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Bermuda Latest To Ban Monsanto’s Cancer Causing Roundup

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Bermuda Latest To Ban Monsanto’s Cancer Causing Roundup

After a damning UN report linking the popular herbicide Roundup to cancer, Bermuda is the latest country to ban the weed spray. The country banned the importation of the chemical on Monday.

Research conducted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organisation, found that the herbicide was “probably carcinogenic to humans” — a description used when there sufficient evidence of it causing cancer in animals. This makes it all but certain that the same would happen to humans.

Three other substances reviewed by the WHO body are already banned in Bermuda.

Orders placed for the herbicide before today will be honored and there will be a grace period until May 25th during which importers can apply for an exemption to import small quantities of Roundup in low concentration.

Speaking at a press conference, Environment Minister Jeanne Atherden said: “I am also pleased to advise the public today that I have invited my Cabinet colleagues to support the long-overdue development of regulations needed to properly regulate pesticides in Bermuda. The Pesticides Safety Act 2009 was passed by the Legislature, but to date the required regulations have not been addressed. This important feature of safety and proper enforcement will be introduced to complete the work contemplated by the substantive act.”

Al-Jazeera In $100M Lawsuit Over Being “Propaganda”, Negligent

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Al-Jazeera In $100M Lawsuit Over Being “Propaganda”, Negligent

The veil continues to be lifted on middle east ‘journalism’ outfit Al-Jazeera, as television journalist Mohamed Fadel Fahmy has initiated Supreme Court proceedings in Canada, seeking compensation of $100 million from the Doha-based media company.

Fahmy spent more than 400 days in an Egyptian jail on charges of terrorism and spreading false news, is accusing Al-Jazeera of negligence that resulted in Fahmy’s initial conviction and imprisonment.

Fahmy accused Al-Jazeera Arabic’s coverage of supporting and promoting the Muslim Brotherhood, saying the network’s coverage “is not journalism, it’s propaganda.”

Fahmy went on to hold a moment of silence for journalists killed.

He conducted the conference using direct language, accusing Al-Jazeera Arabic of intending to harm Egyptian society and wage a campaign of violence against Egypt. He said this stemmed from the network’s overt support of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The former journalism is expected to conduct a range of media interviews to discuss details of his claim against Al-Jazeera, in a move to ensure he story reaches the world and is not confined to an Egyptian court.

“It is an infringement on freedom of speech to silence three innocent, recognised journalists,” Fahmy told the Associated Press. “Yet a very important aspect of this case is Qatar abusing its Al-Jazeera Arabic platform in waging a media war against Egypt.”

Russia, China Offer Greece Membership In BRICS Infrastructure Bank

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Russia, China Offer Greece Membership In BRICS Infrastructure Bank

In a largely symbolic and propaganda driven move, the new BRICS bank has extended an invitation to Greece, according to unofficial government sources.

Just what the insolvent country would bring to the bank remains unclear.

The development bank of the BRICS economies includes Russia and China, which is seeking to become a counterweight to the IMF.

The invitation allegedly came during a telephone call between Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Russia’s deputy finance minister Sergei Storchak.

The timing is interesting and could be an attempt by the Greeks to gain leverage with the EU. Greece was meeting with the EU in Brussels on the day of the call, in efforts to reach a deal with its EU-IMF creditors to release the $8 billion remaining in its bailout program. The availability of those funds ends in late June.

The Greek Prime Minister referred to the invitation as “a happy surprise” saying he would “study the proposal in detail,” her announced in a statement.

Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, collectively the BRICS, announced last July that they were starting the new bank, based in Shanghai, to finance major infrastructure projects in emerging countries.

Yet the move to extend an invitation to Greece, and its debt-wracked economy, could also be an effort to gain a first client and the IMF-like influence the organization really wants. Greece is running out of cash and in desperate need of funds, which could allow the new bank to make a loan while exerting influence in Europe.

Negotiations between the IMF and Greece have stalled as Tsipras, who represents the leftist Syriza party, attempts to stick to his anti-austerity campaign promises.

Tsipras will discuss the invitation with top representatives in Saint Petersburg on June 18-20, the source added.

Worker Fired For Disabling GPS App That Tracked Her 24 Hours Per Day

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A case in California will set a legal landmark about just how much your employer can track and trace your every move. A California woman claims she was fired for uninstalling an app that her employer required her to run constantly on her company issued iPhone.

Yet this app tracked her every move 24 hours a day, seven days a week, raising huge privacy concerns and employment law issues.

Blackberry, once the leader in work phones, has long had specific settings to shut off all work-related communication after the workday, to avoid employees claiming overtime for answering emails and text messages. The feature came at the request of large corporations who did not want claims, such as this one, lodged at them.

Myrna Arias, the plaintiff in the case, is a former Bakersfield sales executive for Intermex, a money transfer service.

She claims in state court that her boss fired her shortly after she uninstalled the app ‘Xora’, which her employer required her to use. Alleged in her suit, lodged in Kern County Superior Court:

After researching the app and speaking with a trainer from Xora, Plaintiff and her co-workers asked whether Intermex would be monitoring their movements while off duty. Stubits admitted that employees would be monitored while off duty and bragged that he knew how fast she was driving at specific moments ever since she installed the app on her phone. Plaintiff expressed that she had no problem with the app’s GPS function during work hours, but she objected to the monitoring of her location during non-work hours and complained to Stubits that this was an invasion of her privacy. She likened the app to a prisoner’s ankle bracelet and informed Stubits that his actions were illegal. Stubits replied that she should tolerate the illegal intrusion…..

The suit claims invasion of privacy, retaliation, unfair business practices, and seeks damages in excess of $500,000.

Most importantly it asserts she was monitored on the weekends and after-hours when she was not working.

The ruling on the importance of that issue could have wide-ranging implications for companies increasingly looking to track, trace and analyze employee data for a variety of purposes.

The filing calls the intrusion “highly offensive to a reasonable person.”

Her attorney, Gail Glick, alleges that the app allowed her client’s “bosses to see every move the employees made throughout the day.”

ISIS ‘Message To America’ Cyber Attacks Fizzle

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ISIS ‘Message To America’ Cyber Attacks Fizzle

A group of ISIS-affiliated hackers threatened to carry out a cyber attack dubbed “Message to America”— against unspecified targets in the United States at 2pm EST on Monday.

2pm came and went, with the group only posting a vague video claiming they had hacked into the websites of Washington leaders as well as Australian airports.

But none were identified and with no visible signs of attacks it appears ‘Message to America’ was just a run of the mill propaganda effort which has become typical for the struggling terrorist organization.

ISIS thus far has been shown to be more cyber vandal than elite hacker.

Their only notable ‘attack’ came in January, when a group calling themselves the Cyber Caliphate hacked into the Twitter account of the United States Central Command.

The 2pm video showed a man wearing a hooded sweatshirt huddled over a laptop, speaking in Arabic. It was posted on ISIS internet forums and stated “We are the hackers of the Islamic State. The electronic war has not yet begun,” the voice said. “We observe all the movements you are making from your devices. Soon you will see how we control your electronic world.”

Google’s Self Driving Cars Twice As Likely To Get Into Accidents As Humans

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Google’s Self Driving Cars Twice As Likely To Get Into Accidents As Humans

Google’s self driving cars are getting into accidents. Lots of them, actually, according to reports.

The company only released the number of accidents after The Associated Press reported that Google had notified California of three collisions involving its self-driving cars since September.

Since September it became a legal requirement to report all accidents for permit holders testing self driving vehicles on California roads.

The internet ad company revealed Monday that its self-driving cars have actually been in 11 minor traffic accidents over the last six years, attempting to statistically downplay the accident rate by spreading it out over six years.

And yet the rate, even with Google’s generous math, is troubling.

The reported rate of “property-damage-only crashes” is about 0.3 per 100,000 miles driven, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Google’s 11 accidents per 1.7 million miles is about 0.6 per 100,000, about double the national rate.

Yet Google is predictably defensive. “Not once was the self-driving car the cause of the accident,” wrote Google’s Chris Urmson.

We’ll likely never know the true causes or rates due to the massive hype, investment and reputation that is on the line.

This fanatical secrecy deeply troubles critics who want the public to be able to monitor the rollout of a technology that remains far from perfect.

Five other companies with testing permits told the AP they had no accidents. In all, 48 cars are licensed to test on state roads.

Nevada, Michigan and Florida have passed laws welcoming tests of self-driving cars onto their roads. Their regulators claimed they weren’t aware of any reports, but deep vested interests make this claim unlikely.

It remains likely the public will not know for some time the true rate of accidents for self driving vehicles given the stakes. In the meantime, Google & Co. have work to do.

Russia And China, Fearing Arab Spring, Sign Massive Censorship Agreement

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Russia And China, Fearing Arab Spring, Sign Massive Censorship Agreement

Russia and China have signed a pact promising on paper to play nicely and not hack each other.

The move is a clear attempt to polarize the world against the two communist dictatorships yet in reality means little in terms of hacking, given the track record of both countries in adhering to diplomatic promises.

China in particular uses a strange brand of diplomacy, where it says one thing and does the polar opposite. It has long promised not to develop space based weapons, yet is actively pursuing them. It has promised not to develop on disputed territory in the South China Sea, yet building progresses at a rapid pace. It has promised not to hack U.S. corporation, yet does so with abandon.

So Russia, with its laughable denials of invading Ukraine, makes the perfect bedfellow for such an ‘agreement’.

But while the pact will do little to stop them hacking each other, as they already do, it will serve to establish a powerful censorship network.

The two countries agreed to jointly combat technology that may “destabilise the internal political and socio-economic atmosphere”, “disturb public order” or “interfere with the internal affairs of the state”, according to the Wall Street Journal.

So the agreement is less about hacking, which they’ll continue to do, and much more about silencing their populations.

After all, the two have a communist state to uphold and wouldn’t want pesky citizens getting in the way of stealing from the state’s coffers.

If citizens rose up against this graft and oppression, an Arab Spring-style set of popular protests would ensue, which is what keeps communist party members up at night.

FCC Sides With Users, Pushes Net Neutrality Ahead

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In a rare move for a U.S. regulatory body, who usually get co-opted by well financed corporations, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) says it will implement its net neutrality provisions despite objections from big telecom companies.

The objections of the telecom companies have made the regulations into a battle between making money and preserving a free and open internet for users.

On Friday the FCC issued a ruling denying a motion from trade groups USTelecom and CTIA to stay the FCC’s Open Internet proceedings pending their legal challenges to the FCC order. The ‘trade groups’ are big lobby arms of major telecom companies including AT&T, Comcast, Verizon, Cox, Time Warner and others.

When all these arch-rivals agree on something, you know its bad for customers. The FCC seems to have felt this way too.

The decision allows the FCC to implement its Open Internet rules, including the Title II reclassification to make internet service a “common carrier” platform subject to tighter regulations.

The FCC was tasked by the White House, in what may likely be President Obama’s most lasting legacy, to ensure users were protected and that rules forcing the carriers to maintain equal access have teeth.

The plan is composed three core “bright line” rules against throttling, blocking, and paid prioritization activities.

The telecom lobby did not oppose any of these measures directly, but rather was arguing on procedural grounds.

The powerful telecom industry has been, through its lobby groups, fiercely fighting the Open Internet rules.

Which means every indication is that the FCC got it right.

“Petitioners have failed to demonstrate that they are likely to succeed on the merits,” the FCC said. “The Commission’s classification of fixed and mobile [broadband internet access service] as telecommunications services falls well within the Commission’s statutory authority, is consistent with Supreme Court precedent, and fully complies with the Administrative Procedure Act” it said in its ruling.

The ruling, while positive for internet users, does not mean the issue is resolved. The powerful cable lobby has filed at least eight different lawsuits in eight jurisdictions, in the hopes of overturning the legislation.

ISIS: A Terrorist Empire Founded On Rape

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Warning: Graphic but important content.

While some trumpet ISIS’ social media savvy reports leak out of the regime daily showing it is running a territory that can only be described as hell on earth. It’s favorite victim: young girls.

In fact rape and sex slaves have become a major currency for the terrorist empire. Girls are currency, rewards for loyal service. Rape is both as a favorite past-time and tool of repression.

A United Nations official revealed shocking details about ISIS militants use of sexual violence.

Zainab Bangura, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict conducted interviews with dozens of sex slaves on her visits to various refugee camps in Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. All of the women had escaped ISIS detention, surviving horrific sexual assaults at the hands of so-called religious warriors.

Bangura said that ISIS routinely abducts young girls who are stripped naked, paraded and traded at slave markets in ISIS controlled cities in Iraq and Syria.

“The girls and children were treated like cattle.They are categorized and shipped naked off to Dohuk or Mosul or other locations to be distributed among ISIS leadership and fighters.”

The captive women are also prostituted out, or ‘married’ in ISIS parlance, to up to 20 fighters in a month. Soldiers loyal to the fanatical regime receive ‘brides’, who are often children, whom they repeatedly rape and then turn over to lesser soldiers.

In an area where medical help is scarce valuable resources are being used to facilitate this sexual violence. ISIS doctors are performing abortions on the young girls, some as young as 9, who were raped, in order to suppress evidence of their crimes.

One young woman was forced to marry 20 fighters and then undergo hymen restoration surgery each time to restore her virginity.

Special Representative Bangura fears that the thousands of children of raped women could become “a generation of stateless children, giving rise to future extremism.

Most of the victims are members of the Yazidi religious minority in Iraq. Around 40,000 of them were reportedly kidnapped by ISIS militants in August 2014 alone.

The vast magnitude of the crisis has prompted Baba Sheikh, a prominent Yazidi cleric in Iraq, to issue an unprecedented declaration that the women are victims who had suffered through no fault of their own and should be supported, not punished by the community.

The middle east has a victim-blaming culture, where women who are raped are often punished or ostracized even though the crimes have come through no fault of their own. The cleric’s statement show that the size of the problem is now too large to be ignored or swept under the rug in the traditional way.

High Tech Algae Canopy Produces As Much Oxygen As A Forest

Leo Flanchette
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High Tech Algae Canopy Produces As Much Oxygen As A Forest

EcoLogics Studio demonstrated a revolutionary blend of architecture, biology and digital technology in Milan, Italy, last week.

The strange contraption, dubbed an ‘Algae Canopy’, generates as much oxygen per day as 400,000 square feet of natural woodland.

EcoLogics says its “world’s first bio-digital canopy integrates micro-algal cultures and real time digital cultivation protocols on a unique architectural system.”

Flows of water and energy to the living structure are regulated by weather patterns and visitor usage, while sunlight increases photosynthesis, causing the structure to generate organic shade in response. The canopy can produce over 300 pounds of algae daily.

The structure represents a trend in architecture, where architectural and ecosystem design are fused together. In the structure the canopy adapts its features based on manual as well as environmental inputs.

“This process is driven by the biology of mico-algae is inherently responsive and adaptive; visitors will benefit from this natural shading property while being able to influence it in real-time.”

The company sees organic systems tied to high-tech ones in current and future buildings and infrastructure. It also sees the convergence of urban and rural designs towards more uniform organic models. Basically their vision take sustainability to a whole new level, where high tech systems that control living plants are fused directly into architecture.

“In ecoLogicStudio we believe that it is now time to overcome the segregation between technology and nature typical of the mechanical age, to embrace a systemic understanding of architecture. In this prototype the boundaries between the material, spatial and technological dimensions have been carefully articulated to achieve efficiency, resilience and beauty.”

Brazil To Nationalize Rainforest In Sweeping Protection Measure

Leo Flanchette
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Brazil To Nationalize Rainforest In Sweeping Protection Measure

Brazil is taking firm measures to protect its magnificent rainforests and would effectively nationalize them under a draft bill being considered by the country’s MPs.

The proposed legislation would recognize Brazil’s sovereignty over the Amazon’s natural resources and set up a national Amazonian policy council responsible for enshrining environmental protection into the use of the forests. The new council would regulate all economic activities in the rainforest.

Companies wanting to operate in the area would require approval from the new state entity in return for royalties on the proceeds of their activities.

The draft of the legislation was created by Sergio Zveiter, a Social Democratic MP in Rio de Janeiro. The bill will go before a special commission at the end of March, upon which it could be voted on by the legislature.

Mr Zveiter called the on-going destruction of the Brazilian rainforest “unacceptable” and called for strengthen the Brazilian government’s authority over the pristine habitat.

The move also counters suggestions by the international community that the Amazon belongs to the world, a stance which implies Brazil is incapable of effectively managing such a rich resource.

“International leaders have repeatedly insisted that the Amazon is not a national territory, it’s a transnational territory. [This] puts in doubt Brazilian sovereignty over the territory,” Zveiter argued.

The bill succinctly states: “The Federal Government owns all of the natural resources of the Amazon, therein including mines, the forest and watersheds.”

The move highlights how progressive the country has become. In recent months it has passed an Internet Bill of Rights in an effort to prevent the use of the internet to oppress and spy on its citizens. The rainforest protection bill parallels this progressive stance, which the country taking a very future-centric approach to governance.

Canada Makes The Protesting Of War Crimes Illegal

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Canada Makes The Protesting Of War Crimes Illegal

In a sign the country is becoming increasingly repressive, conservative Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is signalling the country will use hate crime laws against Canadian advocacy groups that encourage boycotts of Israel.

This comes despite clear and unequivocal evidence, as we covered here, that the country has been massacring civilians.

It also comes after announcements the hardliner government will resume construction of illegal settlements, covered here, despite international condemnation.

The move will target such civil society organizations as the United Church of Canada,the Canadian Quakers, campus protest groups and labor unions.

The remarkably aggressive tactic is another measure of the Conservative government’s lockstep support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The regressive prosecutions would almost certainly be challenged under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, civil liberties groups say.

The government’s intention was made clear in a response to inquiries about the federal ministers’ ostance on groups participating in a loose coalition called Boycott, Divest and Sanction (BDS), which was begun in 2006.

A spokesperson for Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney replied that the government would take a “zero tolerance” approach to the boycott and stated that Canada has one of the most comprehensive sets of such laws “anywhere in the world.”

The minister did not comment on how comprehensive Canada’s free speech laws are, which seem to be not very comprehensive at all.

Arab Rulers Skip U.S. Gulf Cooperation Summit Over White House Stance On Iran

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In a sign of American influence waning in the middle east, newly appointed Saudi King Salman decided on Saturday not to attend a U.S. summit this week at Camp David.

But its not just the Saudi King who can’t make it – most Gulf heads of state won’t be there either.

The absences are a major blow to White House authority in the region and almost certainly reflect dissatisfaction among six-member Gulf Cooperation Council with Washington’s handling of Iran.

By not attending the leaders seem to be indicating they expected little to come from what was supposed to be a high level summit.

The ostensible reason for reason for King Salman’s absence was because the Thursday summit coincides with a humanitarian cease-fire in the conflict in Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition is intensely bombing Shiite rebels known as Houthis, according to Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir.

Instead, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, will lead the Saudi delegation and the king’s son, Deputy Crown Prince and defense minister, Mohammed bin Salman, will also attend.

President Barack Obama had planned to meet King Salman one-on-one a day before the gathering so his absence is likely a sign of a substantial disagreement with the United States, despite the White House insisting otherwise.

The king, who took power in January, hasn’t traveled abroad since his ascension to the throne.

Bahrain, whose leadership has close ties to the Saudis and is an important military ally of the U.S., also announced their leader would not attend. He was replaced by crown prince, Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

Bahrain is Washington’s main naval counterbalance to Iran, and is the longstanding host to the Navy’s 5th Fleet.

The Gulf states are deeply concerned the nuclear pact taking shape with the U.S., Iran and other nations may lead Tehran to intrude more aggressively in the region. Iran is already backing Houthi rebels, essentially making Yemen a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Abdulkhaleq Abdullah, a professor of political science at Emirates University, said Gulf leaders were obviously showing their displeasure with the U.S. initiative, which may be driven more by Obama’s urge to define his legacy than what’s best for the region.

“I don’t think they have a deep respect, a deep trust for Obama and his promises. There is a fundamental difference between his vision of post-nuclear-deal Iran and their vision,” he said. “They think Iran is a destabilizing force and will remain so, probably even more, if the sanctions are lifted. … They’re just not seeing things eye to eye.”

Also not in attendance is the sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said, and the president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Both have been battling health issues.

Europe’s Last Virgin Forest Under Siege By Loggers

Leo Flanchette
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Europe’s Last Virgin Forest Under Siege By Loggers

A new report by a major environmental advocacy group said Monday that Romania, home to Europe’s last unlogged timber forest, is also the country experiencing the most illegal logging.

“In terms of biodiversity, in terms of size, in terms of forest intact landscapes,” the country has the most important forests in Europe said Alexander von Bismarck, director of the US branch of the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA).

Yet the country “has the most acute problem of illegal logging today in Europe”, he warned.

The virgin woodlands of Romania are home to more large mammals than all the other European states combined, except from Russia. Rare animals which live in its pristine forests include brown bear, lynx and wolves.

Romanian authorities reported that some 2.8 billion cubic feet of wood was illegally logged in the past 20 years.

The EIA found that the Austrian wood products company Holzindustrie Schweighofer was “willingly and knowingly accepting illegally harvested timber”.

The environmental group presented hidden camera footage which showed Romanian Schweighofer officials conducting purchases of illegally harvested timber and even promising bonuses to the seller.

“It might seem unspectacular but it is the root of illegal logging… And the deals are made and the laws are broken and communities have their forests stolen,” Von Bismarck said.

Holzindustrie Schweighofer, which has annual revenue of $511 million in 2013, has denied the charges.

The company claims, despite the direct evidence to the contrary, that it “respects the laws” and will “launch an internal investigation” following the broadcasting of the video.

Sophisticated Poachers Step Up War On The Rhino

Leo Flanchette
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The latest rhino-poaching statistics released by South African Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa yesterday paint a grim picture for the iconic rhinoceros. The rhinos barely have a decade left due to how sophisticated these syndicates have become.

The worrying part is that once these creatures are gone, the crime gangs will move on to other vulnerable species.

As of May 1st 393 rhinos had been killed in the South Africa – 290 of these in the Kruger National Park.

General Johan Jooste, who commands SANParks’ special projects unit, said syndicates comprised not only poachers but also intricate support structures that included drivers and middlemen based in communities around the park.

SANPark, who runs and protects the parks, said that between January and April this year there were 900 incursions into the park by poachers.

China is the main purchaser of Rhino horns, falsely believing they cure a host of ailments – which they do not.

The Chinese country has refused to take a stand on elephant and rhino poaching which has led to massive demand for the illicit horns and tusks.

Syndicate poachers were now making more incursions into the park from within South Africa, rather than from Mozambique.

During the same period last year the number of rhino lost to poachers for the whole of the country was 331, with just 212 killed in the Kruger National Park.

Arrests of poachers increased from 96 between January and April last year to 132 for the same period this year.

Pentagon Reveals China Building Massive Drone Army

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Pentagon Reveals China Building Massive Drone Army

The Pentagon’s annual report on the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), released Friday, reveals that China’s military plans to produce over 42,000 land and sea based unmanned weapons and sensor platforms as part of its continuing, large-scale military buildup.

China is currently operating a number of armed and unarmed drone aircraft and is developing long-range unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for both intelligence gathering and bombing attacks.

Its plans closely mirror those of the United States, although with less ties to manned combat systems which are difficult for its developing aerospace firms to produce.

“The acquisition and development of longer-range UAVs will increase China’s ability to conduct long-range reconnaissance and strike operations,” the report stated.

The report estimates the total cost of the Chinese systems will be worth about $10.5 billion, between 2014 and 2023 – much less expensive than traditional manned systems, although at this point still somewhat limited as well.

China’s Four UAV programs include the Xianglong, Yilong, Sky Saber, and Lijian, with the latter three drones able to fire precision weapons.

“The Lijian, which first flew on Nov. 21, 2013, is China’s first stealthy flying wing UAV,” the report stated.

Jimmy Carter Cuts Short Guyana Visit Over Health Concerns

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Jimmy Carter Cuts Short Guyana Visit Over Health Concerns

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has cut short a visit to Guyana due to health reasons his foundation reported on Sunday. The former President was in the country to observe ongoing democratic elections.

Sunday’s statement said that the 90 year old former President is returning to Atlanta and did not disclose specifics, only saying Carter was “not feeling well.”

The Guyana observer mission marks his foundation’s 100th mission. While Carter himself has returned home, his staffers will remain in the South American country to observe the vote.

The trip had marked Carter’s 39th mission abroad to supervise democratic elections. .

Guyana’s national elections are being held Monday, which is more than a year earlier than scheduled. The reason is because President Donald Ramotar had suspended Parliament to avoid a no-confidence vote, pitting his People’s Progressive Party against an opposition coalition.

Million Moms March Shows America Is Tired Of Police Brutality

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The nation’s capital saw mothers from around the country march from Capitol Hill to the Justice Department, in a national protest against police violence against their children.

The Facebook page for the Million Moms March on Washington, overflowing with posts by mothers who lost their children to violent encounters with law enforcement, shows Americans are starting to take a stand against paramilitary police forces who’s victims are often the poorest and most marginalized.

They are also invariably young men, who leave behind devastated mothers.

Joining the marching mothers are grieving spouses, siblings and friends of those who died. Those who could marched, those who could not posting photos, shared their own experiences and voiced their support.

Mothers for Justice United was the organizer of the march, using social media to attract support for the event. The marchers presented “demands for justice and racial equality,” the organization said.

Among those who marched is the organization’s founder Maria Hamilton, whose 31-year-old son Dontre was shot and killed last year by a Milwaukee police officer after he was discovered sleeping in a park.

Yet the officer was fired instead of charged with a crime.

This is an all-too familiar story for many of the mothers.

For Mrs Hamilton the date of the march, in addition to being mother’s day, is also the first anniversary of Dontre Hamilton’s burial.

Mothers for Justice United’s website says the march is a “call to action … in the wake of the recent unjust murders of Dontre Hamilton, Corey Stingley, Derek Williams, Brandon Johnson, Larry Jenkins, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice and so many more at the hands of police officers and racist vigilantes.”

U.S. Birth Rate Hits All Time Low

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The CDC just released research that shows the U.S. birth rate remained at an all-time low in 2013, owing to a significant drop in teen births.

In 2013 the United States saw a little over 3.9 million births occur, down a bit less than 1 percent from the year prior, according to the annual report from the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), a unit of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The report was published online May 4th, in the journal Pediatrics.

While the drop isn’t alarming given the reason, the general fertility rate also declined by about 1 percent in 2013 to 62.5 births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44, reaching another record low for the United States. This could indicate environmental factors, though the leading cause is not what you’d expect: the economy.

As times get tough, people stop having children.

But experts forecast a pick up in both rates as the economy improves.

“By 2016 and 2017, I think we’ll start seeing a real comeback,” said Dr. Aaron Caughey, of Oregon Health & Science University in Portland. “While the economy is doing better, you’re still going to see a lag effect of about a year, and 2014 is the first year our economy really started to feel like it’s getting back to normal.”

The average age of first motherhood continued to increase, rising to age 26 in 2013, compared with 25.8 for the prior year. This again points to the economy.

“You had people right out of college having a much harder time getting a first job, and so you’re going to see a lot more delay among those people with their first child,” Caughey said.

While rates for women in their 20s declined to record lows in 2013, they rose for women in their 30s and late 40s, again showing the pivotal role economics play in the conception decision.

“If you look at the birth rates across age, for women in their 20s, the decline over these births may not be births forgone so much as births delayed,” said report co-author Brady Hamilton, a statistician with the NCHS.

Teenage birth rates also reached historic lows in 2013 of 26.5 births per 1,000 teens aged 15 to 19. Rates fell for teens in almost all ethnic groups, with an overall drop of 10 percent from 2012.

“It is just an absolutely remarkable trend,” Hamilton said. “We are reaching record lows [for teen births], and it’s really quite amazing.”

The shapr decline can be traced directly to TV shows and public ad campaigns that highlight the downsides of being a young mother, Hamilton said.

“They may be looking at the economy as a factor, but there also are a lot of policies and programs out there targeted at lessening teen births,” he said.

Saudi Arabia Condemned By United Nations For Bombing Civilians In Yemen

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Saudi Arabia Condemned By United Nations For Bombing Civilians In Yemen

Saudi Arabia is facing intense pressure from the United Nations and humanitarian non-governmental organizations after a damning UN report was released over the weekend.

The Saudis heavily bombarded Yemen from Friday into Saturday, in an intense attack that the UN called a “breach of international humanitarian law.”

The Saudis attacks against Houthi rebels in Yemen – 130 airstrikes in a 24-hour period – targeted schools and hospitals, as well as densely populated civilian areas.

The Saudis gave very little prior warning of the attacks on populated areas, which is a requirement under the Geneva Convention, which governs international rules of war.

Saudi spokesman Brig. Gen. Ahmed Asiri claimed in a statement that the hospitals and schools functioned as weapons storage sites and was “targeting headquarters of the Houthi leaders.”

The attacks took place on the cities of Sadaa, Maran, Albiqaa and the border area between Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

That rationalization for Friday and Saturday airstrikes was rejected by Johannes Van Der Klaauw, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Yemen.

“The indiscriminate bombing of populated areas, with or without prior warning, is in contravention of international humanitarian law,” Van Der Klaauw said in a statement.

The UN was especially concerned about the attacks on Saada, “where scores of civilians were reportedly killed and thousands were forced to flee their homes after the coalition declared the entire governorate a military target.”

The Saudis want to restore the Yemeni government, a key U.S. ally in the fight against al Qaeda, which lost the capital city earlier this year to rebel forces .

The Saudis see the Iranian-backed Houthis as a threat, analysts say, and are looking to take concrete measures to prevent the spread of Iranian influence within the region.

The conflict has seen more than 1,400 killed since mid-March and nearly 6,000 injured, Van Der Klaauw said.

Doctors Without Borders, a prominent international aid organizations present in Saada, verified the heavy bombing and also condemned it.

“The bombing of civilian targets, with or without warning, is a serious violation of international humanitarian law,” said Llanos Ortiz, MSF medical coordinator in Yemen. “It is even more serious to target a whole province.”

It is impossible for an entire population to leave within a few hours, Ortiz said. Most Saada residents lack vehicles to flee or access to phone or other communication networks, he added.

NFL’s Honoring Of Troops During Football Games Paid For By The Military

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NFL’s Honoring Of Troops During Football Games Paid For By The Military

Everyone knows the NFL is big business but they always seemed to have a place in their hearts for hardworking the hardworking men and women of our military.

Turns out, they don’t. They are actually just paid promotions costing taxpayers millions of dollars. Call it the ultimate ‘native ad’, minus the required FTC disclosure.

New Jersey-based website, NJ.com, has revealed this weekend that the Department of Defense is paying millions of dollars to many NFL teams to honor America’s heroes.

The touching moment at the beginning of each game when a particular service member is honored for what they’ve done for our country is actually a paid promotion.

To the New York Jets, all those pauses to honor soldiers of the New Jersey Army National Guard, it was worth a total of $377,000 from 2011 to 2014, according to federal contracts.

Overall, records released by the site show the Defense Department paid 14 NFL teams $5.4 million during 2011 to 2014, while $5.3 million was paid by the National Guard to 11 teams under similar contracts.

While not every promotions was paid for, the revelations still will come as a surprise to many Americans.

“Those of us go to sporting events and see them honoring the heroes,” said Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake in an interview with NJ.com. “You get a good feeling in your heart. Then to find out they’re doing it because they’re compensated for it, it leaves you underwhelmed. It seems a little unseemly. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth””

The NFL is the largest recruitment vehicle for the U.S. military and the revelations that all is not what it seems cheapens both those who genuinely support our troops and the NFL as a brand.

The NFL prides itself on having the utmost integrity (although let’s face it – antitrust exemptions mean they have to run a squeaky clean operation) but having such advertising in a game does not seem consistent with integrity. It feel sneaky and underhanded. It also feels wrong to salute our troops because its good business.

They risk life and limb for our country and don’t require payola to get the recognition they so richly deserve.

Insurance Companies Fight For Right To Be Risky, Bailed Out By Taxpayers

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Insurance Companies Fight For Right To Be Risky, Bailed Out By Taxpayers

Insurance companies are already among Washington’s biggest donors but that’s not stopping them from ramping up efforts to fight the Federal Reserve over new rules that would force the companies to be less risky.

After the industry received hundreds of billions of dollars in bailouts during the Great Financial Crisis the Federal Reserve is looking to prevent a similar taxpayer backstop.

The Fed hasn’t said much about the new rules but the industry worries that it will be treated like the ‘heavily regulated’ Wall Street banks.

And yet the banks aren’t that heavily regulated. This year has seen every single regulated investment bank tied to some type of mass-scale criminal activity that targets average investors. They’ve paid billions in fines and yet continue to concoct new and exotic ways to perpetrate crime.

Overly regulated they are not. So insurance companies shouldn’t have much to worry about, given they’ll receive a lighter touch.

Yet MetLife on Thursday lowered its forecasts for return on equity, citing the unknown impact of the new rules, among other things. Analysts agree which means that the giants, who are strategically important in the U.S. financial system, should be de-risked. If regulation lower the returns it means the returns are coming from too much risk – a bad thing when the U.S. taxpayer is backstopping the risky bets.

MetLife recently filed a lawsuit contesting a decision by regulators to subject the company to tougher rules and direct oversight by the Fed. It’s also spending record amounts lobbying to have the taxpayer pick up its tab if things go wrong.

Some members of congress who took the money have established the ominously sounding Financial Protection and Life Insurance Caucus, which has pledged to advocate for the industry’s interests on Capitol Hill.

The lobbying is troubling for democracy as the Fed is not, strictly speaking, part of the government but an independent body that services the government. The increasingly politicization of the organization interferes with its ability to do its job, which requires it to be impartial. The more politics get injected, the less impartial it becomes.

Richard Neal and Pat Tiberi, both members of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, which regulates taxes, are co-chairs of the caucus. Both are huge benefactors of the big insurance companies.

Venezuela Central Bank Teeters As Foreign Reserves Hit All Time Low

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Venezuela Central Bank Teeters As Foreign Reserves Hit All Time Low

A heavy foreign debt burden, falling crude production and increased domestic usage have caused Venzuela’s foreign reserves to fall to a record low of $18.2 billion as of May 7th.

Its international reserves fell $507 million dollars on Thursday alone, pushing toward the $18 billion level and marking a new low since 2003.

While foreign reserves fall, the Central Bank has increased the supply of bolivars in circulation in Venezuela 67.1% in the last 12 months.

The move has caused rampant inflation that local investment bank Caracas Capital Markets now clocks at 165% per year.

In short, the country is in economic free-fall, with the fate of the bolivar now in question. Similar issues in Uruguay 15 years ago led to the country using the U.S. dollar for stability.

The reserves have now fallen $4.101 billion since the beginning of the year yet even the accuracy of those numbers is in question as, on May 4th, the Central Bank reported that reserves were $19.79 billion but then revised that number a full $1 billion lower at $18.79 a day later with no explanation.

To put how perilous Venezuela’s situation is into perspective, Brazil has $362.74 billion in foreign reserves, Peru has $60.97 billion, Colombia has $46.54 billion, Chile has $38.03 billion, and Argentina has $31.49 billion, according to the IMF.

In addition to falling oil revenue, Venezuela is also paying high prices on its foreign bond debt.

Venezuela, along with state owned enterprises PDVSA and Citgo, will pay over $11 billion to service foreign debt this year. These enterprises along with its nationalized electric company Electricidad de Caracas, paid $755.7 million in foreign bond interest payments in April alone.

Pentagon Warns China Building ‘Counter-Space’ Capabilities To Thwart U.S. Satellites

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Despite treaties banning the practice, China is rapidly moving towards a militarized space program, with a specific focus on ‘hunter killer’ satellites designed to destroy American space assets. The communist country is also quickly developing other varieties of space weapons to blind or otherwise interfere with U.S. military and commercial satellites.

While the country has publicly pledged not to militarize space, the Pentagon said in a report to Congress that China is moving ahead despite their words. This fits a usual pattern of Chinese diplomacy – say one thing, do precisely the other.

“By the end of October 2014, China had launched 16 spacecraft, either domestically or via a commercial space launch provider. These spacecraft mostly expanded China’s SATCOM and ISR capabilities, while a few others tested new space technologies,” said a DoD report released Friday.

China’s latest achievements include the first-ever launch of a satellite capable of sub-meter resolution imaging, the Chang’e-5 lunar mission and the completion of a new spaceport on Hainan Island.

At the same time China is acquiring new space assets of its own, it is developing “a variety of capabilities designed to limit or prevent the use of space-based assets by adversaries during a crisis or conflict, including the development of directed-energy weapons and satellite jammers,” the report detailed.

The most interesting item was a July 23rd, 2014 launch, which the Pentagon says was a follow-up of the 2007 destruction of an in-orbit defunct weather satellite. In both cases orbiting objects were destroyed. They could have potentially been U.S. satellites.

Another mission in May 2013 sent an object on a ballistic trajectory, just over 30,000 km. That’s high enough to reach geosynchronous orbit, in which many nations place communication and earth-sensing satellites.

The report says the mission didn’t actually put anything into orbit and was inconsistent with “with traditional space-launch vehicles, ballistic missiles or sounding rocket launches used for scientific research” indicating a test of an anti-satellite weapon.

Denying orbit access and taking out enemy satellites would level the playing field in a conflict against an enemy armed with advanced precision weapons systems. The U.S. relies heavily on just such systems.

“China’s continued development of destructive space technologies represented a threat to all peaceful space-faring nations,” the report said.

Columbia To Stop Spraying Roundup On Coca Crops

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Columbia To Stop Spraying Roundup On Coca Crops

In what should serve notice to the world about the dangers of Monsanto-produced Roundup, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos announced Saturday that authorities will stop using the controversial herbicide glyphosate — also known by its brand name Roundup — to eradicate illegal coca plantations,

“I am going to ask the government officials in the National Drug Council at their next meeting to suspend glyphosate spraying of illicit cultivations” Santos said.

The spraying program is reminiscent of another Monsanto created health nightmare – the Vietnam-era spraying of Agent Orange on jungles. The powerful defoliant burned tree leaves, exposing Vietnamese soldiers underneath.

The legacy of Agent Orange is cancer – virtually anyone who came into regular contact with the powerful chemical contracted the deadly disease.

The Columbian spraying program, launched in 1994, has long been treated as sacrosanct by Colombian officials, who willingly accepted billions of dollars in funding from the United States. The flow of money from drug policy, to police and eventually to Monsanto highlights the parasitic relationship the powerful chemical company has with elected officials and government bureaucrats.

The World Health Organization warned in March that glyphosate is “probably carcinogenic,”. “The recommendations and studies reviewed by the Ministry of Health show clearly that yes, this risk exists,” Santos said.

Drug officials now have until October 1 to come up with a new plan to tackle illicit coca growing.

Arab League Close To Creating Middle East NATO

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Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri announced that the Arab League is close to forming a joint Arab military force, Arab newspaper Asharq al-Awsat reported Saturday.

“Technical teams are already working to develop a vision to establish a joint Arab force, and this will be ready within the next four months,” Shukri said during a state visit to Eritrea.

“There can be no doubt that the situation in Yemen requires serious effort in order to find a solution to the deteriorating humanitarian situation and the suffering of the Yemeni people. We need to find a way to return legitimacy and restore stability to Yemen.” the minister said. Conflict in Yemen, which involves many Arab states, is helping push the initiative forward. Greater coordination of forces would greatly improve the effectiveness of military operations in Yemen while reducing their cost – both financial and human.

“Egypt is continuing its participation in the alliance and is doing everything in its power to stop the escalation,” Shukri said.

“We are in contact with our partners to provide assistance and help reach a political framework conducive to securing a ceasefire, returning Yemen’s legitimate government to power and ensuring Yemeni security and stability,” he added.

Arab leaders said during an Arab League summit in Egypt this past March that they wanted to create a joint military force to help ensure security within the region.

The announcement came after a Saudi-led intervention in Yemen to battle Iranian-backed Houthi militias. A joint Arab force would help clarify who is on which side of the conflict and could have sever ramifications for Iran. A joint Arab force, led by Egypts powerful military, would render Iran’s formidable forces much less potent.

French Company Creates World’s First Artificial Sperm

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French Company Creates World’s First Artificial Sperm

Tens of thousands of infertile men who cannot develop their own sperm have fresh hope for conceiving as French researchers created sperm in a laboratory it was announced this week.

Kallistem, a company based in in Lyon, France, said they had created human sperm in vitro, the first such report of such a feat.

Isabelle Cuoc, CEO of Kallistem stated: “Kallistem is addressing a major issue whose impacts are felt worldwide: the treatment of male infertility.”

“Our team is the first in the world to have developed the technology required to obtain fully formed spermatozoa [sperm] in vitro with sufficient yield for IVF.”

Kallistem’s method takes male fertility tissue, known as spermatogonia, and turns it into mature sperm in test tubes. The complex process usually takes 72 days.

The company is refusing to disclose any more about the process until the publication of a patent on June 23rd for the process.

The lack of disclosure or peer review has led to experts from around the world to call for caution while further work is conducted.

Professor Allan Pacey, a male fertility expert at the University of Sheffield, was skeptical.

“Claims like this can often cause heartache for infertile couples who see them as hope only to have their hopes dashed later when it doesn’t translate into an available procedure,” he told the Daily Mail.

Kallistem is looking to begin human clinical trials within two years and is crowdsourcing funds for the study.

It forecasts the ability to treat 50,000 men a year, and estimates the market to be worth $2 billion per year.

Sea Of Humanity Flees Fighting In South Sudan As Aid Groups Withdraw

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Fierce fighting in South Sudan’s northern Unity State have caused tens of thousands of people to flee for their lives according to reports from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and other NGO groups on Saturday.

A late 2013 political crisis in South Sudan sparked fighting between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and rebels allied with his former deputy Riek Machar. The conflict reopened ethnic divisions that pit Kiir’s Dinka people against Machar’s ethnic Nuer forces.

The result has been genocide, with entire villages massacred and survivors left starving and without water.

Philip Aguer, a government military spokesman, confirmed the fighting in Unity State.

Doctors without Borders shut down a hospital in the town of Leer after reports of an imminent attack with staff members fleeing on foot, carrying critically ill patients on their backs. They hid on the banks of swamps and survived by drinking swamp water, the group said in a statement.

“Today, we withdraw again with a heavy heart, because we know how civilians will suffer when they are cut off from critical, lifesaving medical care,” said Paul Critchley, who heads the mission.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has also been forced to withdraw from Leer and that it feared for the wellbeing of tens of thousands of people who have fled the area.

“These communities face a fight for survival, hiding in the bush in unimaginably harsh conditions,” said Franz Rauchenstein, the head of the ICRC’s delegation in South Sudan.

The fighting will also prevent farming communities from planting much-needed crops during the imminent rainy season, leading to famine later in the year. Food shortages are a key contributor to the genocide, as displaced people who survive attacks often die later due to malnutrition.

Israel Approves Construction Of More Illegal Settlements

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Hardliner Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showed his firm commitment to war over peace by authorizing the construction of illegal housing units by settlers in the West Bank this week. The move came mere hours after taking office.

The settlements, condemned by the international community, are a major obstacle to peace between Israel and Palestine. The approval of the illegal construction is seen as an escalation of the conflict and a move away from the peace process.

According to unofficial copies of a deal between Israeli political parties that was leaked to the Jerusalem Post, a professional legal team will be created on the issue, which will create a plan to “authorize buildings and neighborhoods” that were built in the West Bank.

While Netanyahu’s government did approve many housing plans in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, it had so far refused large policy initiatives or shifts that would give wider approval of illegal settlements.

But in order to become elected again, Netanyahu promised to step up settlement construction in east Jerusalem, inflaming tensions in the region and openly defying the international community.

The European Union swiftly condemned the move on Saturday.

“Israel’s determination to continue its settlement policy despite the urging of the international community not only threatens the viability of the two state solution but also seriously calls into question its commitment to a negotiated agreement with the Palestinians,” the EU said in an official statement.

“Settlements are illegal under international law” it added.

In a briefing Thursday at the US State Department, spokesman Jeff Rathke called the decision “disappointing” and “damaging”.

“This is a disappointing development, and we’re concerned about it just as a new Israeli government has been announced,” he said. “Moving forward with construction of housing units in east Jerusalem is damaging.”

The U.S. has been a vocal critic of Israel’s recent hard-line policies, which has led to strained relations between the two countries. John Kerry visited Israel this week to repair the previously close relationship.

Russian Soldiers Quit Army Over Ukraine Invasion

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Reports emerged early Sunday that confirm Russia has in fact invaded Ukraine.

According to Reuters, the invasion has caused low morale among troops and sparked waves of them quitting, in protest over the act of war. The reports came from several soldiers and human rights activists.

Their accounts further expose Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s lies on the matter, where he has repeatedly claimed that any Russians fighting alongside rebels there are volunteers.

These claims have never been taken seriously by the world, who saw pictures of Russian soldiers having brand new Russian issue uniforms, Russian weapons and Russian heavy machinery.

The latest findings support both the overwhelming physical evidence and first hand testimony from soldiers’ families and from Ukrainians who say they were captured by Russian paratroopers.

Yet it has been rare to find Russian soldiers who have fought there and are willing to speak about the invasion. Reuters was able to speak to five newly retired Russian soldiers who confirm the invasion was a Russian military operation and that it routinely targeted civilian populations in mass shellings of key Ukrainian cities.

The revelations should spark fresh calls to investigate Russia for war crimes, not only for the invasion but namely for the massacre of civilian populations. Russian troops have repeatedly shelled Ukrainian civilian populations, causing thousands of casualties.

Russia is a permanent member of the U.N. security.

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