Siege in Sydney

Tuesday morning marked the end of a 16-hour siege in a local cafe in Sydney, Australia. Central Sydney was in lockdown Monday morning as a gunman entered the Lindt Chocolat Cafe in Martin Place and seized 17 hostages.

Five of these hostages managed to escape later Monday afternoon. Several more escaped early on Tuesday morning.

• At 9.45 AM local time, police were called to the Lindt Chocolat Cafe in Sydney following reports of an armed robbery. Soon after, it emerges that it is a gunman holding a number of people hostage.
• Between 16.00 - 17.00, three men sprint to safety from the cafe's side door, shortly followed by two women.
• Just after 2.00 AM on Tuesday morning more hostages manage to escape. Just after this commandos storm the cafe and the remaining hostages escape.
• At 2.45 AM police officially confirm the end of the siege and later report the deaths of three people, including the gunman.

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn would not say whether the gunman had shot the two hostages himself. She said that all the hostages had 'acted courageously'.

The gunman has been identified as Man Haron Monis. He is a self-styled Muslim cleric, and sought asylum in Australia in 1996. Despite having a history of religiously inspired activism, officials say there is as yet, no link to international Islamist movements.

He was convicted of sending offensive letters to families of deceased Australian soliders in 2009. IN 2013, he was charged with being an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife but was given bail. He also has faced more than 40 sexual and indecent assault charges.

His website, now closed down, had hosted a series of videos supporting terrorism and blaming rape victims for their attacks.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has questioned why Monis was not on the country's terror watch list. He has said that the government would examine why Monis was given bail.

Abbott says Monis was being monitored by domestic spy agency Asio in 2008 because of the letters but then dropped off watch lists.

"How can someone who has had such a long and chequered history not be on the appropriate watch lists, and how can someone like that be entirely at large in the community?" he asked.

An investigation has been launched into the police operation and the police are also investigating the motives of Monis.

How did an Iranian refugee who already faced multiple criminal charges manage to get a gun?

Under Australian law, pump-action or self-loading shotguns holding five or fewer rounds are strongly restricted. Only farmers, occupational shooters, collectors and some clay target shooters can own them.

Monis had claimed his siege was part of an Islamic State (IS) attack and he forced his captives to hold up what appeared to be a black Islamic banner in the café window.

But exactly what he hoped he would achieve remains unclear and experts say his profile and his actions do not fit the usual criteria applied to terrorists.

Australia's former spy chief David Irvine has raised the alarm about Muslim Australians travelling to Syria and Iraq to fight with IS.

"Lone wolf" terrorists and suicide bombers returning to Australia were a great threat to security, he said in September.

'Monis simply didn't have the standard hallmarks of a terrorist,' says James Brown, Military Fellow at the Lowy Institute for International Policy.

While not underplaying the fear Monis' captives would have experienced, Mr Brown says Monis could have made things much more terrifying.

With a terrorist attack, "you plan to kill as many people as you can to create havoc and fear and you plan for a clear outcome, and to use the hostages for leverage for what you want," he says - all of which stand in contrast to what appeared to be an unplanned and unfocussed attack by Monis.

"The reason people are reaching out to talk about it as an act of terrorism is because IS has put out a call for individuals to carry out such acts."

The final question that some people want answered is why Monis was allowed into the country.

He sought asylum from Iran, citing political persecution by the Iranian government.

It is something Mr Abbott says a joint federal and state government review will examine, along with his successful applications for permanent residency and citizenship.

Police have named the two people who died as barrister Katrina Dawson, 38, and cafe manager Tori Johnson, 34.

Katrina Dawson, 38, had been having coffee with a pregnant colleague when the gunman walked in to the Lindt Chocolat Cafe.

Ms Dawson had three young children with her husband, Paul Smith.

She worked at Eight Selbourne chambers in the Central Business District, not far from the cafe.

The Sydney Morning Herald carried a tribute from Australia's former Governor-General Quentin Bryce, who was the Women's College principal at the University of Sydney when Ms Dawson was studying there as an undergraduate.

"Brilliant mind, joie de vivre spilling over, talented sportswoman, one of those rare natural leaders. Confident, courageous, out-front, articulate, warm and funny, but thoughtful, gentle and understanding too."

Ms Bryce added: "I admired her strength of purpose and character. We knew she had a great future ahead of her, a life of achievement and contribution."

Tori Johnson had worked at the Lindt Chocolat Cafe for two years. Before that he had worked at various restaurants in Sydney and the US.

Police have not confirmed reports in local media that Mr Johnson tried to wrestle the weapon away from the gunman in order to help other hostages escape.

His parents said that their son would live forever in their memories.

"We are so proud of our beautiful boy Tori," their statement said. "The most amazing life partner, son and brother we could ever wish for."

His parents also thanked police, armed forces and emergency services for their "tireless efforts" and the public for their response to the shootings.

"We'd like to thank not only our friends and loved ones for their support, but the people of Sydney; Australia and those around the world for reaching out with their thoughts and prayers," they said.

Tributes to the victims of the siege come in the form of flowers, covering the whole of Martin Place.

Torture against Terror; What’s Worse?

The CIA are the biggest intelligence agency in the world. Recently, it has come to public attention that in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the CIA were less than humane in their approach to catching the people responsible.

Their interrogation techniques towards members off al-Qaeda have been described as ‘brutal’ and ‘criminal.’ After going through six million pages of documents regarding the interrogations, a 500 page report has been published. The authors of this report have concluded that in none of the cases that had been examined, had the use of torture stopped a terrorist attack. Not only has this result severely damaged America’s but has also placed the country in a difficult position when it comes to criticising how other countries run their affairs. Can America now say that dictatorial regimes are unjust? Can terrorists now justify their crimes by highlighting the abuse from the Americans?

Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein, introduced the report to the Senate, describing the CIA’s actions as a ‘stain on US history’. 

"The release of this 500-page summary cannot remove that stain, but it can and does say to our people and the world that America is big enough to admit when it's wrong and confident enough to learn from its mistakes," she said. "Under any common meaning of the term, CIA detainees were tortured," she added.

President Barrack Obama said; ‘These techniques did significant damage to America’s standing in the world and made it harder to pursue our interests with allies and partners.’

Senate Republican leaders insisted that these methods had helped in the capture of important suspects and eventually the killing of Osama bin Laden. Senators Mitch McConnell and Saxby Chambliss released a joint statement saying that ‘Claims included in this report that assert the contrary are simply wrong.’

British Prime Minister David Cameron stated that the issue had been ‘dealt with from a British perspective’ but that torture ultimately was wrong. ‘After 9/11 there were things that happened that were wrong – and we should be clear about the fact they were wrong.’

The main points of the report include the following;

-          None of the 20 cases of counterterrorism ‘successes’ attributed to the techniques led to unique or otherwise unavailable intelligence

-          The CIA misled politicians and public, giving inaccurate information to obtain approval for using techniques

-          The CIA claimed falsely that no senators had objected to the programme

-          At least 26 of 119 known detainees in custody during the life of the programme were wrongfully held, and many held for months longer than they should have been

-          Methods included sleep deprivation for up to 180 hours, waterboarding, beating, ‘rectal hydration’ and in some particular cases detainees were kept alive through ‘rectal feeding’ which medical experts have reported has no medical benefits

-          Waterboarding was physically harmful to prisoners, causing convulsions and vomiting

The CIA and other US Intelligence Agencies were accused of using ‘extraordinary rendition’ to send terror suspects for questioning in countries where they were under no legal protection or rights where American law was concerned. Some suspects also claimed that they had been tortured in countries such as Syria and Egypt.

 UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counter-Terrorism Ben Emmerson said that senior officials from the administration of George W Bush who planned and sanctioned crimes must be prosecuted, as well as CIA and US government officials responsible for torture such as waterboarding.

"As a matter of international law, the US is legally obliged to bring those responsible to justice," Mr Emmerson said. “The US attorney general is under a legal duty to bring criminal charges against those responsible.”

Human Rights Watch executive director Kenneth Roth said that 

“the CIA's actions are criminal "and can never be justified".

"Unless this important truth-telling process leads to prosecution of officials, torture will remain a 'policy option' for future presidents," he said.

Mr Obama said on Tuesday that he hoped that the publication of the report would not lead to a re-fight of old arguments, but "help us leave these techniques where they belong - in the past". Republican Senator John McCain argued that torture "rarely yields credible information" and that even in the hunt for Osama Bin Laden the most important lead came from "conventional interrogation methods".

The CIA has argued that the interrogations had helped save lives.

"The intelligence gained from the programme was critical to our understanding of al-Qaeda and continues to inform our counterterrorism efforts to this day," director John Brennan said.

Poland's former president has publicly acknowledged for the first time his country hosted a secret CIA prison.

Aleksander Kwasniewski said that he put pressure on the US to end brutal interrogations at the prison in 2003.

"I told Bush that this cooperation must end and it did end," Mr Kwasniewski told local media.

Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius called on the US to say whether CIA used his country to interrogate prisoners.

A previous Lithuanian investigation found the CIA set up and ran a facility near the country's capital but could not determine if prisoners were held there.

And Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani called the report "shocking", saying the actions "violated all accepted norms of human rights in the world".

A divine intervention?

Death row inmate Peter Farmington has been released from prison following two failed executions. 

In March 2006, Farmington pled guilty to three counts of first degree murder; of his wife and two children. 

He was sentenced to death in late 2013. Tennessee has two methods of execution and allow the prisoner to choose between lethal injection and the electric chair. 

Farmington chose death by lethal injection. There are three drugs given to someone being executed. Sodium thiopental is the first of these drugs. It is designed to render the prisoner unconscious. They will then be given bromide which causes paralysis and finally potassium chloride which induces cardiac arrest. 

Astonishingly, Farmington resisted thiopental. Generally it takes about 30 seconds to take effect. They waited ten minutes before re-dosing and when nothing happened after that the execution was postponed. 

Dr Robert Liston was the medical examiner on staff; 

“I have never seen anything like it in all my years as a medical doctor.” Said Liston. “Sodium thiopental is not something someone can generally be ‘immune’ to, but Farmington’s body did not react. The drug should have hit him within 30 seconds. We waited over ten minutes, then dosed him again. Nothing.”

The second execution was scheduled for last week. Farmington opted for death by electrocution. Joseph Goldsmith, the prison warden, said; 

“Farmington chose to not go through lethal injection a second time, and opted for electrocution.” Said Goldsmith. “We hadn’t fired up ol’ sparky since 2007, but it was his choice and we honored it.”

Staff were stunned when yet again, Farmington escaped death when the electric chair failed to operate. 

“We threw those switches, and on the third flip, you’re supposed to see sparks fly, but we saw nothing.” Said Goldsmith. “We got Farmington out of the chair, hooked everything back up, fired it up, and it worked like a charm. We didn’t even try putting him back in again.”

Federal law states that any inmate who survived his execution twice is immediately granted a full pardon. 

“We wish Farmington all the best in his new life outside prison walls.” Said Governor Bill Haslam as he signed Farmington’s release forms. “This man may be a bloodthirsty, violent individual, but some higher power has given him a second chance at life. We certainly hope he uses it for something better this time around.”

Goldsmith says Farmington's survival was 'divine intervention'. “We have two methods of execution in the state of Tennessee.” said Goldsmith. “It is has always been our tradition to let the inmate choose how they want to go. Mr. Farmington is the first person to try their hand at both options. We are taking it as a sign from God that this man is just not meant to die.” 

Should a Rapist be a Role Model?

Chedwyn 'Ched' Evans was born on December 28th 1988 in St Asaph, Denbighshire. He was signed by Manchester City from Chester City's youth in 2002 and subsequently progressed. He was loaned to Norwich City in 2007 where he scored ten goals in 28 league appearances. In 2009, he was sold for £3 million to Sheffield United. His first two seasons were nothing special but during the 2011-12 season he scored 35 goals. He has also represented Wales at under-21 and senior level, making a total of 13 appearances.

In April 2012, Evans was convicted of rape and sentenced to five years in prison. This conviction was upheld by the Court of Appeal in November 2012. He was released from prison on October 17th 2014 and on November 11th 2014 Sheffield United announced that Evans would resume training with the club.

Evans admitted having sex with the victim but claimed it was consensual. He pled innocent but was found guilty by a jury at Caernarfon Crown Court. The prosecution said that the victim was too drunk to consent.

There was an appeal against Evans' conviction was rejected by three judges at the Court of Appeal in 2012. Since his release, over 150, 000 people have signed a petition against Evans returning to the Club.

Sheffield United said in a statement that it condemned rape and violence against women in the 'strongest possible terms' but felt that Evans has acknowledged 'the destructive nature of the acts which led to his conviction'.

They have not yet decided whether to re-hire Evans but have accepted a request from the Professional Footballers' Association to allow him to resume his training. The club added that views of the staff, the Football League and the general public had been considered in this decision as well as the PFA view that footballers should be considered 'rehabilitated' once serving their sentence.

Sheffield United's manager Nigel Clough said that;

Evans is "entitled to an opportunity to resume his career" and when asked if this was the first step towards Evans being signed again;

"That's a long way from being true... Everyone recognises the gravity of the situation and the seriousness of everything."

There is a lot of controversy surrounding this issue. Sky Sports and Channel 4 presenter Charlie Webster has resigned as a Sheffield United patron over Evans being allowed back to train. Ms Webster revealed in an interview earlier this year that she was sexually assaulted as teenager.

She said: 

"At no point have Sheffield United acknowledged the extremity of his crime. I think it's over 155,000 people now that have signed a petition against Ched Evans going back to the club...My decision is made on the fact that I don't believe a convicted rapist, as in Ched Evans, should go back to a club that I am patron of and should go back into the community to represent the community."

She added:

"He's not just going into a job, he's bandied as a role model."

"We cheer him on as a role model and he's influencing the next generation of young men who are currently still making their decisions on how to treat women and what sexual mutual consent is."

Whether or not Evans will be allowed back to Sheffield United full time is a decision not only to be made by the Club. The general public are voices that should be taken into consideration in this time. The real question is whether a convicted rapist should be allowed to resume a normal life especially in the public eye. Evans would not be the first footballer to do this.

In 2007, when playing for Newcastle, Joey Barton was caught on CCTV punching a man. He served two months of a six month sentence before returning to Newcastle. His boss at the time, Kevin Keegan publicly backed him. Marlon King, The former Barnet, Gillingham, Nottingham Forest, Leeds United, Watford, Wigan Athletic, Hull City, Middlesbrough, Coventry City, Sheffield United and Birmingham City striker is currently serving an 18-month jail term for dangerous driving. In 2009 he was also sentenced to 18 months for groping a woman and breaking her nose. Although he was sacked by Wigan upon his release from prison he was signed by Coventry City and went on to win Player of the Year.

Like Charlie Webster said, a footballer is not just a footballer he is a role model and an inspiration. Should Evans' behaviour be condoned? Will people lead by his example and feel that it's okay because he managed to get his life and fame back? Sheffield United have a huge decision to make here and consequences to consider. 

Death with Dignity

The right to die has long been a controversial issue. Oregon is one of five states in America that have a Death with Dignity Act. Oregon was the first of these states to pass this Act, seventeen years ago. It's history shows that these laws are safe and work as designed. There has never been any concerns raised by Death with Dignity opponents about coercion or abuse. The Death with Dignity Act has been documented by the state health department, investigated by medical researchers and scrutinised by news media.

Death with Dignity laws are voluntary. Any eligible person can request the life-ending medication from a doctor but no doctor is obligated to provide it. Death with Dignity is an option that reduces suffering at the end of life and the ability to die in comfort and control, with dignity. It is a constitutionally protected right in state and federal courts and recent national polling puts public support for aid in dying at 70%.

Compassion and Choices are the oldest and largest organization working to improve care and choice at the end of life. They advocate for Death with Dignity laws in states across the country so that every American has the choice to die in peace and end their suffering on their own terms. They want Death with Dignity to be an open, accessible medical practice across the country.

Brittany Lauren Maynard was born in 1984 and lived 29 years of generosity, compassion, education, travel and humour. She met her husband Daniel Diaz in April 2007 and the two wed in September 2012. On New Year's Day, this past year, Brittany was diagnosed with brain cancer. It was a terminal diagnosis for which there were no save-able measures. She was given six months to live.

In the face of terminal illness, Brittany decided to live each day to the fullest. She travelled, and kept as physically busy as possible.

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." - Theodore Roosevelt.

Brittany graduated from UC Berkeley as an undergrad and received her Masters in Education from UC Irvine. She was an accomplished traveller who spent many months alone teaching in orphanages in Kathmandu, Nepal. That experience changed her life and perspective. She fell in love with her time in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore and Thailand. She spent a summer working in Costa Rica and Tanzania. A month before her wedding she and a friend climbed to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. She took ice climbing courses on Cayambe and Cotopaxi in Ecuador. She loved scuba diving and relished her time in the Galapagos, Zanzibar and Caymans.

Brittany chose to Die with Dignity in the face of her illness. She moved from her home state of California to Oregon where she passed away in a little yellow house in Portland. Brittany chose to speak out and advocate for the right to die.

"The freedom is in the choice...If the option of Death with Dignity is unappealing to anyone for any reason, they can simply choose not to avail themselves of it. Those very real protections are already in place."

She is survived by her husband Daniel Diaz, her mother Deborah Ziegler, step-father Gary Holmes and by Daniel's family. She loved deeply and left the world with zero regrets on how she spent her 29 years.

"It is people who pause to appreciate life and give thanks who are happiest. If we change our thoughts, we change our world! Love and peace to you all."

http://www.thebrittanyfund.org/

Tampons are not a Taboo

There is a deep-rooted taboo around menstruation in India. In general, there is a silence around women's health issues but when it comes to menstruation women are considered impure, filthy, sick and even cursed during their period.

A study by a sanitary towel manufacturer found that 75% of women living in cities in India still buy their sanitary towels wrapped in brown bags or newspapers due to shame. Male members of the family are also almost never asked to buy sanitary towels or tampons.

32 year old Manju Baluni says;

"I will never let my daughter suffer the way I do when I have my period. My family treats me like an untouchable."

Not only does this taboo affect women mentally, it is also affecting their health. Manju tells us how her mother used to cut up old bed sheets and hide them in a box ready for use by her daughters. Her elder sisters taught her to slip the stained cloths under clothes without men noticing them. They could not leave them out in the sun to dry completely and as a result the cloths were never properly dry leaving behind an awful stench as they were re-used.

More worryingly, recent studies have shown that these old practices constitute a serious threat to these girls health. At least one in five girls in India drop out of school due to something as simple and normal as menstruation.

Fifteen year old Margdarshi lives in a small village called Uttarakashi. She loves school and never misses classes but when she got her first period last year she found it almost impossible. She stopped going to classes.

"The biggest problem was managing it. It still is. I feel embarrassed, angry and very dirty. I stopped going to school initially...I hate it. I wish we could be more relaxed and feel comfortable talking about it. This happens to every woman so what is there to laugh about?"

A non-governmental organisation, Goonj, feels that the problem lies in the fact that this has been made into a women's issue. Ashnu Gupta, the founder of Goonj, says;

"It's not a women issue. It's a human issue but we have just isolated it. Some of us need to come out of this culture of shame and silence. We need to break it."

Trying to ending the silence around the issue, Goonj is one of several groups that are running campaigns to educate people about menstruation and the myths around it. A website run by four Indians, Menstrupedia, aims to shatter myths about puberty, menstruation and hygiene. It receives over 100, 000 visitors a month. It is tough being a woman of modest means in India, and it's not going to change any time soon.

"But gradually women have started to take charge of their lives. Many of them are not stuck at home during their period - they can choose to go out, work, or continue with their studies.

Most importantly, they are beginning to talk about it. Without feeling embarrassed."

Snowstorm Survivor

A deadly storm hit the Annapurna trekking circuit in the Himalayas. It is the worst trekking/climbing disaster that Nepal has ever seen. One of the survivors, a British man Paul Sherridan, told his story of the accident. Realising that the group he was with was becoming lost due to the stormy conditions, he took charge and saved around 150 lives.

Listen to his story; http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29658718

"You are my champion!"

Formula One is no stranger to accidents and on lap 43 of the Japanese Grand Prix, Marussia driver Jules Bianchi fell victim to just that. The Frenchman spun off in wet conditions and crashed into a recovery vehicle that was clearing up a previous crash, of Adrian Sutil. Bianchi became unconscious and failed to make contact with his team in the immediate aftermath of the crash. The race was red-flagged and cut short by nine laps, meaning Lewis Hamilton claimed his third win to go ten points clear in the championship.

Bianchi was treated at the scene and was driven to Mie University Hospital under police escort. The weather conditions made a medical air lift impossible. He underwent surgery and his father has told French media that his son is in a critical condition.

Bianchi's long term girlfriend, Camille Marchetti, sent out a prayer on Twitter last night;

"You are my champion! You are the strongest."

She has been joined by many F1 drivers including current leader Lewis Hamilton. Marchetti is an osteopathy student and is well known in the F1 community, often present at races cheering on her boyfriend.

F1 veteran Felipe Massa has expressed concerns at the weather conditions on that day. Massa, who in 2009 suffered life-threatening head injuries whilst qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix told ESPN that the race should've stopped earlier. He said that he 'was already screaming on the radio five laps before that there was too much water on the track but then they just took a little bit too long and it was dangerous.' Massa was one of the first to go to the hospital after the accident.

Marussia have thanked fans for their support and asked for "patience and understanding with regard to further medical updates", following Jules Bianchi's crash at the Japanese GP.

"Further medical updates will be communicated in conjunction with the Mie General Medical Center in Yokkaichi, where Jules is being treated, when they feel it is appropriate.

"Representatives of the Marussia F1 Team and Ferrari will remain at the hospital to support Jules and the Bianchi family."

Follow this story; http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/ 

Selflessness is all in our History

"The biggest thing you can do is just be kind to another human being. It can come down to eye contact, or a smile. It doesn't have to be a huge monumental act."

In 1996, a black teenage girl saved a man from a mob believing him to be a supporter of the racist Ku Klux Klan. Keshia Thomas was just 18 when the KKK held a rally in her hometown of Ann Arbor in Michigan. Ann Arbor being a liberal town as well as multicultural made it an odd choice for the KKK.

When the KKK arrived, a large number of the town's residents turned up to show that they had outstayed their welcome. It was a controlled, tense affair but when a member of the crowd spotted a white man wearing a Confederate flag T-Shirt and an SS tattoo on his arm among them, mob mentality took over. 

The crowd chased the man down the street and began to attack him with the wooden placards they held. 

"When people are in a crowd they are more likely to do things they would never do as an individual. Someone had to step out of the pack and say, 'This isn't right.'"

Thomas threw herself on top of the man in a moment of insane courage to protect him from the attackers. A student photographer, Mark Brunner, who witnessed the event said;

"She put herself at physical risk to protect someone who, in my opinion, would not have done the same for her," he says. "Who does that in this world?"

This one act of kindness, inspired many across the globe. A simple act, a human act, a moment of pure selflessness changed the life of a man that Thomas didn't even know. 

"That some in Ann Arbor have been heard grumbling that she should have left the man to his fate, only speaks of how far they have drifted from their own humanity. And of the crying need to get it back.

Keshia's choice was to affirm what they have lost.

Keshia's choice was human.

Keshia's choice was hope."

Leonard Pitts Jr. The Miami Herald, 29 June 1996

Rise of the UK Death Rate

It has been projected that the death rate in the UK will rise in coming years. However, a company in Somerset has provided a new way to remember loved ones. Elysium Memorials uses skilled British designer-makers and artisans to create unique, beautiful works of art to serve as a memorial for your loved one. Their collection ranges from simple candle holders to commissioned pieces. Every piece is inspired, personal and contemporary; 'A reflection of the life it represents and a contemplative heirloom to pass down through the family.'

Visit Elysium Memorials