7 Dead as Fighter Jet Crashes Into Highway at British Airshow – The New York Times.
Monthly Archives: August 2015
Fires at Night in the U.S. Northwest
Ask A Native New Yorker: Why Is NYC Losing Its Mind Over Topless Painted Ladies?
Are you relatively new to this bustling metropolis? Don’t be shy about it, everyone was new to New York once upon a time, except, of course, those battle-hardened residents who’ve lived here their whole lives and Know It All. One of these lifers works among us at Gothamist—publisher Jake Dobkin grew up in Park Slope and still resides there. He is now fielding questions—ask him anything by sending an email here, but be advised that Dobkin is “not sure you guys will be able to handle my realness.” We can keep you anonymous if you prefer; just let us know what neighborhood you live in. [ more › ]
Video: Ellen Page Confronts Senator Ted Cruz Over LGBT Issues
Canadian actress Ellen Page took a fellow Canadian to task today, confronting Texas senator Ted Cruz over LGBT issues. [ more › ]
Overnight arson attacks hit refugee shelters in Berlin and Bavaria

Police have made arrests in at least one apparent arson attempt against a refugee center in Germany. Recent attacks in two cities apparently targeted asylum seekers
via Overnight arson attacks hit refugee shelters in Berlin and Bavaria.
“I’ve fallen in love with literature. I try to read for one or…
“I’ve fallen in love with literature. I try to read for one or two hours every day. I only have one life to live. But in books I can live one thousand lives.”
(Rasht, Iran)
Black Man Shot by Police in St. Louis Died From Bullet to Back – The New York Times
“I’ve fallen in love with literature. I try to read for one or…

“I’ve fallen in love with literature. I try to read for one or two hours every day. I only have one life to live. But in books I can live one thousand lives.”
(Rasht, Iran)
via “I’ve fallen in love with literature. I try to read for one or….
“I saw the text messages from other women before we got…

“I saw the text messages from other women before we got married. My parents warned me but I married him anyway, without their permission. I thought he’d change. Now he leaves for days at a time. He tells me: ‘Calm down. It’s nothing. They come and go. But I live with you.’ But I can’t calm down. I think about it all the time. Whenever he’s out, I think about it. I try to keep busy and calm my mind but it’s gotten so bad that I’m seeing a doctor.”
(Rasht, Iran)
via “I saw the text messages from other women before we got….
Prosecution requests nine-year jail term for Khadija Ismayilova
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the monstrous sentence sought by the prosecution in journalist Khadija Ismayilova preposterous trial’s in Azerbaijan, a nation that suffered one of the biggest falls of any country in RSF’s 2015 press freedom.
The judicial sham will soon be over. After a series of hearings in which the defendant’s rights were systematically flouted, a Baku prosecutor today requested a nine year sentence for Ismayilova.
“This is so obviously an absurd and outrageous political trial, a judicial sham that elevates this case into a symbol of the wave of persecution of independent media that began a year ago,” RSF secretary-general Christophe Deloire said.
“We urge the international community to condemn this trial and to remind Azerbaijan of its obligations under the many international commitments it has given. Pressure must be put on this regime in order to obtain the unconditional release of Ismayilova and all the other journalists arbitrarily detained in Azerbaijan.”
Held partially behind closed doors, the trial has been conducted in a blatantly hostile manner with the clear aim of denying justice. In order to dispatch the case as quickly as possible, the judges accepted almost none of the defence lawyers’ requests, thereby preventing them from presenting evidence that would have demonstrated the absurdity of the charges.
The access of Ismayilova’s family and friends to the courtroom has been restricted on the grounds that there has been no space. According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the courtroom was filled with people recruited for the occasion. The independent press has also been denied access.
Azerbaijan’s leading investigative journalist, Ismayilova is well known for her coverage of high-level government corruption, much of it involving members of the ruling Aliyev family.
After several attempts to pressure and intimidate her, including a blackmail attempt with a sex tape, the authorities finally arrested her on 5 December 2014 on the trumped-up charge of inciting a fellow journalist to attempt suicide.
After he retracted his statement incriminating Ismayilova, the authorities brought four new charges against her – large-scale embezzlement, illegal trading, tax evasion and abuse of authority in connection with the Baku bureau of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which Ismayilova once headed.
Azerbaijan is ranked 162nd out of 180 countries in the 2015 Reporters Without Borders press freedom index.
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