UnrepentantLiberal
UnrepentantLiberal's JournalSyrian rebels claim to shoot down helicopter
Source: AP
BY ZEINA KARAM
August 27, 2012
BEIRUT (AP) — A Syrian military helicopter crashed in a ball of fire Monday after apparently being hit during clashes between government forces and rebels in the capital Damascus, activists said, in a sign of the fighters' growing abilities as they struggle to topple President Bashar Assad's regime.
A video posted on the Internet showed the chopper engulfed in flames and spinning out of control shortly before it hit the ground amid bursts of gunfire near a mosque. Rebels shout "Allahu Akbar!" or God is great, as the helicopter went down. The authenticity of the video could not be independently verified.
In Paris, French President Francois Hollande ratcheted up the diplomatic pressure on the already isolated Assad regime, calling on the Syrian opposition to form a provisional government and saying France would recognize it once it was formed.
The announcement from Hollande — believed to be the first of its kind —also appeared to be an attempt to jolt Syria's deeply fragmented opposition into unity. But Syria's fractured opposition has been rife with infighting since the anti-Assad revolt broke out in March 2011, and it is far from clear whether it could cobble together a provisional administration anytime soon.
Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/article/Syrian-helicopter-downed-in-Damascus-clashes-3817120.php
Insurgents behead 17 Afghans gathered for music and dancing
Source: AP
By HEIDI VOGT and MIRWAIS KHAN
August 27, 2012
Insurgents beheaded 17 civilians in a Taliban-controlled area of southern Afghanistan, apparently because they attended a dance party that flouted the extreme brand of Islam embraced by the militants, officials said Monday.
The killings, in a district where U.S. Marines have battled the Taliban for years, were a reminder of how much power the insurgent group still wields in the south _ particularly as international forces draw down and hand areas over to Afghan forces.
The victims were part of a large group that had gathered late Sunday in Helmand province's Musa Qala district for a celebration involving music and dancing, said district government chief Neyamatullah Khan. He said the Taliban slaughtered them to show their disapproval of the event.
All of the bodies were decapitated but it was not clear if they had been shot first, said provincial government spokesman Daoud Ahmadi.
Read more: http://www.newser.com/article/da0tl3po2/insurgents-behead-17-afghans-gathered-for-music-dancing-in-worst-of-series-of-deadly-attacks.html
Bill Nye: Creationism is not appropriate for children.
Isaac Upsets Plans for GOP Lobbyists, Wealthy Donors
By BRIAN ROSS, MATTHEW MOSK, RHONDA SCHWARTZ and MEGAN CHUCHMACH
ABC News
August 26, 2012
A tropical storm named Isaac may accomplish what watchdog groups, newspaper editorials and ethics laws have not: it put a dent in the over-the-top entertaining and partying by lobbyists and special interests trying to buy access and influence with key members of congress at the political conventions.
The potential for fierce wind and rain threatened to shut down a number of lavish outdoor events, including a golf tournament whose influential guests were scheduled to include House Speaker John Boehner, a nighttime performance of Lynyrd Skynyrd, and a series of Senate fundraisers on a yacht called the Starship II.
Top party insiders had been scheduled to converge on Tampa for the Republican National Convention today, and SuperPACs and advocacy groups were provided the keys to many of the week's most exclusive gatherings – allowing the wealthiest donors special access to the party's top political leaders.
But the impending storm appeared to blunt some plans. Turnout at the early receptions Saturday was light, and the delayed start of the convention meant many dignitaries would postpone their arrival.
More: http://abcnews.go.com/m/story?id=17082670
Oregon man survives being compacted in dumpster—twice
Justin Gilpatrick said he hadn't had a drink in years. But after a night out drinking with a friend in Portland. Ore., the 27-year-old decided he was too intoxicated to drive home. So, in a questionable move, Gilpatrick decided to sleep it off in a nearby dumpster.
Unfortunately for him, a night of getting trashed took a literal turn when the dumpster was picked up by a garbage truck, which promptly dumped Gilpatrick inside and twice attempted to compact the load of trash.
KGW reports that when the driver of the Waste Management truck parked at a nearby shopping mall, the driver heard Gilpatrick screaming from inside. He was taken to a nearby hospital and treated for minor injuries.
Portland Police Lt. Robert King says that amazingly Gilpatrick escaped without any major injuries, describing him merely as being "shaken up" by the incident.
More: http://m.yahoo.com/w/legobpengine/news/blogs/sideshow/oregon-man-survives-being-compacted-dumpster-twice-175751385.html?.b=index&.ts=1345996702&.intl=US&.lang=en
Libya denounces destruction of Sufi sites
Source: Al Jazeera
August 26, 2012
Attackers in Libya have bulldozed a mosque containing Sufi Muslim graves in the centre of Tripoli, a day after Sufi shrines in the city of Zlitan were wrecked and a mosque library was burned.
The demolition of the large Sha'ab mosque happened in broad daylight on Saturday, drawing condemnation from government officials and Libyans across the country and abroad.
The president of Libya's newly elected National Congress, Mohamed al-Magariaf, called the prime minister to an emergency meeting on Sunday.
"What is truly regrettable and suspicious is that some of those who took part in these destruction activities are supposed to be of the security forces and from the revolutionaries," Magariaf told reporters on Saturday night.
Read more: http://aljazeera.com/story/201282665348545366
Pregnant teen dies after abortion ban delays her chemo treatment for leukemia
(I just came across this. I don't know if it was posted here.)
By Rafael Romo
CNN
August 18, 2012
The mother of a pregnant leukemia patient who died after her chemotherapy was delayed over anti-abortion laws is accusing doctors of not putting her daughter's health first.
The 16-year-old's plight attracted worldwide attention after she had to wait for chemotherapy because of an abortion ban in the Dominican Republic.
Doctors were hesitant to give her chemotherapy because such treatment could terminate the pregnancy -- a violation of the Dominican Constitution, which bans abortion. Some 20 days after she was admitted to the hospital, she finally started receiving treatment.
She died Friday, a hospital official said. At the time the treatment started, Rosa Hernandez, the girl's mother, said she tried to convince doctors and the Dominican government to make an exception so that her daughter's life could be saved.
More: http://articles.cnn.com/2012-08-18/americas/world_americas_dominican-republic-abortion_1_abortion-ban-dominican-courts-dominican-constitution
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