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May. 21st, 2014
Syria is accused of using chemical weapons again. Somebody dropped chlorine-filled barrel bombs from helicopters on Kafr Zita and al-Tamanah, two towns about 30km north of Hama.Barrel bombs tend to be used by the Syrian government, so it is easy to believe the state is responsible. The weapons bear the stamp of Chinese arms manufacturer Norinco.
Human Rights Watch is criticizing Venezuela. I doubted they had the integrity.
North Dakota State University banned its own fencing club from campus because they use weapons.
Sweden fined someone 32,000 kronor ($4,850) for insulting Islam in a Facebook comment, but the bigger story is the court's statement that "the question of whether Michael Hess's statement was true, or at least for Michael Hess appeared to be true is irrelevant to the proceedings." The courts in Sweden can punish you for telling the truth on any subject if they decide that the truth offends their personal sensibilities.
Libya had another coup d'etat and Thailand imposed martial law. [Edit May 22] And the situation in Thailand has become a coup d'etat.
A database of foreign lobbying spending in the US, at least that which is admitted to.
Pakistan bombed Waziristan, which is fairly unusual. This probably means they overheard plans for an impending attack or were taking revenge for one.
Two Russian journalists were caught transporting MANPADs in the Ukraine.
In 1946, Walt Disney and Salvador Dali collaborated on a project that they never finished. A group of modern animators decided to finish the project, which explains the obvious CGI. Ther video is certainly Daliesque.
Iranian police arrested people for making a knockoff of the video for Pharrel Williams's "Happy". Not for copyright infringement, but because Pharrel Williams's "Happy" is an affront to public decency.
Credit Suisse pled guilty to abetting tax evasion and expects to pay a $2.6 billion fine.
Kai Bird alleges that Beirut bombing mastermind Ali Reza Asgari defected to the United States.