News in Photos: July 20, 2012

     Police are reporting that 12 people have been killed in a shooting at a midnight screening of the new Batman movie in Denver. The suspect, James Holmes, 24, walked into the theatre dressed in body armour while carrying three weapons, including an assault rifle. Witnesses say that Holmes entered a side door of the theatre wearing a gas mask and set off two smoke devices before opening fire. In addition to the 12 people who died in the attack, another 59 were injured. The death toll may rise because some of the wounds are being reported as being "serious". Authorities believe that Holmes was acting alone but are puzzled by the shooting because he was apparently "not on anybody's radar screen - nothing." At first, those attending the midnight screening believed that Holmes was part of the show. A number of details are still unknown because the investigation is still in its early stages. (The New York Times)

News in Photos: July 18, 2012

     Events in Damascus have escalated since yesterday's post due to an attack at the national security headquarters in Rawda district in the city. Three people in President Bashar Al Assad's inner circle were killed when a bomb was detonated in the building. President Bashar Assad's >deputy Gen. Assef Shawkat, who was also his brother-in-law, was one of the men killed in the explosion. Syria's rebel commander takes responsibility for the attack, which he denies was a suicide bombing and says that those who carried out the operation are "unharmed". This is easily the top reported story of the day. (Huffington Post)

Haiti 'Rape Victim' Testifies in Uruguay

     A 19-year-old Haitian man who accused Uruguayan troops of sexually assaulting him in September 2011 has testified in Montevideo before judge Alejandro Guido. The troops were in Haiti serving as United Nations peacekeepers, an occupation which has raised numerous concerns among both locals and international audiences. A video showing the attack, captured by one of the soldiers cellphones, was heavily circulated  in the southern Haitian town of Port-Salut and caused the already tense situation in Haiti to further devolve as this assault joins the growing list of failures by the UN since they came to the country more than eight years ago.

Gunmen Attack Nigerian Church Services

     Gunmen attacked two church services on the campus of Bayero University in the city of Kano, Nigeria, on Sunday; killing around 20 people and wounding several others. The attackers used homemade bombs in aluminum soda cans, a method identified with the Boko Haram, to drive Christian worshipers from a hall in the university where they were gathered. They preceded this attack by shooting into a second group of Christians who were worshiping outdoors on the campus. The gunmen proceeded to shoot the panicking Christians down as they attempted to escape. A breaking news story written by the Associated Press reported that the terrorists were already disappearing into the neighbourhood by the time the police responded. Full details of that story can be found here.

Killer of Community Activist Gets Life Sentence

     This is a quick follow-up to a story I talked about back in February regarding Kenneth Mark, a soft-spoken man who was executed after speaking out against gun violence in his Toronto neighbourhood. For the full details of that story click here.

    Today it was announced that Lamar Skeete, the man found guilty of first-degree murder, has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years. The story was broadcast on News Talk 1010 and carried in full here. I hope that Mark's family can rest a little easier knowing that justice was done and Mark's heroics had a positive impact on the community.

25 Killed in Easter Sunday Bombing in Northern Nigeria

Dozens of people were killed in an explosion in the northern Nigerian city of Kaduna on Sunday. (CNN/Safiya Akaua)

     Nigeria suffered another terrorist attack this morning as a bomb exploded at 8:04 a.m. near a busy section of Kaduna where street salespeople tend to gather near the stadium. The explosion killed over twenty people and injured another thirteen. It occurred close to a church where Nigerian Christians were celebrating Easter Sunday together, a dangerous practice in the predominantly Islamist country. Christians in Nigeria have come under frequent attack in recent months by a terrorist organization that is attempting to wipe Western influence from its country and restore Islamic rule.

Media does Disservice in Ignoring Trial in Shooting of Heroic Kenneth Mark

The scene where Kenneth Mark was murdered on Dec. 29, 2009

     
     Kenneth Mark died a hero. The soft-spoken man stood 6-foot-four-inches tall, weighed about 300 pounds, and died when Lamar Skeete, seeking retaliation, came up behind him, put a gun to the back of his head and pulled the trigger, ending Mark’s life.

Hate Crimes Against LGBT Community on the Rise

     There are those who say that we're living in an age of knowledge. That through our intellect we have learned more than any other generation before us. I've heard it said that with the advances in technology the world is rapidly evolving into a global village. Obstacles such as distance and time are quickly becoming obsolete. We're quick to praise ourselves for our correctness and acceptance. Our egos never tire from our acknowledgement of superiority over our ancestors. Yet, through all of this self-congratulatory behaviour there still remains ignorance and hate.