Russia plays with ‘Star Wars Day’ and calls for the black side

he Russian embassy in England took advantage of the date, celebrated worldwide by the fans of the saga of the jedis, and ironized image of villain of the country

On the date that fans of the Star Wars films celebrate the episodes and characters of the franchise every year, Russian diplomats provoked an amusing controversy. The  Russian Embassy in England published a picture of the villain Darth Vader with the message: ” Come to our side – follow us on Twitter on #StarWarsDay”, in reference to the “black side” Of force “.

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Russian Embassy, UK 

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Come to our side – follow us on twitter on #StarWarsDay

09:14 - 4 May 2017

 
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The joke is an allusion to what would be the demonization of Russia by the West. The irony of the officials of the Russian representation received different manifestations. While many took to the sport and got into the mood, others responded to the post with disbelief and even fury.

In spite of the official character, the embassy usually publishes relaxed and satirical tweets on the most diverse subjects, like the image of a kitten that, when overturning a vase, accuses “Russians did it” and routine messages just wishing “Good morning!”.

Pope travels to the shrine of Fatima to canonize little shepherds

Celebration takes place in the centenary of the apparitions of the Virgin to Portuguese children

The Francisc pope the travels on Friday at 14 pm (9 am GMT) at the shrine of Fatima in Portugal , where it will remain until Saturday to participate in the centenary of the apparitions of the Virgin to the shepherd and canonize two of them siblings Jacinta and Francisco Marto .

The pontiff will spend a few hours in the sanctuary of Fatima and there will be no official visits to Lisbon, nor speeches with authorities. At the occasion, he will make a prayer, two greetings to the faithful and a homily, which will be read in Portuguese by the pope.

He will arrive at the Monte Real airbase and there will have a private meeting with the Portuguese president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, where the traditional exchange of gifts will take place. Francis will be the third pontiff to land on this Portuguese base, after Paul VI and John Paul II, in 1967 and 1991, respectively. By helicopter, on a 20-minute flight, the Pope goes to the football stadium of Fatima and then travels about 3km on the papamobile until he reaches the sanctuary.

Reception
Your first stop will be in the chapel, built on the site where three shepherd children Jacinta, Francisco and Lucia witnessed apparitions of the Virgin. There will be welcomed by a thousand children and by the rector of the sanctuary, Carlos Cabecinhas. Francis will say a prayer dedicated to the Virgin and give the blessing to the faithful.

At around 9 pm (local time, 5 pm in Brasilia) he will participate in the celebration of the candle blessing and before the rosary prayer he will dedicate a few words to the faithful, making his second speech.

Already on Saturday, the Argentine pontiff will meet with the prime minister, António Costa, who will visit him at the House of Our Lady of Carmo, where Francis will spend the night, as did his predecessors when they visited Fatima. Then he goes to the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, where he will pray at the tomb of Francisco and Jacinta, who died 9 and 10 years respectively.

In addition, Francis will celebrate a Mass in the Sanctuary where he will canonize the two brothers, who will become the first holy boys for having performed a miracle and not for being considered martyrs. After having lunch with Portuguese bishops, he will return to the sanctuary in a last course in the “papamobile” among the faithful, and then he will go to the airport from which he will return to Rome.

Trump contradicts Vice President Pence on Comey’s dismissal

“What really matters is not whether Comey deserved to be fired, but who Trump will put in his place,” says expert

The president of the United States , Donald Trump said it was decided to dismiss the director of the FBI , James Comey , even before hearing the opinion of the Department of Justice.

The statement, made in an  interview for NBC  News on Thursday,  contradicts a White House statement issued on Wednesday when Comey’s departure was made official . At the time, deputy spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the decision was made after Attorney General Jeff Sessions and his deputy admitted to Trump concerns about the then-director of the FBI. The version was also repeated by Vice President Mike Pence.

Trump also said that Comey ‘s dismissal was not a form of pressure to end the FBI’s investigation into the relationship of members of his campaign with the Russians. “I want to find out if there was a problem in the elections with Russia,” the president said.

In an interview with VEJA , Ilya Somin, a law professor at George Mason University and author of “Democracy and Political Ignorance: Why a Smaller Government Is Smarter,” says that only the appointment of Comey’s deputy could clarify the real motivations of the President.

Check out excerpts from the interview:

What made Donald Trump fire James Comey?

It is not yet possible to be sure, but the official justification is hard to believe. She says Trump was not happy with the way Comey conducted investigations into Hillary Clinton’s e-mail servers . But remember,  not long ago, Trump praised the former director of the FBI and said he did a good job. In this way, it is very difficult to detect the real reason for the departure of the former director.

Do you believe James Comey made major mistakes? 

There are good arguments from both sides about how he led Hillary Clinton’sinvestigations . What really matters now is not whether Comey deserved to be fired, but whom Trump will put in his place . Even if the former director of the US federal police has given enough reasons to be excused, the American president may put a person in worse power, that’s the real concern.

The resignation was sudden. Do you think there is any reason for Trump to do this right now? 

One possibility is that the Republican  wanted to weaken investigations into the relationship of members of his campaign with the Russians . We’ll know more when we figure out who Trump will put in place, before it’s too hard to be sure.

Does the decision bring the Republican administration closer to an autocratic regime? 

Dismissing the FBI director was not an authoritarian attitude to Trump, as the president has the authority to do so. The problem is at the time the president dismissed Comey as the director investigated his fellow campaigners about possible relations with Russia . The situation can still get worse if Trump puts in place someone who is not independent. That way, I believe that firing the FBI director was not an authoritarian attitude, but it could be problematic and dangerous.

Could we consider this decision as a victory for Trump? 

The dismissal did not result in a positive reaction, on the contrary. The reaction was very negative and will encourage public opinion to speak again on the issue of Russia . In the short term, the initiative was not good for Trump.

US deputy says he’s out of patience with North Korea

Trump government number two has hinted that the military route is a possibility if Pyongyang does not give way

US Vice President Mike Pence on Monday visited the demilitarized zone (DMZ) that separates the two Koreas, at a time of maximum tension with the North because of repeated gun tests.

A few feet from the border with North Korea , Pence again stressed the importance of the alliance of Washington and Seoul and the “determination of the people and the American president” to resolve the situation “through peaceful means through negotiations.”

Nevertheless, the number two government Trump reminded that the “strategic patience” of the United States is running out and that “all options are on the table” to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula in a new suggestion that military means Is a possibility if Pyongyang does not give in.

Pence was taken from central Seoul (about 50km south of the DMZ) in a Blackhawk military helicopter to landing at Camp Bonifas, named after one of two US soldiers killed by North Korean troops in an incident In the demilitarized zone in 1976.

Hours before Pence arrived in the area on Sunday, North Korea tried unsuccessfully to launch a ballistic missile that exploded after being fired at what is another test of weapons of the Pyongyang regime last year.

UN urges transparent investigation into deaths in Venezuela

Organization warns that at least 23 deaths may be related to protests in the country

The UN calls on the Caracas government to guarantee ” transparent investigations ” regarding the deaths in recent days in Venezuela , in the context of protests in several cities of the country.

“We are deeply concerned about the scale of violence in Venezuela,” said Ravina Shamdasani, a spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. “We ask that the forces of order act and operate respecting their obligations,” he warned, referring to suspected violations of human rights. “The administration of these protests must be within international standards,” he insisted, warning that the use of force should be avoided.

“At least 23 deaths were reportedly reported and the context is unclear,” he said. “We ask that these incidents be investigated. But these investigations need to be transparent, “he said.

Appeal
For the population, the UN office also makes an appeal. “We urge them to use peaceful means to make their voices heard,” he said.

For years, the government of Caracas has rejected the entry of UN missions related to human rights assessments.

Last week, the UN had already warned the Venezuelan government of Nicolás Madurothat its initiative to deliver weapons to the population would only increase the risk of a confrontation in the country.

Maduro announced the approval of a plan to expand to 500,000 members of the Bolivarian militia . According to him, the group will be in all the territory for the “defense of the country”. “A weapon for every militiaman,” Maduro promised in an announcement Monday night on radio and television.

Kyrgyzstan youth suspected of bombing in St Petersburg

Akbarjon Djalilov, 22, may have died in the explosion on the Russian subway, according to researchers

The author of the attack in St. Petersburg subway , which left 14 dead and 49 injured on Monday, is a citizen of Kyrgyzstan , said on Tuesday the country ‘s Central Asian authorities.

“The suicide bomber on the St. Petersburg subway was the Kyrgyz citizen Akbarjon Djalilov, born in 1995,” a spokesman for Kyrgyzstan’s security service Rajat Saulaimanov said. The 22-year-old was born in Osh town and also had Russian citizenship.

According to the Russian Security Service (FBS), an explosion occurred inside a subway car at 2:40 pm local time (8:40 am) on Monday between Sennaya Ploschad and Tekhnologitchesky Institut stations , part of a Busy line passing through the center of St. Petersburg. The Russian Research Committee has announced the opening of an investigation for a “terrorist act” , but officials have pointed out that they intend to examine “all other possible leads”.

Earlier, in a statement, the Russian Investigative Committee spoke of the possibility that the explosion was a suicide attack: “It was determined that an explosive device may have been detonated by a man, whose body fragments were found in the third Train, “he said. “The man has been identified, but his identity will not be disclosed now because of the interests of the investigation,” the committee explained. According to the local press, the guy mentioned would be Djalilov, appointed by the Kyrgyz authorities. 

The attack has not been claimed by terrorist groups so far. In addition to the explosion that left victims, a second bomb was found at another subway station in St Petersburg and deactivated by the police before being detonated. It is not clear, however, whether the devices were placed by the same person or if others are involved. During Monday, the local press reported images of a man from Kazakhstan who would be suspected of the attack, but he attended a police station yesterday to declare his innocence.

Syria: Powers await clarification on US posture

The focus of the G7 meeting is on US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who heads from the meeting directly to Moscow

Representatives of G7 member countries are taking part in an extraordinary meeting on Monday to discuss the escalation of the war in Syria and strategies to pressure Russia to withdraw its support for dictator Bashar Assad . The meeting will be attended by the foreign ministers of the United States , England , Canada , France , Germany , Japan and Italy , which hosts a meeting in the city of Lucca.

The meeting convened by the Italian minister, Angelino Alfano, should serve especially for US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to clarify to colleagues the American position regarding Russia. The United States government, in the hands of Donald Trump, has been willing to talk to the country of Vladimir Putin in recent months, but the “partnership” seems to be shaken by the  chemical attack in Syria , which left 89 dead. Assad’s ally, Putin is blamed by other nations for participating in rebels’ offensives, or neglect to curb the regime.

Over the weekend, Tillerson made the stiffest claim to Russia since the Trump administration began by telling CBS that “whether it was an accomplice, simply incompetent or cheated” by the Syrians, the country “failed in its commitment to International community “. The secretary commented, however, that there are no changes to the American stance in Syria, focused on ending the terrorist group Islamic State (EI) . His position differs from that of Nikki Haley, the United States ambassador to the United Nations , who said there will be no peace while Assad remains in power – just the opposite of what he said last week.

The G7 extraordinary meeting, which precedes the official summit in May, will also receive representatives from Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Qatar, which will serve to put pressure on the American secretary. The meeting of world leaders is a key moment especially for its date, which precedes Tillerson’s visit to Moscow on Tuesday, where he will meet with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov – the first live contact of a senior government official Trump with Russia.

Unlike Tillerson, Boris Johnson, the English minister, canceled a visit to Moscow and said his priority is to stay in touch with “the United States and others.” According to him, Russia must work with the international community to prevent the tragic attack from repeating itself and, therefore, the American secretary must “deliver this clear and coordinated message to the Russians.”

London terrorist mother claims to be “deeply saddened”

Janet Ajao said she has shed many tears for the victims of the attack since she discovered that her son was responsible

The mother of the terrorist who killed four people in an attack in the English Parliament in London last Wednesday said she was “deeply shocked, sad and stunned” by her son’s actions. In a statement released by police, Janet Ajao said she had shed a lot of tears for the victims since she discovered that her son, Khalid Masood , was responsible for the “horrific incident.”

Ajao said she wants to make it “absolutely clear” that she does not forgive her son’s actions or support the beliefs that led to the attack. Masood was born in the south of England in 1964 as Adrian Elms but incorporated the name Adrian Ajao from his stepfather, whom his mother married when he was a child. According to police, the terrorist changed his name to Khalid Masood in 2005. Janet Ajao currently lives in the hinterland of Wales.

Attack on terrorist groups – On Monday, London police said they found no evidence of an alleged connection between Masood and jihadist groups like the Islamic State (EI) and Al Qaeda. British security forces believe the 52-year-old assailant had “copied” the “low-cost” techniques promoted by these groups, but found no evidence that he had help from others to plan the attack.

Masood’s actions “resemble the rhetoric of the Islamic state for its methodology, and why it attacked police and civilians,” police spokesman Neil Basu said. “However, at this time, we have no proof that he had planned this with others,” he said. There is also no evidence that Masood “radicalized himself in prison in 2003 as suggested” and this thesis is “pure speculation,” Basu added.

Masood was killed by gunmen on the outskirts of the English parliament after he had killed police officer Keith Palmer, 48, with a knife. Earlier, the terrorist ran over a 4 × 4 vehicle hired dozens of people strolling down Westminster Bridge, leaving others dead and dozens injured.

According to the Guardian newspaper, Masood was already known by MI5, the British secret service, since 2010 when he returned to England from Saudi Arabia, where he had taught English. But he eventually came off the radar of the country’s intelligence. British Prime Minister Theresa May recently confirmed that Masood had been previously investigated by the intelligence services, but only as a “peripheral” figure. At the moment there is increasing pressure for an official explanation as to how close Masood had been monitored and why surveillance was halted.

Arrests

On Sunday, a man was detained in Birmingham, central England, for being linked to the bombing. With this latest arrest, the total number of people arrested has risen to 12, though nine have already been released without charges, while a woman has been released on bail.

Another man, 58, detained Thursday in Birmingham, also remains in custody for detectives investigating the case. In addition, police searched 15 properties in several British cities, such as London, Brighton and Manchester, as well as other areas of southern England.

British police are looking for people linked to Masood who may be planning other attacks or have been radicalized as well.

Woman shoots maid falling from the window and does not help

Victim survived the fall, while the employer was detained by the Kuwaiti police

One woman has caused an uproar on social networks by filming – and posting – a video of her Ethiopian maid falling from the seventh floor instead of helping her. The case happened in Kuwait and went public on Friday. The victim survived the fall, while the employer was detained by the country’s police.

The  12-second video shows the Ethiopian dangling from the window with one hand, shouting for help (“hold me, hold me!”), While the author of the video says “crazy, come back inside.” The video shows the Ethiopian falling into a cover, which seems to have amortized her fall – she broke her arm and had other bruises.

According to the author of the video, this was the way she found herself defending herself against a murder charge.

The NGO Kuwait Society for Human Rights stated that the employer had a duty to try to rescue the employee. According to the agency, the country’s criminal code states that failing to help a person in danger can cause up to three months in prison.

The subject turned trending topics on the country’s Twitter . Users were divided between those who supported the author of the video for not having risked her own life and those who accused her of not even crying after the Ethiopian’s fall.

Airplane crashes at home in Atlanta, USA

Residents of the house managed to escape without injuries. Aircraft pilot died

A private executive jet Cessna Citation I crashed in an Atlanta suburb of the United States crashed into a house and exploded late Friday. The pilot died and the property caught fire after the accident. Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash.

The city’s Fire Department reported that the residents of the house left safely, without any injuries.

The plane sailed from Wilmington, Delaware, to Fulton County Airport in Georgia at about 7:20 pm US time.

On Twitter, users posted images of the crash:

iew image on Twitter

Crowd protests in London against British exit of EU

The march called “United for Europe” walks toward Parliament Square with European Union flags and posters urging the end of Brexit

Thousands of people marched in London on Saturday to protest the UK’s exit from the European Union four days before Prime Minister Theresa May kicked off the formal process of separating the bloc, which the British have been part of for 44 years – May has been firm on his intention to withdraw the UK from the European bloc and will formally announce the start of the two-year exit process on Wednesday.

At the start of the protest, demonstrators took a minute of silence in memory of the victims. Participants waved EU flags and held placards with sayings like “What’s the plan?” And “Stop Brexit” as they headed for parliament. One of the posters said “Happy Birthday EU”, in reference to the 60th anniversary of the founding of the bloc, currently being celebrated in Rome.

Joss Dennis was one of the participants in the three caravans that came from Bristol in the west of England, where 62% of the population voted to stay in the European Union in the June referendum last year, compared to a national average of 52% Of the block. “With such a tight vote, I do not see how anyone can call it the will of the people,” Dennis said. “A terrible mistake has been made, but the situation is not beyond redemption,” he added.

The march called “United for Europe” will end a protest in Parliament Square, site of an attack this week by a British convert to Islam in which four people died.

Filed under Joker, man arrested in United States

Virgnia’s state law prohibits concealment of identity through mask, hood or other devices. The sentence may reach up to five years in prison.

A man was arrested last Friday afternoon in Winchester, Virginia, in the United States, accused of being “masked” in public. It may sound like a joke, but the intent to conceal identity is an illegal act in the state.

The Winchester Police Department received several calls about a suspicious man walking the streets of the city with his face painted the same as the character of the Joker (Batman villain) and wearing a black cape while carrying a sword. Jeremy Putman, 31, is being held at the Winchester Police Department.

According to city police, Putman is accused of committing a crime of level 6, whose sentence may reach five years in prison. The bail for this type of infraction is 2,000 dollars (approximately 6,200 reais).

According to item 18.2-422 of the Virginia Code , “it is unlawful for anyone over the age of 16, with the intent of concealing your identity, to wear any mask, cape, or other device.”

Not subject to this prohibition, even under State law, persons dressed in traditional holiday clothing, persons engaged in occupations requiring protection masks by virtue of the physical safety of the worker, the person involved in any theatrical production or the citizen Wear a mask, hood or other device for medical reasons.

Meat Weak: Export loses US $ 130m in one week

China, Chile and Egypt have returned and will resume buying meat from Brazil, except for the 21 refrigerators investigated

Just a week after the outbreak of Operation Meat weak , the Federal Police , the meat industry accounts for losses of more than $ 130 million. The Brazilian Association of Animal Proteins (ABPA), linked to the poultry and pork sectors, estimates a loss with exports of US $ 40 million by Friday. The beef sector, which is represented by the Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries (ABIEC), although it does not have a closed number, estimates that at least US $ 96 million in ready-to-export products are stopping at the Port of Santos, , Prevented from going abroad.

ABPA Chief Executive Officer Francisco Turra says that the first week of Operation Low Fiber was “very strong” for the industry. “It turned out to be a very dramatic moment, never seen the same, and difficult to reverse,” he says. “The solution will not require a week or a simple official word.

Everything that stops being exported does not have room to be absorbed (internally). So, it has to decrease production and reduce jobs, which already begins to occur, “he says.

Last week, JBS, for example, announced the suspension of beef production in 33 of its 36 units in Brazil, and said that when it resumed activities, starting tomorrow, the factories will operate with a cut of 35 % In production. According to the company, this would be done to adjust production to falling demand.

Absurd

With the blocking of several countries to imports of Brazilian meat, shipments practically became paralyzed. The Ministry of Agriculture itself has estimated that the fall is more than 90%. “It’s an absurd thing,” said Minister Blairo Maggi.

The minister believes that exports can be regularized in a period between a week and 15 days. Still, the injury has already occurred. At the very least, the refrigerators lost from a week to 15 days in the production volumes that they had scheduled for this year.

Maggi estimated during the week that losses on meat exports could reach $ 1.5 billion if the crisis is not resolved quickly.

To try to reverse the situation, the minister himself has been working with Abiec and ABPA in search of strategies. One of them, according to the president of Abiec, Antônio Jorge Camardelli, would be a Brazilian mission to the countries that suspended the purchases of Brazilian meat. “The first visit, possibly with Maggi, would be to China (which yesterday announced that it will resume imports, except for the 21 frigorifices investigated in Carne Locha), and then Hong Kong and Algeria,” an important market for Brazil, Significantly increased purchases since January, “said Camardelli.

Meat sales are important in the Brazilian economy. Last year, they accounted for 7.5% of the country’s total exports, with an approximate impact of 0.8% of GDP. Therefore, there are great concerns that this crisis will last longer.