Home Archives 2016 January

Monthly Archives: January 2016

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Sweden’s Interior Minister Anders Ygeman has said that his country may reject the asylum applications of up to 80,000 refugees and should prepare to...

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American specialists have urged the World Health Organization (WHO) to take urgent action over the Zika virus, which they say has "explosive pandemic potential". Writing...

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Facebook has reported more than doubled profits in the fourth quarter of 2015. The social media giant’s net profit for the three months to December...

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Samsung profits have been hit by falling sales for its smartphones and semiconductors. The "difficult business environment and slowing IT demand" sent net profit for...

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Fox News has responded to Donald Trump after his decision to boycott the final Republican debate on January 28. The network said in a statement...

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France’s Justice Minister Christiane Taubira has resigned shortly before plans to strip people convicted of terrorism of their citizenship go before parliament. Christiane Taubira was...

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Colin Vearncombe, who performed under the name Black, has died at the age of 53, two weeks after being injured in a car crash. The...

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Ammon Bundy, the leader of an armed militia which has occupied a wildlife refuge in Oregon, has been arrested, police say. One person has been...

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The United States and China say a new UN resolution against North Korea is needed, following Pyongyang's claim that it had successfully tested a...

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In June of 2015, when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down same-sex marriage bans as unconstitutional, everybody knew the ruling would make waves in other realms of the law. One such area is child custody. In 2014, Charlene Ramey separated from her same sex partner, Kimberly Sutton, and filed for parental rights and custody of their son. Shortly after Ramey submitted her petition, Sutton asked district Judge Howard Haralson to dismiss the case. Haralson granted the dismissal but Ramey was persistent and brought her case all the way to the state Supreme Court. This is the court’s decision: Ramey’s relationship with the child was more than that of a nanny, friend or even a family member like an aunt or cousin. “On the contrary” wrote Justice Joseph Watt, “Ramey has been intimately involved in the conception, birth and parenting of their child, at the request and invitation of Sutton.” He added: “Ramey has stood in the most sacred role as parent to their child and always has been referred to as ‘mom’ by their child. The community, school, medical providers and extended family have all known Ramey as ‘the other parent’ all with the knowledge and mutual agreement of Sutton.” Andrew J. Stephenson, a child custody lawyer, had this to say on the subject: “With this landmark US Supreme court ruling, the lower courts must take issues regarding same sex parenting more seriously and really focus on what’s best for the child. I believe the Oklahoma Supreme Court definitely made the correct decision, one that no doubt set a precedent for future cases.” In the majority opinion, Watt continues: “In a separate, concurring opinion Justices James Winchester and Steven Taylor said the agreement between Ramey and Sutton to conceive and care for a child must also be considered. The court must first determine standing based on  agreement of the parties. Then and only then is best interest considered to determine custody or visitation.” The Supreme Court’s ruling overturned the district court’s decision to dismiss Ramey’s case. She now has legal standing to continue to play a role in parenting her son. The Oklahoma chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) had worked on the case with Ramey’s lawyer, Rhonda Telford Naidu, as they appealed the lower court’s rejection up through the state’s higher courts. “I’m really proud of the Oklahoma Supreme Court for giving this case its day in court,” says Troy Stevenson, the executive director of Freedom Oklahoma, an LGBT rights organization. “The worst thing I can imagine is for a child to be ripped away from its mother.” As for Ramey, well, she just seems happy to be able to call her son hers. “Today is an overwhelming day of emotion and joy,” she said hours after the ruling. “Today is relief. Today, our great state  recognized that I have been nothing but true as a mom to my son and our relationship. Today starts another chapter of hope. I love you, son.”

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Donald Trump has announced he will boycott the final Republican presidential debate before the Iowa caucuses. The Republican presidential hopeful accused Fox News debate moderator...

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Tech giant Apple has reported the slowest growth in iPhone sales since the product's 2007 launch. It also warned iPhone sales will fall for the...

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Israel has accused Turkey of buying oil from ISIS, thereby funding the militants' activities. Speaking in Athens, Israel’s Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said ISIS had...

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Bernie Sanders has said his judgement is as important as the experience of his rival Hillary Clinton. During the last Democratic debate in Iowa a...
lifestyle

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Sometimes, it’s important to make sure your budget is being spent effectively. If you’re not checking that you’re spending only on things you need,...

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Brazil will deploy 220,000 troops in its fight against mosquitoes spreading the Zika virus. The troops will go from home to home handing out leaflets...

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Europe’s stock markets have cut their losses after oil rose back above $30 a barrel, despite another slide in Asia on January 26. London’s FTSE...

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Swedish activist Peter Dahlin, who was detained in China on charges of damaging national security, has been released and deported. The 35-year-old has been held...
law

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On November 27, 2015, staff at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs, Colorado were forced to take cover after gunfire erupted outside their building. Over the course of the attack, a dozen people were shot. Three of the victims died, including one police officer and two civilians. What kind of person could open fire on pregnant women, doctors, and police officers? A man with an exceptionally checkered past: 57-year-old Robert Lewis Dear. According to reports from The Daily Beast, Dear had many previous run-ins with police, including accusations of domestic abuse, stalking, leering, and animal cruelty. In 2002, Dear was arrested on “peeping tom” charges. His neighbor, Lynn Roberts, “noticed Mr. Dear in the bushes by their house.” The police report reads: “Since March 2002, he has been leering at Ms. Roberts on a regular basis.” In 2003, he was arrested for animal cruelty, suspected of shooting his neighbor’s service dog. The police report for that incident reads: “His dog was walking down the driveway when a shot was fired from  residence next to his and  dog yelped out and ran over to him.” The dog had been shot with a BB gun, but luckily survived. Dear wasn’t convicted on either charge. Previous to those arrests, police responded to a domestic dispute between Dear and his wife, Pam. According to the police report, Dear “took her keys from her and locked her out of their residence.” “The victim then walked around the residence to gain entry through a window,” it continues. “The victim entered the residence and the suspect then hit her and pushed her out the window.” Mrs. Dear didn’t file any charges against her husband or take advantage of Colorado’s domestic violence laws. She did, however, indicate that she “wanted something on record of this incident occurring.” The report also notes that she had bruises on her body. Mrs. Dear told police she got the bruises when Mr. Dear pushed her in the chest. In 2004, another complaint was lodged against Dear, this time by his neighbor. The police report says Dear “told him that he was going to do bodily harm to him because the suspect thought the victim pushed his motorcycle over on the ground.” This was the same neighbor whose dog was found shot near Dear’s house. The report also notes:  “This is  ongoing problem between the victim and the suspect.” Ozy Licano, who survived the shooting at the Colorado Spring Planned Parenthood center, described a terrifying moment when he encountered Dear as he was fleeing from the scene in his car. “He came out, and we looked each other in the eye, and he started aiming, and then he started shooting,” Licano told the Associated Press. “I saw two holes go right through my windshield as I was trying to quickly back up and he just kept shooting and I started bleeding. He was aiming for my head. It’s just weird to stare in the face of someone like that. And he didn’t win.”

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Malaysian PM Najib Razak has been cleared of corruption in a long-running financial scandal that has gripped the country. According to the attorney-general's office, the...
health

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Health is an extremely important part of life. Everyone needs to ensure that they take care of themselves. Healthy people will live a lot...

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Chinese shares saw steep losses in late trade on January 26 as investors worried about oil prices, and despite an injection of liquidity into...

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Denmark’s lawmakers will vote on January 26 on a highly controversial proposal to confiscate asylum seekers' valuables to pay for their upkeep. The proposal drew...

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The Revenant has topped the US box office in a weekend affected by the East Coast snowstorm. The Oscar nominated movie, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, is...

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McDonald's has reported better than expected sales in Q4 of 2015, boosted by the launch of all-day breakfasts in the US. The fast food giant...