A Palestinian poet and leading member of Saudi Arabia’s nascent contemporary art scene has been sentenced to death for renouncing Islam.
A Saudi court on Tuesday ordered the execution of Ashraf Fayadh, who has curated art shows in Jeddah and at the Venice Biennale. The poet, who said he did not have legal representation, was given 30 days to appeal against the ruling.
Fayadh, 35, a key member of the British-Saudi art organisation Edge of Arabia, was originally sentenced to four years in prison and 800 lashes by the general court in Abha, a city in the south-west of the ultraconservative kingdom, in May 2014.
Saudi court sentences poet to death for renouncing Islam
Woman Stands in Way of Crews Working on Gas Pipeline Near Nuclear Power Plant
A Westchester woman says she’s standing up for her community by standing in the way of construction crews extending a natural gas pipeline near Indian Point nuclear power plant.
Nancy Vann refused to leave her property Friday, stymieing efforts by crews to clear-cut an area of land near the Indian Point, where an energy company wants to place a gas pipeline. About six protesters with signs joined her Friday, as crews cut down large trees.
Doctors from 44 countries call on Ireland to relax abortion laws
Hundreds of doctors from 44 countries including some of Ireland’s most prominent physicians have called on the Republic’s government to decriminalise abortion.
The 838 doctors and medical practitioners have joined an Amnesty International campaign to lift the threat of a 14-year jail sentence for providing or assisting in the provision of an abortion in Ireland.
Over 20 reported dead in Mali hotel siege, hostage crisis ‘over’
More than 20 people have reportedly been killed as armed gunman stormed a luxury hotel in Bamako, Mali on Friday morning. The attackers held 170 people hostage in Radisson Blu hotel, while it is reported that there are no more civilians in the hotel.
The CEO of Rezidor, the company that owns the Radisson, has released a statement.
"I want to express my deep personal concern for all of the guests and employees affected by the terrible events which are happening today at the Radisson Blu Bamako Hotel in Mali," Wolfgang M. Neumann said.
Inside the Money Laundering Scheme That Citi Overlooked for Years
When Antonio Peña Arguelles opened an account in 2005 at Citigroup’s Banamex USA, the know-your-customer documents said he had a small business breeding cattle and white-tailed deer, ranch-raised for their stately antlers. About $50 a month would come into the account, according to the documents.
A week later, Peña Arguelles wired in $7.09 million from an account in Mexico, allegedly drug money from Los Zetas, a violent cartel founded by former Mexican soldiers, documents in his money-laundering case in Texas say. In all, Peña Arguelles shuttled $59.4 million through the account, according to a confidential report by banking regulators that berated Banamex USA in 2013 for its failure to comply with anti-money-laundering rules.
Raytheon moves forward with Multi-Object Kill Vehicle program
Raytheon completed the first Program Planning Review with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency for its Multi-Object Kill Vehicle concept, advancing the program.
The completion marks a milestone for the program's Concept Development Phase, designed to ensure the company is meeting the Missile Defense Agency's expectations. The Concept Review takes place in December.
American Medical Assoc: Ban TV Drug Ads
If one of doctors’ largest lobbying groups has its way, the sun will soon set on the digitally-enhanced world of bright blue skies and fluffy clouds occupied by smiling patients in TV drug ads. The American Medical Association voted this week in favor of a ban on such direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription drugs and medical devices.
The resolution, approved by the AMA’s House of Delegates, has no immediate impact as only the Food and Drug Administration or Congress has the power to ban pharmaceutical advertising.
Texas shoots down plan for experts to fact-check textbooks
Texas' State Board of Education rejected a plan to create an expert panel to identify factual errors in history and geography textbooks.
An 8-7 vote Wednesday shot down a proposal to have a panel of college professors read the books specifically searching for errors.
The vote followed a year of controversy regarding the books' interpretations of Islamic history, the Ten Commandments, the Civil War and global warming. There was also an inaccurate reference to African slaves transported to North America as "workers" brought to the board's attention by the mother of a ninth-grade Houston student, provoked a national dispute.
Obama's drone war a 'recruitment tool' for Isis, say US air force whistleblowers
Four former US air force service members, with more than 20 years of experience between them operating military drones, have written an open letter to Barack Obama warning that the program of targeted killings by unmanned aircraft has become a major driving force for Isis and other terrorist groups.
The group of servicemen have issued an impassioned plea to the Obama administration, calling for a rethink of a military tactic that they say has “fueled the feelings of hatred that ignited terrorism and groups like Isis, while also serving as a fundamental recruitment tool similar to Guantánamo Bay”.
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