Is it OK to Bring a Loaded Rifle Into An Airport?

The story of a man who walked into Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Friday carrying a loaded AR-15 semiautomatic rifle has gone viral. And here’s the most amazing part of it: his actions were completely legal, thanks to Georgia’s gun laws. Passed in 2014, the HB 512 Safe Carry Protection Act allows people to openly carry a rifle in an airport, so long as they don’t try to go through security.  

The armed Cooley was dropping his daughter off for a flight, when  police officers approached Cooley, asking why he was carrying a semiautomatic weapon with an extended capacity 100-round drum. 

His response? “Safety.”

Cooley posted videos on YouTube, recording his conversations with the officers. 

“You’ve got quite a few people afraid because calls are like just coming in left and right,” one officer says to Cooley. 

“People’s fears are not my responsibility,” Cooley responds, then goes on to explain his rights. “If you’re detaining me, then I’m going to have to file a lawsuit against the airport,“ he says.

Cooley explained his actions to Atlanta’s WBS-TV Channel 2: “It shouldn’t matter what I carry, just that I choose to carry,” Cooley said. “You never know where something might happen.”

According to Cooley, he was exercising his rights: “If you don’t exercise your rights, the government doesn’t have any hesitation taking them away,” Cooley told WBS-TV Channel 2.

This isn’t the first example of someone carrying a gun into an airport to make a statement. In July, Dr. Peter Steinmetz, a director at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, made headlines when he walked around Phoenix’s Sky Harbor airport with an AR-15 over his shoulder. It is also legal to carry a gun in an airport in Arizona before security.

Hartsfield-Jackson International is the busiest airport in the world.

Saudi Arabia To Israel: Don't 'Judaize' Jerusalem

Saudi Arabia's governing body denounced Israeli settlements in Jerusalem Monday as a violation of Palestinian human rights. The ministerial council also called for strategies to stop Israeli attempts to partition al-Aqsa Mosque and the detention of Palestinian citizens in the Holy City.
“Israel has moved some offices to occupied Jerusalem and has been arresting Palestinians in groups. Such developments and violations of Palestinian human rights prove its flagrant attempts to Judaize the holy city through accelerating the pace of settlements,” said a statement from the Saudi Council of Ministers, which is led by Saudi King Salman Bin Abdul-Aziz. The statement was reported in Middle Eastern newspapers Tuesday. A response from Israel was not immediately made public.
The Saudi information and culture minister, Adel Al-Tarifi, said Israeli policies in Jerusalem "amount to human rights violations," reported the Middle East Monitor. He also added: "They are flagrant attempts carried out by the occupation authorities aiming at Judaising the City of Jerusalem throughout accelerating settlement and moving government offices to the city based on Plan 2020."
Jerusalem's Old City, founded around 4,000 BC, is divided between Muslim, Christian, Jewish and Armenian quarters.
The European Union criticized Israel in May for approving the construction of 900 new settler homes in East Jerusalem. “Israel’s determination to continue its settlement policy despite the urging of the international community not only threatens the viability of the two state solution but also seriously calls into question its commitment to a negotiated agreement with the Palestinians,” EU officials said in a statement at the time.
Tensions remain high in the holy city. Israeli extremist settlers vandalized Sunday the al-Aqsa Mosque. Armed police guards allegedly escorted the vandals. The mosque is located at a site known as the Noble Sanctuary, which is considered the third most holy place in Islam. It's also a holy site for Jews, who call it Temple Mount.
Israel took control of the holy site when it seized East Jerusalem and the West Bank in 1967, but immediately handed back control to the Islamic Waqf council, a trust run by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Israel did retain control of security at the site and has prohibited non-Muslim prayer at the Noble Sanctuary, which has sparked protests in recent years.

U.S. Army: New Camouflage Combat Uniforms Slated For Release Next Month

WASHINGTON, June 2 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army on Monday revealed its new Operational Camouflage Pattern combat uniforms slated for release next month.
The Operational Camouflage Pattern for the Army Combat Uniforms, also known as ACUs, will be available for purchase in select military clothing stores beginning July 1 for a price similar to the cost of the current Universal Camouflage Pattern.
Stores will not receive the uniforms until November.
New soldiers will be given ACUs starting January 2016 and enlisted soldiers will continue to receive a clothing allowance to replace worn uniforms.
"The Operational Camouflage Pattern was selected following the most comprehensive uniform camouflage testing effort ever undertaken by the Army, reflecting the Army's paramount commitment to force protection," the U.S. Army said in a press release.
Army Sgt. Maj. Daniel A. Dailey said he encourages soldiers to purchase new uniforms with their annual clothing allowance.
"All enlisted soldiers receive an annual stipend for the purchase of uniforms and accessories. I myself will wait until I am issued my clothing allowance before purchasing a uniform with the Operational Camouflage Pattern," Dailey said. "I encourage all soldiers and leaders to do the same by budgeting for a new uniform, belt, boots, and T-shirts as you receive your clothing allowance over the next 2-3 years."
The new ACUs will also incorporate minor design changes.
"These include redesigned shoulder sleeve pockets with a zipper opening, no trouser drawstring, a button on the lower calf pocket, two pen pockets on the sleeve instead of three, and the elimination of the elbow and knee patch hook and loop," the U.S. Army added.
The U.S. Army National Guard, U.S. Army Reserve, and Senior Reserve Officer Training Corps will receive uniforms and equipment fitted in the Operational Camouflage Pattern during the summer of 2016.
Soldiers will be allowed to mix and match T-shirts, belts, and boots with either the Operation Enduring Freedom Camouflage Pattern or the new ACUs during the transition period expected to end in October 2019.
"Presenting a professional appearance is very important to soldiers. But, we will not inconvenience or burden our troops," Dailey said. "We will still be the most lethal fighting force the world has even known even if our belts don't match for the next few years."
 

South Korea Possess Longer-Range Missile

South Korea on Wednesday successfully test-fired a domestically built ballistic missile that can hit all of North Korea, an official said, amid continuing animosity between the rivals over the North's push to bolster its nuclear and missile capabilities.

The missile, which had a reported range of more than 500 kilometers (300 miles), was fired from a southern launch pad, said an official at Seoul's Defense Ministry who spoke on condition of anonymity because of office rules. President Park Geun-hye watched the launch, according to her office.

At the same launch pad Wednesday, South Korea tested another missile aimed at shooting down an enemy ballistic missile, the defense official said.
There was no immediate response from North Korea, which is heavily sanctioned for its past long-range rocket and nuclear tests and considers U.S. and South Korean military drills a preparation for an attack.

South Korea struck a deal with the United States in 2012 that allows Seoul to possess longer-range missiles to better cope with North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.

The North's recent claim to have test-fired a missile from a submarine caused security worries among many South Koreans who suspect that Pyongyang is working on harder-to-detect means to launch attacks. The North also recently reiterated its claim that it had built a nuclear warhead small enough to be mounted on a long-range missile.

Foreign analysts are skeptical about both claims. But they agree that the country has made progress in its efforts to possess a nuclear-tipped missile that can threaten the U.S. and South Korea. International disarmament talks on the North's atomic weapons program remain stalled.

The 2012 U.S. deal allows South Korea to possess ballistic missiles with a range of up to 800 kilometers (500 miles). A previous 2001 accord with Washington had barred South Korea from deploying ballistic missiles with a range of more than 300 kilometers (186 miles) because of concerns about a regional arms race.

The Korean Peninsula remains officially at war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. The U.S. stations about 28,500 troops in South Korea as deterrence against possible aggression from North Korea.

Nigeria: Scores Killed In Bomb Blast

A bomb blast hit a busy market in Nigeria's northeastern city of Maiduguri on Tuesday, killing as many as 50 people, according to eyewitnesses.
A man blew himself up at Gamboru cattle market, according to witnesses who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. One said he counted at least 20 bodies.
Al Jazeera's Yvonne Ndege, reporting from Abuja, said many reports are still coming in from eyewitnesses.
"What is not clear is the exact number of fatalities according to the security and emergency services who we have reached out to inorder to get clarification on how many people have been killed or injured we are still waiting," Ndege added.
More than 30 people had already died in attacks over the weekend.
President Muhammadu Buhari announced on Friday that he is moving the military's headquarters from Abuja, the capital in central Nigeria, to Maiduguri to better tackle the rebellion.
The biggest city in northeast Nigeria is also the birthplace of Boko Haram.
On May 30, an explosion killed at least 30 people as 29 heads of state and leading diplomats were meeting in Abuja for the inauguration of the country's new president

Chinese Tourist Ship Disaster: More Than 450 People On Board Sinks On Yangtze River.

 

Hundreds of people remain missing after a tourist ship carrying more than 450 people sank on the Yangtze River in central China.
Five bodies have been retrieved and at least 15 people rescued, including the captain and the ship's chief engineer - who have both been detained - according to state media reports.
Hours after the incident, which occurred on Monday night local time, the People's Daily reported that more passengers were still alive and inside the Eastern Star.
Images shown on state broadcaster CCTV showed rescuers lying on the upturned ship attempting to communicate with potential survivors inside.
The China Daily newspaper reported that a woman in her 60s was pulled alive out of the water at 12.56pm local time (04:56 GMT) on Tuesday following reports on CCTV that three people had been confirmed alive inside the upturned ship.
Another man was later pulled alive from the water, the newspaper reported.
The Yangtze River navigation administration said the ship capsized during a "cyclone" at Jianli in Hubei province. Chinese meteorological officials have been tasked to study the weather conditions at the time of the accident.
Seven people swam to the shore and alerted police after the shipwreck, CCTV reported.
State media also reported that more than 2,100 soldiers and policemen were taking part in search and rescue operations, which were complicated by strong winds and heavy rain. More than 150 ships were also involved.
Most of the passengers were said to be tourists aged between 50 and 80 years old, who were about to go to sleep as the vessel sank.
Xinhua said there were 405 Chinese passengers, five travel agency workers and 47 crew members on board the ship that was en route from Nanjing to Chongqing.
President Xi Jinping asked that no efforts be spared in search and rescue operations, and Premier Li Keqiang travelled to the area.
Al Jazeera's Rob McBride, reporting from Hong Kong, said the accident comes as more and more Chinese people are travelling within their own country.
"People take vacations more and trips along the Yangtze River are one of the more popular trips that people make," our correspondent said

 

 

Fifa Corruption: Jerome Valcke 'Sent' $10m Payment To Jack Warner

Fifa has claimed that secretary general Jerome Valcke was not involved in the $10m payment that is at the centre of a corruption investigation, but a letter addressed to the Frenchman revealed this morning appears to suggest otherwise.

The letter, sent by the South African Football Association president Molefi Oliphant ahead of the 2010 Fifa World Cup, directly references the $10m payment to a bank account “implemented directly by the President of the Concacaf”, who at the time was disgraced former Fifa vice-president Jack Warner. In the letter, Oliphant asks for the payment to be withheld from World Cup funds and paid instead to Warner to help support football in the Carribbean, where Warner was at the time in charge.
The revelation comes after Uefa announced a meeting on Friday to consider forming a breakaway tournament in place of the 2018 Fifa World Cup, due to be held in Russia. Uefa executive committee member Allan Hansen told The Independent that the European confederation will gather at this week to discuss forming a tournament of their own along with some invited South American nations, in order to undermine Fifa and the World Cup in the eyes of its sponsors.
His deputy, American Chuck Blazer, is also alleged to have been involved in the payment, and was last week revealed as the “supergrass” behind the indictment of the current and former Fifa ExCo members.
Warner was one of 18 current and former Fifa officials arrested last week as part of a corruption investigation led by the FBI and Swiss Authorities.
While Fifa has admitted that a fee of $10m was paid in relation to the 2010 World Cup, they have furiously denied that it was a bribe for votes to award the tournament to South Africa, and have explained that the money went towards World Cup facilities in the country.
The letter, which was obtained and published by the South African broadcasting corporation and posted on Twitter by Press Association’s Martyn Ziegler, appears to confirm that Valcke had knowledge of the payment to Warner.
The revelation comes after the New York Times reported that Valcke was the "high-ranking Fifa official" who signed off the payment to be made, which has led to the arrest of more Fifa officials on Monday to take the total number indicted since last week's raid to 18.
A statement by Fifa claimed that Valcke was not involved in any part of the payment and instead laid the responsibility on former Argentinian FA president and Fifa financial chief Julio Grondona.
A long-time ally and friend of president Sepp Blatter, Grondona died in July last year.
The Fifa statement said: “Neither the Secretary General Jérôme Valcke nor any other member of FIFA’s senior management were involved in the initiation, approval and implementation of the above project [$10m payment].”
The statement added: “In 2007, as part of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, the South African Government approved a USD 10m project to support the African diaspora in Caribbean countries as part of the World Cup legacy,” read a statement from Fifa.
“At the request of the South African Government, and in agreement with the South African Football Association (SAFA), FIFA was asked to process the project’s funding by withholding USD 10m from the Local Organising Committee’s (LOC) operational budget and using that to finance the Diaspora Legacy Programme.
“SAFA instructed FIFA that the Diaspora Legacy Programme should be administered and implemented directly by the President of CONCACAF who at that time was Deputy Chairman of the Finance Committee and who should act as the fiduciary of the Diaspora Legacy Programme Fund of USD 10m.
“The payments totalling USD 10m were authorised by the then chairman of the Finance Committee and executed in accordance with the Organisation Regulations of FIFA. FIFA did not incur any costs as a result of South Africa’s request because the funds belonged to the LOC. Both the LOC and SAFA adhered to the necessary formalities for the budgetary amendment.”
It has resulted in fresh calls for Valcke – effectively Blatter’s No 2 at Fifa – to resign amid bribery and corruption allegations. On Friday, Valcke was by Blatter’s side as the 79-year-old Swiss was voted into a fifth term as Fifa president, after Prince Ali bin al-Hussein withdrew from the running ahead of a second round of voting.
With Uefa to meet on Friday to discuss the possibility of boycotting the 2018 World Cup, Hansen admitted that it will necessitate taking "the most radical option" in order to force Fifa into a reform.
He said: “I have been in this world now for 20 years. I am really in favour of a fair and democratic process. I have to realise it is not possible because there are so many associations who don’t want to change. It’s a case of the old proverb, ‘you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink’.

Dog Baked To Death After Being Dropped Off At Petco For Grooming

A Virginia family has blamed a major national pet food and care company for the death of its golden retriever – claiming it was “baked to death” in a drying cage.

Allison Marks, from Powhatan, claimed she dropped off her two-year-old dog, Colby, at the Petco store in Westchester Commons, where the dog was scheduled for a routine grooming. At the time, the dog was in good health, the family said.
But when Ms Marks returned just a few hours later to collect the dog, she was told he was dead. She claimed she that Petco’s assistant manager told her the dog was accidentally left in a heated drying cage for too long.
Ms Marks said last Friday was the worst day of her life since her husband’s death.
“He was my shadow. He followed me everywhere,” she told WTVR. “He was my next soul mate. He’s been going there since he was a puppy.”

A vet reportedly told Ms Marks that her dog had died of heat stroke. She said Petco’s management team was very kind during the ordeal. In fact, she said the assistant manager was weeping along with her at the vet’s office.
Petco issued a statement that claimed all employees were "heartbroken by Colby's passing".
"The health and safety of pets is always our top priority and we take full responsibility for all animals under our care," the company added.
"We are taking immediate action to investigate and understand the situation. Our thoughts are with Colby's family at this difficult time."

Burundi Protest: What Your View?

20 May 2015

A woman holds her children during a protest against Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza and his bid for a third term in Bujumbura, Burundi

Nigeria: Edo Governor Marred Second Wife

It was glitz, glamour and a list of who-is-who in the country was in attendance as Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, Friday, exchanged marital vows with his heartthrob, former Miss Iara Fortes.

The governor and his bride signed the dotted lines at a private marriage registry attended only by family and a few friends at his Iyamho residence after which top dignitaries in the country were led by the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, to the wedding reception held at the People’s White Hall  in the governor’s country home. 

Among other top dignitaries who also graced the ceremony were the Vice President-elect, Prof Yemi Osinbajo and his wife Dolapo.

All Progressives Congress’ chieftains were led by its National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun; governors and governors-elect across the country, Senators Bukola Saraki, Domingo Obende and a host of others and Senators-elect from across the country were also in attendance.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal led members of the House of Representatives and incoming ones to the wedding reception.

Captains of Industry, who were led by to the ceremony by Aliko Dangote, included Jim Ovia, Femi Otedola, Noggie Meggisson, Hosa Okunbor,  among others.

Royal fathers were not left out as they attended the ceremony in their numbers.

The Oba of Benin was represented by high ranking palace chiefs who include David Edebiri, the Esogban of Benin Kingdom.

The Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, former Governors Kayode Fayemi, Oserheimen Osunbor, Senator Tunde Ogbeha; Osaigbovo Ogbemudia, Niyi Adebayo were also in attendance.

Top military brass, including Brigadier-General MJ Abel, Commandant, Nigerian Army School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Auchi, were also in attendance.

The Director-General of the State Security was represented by Joseph Oworuya, while Mr Bello Bakori, Director, SSS Edo State, was also at the ceremony.

Parents of the bride, Mr and Mrs Fortes flew in from their home in the Netherlands to attend the ceremony while the governor’s mother, Aishetu Oshiomhole, was also in attendance.

The governor’s children Steve, Adams, Jane and two of his grandchildren were also on hand to show love and support for their father and his wife.

The governor’s marriage is coming about five years after the painful death of his first wife, Clara, following a protracted battle with cancer.

Iara, a lawyer by profession and top model, is from the Cape Verde Islands. She is a former staff of Emirate Airlines, and is in her early thirties, aides of the governor say.

The chairman of the ceremony, former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, said the governor’s wife completes and complements him and he admonished the couple to show true love and have patience in their dealings with one another.