderman summoned executives from smartphone companies Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500), Google (GOOG, Fortune 500), Samsung and Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500) to his office in New York City on Thursday. The meeting was closed, but Schneiderman held a press conference before the summit to detail what lawmakers want.
"Our parameters for success are clear," Schneiderman said. He added later that "smartphone makers need to make every stolen phone a paperweight" -- that is, once a device is marked as stolen, it cannot be reactivated.
He stressed that any anti-theft technology needs to be "universal to all phones," and that he thinks "this problem is solvable within a year." Next year's devices should have such technology installed, Schneiderman added.
Lawmakers are putting pressure on smartphone manufacturers after an effort by carriers last year to deter crime did not work. Wireless association CTIA attempted to create a database of smartphones reported as stolen, but Schneiderman referred to that program as a "failure," as thefts continued to rise.
Gascón was blunt about his view on smartphone makers' responsibility, saying they have "a moral obligation" to address the problem.
He was also skeptical of Apple's new Activation Lock feature, which was announced Monday and will be part of Apple's upcoming iOS 7 operating system. Activation Lock requires a user to log in with the phone's associated Apple credentials in order to reactivate the device.
Gascón said he didn't think that "will get us quite where we need to go, but it's a step in the right direction." He added that they would reserve judgment until they have a better understanding of the technology, but he again stressed that lawmakers are pushing for a true "killswitch."
Schneiderman made it clear that he won't rule out legal action if the manufacturers refuse to make changes. Samsung declined to comment, while Microsoft and Google did not reply to a request for comment. Apple released a statement pointing out that the company launched its "Find My iPhone" feature back in 2009, which gives customers "more control" and acts as a theft deterrent.
Schneiderman and Gascón clearly want more, though. What such anti-theft technology will look like depends on smartphone makers. But even a killswitch may not completely end smartphone crime. If we've learned anything about modern technology, it's that any system is hackable -- and even a deactivated, "bricked" phone can be sold for parts.
But Kevin Mahaffey, the co-founder of security tech company Lookout -- which is advising Schneiderman and Gascón on the smartphone theft issue -- said putting barriers between thieves and easy money is the key to deterring much of the current street crime. If a thug needs to pay a hacker a few hundred dollars to reactivate a bricked device, that should lessen the incentive to steal.
"From a security standpoint, there are always ways around any system," Mahaffey said. "There is no silver bullet. But these thieves are not technologically savvy, most of the time -- and if you layer different solutions together it can make a huge difference. At this point, implementing any smart solution is better than the situation we have now."
Aug 10, 2012
Memo could sink Samsung’s case against Apple
Foxnews.com - The second week of the Apple vs. Samsung case began with a bang yesterday, courtesy of a 2010 memo written by Samsung’s own president of mobile electronics. In it, J.K. Shin repeatedly calls for a drastic improvement to the design of the company’s phones — and he repeatedly points out the iPhone as the standard to be met.
Early in the memo, Shin relates a scene he says he experienced again and again with carriers who have spent their subsidy budget on buying Apple’s handset: “I hear things like this: Let’s make something like the iPhone. When everybody (both consumers and the industry) talk about UX, they weigh it against the iPhone. The iPhone has become the standard. That’s how things are already.”
“Do you know how difficult the Omnia is to use? When you compare the 2007 version of the iPhone with our current Omnia, can you honestly say the Omnia is better? If you compare the UX with the iPhone, it’s a difference between Heaven and Earth.”
It’s easy to see why Samsung didn’t want this note released as evidence.
Later on, Shin moves on to the interface specifically. He’s fine with the external design of Samsung’s phones, he says, “but when it comes to the ease of use of our (user interface), I lack such confidence.
“Influential figures outside the company come across the iPhone, and they point out that “Samsung is dozing off. All this time we’ve been paying all our attention to Nokia, and concentrated our efforts on things like Folder, Bar, Slide. Yet when our UX is compared to the unexpected competitor Apple’s iPhone, the difference is truly that of Heaven and Earth. It’s a crisis of design.”
In the wake of the iPhone, Shin says, the company needs to cater less to the whims of carriers and create phones with more natural interfaces and metallic exteriors rather than plastic ones. “The iPhone’s emergence means the time we have to change our methods has arrived.”
AllThingsD has a transcript of the complete memo.
Early in the memo, Shin relates a scene he says he experienced again and again with carriers who have spent their subsidy budget on buying Apple’s handset: “I hear things like this: Let’s make something like the iPhone. When everybody (both consumers and the industry) talk about UX, they weigh it against the iPhone. The iPhone has become the standard. That’s how things are already.”
“Do you know how difficult the Omnia is to use? When you compare the 2007 version of the iPhone with our current Omnia, can you honestly say the Omnia is better? If you compare the UX with the iPhone, it’s a difference between Heaven and Earth.”
It’s easy to see why Samsung didn’t want this note released as evidence.
Later on, Shin moves on to the interface specifically. He’s fine with the external design of Samsung’s phones, he says, “but when it comes to the ease of use of our (user interface), I lack such confidence.
“Influential figures outside the company come across the iPhone, and they point out that “Samsung is dozing off. All this time we’ve been paying all our attention to Nokia, and concentrated our efforts on things like Folder, Bar, Slide. Yet when our UX is compared to the unexpected competitor Apple’s iPhone, the difference is truly that of Heaven and Earth. It’s a crisis of design.”
In the wake of the iPhone, Shin says, the company needs to cater less to the whims of carriers and create phones with more natural interfaces and metallic exteriors rather than plastic ones. “The iPhone’s emergence means the time we have to change our methods has arrived.”
AllThingsD has a transcript of the complete memo.
Apr 24, 2012
Pack Of Cigarettes 'May Rise To $100' In NZ
Sky.com - The cost of a packet of cigarettes in New Zealand could rise to as much as $100 dollars - around £50 - by 2020 amid moves to stamp out smoking.
The Ministry of Health wants New Zealand to be smoke free by 2025 and the suggested increase gives the first hint of the drastic measures being discussed.
A document released under the Official Information Act to the country's 3 News website features a number of pricing scenarios - with the most extreme showing a single cigarette costing the equivalent of £2.50.
One option being considered is a 10% increase on a pack of 20 cigarettes year-on-year from 2013 to 2025, meaning it would cost $40 (£20) a pack by 2024.
But a second scenario would see packs at $100 each by 2020, achieved by an immediate shock rise of 30% to 60%, with on-going increases of 30% each year after that.
This model would reach the 2025 target to stamp out smoking completely, but is described in the paper as "probably unrealistic".
The most likely model would see a shock tax increase next year, and then a 10%-a-year rise, which would mean a packet of cigarettes costs around $60 (£30) by 2025.
Other ideas discussed in the document include regulating tobacco as a highly toxic substance, a ban on smoking in cars with children, a doubling of anti-smoking media campaigns and removing tobacco from duty-free sale.
The briefing paper said: "If we are to continue to lower smoking prevalence we need to both increase the numbers who successfully quit smoking, and reduce smoking initiation among young people.
"Tobacco taxation is the single most effective intervention available to drive down smoking prevalence figures."
The Ministry of Health has said that the paper is an internal policy discussion and does not represent Government policy.
The Ministry of Health wants New Zealand to be smoke free by 2025 and the suggested increase gives the first hint of the drastic measures being discussed.
A document released under the Official Information Act to the country's 3 News website features a number of pricing scenarios - with the most extreme showing a single cigarette costing the equivalent of £2.50.
One option being considered is a 10% increase on a pack of 20 cigarettes year-on-year from 2013 to 2025, meaning it would cost $40 (£20) a pack by 2024.
But a second scenario would see packs at $100 each by 2020, achieved by an immediate shock rise of 30% to 60%, with on-going increases of 30% each year after that.
This model would reach the 2025 target to stamp out smoking completely, but is described in the paper as "probably unrealistic".
The most likely model would see a shock tax increase next year, and then a 10%-a-year rise, which would mean a packet of cigarettes costs around $60 (£30) by 2025.
Other ideas discussed in the document include regulating tobacco as a highly toxic substance, a ban on smoking in cars with children, a doubling of anti-smoking media campaigns and removing tobacco from duty-free sale.
The briefing paper said: "If we are to continue to lower smoking prevalence we need to both increase the numbers who successfully quit smoking, and reduce smoking initiation among young people.
"Tobacco taxation is the single most effective intervention available to drive down smoking prevalence figures."
The Ministry of Health has said that the paper is an internal policy discussion and does not represent Government policy.
Jan 31, 2012
Jury finds Afghan family guilty in 'honor' killings
Foxnews.com - A jury on Sunday found an Afghan father, his wife and their son guilty of killing three teenage sisters and a co-wife in what the judge described as "cold-blooded, shameful murders" resulting from a "twisted concept of honor" in a case that shocked and riveted Canadians.
Prosecutors said the defendants allegedly killed the three teenage sisters because they dishonored the family by defying its disciplinarian rules on dress, dating, socializing and using the Internet.
The jury took 15 hours to find Mohammad Shafia, 58; his wife Tooba Yahya, 42; and their son Hamed, 21, each guilty of four counts of first-degree murder. First-degree murder carries an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years.
After the verdict was read, the three defendants again declared their innocence in the killings of sisters Zainab, 19, Sahar 17, and Geeti, 13, as well as Rona Amir Mohammad, 52, Shafia's childless first wife in a polygamous marriage.
Their bodies were found June 30, 2009, in a car submerged in a canal in Kingston, Ontario, where the family had stopped for the night on their way home to Montreal from Niagara Falls, Ontario.
The prosecution alleged it was a case of premeditated murder, staged to look like an accident after it was carried out. Prosecutors said the defendants drowned their victims elsewhere on the site, placed their bodies in the car and pushed it into the canal.
Ontario Superior Court Judge Robert Maranger said the evidence clearly supported the conviction.
"It is difficult to conceive of a more heinous, more despicable, more honorless crime," Maranger said. "The apparent reason behind these cold-blooded, shameful murders was that the four completely innocent victims offended your completely twisted concept of honor ... that has absolutely no place in any civilized society."
In a statement following the verdict, Canadian Justice Minister Rob Nicholson called honor killings a practice that is "barbaric and unacceptable in Canada."
Defense lawyers said the deaths were accidental. They said the Nissan car accidentally plunged into the canal after the eldest daughter, Zainab, took it for a joy ride with her sisters and her father's first wife. Hamed said he watched the accident, although he didn't call police from the scene.
After the jury returned the verdicts, Mohammad Shafia, speaking through a translator, said, "We are not criminal, we are not murderer, we didn't commit the murder and this is unjust."
His weeping wife, Tooba, also declared the verdict unjust, saying, "I am not a murderer, and I am a mother, a mother."
Their son, Hamed, speaking in English said, "I did not drown my sisters anywhere."
Hamed's lawyer, Patrick McCann, said he was disappointed with the verdict, but said his client will appeal and he believes the other two defendants will as well.
But prosecutor Gerard Laarhuis welcomed the verdict.
"This jury found that four strong, vivacious and freedom-loving women were murdered by their own family in the most troubling of circumstances," Laarhuis said outside court.
"This verdict sends a very clear message about our Canadian values and the core principles in a free and democratic society that all Canadians enjoy and even visitors to Canada enjoy," he said to cheers of approval from onlookers.
The family had left Afghanistan in 1992 and lived in Pakistan, Australia and Dubai before settling in Canada in 2007. Shafia, a wealthy businessman, married Yahya because his first wife could not have children.
Shafia's first wife was living with him and his second wife. The polygamous relationship, if revealed, could have resulted in their deportation.
The prosecution painted a picture of a household controlled by a domineering Shafia, with Hamed keeping his sisters in line and doling out discipline when his father was away on frequent business trips to Dubai.
The months leading up to the deaths were not happy ones in the Shafia household, according to evidence presented at trial. Zainab, the oldest daughter, was forbidden to attend school for a year because she had a young Pakistani-Canadian boyfriend, and she fled to a shelter, terrified of her father, the court was told.
The prosecution said her parents found condoms in Sahar's room as well as photos of her wearing short skirts and hugging her Christian boyfriend, a relationship she had kept secret. Geeti was becoming almost impossible to control: skipping school, failing classes, being sent home for wearing revealing clothes and stealing, while declaring to authority figures that she wanted to be placed in foster care, according to the prosecution.
Shafia's first wife wrote in a diary that her husband beat her and "made life a torture," while his second wife called her a servant.
The prosecution presented wire taps and mobile phone records from the Shafia family in court to support their honor killing allegation. The wiretaps, which capture Shafia spewing vitriol about his dead daughters, calling them treacherous and whores and invoking the devil to defecate on their graves, were a focal point of the trial.
"There can be no betrayal, no treachery, no violation more than this," Shafia said on one recording. "Even if they hoist me up onto the gallows ... nothing is more dear to me than my honor."
Defense lawyers argued that at no point in the intercepts do the accused say they drowned the victims.
Shafia's lawyer, Peter Kemp, said after the verdicts that he believes the comments his client made on the wiretaps may have weighed more heavily on the jury's minds than the physical evidence in the case.
"He wasn't convicted for what he did," Kemp said. "He was convicted for what he said."
Prosecutors said the defendants allegedly killed the three teenage sisters because they dishonored the family by defying its disciplinarian rules on dress, dating, socializing and using the Internet.
The jury took 15 hours to find Mohammad Shafia, 58; his wife Tooba Yahya, 42; and their son Hamed, 21, each guilty of four counts of first-degree murder. First-degree murder carries an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years.
After the verdict was read, the three defendants again declared their innocence in the killings of sisters Zainab, 19, Sahar 17, and Geeti, 13, as well as Rona Amir Mohammad, 52, Shafia's childless first wife in a polygamous marriage.
Their bodies were found June 30, 2009, in a car submerged in a canal in Kingston, Ontario, where the family had stopped for the night on their way home to Montreal from Niagara Falls, Ontario.
The prosecution alleged it was a case of premeditated murder, staged to look like an accident after it was carried out. Prosecutors said the defendants drowned their victims elsewhere on the site, placed their bodies in the car and pushed it into the canal.
Ontario Superior Court Judge Robert Maranger said the evidence clearly supported the conviction.
"It is difficult to conceive of a more heinous, more despicable, more honorless crime," Maranger said. "The apparent reason behind these cold-blooded, shameful murders was that the four completely innocent victims offended your completely twisted concept of honor ... that has absolutely no place in any civilized society."
In a statement following the verdict, Canadian Justice Minister Rob Nicholson called honor killings a practice that is "barbaric and unacceptable in Canada."
Defense lawyers said the deaths were accidental. They said the Nissan car accidentally plunged into the canal after the eldest daughter, Zainab, took it for a joy ride with her sisters and her father's first wife. Hamed said he watched the accident, although he didn't call police from the scene.
After the jury returned the verdicts, Mohammad Shafia, speaking through a translator, said, "We are not criminal, we are not murderer, we didn't commit the murder and this is unjust."
His weeping wife, Tooba, also declared the verdict unjust, saying, "I am not a murderer, and I am a mother, a mother."
Their son, Hamed, speaking in English said, "I did not drown my sisters anywhere."
Hamed's lawyer, Patrick McCann, said he was disappointed with the verdict, but said his client will appeal and he believes the other two defendants will as well.
But prosecutor Gerard Laarhuis welcomed the verdict.
"This jury found that four strong, vivacious and freedom-loving women were murdered by their own family in the most troubling of circumstances," Laarhuis said outside court.
"This verdict sends a very clear message about our Canadian values and the core principles in a free and democratic society that all Canadians enjoy and even visitors to Canada enjoy," he said to cheers of approval from onlookers.
The family had left Afghanistan in 1992 and lived in Pakistan, Australia and Dubai before settling in Canada in 2007. Shafia, a wealthy businessman, married Yahya because his first wife could not have children.
Shafia's first wife was living with him and his second wife. The polygamous relationship, if revealed, could have resulted in their deportation.
The prosecution painted a picture of a household controlled by a domineering Shafia, with Hamed keeping his sisters in line and doling out discipline when his father was away on frequent business trips to Dubai.
The months leading up to the deaths were not happy ones in the Shafia household, according to evidence presented at trial. Zainab, the oldest daughter, was forbidden to attend school for a year because she had a young Pakistani-Canadian boyfriend, and she fled to a shelter, terrified of her father, the court was told.
The prosecution said her parents found condoms in Sahar's room as well as photos of her wearing short skirts and hugging her Christian boyfriend, a relationship she had kept secret. Geeti was becoming almost impossible to control: skipping school, failing classes, being sent home for wearing revealing clothes and stealing, while declaring to authority figures that she wanted to be placed in foster care, according to the prosecution.
Shafia's first wife wrote in a diary that her husband beat her and "made life a torture," while his second wife called her a servant.
The prosecution presented wire taps and mobile phone records from the Shafia family in court to support their honor killing allegation. The wiretaps, which capture Shafia spewing vitriol about his dead daughters, calling them treacherous and whores and invoking the devil to defecate on their graves, were a focal point of the trial.
"There can be no betrayal, no treachery, no violation more than this," Shafia said on one recording. "Even if they hoist me up onto the gallows ... nothing is more dear to me than my honor."
Defense lawyers argued that at no point in the intercepts do the accused say they drowned the victims.
Shafia's lawyer, Peter Kemp, said after the verdicts that he believes the comments his client made on the wiretaps may have weighed more heavily on the jury's minds than the physical evidence in the case.
"He wasn't convicted for what he did," Kemp said. "He was convicted for what he said."
Jan 20, 2012
New York City issues huge fine for breaking toy gun ban
Iwatchnews.org - A shop owner in New York City has learned the hard way that the city’s ban on real-looking toy guns is not a game.
The city’s Consumer Affairs division has fined the shop in Brooklyn $30,000 based on a $5,000-per-toy fine, as reported Tuesday in the New York Post here.
The huge fine, which sparked some protest as an excessive burden on small business, underscores the public divide over regulating replica guns to prevent accidental shootings.
New York’s ban is designed to protect kids from getting shot by police, supporters of the law say, as well as to reduce the likelihood of fake guns being used to commit robberies and other real crimes.
After police killed a teen with a BB gun in Texas on Jan. 4, the Center for Public Integrity reported on the history of kids being shot or nearly shot by police, and how proposed replica regulations have ignited opposition from gun interests in California and other states.
As the Post reported, the manager of a store called 99¢ Target argued that reasonable people wouldn’t confuse the toy shooters he was selling with real firearms. The guns had an orange tip, as required by federal law, but were not brightly colored, which is the city’s requirement.
The owner was offered a settlement of a lower negotiated fine of $5,400, but he said he couldn't afford it. He declined to pay it and insisted on a hearing, which he lost. A city Consumer Affairs spokeswoman defended the fine: “Realistic-looking imitation guns are illegal and dangerous, and just last week, a 15-year-old in Texas was killed while holding one of these guns.”
The city’s Consumer Affairs division has fined the shop in Brooklyn $30,000 based on a $5,000-per-toy fine, as reported Tuesday in the New York Post here.
The huge fine, which sparked some protest as an excessive burden on small business, underscores the public divide over regulating replica guns to prevent accidental shootings.
New York’s ban is designed to protect kids from getting shot by police, supporters of the law say, as well as to reduce the likelihood of fake guns being used to commit robberies and other real crimes.
After police killed a teen with a BB gun in Texas on Jan. 4, the Center for Public Integrity reported on the history of kids being shot or nearly shot by police, and how proposed replica regulations have ignited opposition from gun interests in California and other states.
As the Post reported, the manager of a store called 99¢ Target argued that reasonable people wouldn’t confuse the toy shooters he was selling with real firearms. The guns had an orange tip, as required by federal law, but were not brightly colored, which is the city’s requirement.
The owner was offered a settlement of a lower negotiated fine of $5,400, but he said he couldn't afford it. He declined to pay it and insisted on a hearing, which he lost. A city Consumer Affairs spokeswoman defended the fine: “Realistic-looking imitation guns are illegal and dangerous, and just last week, a 15-year-old in Texas was killed while holding one of these guns.”
Jul 22, 2009
Report: Iranian Militias Marry, Rape Virgin Prisoners Before Executions
Members of
The anonymous militiaman told the Jerusalem Post that at age 18 he was "given the 'honor' to temporarily marry young girls before they were sentenced to death."
In the Islamic Republic of Iran it is illegal to execute a woman if she is a virgin, the former guard told the newspaper. So the government arranges "wedding" ceremonies to be conducted the night before executions, and prisoners are forced to have sexual intercourse with a guard.
Raped by her new "husband," a female prisoner is now fit to be put to death.
"I regret that, even though the marriages were legal," said the militiaman, who told the Jerusalem Post he had just been released from prison himself after freeing two teenagers rounded up during post-election protests.
Some of the prisoners in his care were drugged with sleeping pills to make them docile, as the girls in their custody always fought back, he said, fearing the night of the rape more deeply than their executions the following day.
"I remember hearing them cry and scream after [the rape] was over," he told the paper. "I will never forget how this one girl clawed at her own face and neck with her finger nails afterwards. She had deep scratches all over her."
Jul 14, 2009
Coalition Fights Expansion of Islamic Saudi Academy in Virginia
A holy war is brewing in
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors held a public hearing Monday night to consider a proposal to expand the campus of the Islamic Saudi Academy, a Saudi-owned college preparatory school.
Critics of the plan point to former students of the school who have been convicted in a plot to assassinate former President Bush, and more recently, arrested for trying to board an airplane with a seven-inch kitchen knife.
And others say they oppose the move to expand the school for one reason only:
"We're opposed to the operation of the Islamic Saudi Academy because it teaches and practices Shariah law," said James Lafferty, chairman of the Virginia Anti-Shariah Task Force (VAST). "Shariah law is anti-constitutional and we feel that it is the ultimate improper land use here in the state where the Constitution was created."
Lafferty said his organization is a coalition with roughly 10 other groups that oppose the land-use expansion. By teaching Shariah law, Lafferty says, the school replaces the U.S. Constitution with a "very backward and barbaric" rule of law.
"Shariah law advocates rights via gender and religion," Lafferty told FOXNews.com. "They allocate rights by gender and religion. If you are a male who is Islamic, you have rights. If you're not, you have no rights."
Founded in 1984, the Islamic Saudi Academy seeks to "enable students to excel academically while maintaining the values of Islam and proficiency with the Arabic language," according to its Web site.
Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, the school's valedictorian in 1999, was convicted in November 2005 of joining Al Qaeda and plotting to assassinate President Bush. He was later sentenced to 30 years in prison.
More recently, Raed Abdul-Rahman Al-Saif, who reportedly graduated from the school in 2003, was arrested last month at a
Details of the proposed expansion remained unclear, but the proposal seeks to expand the school's grounds from
Fairfax County Supervisor Pat Herrity announced at the beginning of Monday night's hearing that no vote would be taken and that the record would be kept open to allow comment from those not in attendance.
Any vote on the proposal will occur — at the earliest — during the scheduled next board meeting on Aug. 3, Merni Fitzgerald, director of public affairs for Fairfax County, told late Monday.
A total of 46 people have indicated they plan to speak during Monday's hearing, Fitzgerald said.
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