These three women stood up to Europe's longest-serving dictator. Here's what happened to them

 

Five weeks have passed since Belarus learned the results of its presidential election, in which the country's Central Election Commission announced that President Alexander Lukashenko, often described as Europe's last dictator, had won with 80.23% of the vote.

In the weeks that have followed, the country has seen mass protests from citizens who believe the vote was rigged, violent police crackdowns on those protestors and, possibly most disturbingly, three high-profile opposition figures -- all of whom are women -- have disappeared from public view or fled Belarus.

Belarusian state media said on Tuesday that Maria Kolesnikova, a key opposition figure, had been detained on the Belarusian side of the border between Ukraine and Belarus. The statement was made by Belarusian Border Control, and aired on state TV.

"The disappearance of the candidates demonstrates beyond all doubt the brutality of this regime and how important it is that the international community doesn't lose interest in the appalling events that have unfolded since the election," Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the UK's Foreign Affairs Select Committee,

A California fire that burned more than 7,000 acres was caused by a faulty spinning smoke machine at a gender-reveal party

 

One of three major wildfires tearing through Califonia this weekend was caused by a gender reveal party.

A "smoke generating pyrotechnic device" sparked the El Dorado Fire in Yucaipa, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) said.

The fire has so far burned 7,050 acres. 

Two other major active fires — The Creek Fire and The Valley Fire — have burned 73,278 and 9,850 acres respectively.

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A fire that broke out in California and has so far burned more than 7,000 acres of woodland was caused by a gender-reveal party, authorities said.

At around 10:20 a.m. on Saturday, a "smoke generating pyrotechnic device, used during a gender reveal party" sparked a fire in the El Dorado Ranch Park in Yucaipa, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) said in a statement on Sunday.

Prototype of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines' futuristic-looking flying wing aircraft just took its first flight in Germany

 

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

The first scaled model of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines' futuristic Flying-V aircraft took flight in Germany last month in an early milestone for the program.

The Flying-V is a flying wing aircraft where the fuselage is blended with the wings to create a giant V-shaped plane.

Airlines and aircraft manufacturers are turning to flying wing designs as an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional designs.

A scaled model of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines' aircraft of the future just took flight for the first time in a milestone event for the Dutch flag carrier's push for more efficient and environmentally responsible aircraft.

Engineers got their first look at what might one day by the new flagship of KLM's fleet in late August when the futuristic-looking Flying-V demonstrator successfully took to the skies above Germany. The remote-controlled flight was the culmination of two-year's work of engineers from KLM and the Delft University of Technology, also known as TU Delft.

Philippine president pardons U.S. Marine jailed for transgender killing

 

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday pardoned a United States Marine convicted of killing a transgender woman in the country nearly six years ago, sparking condemnation from activists who described the move as a "mockery of justice".

Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton was jailed in 2015 for killing Jennifer Laude near a former U.S. navy base. A trial court signed off on his early release last week for good conduct, but was blocked by an appeal from Laude's lawyers.

"Cutting matters short over what constitutes time served, and since where he was detained was not in prisoner's control - and to do justice - the president has granted an absolute pardon," Foreign Minister Teodoro Locsin announced on Twitter.

One of Laude's lawyer was dismayed by the pardon and questioned Duterte's commitment to a foreign policy that he insists is independent and not dictated by U.S. interests.

"We see the welfare of our countrymen are set aside," lawyer Rommel Bagares told DZBB radio.

Cristina Palabay of human rights group Karapatan described Dutere's independent foreign policy as "bankrupt".

"We view this as not only a mockery of justice but also a blatant display of servility to U.S. interest," Palabay told us.

Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny is out of a coma

 

Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny is out of a medically induced coma, the German hospital where he is being treated said in a statement on Monday.Navalny "is being weaned off mechanical ventilation" and "is responding to verbal stimuli," Berlin's Charité Hospital said. "It remains too early to gauge the potential long-term effects of his severe poisoning," the hospital added.

The critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin became sick from suspected poisoning on a flight to Moscow from the Siberian city of Tomsk on August 20.Germany's government said last week that tests on Navalny showed "unequivocal evidence" of the use of a chemical nerve agent from the Soviet-era Novichok group.

The attack on Navalny was met with widespread international condemnation, while the Kremlin has remained defiant in the face of global unease over Russia's role in the incident.Navalny's team have pointed the finger of blame directly at Putin.

"In 2020, poisoning Navalny with Novichok is exactly the same as leaving an autograph at the scene of the crime," Leonid Volkov, Navalny's chief of staff, wrote over a picture of Putin's signature after the poisoning, in a tweet that has since been deleted.

Novichok agents are highly unusual, so much so that that very few scientists outside of Russia have any real experience in dealing with them.

The lethal chemical weapons were first developed in secret by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Even today, no country outside of Russia is known to have developed substances in the group.

Novichok was also used in a March 2018 attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in the English cathedral city of Salisbury.

Later on Monday, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said that he has summoned Russian ambassador Andrey Kelin. "Today the UK summoned Russia's Ambassador to the UK to register deep concern about the poisoning of Alexey Navalny," Raab said on Twitter.

Get Back In Shape with the Best Trainer for Women 2020

 

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Universities issue stern warning to 'selfish' students partying on campus as they return for classes: 'There is no place for you here'

 

Penn State, Syracuse and Purdue are three of the latest universities to punish students who are violating the social distancing guidelines that were set to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus on campus.

Penn State University

Videos posted to TikTok and Twitter show hundreds of Penn State students partying outside of University Park dorms, which are known to be freshmen housing, on Wednesday night, just after moving in. Students are seen dancing, chanting and certainly not social distancing, and a majority aren’t wearing masks.

“Wrong on so many levels,” a sophomore at the university wrote on Twitter early Thursday morning. Hours later, the university’s president, Eric Barron, responded with a statement condemning the students involved, noting that the University Park, Pa., school had intervened on Wednesday evening and the crowds had dispersed.

New Music : Danny Boy - Good Life

The Nigerian fast rising  conscious music singer and songwriter Danny Boy gift his fans a new tune titled “Good life” 

cool mid tempo contemporary afrovibes .

The video was shot by @blaanation and

song produced by @soclassic

Follow @dboymusix @blanation

Download Audio here GoodLife - Danny Boy

Buy ITUNES

              

Bawo Lori · Good Life - Danny Boy

Minneapolis council majority backs disbanding police force

 A majority of the members of the Minneapolis City Council said Sunday they support disbanding the city's police department, an aggressive stance that comes just as the state has launched a civil rights investigation after George Floyd's death.

Nine of the council’s 12 members appeared with activists at a rally in a city park Sunday afternoon and vowed to end policing as the city currently knows it. Council member Jeremiah Ellison promised that the council would “dismantle” the department.

“It is clear that our system of policing is not keeping our communities safe,” Lisa Bender, the council president, said. “Our efforts at incremental reform have failed, period.”

Bender went on to say she and the eight other council members that joined the rally are committed to ending the city’s relationship with the police force and “to end policing as we know it and recreate systems that actually keep us safe.”

‘They set us up’: US police arrested over 10,000 protesters, many non-violent

Since George Floyd’s death at the hands of police in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on 25 May, around 140 cities in all 50 states throughout the US have seen protests and demonstrations in response to the killing. 

Related: Protests about police brutality are met with wave of police brutality across US

More than 10,000 people have been arrested around the US during the protests, as police forces regularly use pepper spray, rubber bullets, teargas and batons on protesters, media and bystanders. Several major US cities have enacted curfews in an attempt to stop demonstrations and curb unrest. 

Jarah Gibson was arrested while non-violently protesting in Atlanta, Georgia, on 1 June. 

“The police were there from the jump and literally escorted us the whole march,” said Gibson. 

She said around 7.30pm, ahead of Atlanta’s 9pm city-wide curfew, police began boxing in protesters. While protesters were attempting to leave, Gibson tried to video record a person on a bicycle who appeared to be hit by a police car and was arrested by police. She was given a citation for “pedestrian in a roadway,” and “refusing to comply when asked to leave”.

Meet the most savage person in history? Olga of Kiev.

Olga of Kyiv - or should I say, Saint Olga of Kyiv - is the most savage person I’ve heard of so far. She was a Kievan Rus princess who had the best revenge I’ve ever heard of.

Tensions were already high between her empire, the Kievan Rus, and the Drevlians. Her husband, Igor, while visiting, was attacked and brutally murdered by the Drevlians who.. (I’ll spare the details) ripped his body apart.

Olga was infuriated (as people are when their husbands are murdered.) Olga stepped up to rule in her husband’s place because her son was much too young for the job.

The Drevlians were all cool with that, thinking that she was just another woman who could easily be put at rest by pairing her up with their own prince, Prince Mal. (Olga didn’t like that.)

The Drevians sent up a few of their best men, about twenty, to persuade Olga into marrying the man.

“Of course, wait out here for a moment,” she said, and had them wait in their boats.

She then had a ditch dug. Then she buried them alive.

That’s not all. Olga accepted the proposal, but she still had tricks up her sleeve.

BRUNO MARS celebrity/historical figure has a dark past everyone seems to ignore?

Although Bruno Mars now has a collection of catchy music, a large following, and a lavish lifestyle, he comes from humble beginnings.

By humble, I mean homeless.

Times were tough and bleak for the family, which consisted of Bruno, his father, and his brother. He had divorced parents. They lived in an austere building in the center of a birding zoo. It had no bathroom, forcing them to cross the park to find a toilet.

Then the park, which his father was the keeper of, shut down. Bruno and his family would sleep wherever they could, from tops of buildings to back of vehicles.

"My dad was just the king of finding these little spots for us to stay that we should never have been staying at," Mars reported in a broadcast.

The trio soon found a one-bedroom shack to live in. All that Mars really had at that time was his brother, father, and optimism. His traumatic experiences just made him try harder to reach his goal

What are some signs of intelligence? and some reasons high-IQ individuals turn out to be failures in the end?

1. They stare more at the walls than other people.
2. Imagination never leaves them. 
3. Without imagination, they are nothing.
4. Leave the group when they find people in them incompatible to them.
5. Generally polite, mature, good knowledge about philosophy of life.
6. Find uncomfortable to follow the rules.
7. Struggle a lot in their work. That is what gives them happiness.
8. Lot of self-respect for themselves.
9. In silence, they are always happy and peaceful.
10. All they need is love. That can attract them strongly.
11. Love the company of curious people.

What are some of the strangest facts about famous movies?

Romeo and Juliet: Hair and make up artist Aldo Signoretti was kidnapped by gang members and held captive. The gang asked for $300 for Aldo’s return, and the film producers paid in order to save him. When the gang received the money, they threw Aldo out of a moving car, which broke his leg in the process, but he was saved.

What are some of the most awesome psychological facts?

• The last person you think of before falling asleep is usually either the reason you are happy or sad.
• Smarter people are more likely to underestimate themselves.
• The longer you hide feelings for someone, the harder you fall for that person.
• When you try to recall a past event, you are actually remembering the last time you remembered it, not the event itself.

What are the best one-minute life hacks?

1. Flip your burger before eating it. This decreases the chances of everything falling out the sides as it will press down on the loose items.

2. Put water in a glass, not a bottle. Our mind does not like unfinished things, so by putting water in a glass you are more likely to finish it and drink more throughout the day.

3. Get a song out of your head by singing the end. By the same reason as mentioned above you can easily get songs unstuck by singing the last line of the song.

4. Take better breaks. Sit back in your chair and turn it around. Do not get up, do some conscious breaths and sit there for 45 seconds. That is all the time you need to get recharged.

What are some examples of assassination attempts gone wrong?

A group of hitmen refused to kill a victim as she was a woman and let her free to get her revenge.

In 2015, the Australian Noela Rukundo (who's the lady in the photo) went to Burundi to attend the funeral of her stepmother who passed away only a couple of weeks back.

Straight after the funeral when she was going out to get some fresh air, she was quite suddenly kidnapped at gunpoint and shoved into a vehicle. She was blindfolded and driven to a safe house somewhere in the country.

Inside the building she was tied up, and a sack put on her head and was asked by her captors:

“You woman, what did you do for this man to pay us to kill you?”

“Wh-what are you talking about?” said Noela, she was shaking uncontrollably.

“Balenga (Noela husband) sent us to kill you.”

“What? My husband will never do that, y-you’re lying!”

Her captors smirked and giggled. She then heard a phone dialling and a voice coming from a loud speaker:

“Kill her”

It was her husband. Noela fainted.

Have you ever seen someone treat someone else horribly and receive instant karma?

In 1999, Paul Warner Powell, a 20-year-old man, was obsessed with 16-year-old Stacie Reed, who wasn’t into him.

Upon learning she had an African-American boyfriend, he grew furious, as a self-proclaimed white supremacist. He broke into her house and demanded to date her. When she resisted his advances, he killed her.

He then took the time to go downstairs and pour a glass of iced tea, waiting for Kristie Reed, Stacie’s 14-year-old sister, to come home from school. When Kristie asked him where her sister was, he dragged her down to the basement and stabbed her, leaving her to die.

Or so he thought.

What sounds extremely wrong, but is actually correct?

What if I told you that you might've had a fraternal twin but you ate it?

This might sound like some horror story or fiction but it isn't. It's a medical phenomenon called “chimera”.

In 2002, a pregnant American woman was fighting with her ex over the custody of their 2 children. And as the procedures of that case required, both of them provided DNA samples to prove that they are the biological parents. However, the result of the tests proved that her ex is indeed the father…. But she's not the mother !

All papers and witnesses proved that she's the mother no doubt but her DNA said otherwise. She was accused of being a fraud. However, the judge decided that the case will be on hold until the 3rd child is born and tested. And when the child arrived, once again the DNA of the mother did not match [1] ! After taking many samples from her body, the only DNA that actually proved that she's the mother was a sample from her uterus.

The US could see a second wave of Covid-19 infections because of the protests

US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams warned the nation to expect new outbreaks of coronavirus resulting from the George Floyd protests that have seen thousands of people gather in close proximity.

"I remain concerned about the public health consequences both of individual and institutional racism (and) people out protesting in a way that is harmful to themselves and to their communities," Adams told Politico in an interview published Monday.

"Based on the way the disease spreads, there is every reason to expect that we will see new clusters and potentially new outbreaks moving forward," he added.

The US hasn't even contained its current outbreak, let alone prepare for a second wave. The nation is still seeing about 20,000 new cases of Covid-19 every day.

Some states are doing better than others -- but the entire West Coast is still seeing its infection rate tick upward, as well as South Carolina, which was one of the first states to start reopening.

Can you really make significant money using affiliate marketing?

Because you’re on top of the answers, I’m not replying to you, but adding my answer here, so people that come across this question don’t stop short at your answer.

I’ve been involved in the affiliate marketing business for nearly 17 years through various companies and across very competitive verticals - Gambling, Trading, Adult.

While you have a few valid and good points in your answer, the particular question you’ve been asked to answer: “Can you really make significant money using affiliate marketing”, you are 100% wrong… And it’s ok to be wrong.

First of all, let’s define a few things so we’re all on the same page:

Significant money: Depending on where you live, significant money can be 2000$ or 20000$ (per month).

In the course of my career I founded several affiliate programs and managed thousands of affiliates. I’m not doing it anymore, and i’m not promoting a product through affiliates (although TrackingDesk has a referral program), so what I’m about to say has no impact on my current ventures or occupation.

What are some of the most morally justified crimes ever committed?

Getting hacked is pretty much what you sign up for as soon as you start using the internet.

But amidst this cyber-criminal cesspit is a Russian man who goes by the name of 'Alexey'.

What sets him aside from the others?

The hacker breaks into people's routers to … stop other hackers breaking into them.

Although I’m sure he sounds exactly like a walking contradiction, think of him as sort of like the contemporary Robin Hood.

Pope calls death of George Floyd "tragic" and says racism is a sin

Pope Francis spoke out on Wednesday morning in the Vatican about the "tragic" death of George Floyd.

Speaking at his weekly Angelus prayer, the Pope said, “Dear brothers and sisters in the United States, I have witnessed with great concern the disturbing social unrest in your nation in these past days, following the tragic death of Mr. George Floyd."

“My friends, we cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form and yet claim to defend the sacredness of every human life. At the same time, we have to recognize that the violence of recent nights is self-destructive and self-defeating. Nothing is gained by violence and so much is lost."

Francis added that he is praying for the “repose of the soul of George Floyd and of all those others who have lost their lives as a result of the sin of racism.”

George Floyd protests spread nationwide

5 facts you need to know 

1. It's the eighth day of protests across the US over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, at the hands of Minneapolis police.
2.  One former officer was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter — but protesters argue it's not enough, and other officers involved should also be charged.
3. President Trump vowed yesterday to deploy the military if widespread violence isn't quelled. 
4. Nearly half of the US has activated the National Guard. 
5. Despite major cities around the country enacting curfews, including New York and Washington, DC, protesters are still taking to the streets and facing arrest. 

Jupiter like it's never been seen before

Since 2016, the Juno spacecraft has circled Jupiter, scanning the atmosphere and mapping its magnetic and gravitational fields. It's also carrying JunoCam, a camera specifically designed to record images of the poles; areas of the gas giant not previously well documented. "We do not have a formal imaging science team on Juno, so we have turned to the public to help us out," says Candice Hansen-Koharcheck, Juno co-investigator responsible for JunoCam.

 The amateur astronomy community assists with planning, she explains, determining when JunoCam should photograph the planet and where. Once images are sent back to Earth, the public has access to raw data, which, with a little photo editing know-how, have been processed into some of the most stunning images yet seen of Jupiter. "I don't know what we would do without them!" says Hansen-Koharcheck. "Over the past two years we have come to rely on them ... as important members of our virtual team." Among the most prolific and noted submitters are people working in the scientific community.