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Tag: InternationalNews

  • Girl Costs dad $80K With Facebook Post

    Girl Costs dad $80K With Facebook Post

    {{The former head of a private preparatory school in Miami, Florida is out an $80,000 discrimination settlement after his daughter boasted about it on Facebook.}}

    Patrick Snay, 69 — the former head of Guillver Preparatory School — filed an age discrimination complaint when his 2010-11 contract wasn’t renewed.

    In November 2011, the school and Snay came to an agreement in which Snay would be paid $10,000 in back pay, and an $80,000 settlement. Gulliver Schools also agreed to cut Snay’s attorneys a check for $60,000.

    But before the ink could dry on the deal, Snay’s daughter took to Facebook, boasting, “Mama and Papa Snay won the case against Gulliver. Gulliver is now officially paying for my vacation to Europe this summer. SUCK IT.”

    Snay’s daughter blasted the message to her 1,200 Facebook followers, which included many current and former Gulliver students. Word of the post spread like wildfire back to school officials.

    Within a few days, Gulliver Schools sent a letter to Snay’s attorneys stating that Snay had broken a confidentiality agreement and that he would not be receiving the $80,000 settlement.

    The agreement stated that neither Snay nor his wife could speak about the settlement to anyone except for his attorneys and other professional advisers.
    Snay filed a motion to enforce the settlement and won in a Circuit Court ruling. The school appealed.

    A hearing was held to determine if his daughter’s knowledge of the settlement and her Facebook post had violated the confidentiality agreement.

    “What happened is that after settlement, my wife and I went in the parking lot, and we had to make some decisions on what we were going to tell my daughter. Because it’s very important to understand that she was an intricate part of what was happening.

    “She was retaliated against at Gulliver. So she knew we were going to some sort of mediation. She was very concerned about it. Because of what happened at Gulliver, she had quite a few psychological scars which forced me to put her into therapy.

    “So there was a period of time that there was an unresolved enclosure for my wife and me. It was very important with her. We understood the confidentiality. So we knew what the restrictions were, yet we needed to tell her something,” Snay explained in court documents.

    Last week, the Third District Court of Appeal for the State of Florida agreed that Snay had, in fact, violated confidentiality and reversed the Circuit Court ruling.

    It wrote: “Snay violated the agreement by doing exactly what he had promised not to do.

    His daughter then did precisely what the confidentiality agreement was designed to prevent, advertising to the Gulliver community that Snay had been successful in his age discrimination and retaliation case against the school.

    “Based on the clear and unambiguous language of the parties’ agreement and Snay’s testimony confirming his breach of its terms, we reverse the order entered below granting the Snays’ motion to enforce the agreement.”

    Snay is now the headmaster at Riviera Preparatory School in Coral Gables, Florida.

    CNN

  • Why Maduro is not Chávez & Venezuela is not Ukraine

    Why Maduro is not Chávez & Venezuela is not Ukraine

    {{The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, was young once too. He played guitar and worked as a roadie for a rock band, Enigma, leaving his hair long in the back, mullet-style.}}

    The skinny, rebellious young man looked not too different from the student protesters and angry teens now challenging his government in the streets.

    For these youths, who grew up during the 14-year rule of his predecessor, Hugo Chávez, it is Maduro who has become the face of a rotten establishment.

    “Maduro, resign now!” they roar.

    After more than two weeks of daily protests that have left at least 14 dead and 150 injured, Maduro is stumbling toward Wednesday’s anniversary of ­Chávez’s death, saddled by doubts about his ability to keep his mentor’s “Bolivarian” revolution running.

    The problems Chávez passed along when he died last year, including rampant crime and a cratering economy, have gotten worse.

    But the man who calls himself “a son of Chávez” has also inherited a silver spoon of immense, centralized state power. Maduro and the United Socialist Party founded by Chávez control 20 of Venezuela’s 23 state governments, as well as the Supreme Court, parliament and, the most important, the military and the national oil company.

    In the poor and working-class barrios where Chávez provided new schools, medical clinics and subsidized housing, loyalty to the government remains strong.

    Venezuela is not Ukraine, analysts say, where a weak president wobbled, then fled.

    “There is no reason to believe Maduro is in an unstable situation,” said Gregory Weeks, a Latin America scholar at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

    “The military has declared itself behind him and has not wavered in that regard.
    Unless they were called in for intense repressive measures, it is hard to imagine any scenario where military leaders would revolt.”

  • President Yanukovych’s ouster Faces Terrorism Charges

    President Yanukovych’s ouster Faces Terrorism Charges

    {{Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case on terrorism-related charges against the leader of a Ukrainian nationalist group widely seen as the driving force behind former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych’s ouster.}}

    Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin on Monday said Dmitry Yarosh, the leader of the ultranationalist group Right Sector, was wanted for “public appeals to commit acts of terrorism” on Russian soil and acts of extremism, charges that carry up to seven and five years in prison, respectively.

    Investigators say Yarosh posted a statement on the group’s Vkontakte page urging the Islamist insurgent leader Doku Umarov — often referred to as Russia’s equivalent of Bin Laden — to join Ukraine in fighting the Kremlin.

    The Right Sector has denied the charges, however, saying that people hired by the Kremlin had hacked the group’s official Vkontakte page and written a fake appeal to Umarov that was falsely attributed to Yarosh.

    The Right Sector was widely seen as the driving force behind the protests in Kiev that led to a violent uprising against the government and heightened tensions with Russia.

    The group gained prominence when the protests became more radical in January and February, after the mainstream opposition and Svoboda, a more moderate nationalist party, began to lose their appeal.

    Yarosh rose in popularity for his role in the protests and was appointed a deputy chairman of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council last month.

    It is for this reason that the group believes Yarosh has been accused of colluding with a terrorist — to villainize him and eliminate any influence he may have had among Ukrainians.

    In the Vkontakte message that prompted criminal charges by Russian investigators, the author said that many Ukrainians had participated in the same “liberation war” being waged by Chechens and other North Caucasus peoples.

    Members of UNA-UNSO, one of the groups constituting the Right Sector, reportedly fought against Russians in the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict and first Chechen War in the 1990s.

    “As the leader of the Right Sector, I am calling on you to step up your struggle,” the message read. “Russia is not as strong as it seems. You have a unique opportunity to win. Use this opportunity!”

    Artyom Skoropadsky, the Right Sector’s spokesman, dismissed the message and the criminal case as a ploy by the Kremlin to smear the group.

    “I think this was organized by the Kremlin to paint us as terrorists,” he said by phone.

    Russia’s telecommunications watchdog has also recently banned the Right Sector’s page and several other pages related to the Ukrainian revolution on Vkontakte.

    The Right Sector, set up last year, is an umbrella organization that unites the Patriots of Ukraine, Trizub, SNA, UNA-UNSO and White Hammer nationalist groups.

    The organization has often been portrayed as more radical and militant than any other nationalist groups in Ukraine, with a a more negative attitude toward the Kremlin and a reputation for dressing in full military gear during the Maidan protests, complete with ski masks that rarely came off.

    The group has made it clear that it sees itself as a well-organized military organization.

    {Right Sector’s Dmitry Yarosh addressing a rally in central Kiev in February.}

  • David Cameroon Aide Held over Child Abuse

    David Cameroon Aide Held over Child Abuse

    {{One of David Cameron’s aides has been arrested on suspicion of an offence “relating to child abuse imagery”, Downing Street has said.}}

    Patrick Rock, 62, resigned as the deputy head of the policy unit on 12 February.

    Number 10 said it had been made aware of a potential offence and referred the matter to the National Crime Agency, which arrested Mr Rock at his home a few hours later on 13 February.

    The NCA has not confirmed the arrest.

    A Downing Street spokesman said that following Mr Rock’s arrest, it “arranged for officers to come into Number 10 [to] have access to all IT systems and offices they considered relevant”.

    The prime minister was immediately informed and kept updated throughout, he said.

    ‘Party’s upper echelons’
    He added: “This is an ongoing investigation so it would not be appropriate to comment further, but the prime minister believes that child abuse imagery is abhorrent and that anyone involved with it should be properly dealt with under the law.”

    BBC political correspondent Iain Watson said Mr Rock had been a fixture in the upper echelons of the Conservative Party for three decades, initially working for Margaret Thatcher, and was brought back into Downing Street by David Cameron in 2011.

    As deputy head of the policy unit, he was one of a number of officials who had been working on policies to rid the internet of child abuse, our correspondent said.

    Mr Rock was involved in preparations for a summit last year, working with the NCA, at which leading companies agreed to make it as difficult as possible to find images of abuse on their search engines.

    Downing Street said ministers and not advisers determined the policy.

    {wirestory}

  • Deadly Bomb Attack Targets Court in Pakistani Capital

    Deadly Bomb Attack Targets Court in Pakistani Capital

    {{At least 11 people were killed and dozens of others were wounded on Monday after gunmen stormed a court in a busy district in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.}}

    Police said the deadly incident began with gunfire by two or three attackers followed by two suicide blasts.

    “All the attackers fled though one sustained injuries in the leg and back,” Islamabad police chief Sikandar Hayat told reporters.

    Pakistan has been fighting a bloody insurgency led by homegrown Taliban since 2007, but the extremists have rarely targeted locations within the capital in recent years.

    No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

    The deadly assaults on the court complex, which killed at least one judge, took place after the Taliban declared a one-month ceasefire over the weekend in order to pursue stalled peace negotiations with the government.

    Rubble and broken glass littered the site of the blast at the F8 market area as residents and police rushed around in bloodstained clothes.

    Reports said pools of blood and severed body parts were scattered in the area of the capital where judges’ chambers and lawyers’ offices are located.

    {wirestory}

  • Children at Risk of Radicalisation Should Be in Care

    Children at Risk of Radicalisation Should Be in Care

    {{Muslim children who risk radicalisation by their parents should be taken into care, Boris Johnson has said.}}

    Writing in his weekly Daily Telegraph column, the London mayor said such children were victims of child abuse.

    Mr Johnson said they should be removed from their families to stop them being turned into “potential killers or suicide bombers”.

    The Muslim Council of Britain warned Mr Johnson’s remarks risked inflaming anti-Muslim feeling.

    In his article, he warned that some young people were being “taught crazy stuff” similar to the views expressed by the two men who killed Fusilier Lee Rigby on a south-east London street.

    {{‘Public safety’}}

    Mr Johnson wrote: “At present, there is a reluctance by the social services to intervene, even when they and the police have clear evidence of what is going on, because it is not clear that the ‘safeguarding law’ would support such action.

    “A child may be taken into care if he or she is being exposed to pornography, or is being abused – but not if the child is being habituated to this utterly bleak and nihilistic view of the world that could lead them to become murderers.”

    He added: “I have been told of at least one case where the younger siblings of a convicted terrorist are well on the road to radicalisation – and it is simply not clear that the law would support intervention.

    “This is absurd. The law should obviously treat radicalisation as a form of child abuse.

    “It is the strong view of many of those involved in counter-terrorism that there should be a clearer legal position, so that those children who are being turned into potential killers or suicide bombers can be removed into care – for their own safety and for the safety of the public.”

    Speaking on his monthly phone-in on LBC Radio, he said he had thought long and hard before making the case for intervention in what he suspected might be “no more than a few hundred” cases.

    {{‘Easy headlines’}}

    “It is particularly apposite in view of the sentencing of the killers of Drummer Lee Rigby,” he said.

    “The question is, how do we stop this happening again? How do we make sure the kids in London are not growing up with these kind of nightmarish ideas in their heads?

    “You can tackle the extremist preachers, you can do all sorts of things in the mosques… but one thing that has been brought to my attention is this particular anomaly that you can have in some cases, some kids who are being put at risk by the desire of their parents or their step-parents, their immediate family, to radicalise them.”

    Asked whether the children of BNP activists could also be taken into care, Mr Johnson said this might be justified in “extreme” cases, such as if they were being taught that race-based assaults were acceptable.

    “It all depends on the interests of the child,” he added. “It depends what is happening. If that child is being taught to want to commit crime, or be full of hate, then I imagine you might contemplate such a thing.”

    However, the Muslim Council of Britain called on politicians to stop seeking “easy headlines” and warned Mr Johnson’s remarks could provoke anti-Muslim hatred.

    “After the terrible murder of Lee Rigby – condemned by Muslims throughout the country – there was a huge spike in Islamophobic attacks”, a spokesman said.

    “The people responsible for the murder of Lee Rigby were not sons of radical extremists, nor were those who committed previous atrocities. To tackle their extremism we need to look beyond the need to generate easy headlines.”

    The spokesman said young people of all faiths “do not need politicians threatening the prospects of living in a Big Brother Society”.

    {{Malign individuals}}

    A spokesman for the anti-extremist think-tank, the Quilliam Foundation, agreed with Mr Johnson’s points about a “fatal squeamishness” about intervening in the behaviour of a “protected group”.

    He said the the law must be “fairly and equally applied to all members of society, both in terms of protection and in terms of prosecution”.

    But the Foundation said changing the law to enable intervention when children are merely at risk of radicalisation was “dangerous territory”, adding that there was little academic evidence to suggest parents played a key role in radicalisation.

    “Non-violent extremism must be challenged, but not through illiberal legislation that is likely to do more harm than good. It is better to challenge the ideology and the narrative, rather than to alienate and malign individuals”, the spokesman said.

    BBC

  • US Warns Israel Over Talks Failure

    US Warns Israel Over Talks Failure

    {{President Barack Obama has warned Israel of “international fallout” if it does not endorse a US framework for a peace deal with the Palestinians.}}

    Ahead of talks at the White House, Mr Obama told the Bloomberg news agency that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu needed to “seize the moment”.

    But Mr Netanyahu reacted defiantly, vowing: “I won’t give in to pressure.”

    There has been little sign of progress from the direct talks that resumed in July after a three-year hiatus.

    At the time, Washington said it sought to achieve a deal on a solution to the decades-old conflict by 29 April, but officials say a framework accord on core issues would enable negotiations to continue beyond that date.

  • Russian troops ‘to stay in Ukraine’

    Russian troops ‘to stay in Ukraine’

    {{Russia has vowed its troops will remain in Ukraine to protect Russian interests and citizens until the political situation has been “normalised”.}}

    Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia was defending human rights against “ultra-nationalist threats”.

    Russia is now in de facto military control of the Crimea region, despite Western condemnation of a “violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty”.

    Ukraine has ordered full mobilisation to counter the military intervention.

    Mr Lavrov said in Geneva on Monday that Russian troops were needed in Ukraine “until the normalisation of the political situation”.

    Russia’s parliament authorised the use of troops on Saturday, in the wake of the ousting of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych last month.

    Mr Lavrov said: “The victors intend to make use of the fruits of their victory to attack human rights and fundamental freedoms of minorities.

    He said the “violence of ultra-nationalists threatens the lives and the regional interests of Russians and the Russian speaking population”.

    Mr Lavrov, who will meet UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in Geneva later, also condemned Western threats of sanctions and boycotts.

    BBC

  • 10 SUVs to Steer Clear Of in 2014

    10 SUVs to Steer Clear Of in 2014

    {{Knowing which cars to buy is important, but perhaps almost equally important is know which cars not to buy, considering it’s such a big purchase for many people.}}

    Fortunately, Consumer Reports, one of the most respected reviewers of products in the United States, has us covered on both fronts.

    Before we go any further, it’s worth noting that these days, there isn’t necessarily a “bad” car — some are worse than others, but comparatively speaking, for the average consumer, there are few bad choices of vehicles compared to, say, the 1970s or 1980s.

    Cars have come a long, long way in terms of safety, build quality, reliability, efficiency, and just about every other measure.

    Nonetheless, some cars do have their strengths and all cars have their weaknesses, so depending on what you’re shopping for, those are good to keep in mind.

    Consumer Reports has listed what it believes should be the cars best left alone for 2014, and here are the SUVs and crossovers from that list that didn’t make it up to par. They are ranked in terms of size and category, not by best to worst.

    1. Jeep Compass

    Though its Wrangler and Grand Cherokee continue to do quite well, Jeep’s (FIATY.PK) smaller offerings have struggled at the hands of reviewers and critics. Some of that might be image — the smaller cars shed Jeep’s renowned off-road reputation for a more urban and comfort-oriented approach, which many feel doesn’t fit the brand.

    Consumer Reports apparently thought so, and it listed Jeep’s smallest offering as one to stay clear of for this year.

    Jeep Patriot(above)

    Like the Compass, the Patriot falls into an odd niche for Jeep that tries to blend a rugged appearance with a diminutive footprint that’s better suited to the concrete jungle than the real one.

    Despite its utility vehicle-classification, Edmunds pointed out that the Patriot doesn’t offer much cargo space and has sluggish acceleration and disappointing fuel economy on models equipped with the CVT.

    Jeep Cherokee with 2.4-liter engine

    Presumably, the Cherokee loaded with Jeep’s 3.2-liter V6 is a fine car, but the 2.4-liter inline four apparently poses problems. Despite its polarizing looks, the Cherokee has been selling very well and was the driving force behind Jeep’s solid sales performance in January.

    The 2.4-liter engine’s 184 horsepower is on the anemic side for a midsize crossover, but the Pentastar V6′s 271 horsepower should be more than sufficient for accomplishing day-to-day tasks.

    Mitsubishi Outlander

    Mitsubishi really needed a winning SUV, but Consumer Reports seems to think that the 2014 Outlander isn’t it. It’s hard to beat as far as value goes, with a starting price under $20,000, but it’s fairly underpowered for its segment and already looks decidedly dated despite only being on the market for a few months.

    What started about 10 years ago as a viable competitor to Subaru’s Outback has now slid to near the back of the pack of a different class of vehicle that’s more heavy on the SUV and less of an off-road wagon.

    Additionally, the cargo space has been described as cramped, as is the third row seat, and Edmunds called the performance “underwhelming.”

    Ford Edge

    If you were thinking of buying the 2014 Ford (NYSE:F) Edge, it may be in your best interest to wait until Ford reveals the 2015 model. This entry surprised us, as the Edge has been a fairly well-loved vehicle since it debuted in 2007.

    It’s large enough to be practical and spacious but small enough to navigate through urban areas and cities with ease. However, Consumer Reports warns of this year’s model, and we’d bet at least part of it is due to Ford’s troubled MyFord Touch infotainment system.

    Nissan Armada

    This Nissan (NSANY.PK) is one of the few truck-based SUV options from Japan, taking after the Nissan Titan pickup. Unfortunately, both of those vehicles are well past their due dates and are heavily in need of an upgrade, which is coming in the next couple of years.

    It’s not that the Armada is a bad vehicle, but it is less fuel efficient than its competitors and really hasn’t seen any changes for the last decade or so. It has limited power train options, is less powerful than you’d expect, and doesn’t possess as much cargo space compared to its rivals.

    Dodge Journey

    It’s unclear as to why the Dodge Journey is on this list, though we’d assume it’s not a bad car — it’s just not as good as its competition. Its fuel economy is so-so and it doesn’t offer anything notably impressive that its rivals won’t have or can’t be optioned with.

    The Crossroad model (pictured) promises a special trim level that offers chrome exterior trim on its roof rails and side sills, a new front and rear fascia, smoked headlights and taillights, and black 19-inch wheels, so that may help the Journey establish more of its own identity.

    Volvo XC90

    Take a moment to appreciate and respect the Volvo (VOLVY.PK) XC90. More than a decade after its original release with virtually no changes aside from some minor cosmetic work, the Swedish SUV is still selling units — meaning consumers are still choosing a 10-year-old design over the new models in showrooms today.

    At the same time, this is also a problem with the XC90: it’s 10 years old, and its beginning to show it. Fortunately, Volvo has its replacement waiting in the wings for a release later this year, so stay tuned.

    Lincoln MKX

    Like the Ford Edge, the Lincoln MKX is starting to show its age. While the new Lincolns are more their own car now — instead of rebranded Fords — than they have been for many years, the MKX hasn’t seen its due redesign yet, but it likely will when the Edge gets its replacement later this year.

    Like the Edge, it’s hard to point to what Consumer Reports found so repelling about the MKX. We would imagine it had to do with a hefty premium for a car that, beneath the leather and trim, isn’t necessarily worth the $10,000 premium over the Edge.

    Range Rover Evoque

    The Evoque has been one of Land Rover’s (NYSE:TTM) fastest-selling vehicles to date, and true to its brand, it combines a luxurious and well-appointed interior with off-road capabilities that belie its smaller stature.

    However, Land Rovers have a reputation for being plagued with reliability issues and are often in need of a repair shop for one reason or another, which is likely why Consumer Reports has thrown it on its warning list.

  • Chelsea’s Premier League Lead is Fake, says Mourinho

    Chelsea’s Premier League Lead is Fake, says Mourinho

    Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho believes his team’s lead at the top of the Premier League is misleading.

    While his side won 3-1 at Fulham, Arsenal suffered a 1-0 loss at Stoke.

    Chelsea are now four points clear of both Arsenal and Liverpool – who won 3-0 at Southampton – while Manchester City are six points behind, albeit with a far superior goal difference.

    Mourinho said: “The gap to Man City is a fake advantage. If they win their [two] games in hand, they’re top.”

    City do not play in the Premier League this weekend as they face Sunderland in Sunday’s Capital One Cup final.

    Manuel Pellegrini’s side have 57 points from 26 games, while Mourinho’s men have 63 from 28.

    But City’s goal difference is 12 better than Chelsea’s, a deficit that will be hard to recover in 10 matches.

    Chelsea and Fulham played out a drab first half at Craven Cottage before Andre Schurrle netted a second-half hat-trick.

    And Mourinho said: “At half-time, I told them nothing – nothing – not a word. I walked in, then I walked out. I don’t know if anyone else gave a team talk. I was not inside the dressing room.

    “The players knew the first half was really poor. I haven’t had many first halves like this one – it was very bad.

    “The second half was one of the best performances of the season. We moved the ball around well. If I could’ve made 11 changes, I might have done, but I could only make three – so I did nothing.

    “Schurrle is still in a learning process about the Premier League. You play aggressive teams and players – but he is cold in front of goal.”

    Fulham, meanwhile, remain deep in relegation trouble, are winless in eight league games and are five points from safety

    Their manager Felix Magath admitted: “Chelsea were too good for us. They played very well, wanted to win and were the better team. There were some good situations for us in the first half but we are responsible for not playing so well.

    “We will not stay up with this kind of defending and need to learn better. The biggest problem was that our captain [Brede Hangeland] was gone after a few minutes [after a nasty clash of heads with team-mate Kieran Richardson].

    If he could have played the whole game, we could have had a different result.

    “You cannot ask for a win against the Premier League leaders, so the next games are the ones we will be looking to win.”

    BBC