Monday, February 29, 2016

How Kenyan Muslims saved Christians from Islamist extremists - CSMonitor.com

How Kenyan Muslims saved Christians from Islamist extremists - CSMonitor.com: "Christian passengers were spared likely death after the bus they were traveling in was ambushed by suspected Islamic militants – thanks to the actions of a group of Kenyan Muslims.

The terrorists, thought to belong to the Somali-based Al Shabab militant group, killed two people in the attack before ordering the Muslim passengers to split away from the Christians – but the Muslims on board refused their demands. "


On embassy row, a fraying veil of immunity for traffickers - CSMonitor.com

On embassy row, a fraying veil of immunity for traffickers - CSMonitor.com: "The upshot of the appeal court’s decision: Diplomatic immunity is no longer an invincible shield. Swarna’s case set a precedent that lawyers have been using ever since to strengthen civil lawsuits, which provides some measure of justice for victims and deterrence to would-be traffickers."


Forget 'Fairtrade' – just give cash to the poorest, philosopher says - CSMonitor.com

Forget 'Fairtrade' – just give cash to the poorest, philosopher says - CSMonitor.com: ""People rightly recognize that sweatshops are absolutely horrific places to work, no one doubts that at all," said MacAskill, who teaches at the University of Oxford.

"But the alternatives are even worse. Things like scavenging from dumps, unemployment, prostitution, street hustling, or back breaking farm labor, often all those things are low pay as well as being horrific," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Historically, countries have got richer by selling cheap goods, putting more money in people's pockets and allowing them to escape poverty, he said, highlighting examples in East Asia such as South Korea and Taiwan."


Digital divide widens as the Web adopts stronger encryption standard - CSMonitor.com

Digital divide widens as the Web adopts stronger encryption standard - CSMonitor.com: "Web browsers that haven't been updated in the past few years or older generations of many mobile devices, which are commonplace in much of the developing world, will be unable to use the updated encryption standard. That means that many of those users will lose access to online functions protected by the Web protocol called Secure HTTP, or HTTPS."



" Somewhere between 3 and 7 percent of Web browsers in use around the world cannot use the newer HTTPS standard, according to Facebook."

Michigan Supreme Court cracks down on 'pay or stay' imprisonment - CSMonitor.com

Michigan Supreme Court cracks down on 'pay or stay' imprisonment - CSMonitor.com: "People who cannot afford fines for arrests, tickets, or court fees often wind up in jail, where they accrue more costs, while they are prevented from earning money. "

Why you could go to jail for selling a cookie in Wisconsin - CSMonitor.com

Why you could go to jail for selling a cookie in Wisconsin - CSMonitor.com: "It may be the Cheese State, but not every dairy delicacy is created equal in Wisconsin, where it’s illegal to sell homemade baked goods without a commercial license. The penalties for doing so can range from up to $1,000 in fines to six months in jail."


How do you help refugees become European? Give them lessons. - CSMonitor.com

How do you help refugees become European? Give them lessons. - CSMonitor.com: "In a bid to diffuse tensions that have grown since an outcry over sexual assaults in Cologne, Germany, that were blamed mostly on immigrants, European nations are in a rush to design new curricula aimed at fostering a peaceful co-existence. That includes lessons on everything from gender equality to sexual norms to recycling."



"The trainers use pictures and role-playing to teach Austrian norms. They show typical dress in Europe, especially in summer. The lesson: skimpy dresses do not mean anything other than it is hot outside. One photo features a man and woman kissing on the street. You don’t have to do it, refugees are taught, but here it’s normal. So is smoking, even for women, but not in people’s homes anymore. Shake hands, always. And everyone – even women – should try to find a job and contribute to the social system so that it holds up."

Law enforcement's encryption claims overblown, study finds - CNET

Law enforcement's encryption claims overblown, study finds - CNET: "The report conceded that the increased availability of encryption products impedes government surveillance under certain circumstances. But it also concluded that the burgeoning market for Internet-connected devices will "likely fill some of these gaps and...ensure that the government will gain new opportunities to gather critical information from surveillance.""

How one state turned its 'heroin crisis' into a national lesson - CSMonitor.com

How one state turned its 'heroin crisis' into a national lesson - CSMonitor.com: "Instead of jail, nonviolent offenders are given the option of going into treatment. They start in one of the state’s new central clinics (hubs) and move on to a family doctor, counselor, or therapist closer to home (spokes).

Vermont law also shields people seeking medical help for an overdose from prosecution for manufacturing or selling drugs, not just for minor crimes. It also was the first state to legalize the sale of naloxone over the counter in pharmacies – a drug aimed at reversing overdoses and saving lives."