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☆ Trump holds first 2024 campaign rally in Waco on the 30th anniversary of the city's deadly cult siege — and urges fans to 'take our nation back' ahead of a possible indictment
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Former President Donald Trump is holding his 2024 campaign kick-off event Saturday in Waco, Texas. Cult leader David Koresh fought federal agents there in 1993 in a standoff where nearly 100 died. Trump is bracing for indictment any day now and has urged supporters to protest if he's arrested. Trump beat President Joe Biden there by 23 points the last time around, collecting nearly two-thirds of the total votes. Trump campaign aides did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the timing or planning surrounding the upcoming Waco trip.

☆ Factbox: Who has run Iraq since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

BAGHDAD, March 16 (Reuters) - The U.S.-led invasion of Iraq was designed to pave the way for a thriving democracy but the mostly ineffective governments elected since 2003 have left many Iraqis disappointed. Sadr led an armed insurgency against the U.S. occupation of Iraq after American and international troops toppled Saddam. But the tables turned in 2003 with the U.S.-led invasion that ushered in Shi’ite dominance leaving Sunnis, vulnerable. Sunnis have been divided by clan and ideological rivalries since 2003, which Sunni voters complain makes them weak against Shi'ite rivals. Halbousi, an engineer from western Iraq, has formed good relations with Shi'ites and Kurds who helped him become speaker.

☆ Iraqis recount their struggles after Saddam Hussein's fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Amina Ismail | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

But he says ridding the nation of Saddam has just created anarchy for others to bleed the country dry. Under Saddam's rule minorities were tolerated and not singled out for their religious beliefs, but were oppressed if they opposed the government. After the fall of Saddam, they were targeted by Islamists for their religious beliefs and labelled apostates or devil worshippers. A CHRISTIAN: PASCALE WARDAWhen U.S.-led forces invaded, Iraqi Christian Pascale Warda was in London lobbying European leaders to depose Saddam. It was the same under Saddam," said Warda, who had several members of her family executed by the state.

☆ Factbox: Jehovah's Witnesses: some facts about their history and community in Germany
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, March 10 (Reuters) - Here are some facts about the Jehovah's Witnesses and their community in Germany, shaken by a mass shooting at a Jehovah's Witness hall in Hamburg on Thursday. - The first German branch was founded in 1902 in Elberfeld in west Germany - before the "Watch Tower Society" was renamed Jehovah's Witnesses. - Jehovah's Witnesses have struggled to have their beliefs and practices accepted in some parts of the world. - Jehovah's Witnesses were persecuted in Nazi Germany for their refusal to swear allegiance to the Nazi regime or join the military. On Dec. 25, 2022, a couple attempted arson with explosives at a Jehovah's Witness' Kingdom Hall in Thornton in the U.S. state of Colorado.

☆ Egypt reopens newly restored historic mosque
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

CAIRO, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Egypt's historic mosque of al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, named after the sixth Fatimid caliph and located in old Cairo, was reopened for visitors on Monday, Feb. 27 after renovations. The renovation project for Egypt's fourth oldest mosque and its second largest began in 2017 with a budget of 85 million Egyptian pounds ($2.8 million). The renovation, done in collaboration between Egypt’s antiquities authority and Bohra Shia sect, included architectural restoration as well as maintenance to protect the walls of the mosque from the effects of moisture and salts. Reporting by Amr Abdallah Dalsh, Writing by Farah Saafan, Editing by Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Nigerian rights panel, underfunded and overmatched, begins probe of powerful military
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +11 min

REUTERS/Temilade Adelaja/File PhotoFeb 7 (Reuters) - A special panel named by Nigeria's National Human Rights Commission launched an investigation Tuesday into recent Reuters reports on rights abuses by the country’s army. Nigerian military leaders said the abortion program did not exist and that children were never targeted for killing. The U.S. defense and state departments, the United Nations Secretary-General, the German foreign minister, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch all called for Nigeria to investigate the Reuters findings. In a 2002 paper, two Nigerian scholars called the body "a red herring” to distract from human rights violations. In 2013, the military allegedly killed as many as 200 civilians in the town of Baga, in northeastern Borno state.

LIMA, Feb 4 (Reuters) - As deadly protests rage across Peru, a political battle is unfolding inside the halls of Congress, walled off from the streets by hundreds of police, armored vehicles and a maze of gates. Despite the violence, and despite polls that show the majority of Peruvians want the election brought forward, Congress appears to be in deadlock. Reuters spent the last week inside the 130-seat Congress in capital Lima, talking to lawmakers to ask why Peruvian politics seems to be in such a mess. "There is little agreement within political parties as to what to do," said Peruvian political analyst Andrea Moncada. "If we have elections in a year or by some miracle by the end of this year, the parties registered to participate are the same ones that are in Congress right now."

[1/3] George Bezdjian, whose daughter Jessica died in 2020 port explosion, holds her picture during a protest against steps taken this week to hamstring a probe into the 2020 port blast, in Beirut, Lebanon January 26, 2023. With friends and allies of Lebanon's most powerful factions, including Hezbollah, among those charged, the establishment struck back swiftly on Wednesday, when the prosecutor general charged Bitar with usurping powers. With deep fissures in the judiciary exposed, the tussle adds to the unravelling of a state accelerated by a three-year-long financial crisis, left to fester by the ruling elite. Attempts by a Lebanese judge to investigate Salameh have hit obstacles in Lebanon, where politicians have big sway over the judiciary. In opposing Bitar, Hezbollah has accused the United States of meddling in the investigation and Bitar of political bias.

☆ One of Elon Musk's top lieutenants at Twitter says she 'grew up in a cult'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Esther Crawford, a leader at Elon Musk's Twitter, said on social media that she "grew up in a cult." Crawford has become a key player in Musk's takeover and went viral for sleeping in the office. She also was a social media strategist for Weight Watchers between 2007 to 2012. At Twitter, she serves as the director of product management and has quickly become one of Musk's top executives at the company. Since, she has survived multiple rounds of layoffs at the social media company.

☆ 2 years after the Jan. 6 insurrection, election deniers are still in the building — and holding the speakership hostage
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A group of 20 ultra-conservative Republicans continues to stonewall his leadership ambitions. More than half denied the 2020 election result and a handful are mentioned in the now-dissolved January 6 committee's report. But several of the political personalities at the heart of that attack are the same ones now holding the speakership hostage. All three lawmakers denied allegations that they were involved in planning the event. Meanwhile, the FBI seized the phone of Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania in August of last year.

☆ Funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict seals a contradictory legacy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Donna B. Doucette | Donna B. Doucette Has Been The Executive Director Of Voice Of The Faithful Since She Also Serves On The Leadership Team Of The Association Of U.S. Catholic Priests. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

It’s as if Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who is being laid to rest Thursday in Vatican City, has two legacies instead of one. Despite this promise and the potential for transparency, Benedict continued the church’s centuries-old preference for handling abuse cases privately. Benedict, for example, was the first pope to acknowledge the crimes of clergy sexual abuse and attempt to make amends institutionally. We quickly grew to a worldwide presence as the scope of the clergy abuse problem became apparent. Perhaps, using the contradictions and collisions of Benedict’s work, the Spirit has set in motion the 21st century path of the Catholic Church, which Pope Francis is calling us to embrace: synodality.

☆ The 20 Republicans holding the speakership hostage are employing Trumpian tactics while blatantly ignoring Trump's advice, extremism expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A group of 20 Republicans are wielding an inordinate amount of power as negotiations continue. An extremism expert told Insider the holdouts are employing "Trumpism" without Trump's influence. "The influential part of these 20 votes don't care whether they control the House speakership or not," he told Insider. The former president issued a last-minute plea on Wednesday morning, urging Republicans to set aside their differences and make McCarthy speaker. Ward warned that this chaos will be just the beginning should the 20 Republicans ultimately get their way.

☆ ‘Women Talking’ Review: Speaking Without Saying Much
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

‘Women Talking” begins in the gruesome aftermath of a hideous mass rape and a question being urgently discussed among a group of women victims: What to do about it? “What follows is an act of female imagination,” a portentous caption informs us at the outset of this impassioned and scathing film. A sort of #MeToo reworking of “Twelve Angry Men,” “Women Talking” takes place mostly in a barn in which the female members of an ultra-conservative religious sect (suggesting Mennonites) are holding a vote to decide among three options. One is to stay and do nothing, but this will require publicly forgiving the men (currently being prosecuted by government authorities) who attacked them. The second is to start a physical battle with the men as a group for enabling the rapists.

A Culture in theCross Hairs Russia’s invasion has systematically destroyed Ukrainian cultural sites. It has also dealt a grievous blow to Ukrainian culture: to its museums and monuments, its grand universities and rural libraries, its historic churches and contemporary mosaics. This is how empires always work.” The war in Ukraine is a culture war, and the extent of the destruction is becoming clearer. Kyiv Sviatohirsk UKRAINE Damaged or destroyed religious sites Areas controlled by Russia at any time since invasion. Kyiv Sviatohirsk UKRAINE Damaged or destroyed religious sites Areas controlled by Russia at any time since invasion.

☆ Pictures of the year: Protests
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Jeremy Schultz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

The hand of a detained member of the Jewish sect Lev Tahor, is pictured from outside the National Institute of Migration (INM) in Huixtla, in Chiapas state, Mexico September 25. Several other sect members were arrested in an operation by INM agents,...moreThe hand of a detained member of the Jewish sect Lev Tahor, is pictured from outside the National Institute of Migration (INM) in Huixtla, in Chiapas state, Mexico September 25. Several other sect members were arrested in an operation by INM agents, on suspicion of a string of serious crimes and members of the community who entered the country in the last few weeks were detained. REUTERS/Jose TorresClose

☆ Hate Elon Musk all you want, but he's got one management trick that every boss should emulate
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Ed Zitron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Managers have become alarmingly distanced from the average worker, making calls based on guesses that aren't informed by actual labor. Musk has demanded that managers are able to create "good code" yet does not appear to be much of a coder himself. Jackson Palmer, a cocreator of dogecoin, said Musk was a "grifter" who "had trouble running basic code" in their interactions. He's targeted critical teams at Twitter and pushed others to quit, which have resulted in a huge upswing in hate speech on the platform. In fact, by his own logic of how managers can contribute to the company, Musk should be summarily firing himself any day now.

☆ 'Context switching is the mind-killer': Elon Musk shared a strange, altered quote from 'Dune' as he juggles leading Twitter with running 4 other companies
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk has three times shared an altered version of a famous quote from sci-fi classic "Dune." "Fear is not the mind-killer, context-switching is the mind-killer," Musk tweeted Wednesday. Context switching is the mind-killer," altering the words of a famous passage from the sci-fi series: "Fear is not the mind-killer." Musk's altered quote is taken to mean that switching tasks and contexts repeatedly can be mind-numbing, while maintaining focus on one task is the real winner. The scene Musk posted to Twitter shows the sect member ordering Atreides to put his hand in a box filled with "pain."

☆ Protesters in southern Syria call for overthrow of President Assad
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Earlier, more than 200 people had gathered around the building in the center of the Druze-majority city, chanting slogans calling for the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar Assad, they said, amid spiraling prices and economic hardship. Syrian state media said tens of “outlaws” stormed the governor’s office and burned files and official papers. Three witnesses told Reuters the governor was not in the building which was vacated before protesters stormed the offices. The minority Druze sect, whose faith draws its roots from Islam, have long resisted being drawn into the Syrian conflict that pits mainly Sunni rebels against Assad’s rule. Witnesses in Sweida told Reuters that once inside the building, demonstrators brought down pictures of Assad.

☆ Bono’s new book is more than a rock star memoir. It’s also a powerful tribute to America
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( John Blake | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Born Paul David Hewson in Dublin, Ireland, Bono is a global rock star, an activist and an entrepreneur who is currently touring the US to promote his memoir. Bono’s book, though, is more than a rock star’s memoir. A belief in America as an idea, not a religionAs any casual fan of U2 knows, U2 has long had a close relationship with the US. Martin Luther King Jr., with their song, “Pride (In The Name of Love).”In “Surrender,” Bono pays tribute to America itself. “The search for common ground starts with a search for higher ground,” Bono writes in the memoir.

☆ Here's what the Day of the Dead means, and why it endures
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Albinson Linares | Noticias Telemundo | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +10 min

The "Day of the Dead Parade" in Mexico City on Oct. 29, 2022. Claudio Cruz / AFP - Getty Images"In Mexico, Nov. 1 and 2 are very special days because they celebrate All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, respectively," said Diana Martínez, an academic at the Institute of Anthropological Research at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, or UNAM. By the 13th century, the Roman Catholic Church established Nov. 1 as All Saints’ Day. People take part in the "Day of the Dead Parade" in Mexico City on Oct. 29, 2022. He's worked at the cemetery from a very young age and has witnessed many Día de los Muertos celebrations.

☆ Turkish pop star Gulsen appears in court over religious schools joke
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

A Turkish pop singer accused of “inciting hatred and enmity” with a joke about Turkey’s religious schools rejected the charge Friday during her first court appearance. In her testimony Friday, Gulsen said she had teased a band member who was nicknamed “Imam” but had not attended a religious school. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and many members of his Islam-based ruling party are graduates of religious schools called Imam Hatip, which were originally established to train imams. A 48-page indictment against Gulsen had 702 complainants, including from individuals, a pro-government women’s rights organization and a religious school association. Gulsen previously become a target in Islamic circles due to her revealing stage outfits and for unfurling an LGBTQ flag at a concert.

☆ Inflation Reduction Act's expanded biofuel incentives raise concerns about fraud
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Scott Cohn | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

watch nowThe Inflation Reduction Act signed into law by President Joe Biden in August includes historic investments to combat climate change. It may also open new avenues for fraud by expanding a program that has given federal authorities fits for years. That allowed them to rake in millions of dollars in incentives, even though they were producing very little fuel. Reining in fraudThe EPA says it has continued to beef up its enforcement as it learns more about implementing the program — and as incentives expand under the Inflation Reduction Act. "So, you're just spending money to take advantage of the Inflation Reduction Act."

☆ VIDEO/ Un actualul senator AUR, din Parlamentul de la București, arestat acum cinci ani, după ce agenții antidrog au găsit în curtea casei lui sute de tufe de cânepă
▼ + stars: | 2021-07-01 | by ( Buzdugan Loredana | ) www.zdg.md time to read: +3 min

Acum cinci ani, agenții antidrog de la Chișinău au descoperit în curtea casei unui cetățean al R. Moldova, Andrei Busuioc, actual senator în Parlamentul României ales pe listele AUR, peste trei sute de tufe de cânepă. O „prășea frumos” actualul senator AUR, Andrei Busuoic, acum cinci ani, la el acasă, în comuna Grătiești din Republica Moldova. Potrivit Rise.md, în 2015, poliția din Chișinău l-a arestat pe Andrei Busuioc, comerciant de accesorii auto la vremea aceea. Brigada Antidrog descoperise că Busuioc creștea marijuana în curtea casei sale de la țară și o comercializa pe piața neagră din republică. Poliția i-a inventariat plantația și a găsit la percheziții un sac deja recoltat.

Persons: ., Andrei Busuioc, Andrei, Busuioc, RISE, Claudiu Târziu Organizations: Moldova, Brigada, Apel Chișinău, Facebook, Libertatea Locations: Chișinău, . Moldova, AUR, Republica Moldova, României, Vaslui, Moldova, Senat

☆ VIDEO/ Un senator AUR din Parlamentul României, originar din R. Moldova, arestat acum cinci ani după ce poliția a găsit sute de tufe de cânepă în curtea casei în care locuia
▼ + stars: | 2021-07-01 | by ( Buzdugan Loredana | ) www.zdg.md time to read: +3 min

„În 2015, poliția din Chișinău l-a arestat pe Andrei Busuioc, comerciant de accesorii auto la vremea aceea. Poliția i-a inventariat plantația și a găsit la percheziții un sac deja recoltat. Busuioc a zăbovit câteva zile în arest preventiv, iar dosarul său instrumentat de Procuratura sect. „Un cincinal mai târziu, îl regăsim pe Andrei Busuioc în Senatul României, ales în circumscripția Vaslui. Zilele acestea, senatorul Busuioc a combătut fervent educația sexuală în școli și a îndemnat pe Facebook „ca și ceilalți aleși ai poporului să dea dovadă de rațiune pentru a proteja copiii României”.

Persons: ., Andrei Busuioc, Andrei, Busuioc, RISE, Claudiu Târziu Organizations: Brigada, Facebook, Libertatea Locations: Chișinău, . Moldova, București, AUR, Republica Moldova, România, României, Vaslui, Moldova, Senat

☆ Sculptura Veronicăi Micle a fost inaugurată în scuarul Mihai Eminescu din Chișinău
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-17 | by ( ) www.ipn.md time to read: 1 min

Sculptura Veronicăi Micle a fost inaugurată în scuarul Mihai Eminescu din ChișinăuÎn scuarul Mihai Eminescu din centrul Chișinăului, a fost inaugurată sculptura Veronicăi Micle. Statuia e din bronz şi a fost lucrată timp de trei luni de Veaceslav Jiglițchi. Proiectul a fost realizat din bani extrabugetari, fiind vorba de circa 500 de mii de lei, transmite IPN. Pretorul sect...

Persons: Micle, Eminescu, Veaceslav Locations: Chișinău, Chișinăului

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