I Investigated The Country Where it's Illegal To Be Fat
>>24615371 (pb) Salim El Koudri car ramming was not a case of terrorism but due to “mental health issues”
>mental health issues
TL;DR: Things aren't going well for me right now, so I'mma make others suffer so I can feel better about myself.
Drone attack that damaged UAE's Barakah plant designed to 'send message' to UAE, sources tell Post
The UAE's Foreign Ministry later said that the incident was a "terrorist attack" that "constitutes a "dangerous escalation, an unacceptable act of aggression, and a direct threat."
The drone attack on the civilian Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, which supplies electricity to the United Arab Emirates, was intended to “send a message” to the Emiratis, two sources familiar with the details of the strike told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.
According to one of the sources, the drone deliberately targeted one of the facility’s energy suppliers in order to convey the message: “We can also strike the nuclear reactor itself and trigger a nuclear incident.”
The UAE, at this point, is not directly blaming Iran for the attack and is investigating whether Tehran or the Houthis in Yemen are behind the incident. “In any case, it’s Iran who ordered the attack,” the two sources told the Post.
Anwar Gargash, senior adviser to UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, wrote on X/Twitter that the attack on the nuclear facility – “whether carried out directly by those responsible or through one of their proxies – represents a dangerous escalation and a dark development that violates all international laws and norms.”
Gargash said that the attack demonstrated disregard for the lives of civilians in the UAE and across the wider region. “This prohibited escalation once again highlights the nature of the challenges facing the region in confronting the forces of evil, chaos, and destruction. No one will bend the will of the United Arab Emirates.”
This follows authorities in the UAE responding to a fire caused by a drone strike on an electrical generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the Al Dhafra Region, as confirmed by the Abu Dhabi Media Office earlier on Sunday.
No injuries were reported, radiological safety levels were unaffected, and the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation confirmed the plant’s essential systems are operating normally.
The UAE’s Foreign Ministry later said in a statement that the incident was a “terrorist attack” that “constitutes a “dangerous escalation, an unacceptable act of aggression, and a direct threat to the country’s security.”
The UAE’s Defense Ministry said that investigations were underway to determine the source of the drone attack. It added that three drones were launched from the country’s western border, and only two were successfully intercepted. The final drone struck the generator.
The statement did not give any indication of how the drone strike happened.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said the UAE told it that radiation levels at the Barakah plant remained normal after the incident.
“The IAEA is following the situation closely, and is in constant contact with the UAE authorities, ready to provide assistance if needed,” the UN nuclear watchdog said.
The UAE has faced repeated missile and drone attacks during the Israel-US-Iran conflict.
The UAE’s Foreign Ministry said on Friday that it categorically rejected what it called Iranian allegations and attempts to justify attacks on the UAE, adding that it reserved its sovereign, legal, diplomatic, and military rights to respond to any threat or hostile act.
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-896446
Moscow rocked by blistering drone strikes leaving 4 dead days after Putin’s forces kill 24 in devastating Kyiv attack
AT LEAST four people have been killed in massive overnight drone strikes on Russia just days after Vladimir Putin’s deadly attacks on Kyiv.
The blistering night of hell is understood to be one of the largest assaults on Moscow since the start of the war four years ago.
Russia claims it destroyed 556 drones – but several hit the capital, with pictures showing destroyed buildings.
Three died in Moscow and a fourth was killed in Belgorod, authorities confirmed on Sunday.
A further 12 people near the entrance to Moscow‘s oil refinery were wounded – but the plant itself was not damaged, Russia says.
Ukrainian Telegram Exilenova+ said it was the “largest attack on Moscow since the start of the full scale invasion”.
It added that “around a dozen targets were hit”.
The strikes send a chilling warning to Putin as they show Ukraine is able to penetrate Russia‘s air defences
A key missile factory was blasted in Dubna and electronics manufacturers were also struck.
A Transneft oil facility was hit, with plumes of smoke seen spewing into the sky.
And debris rained down on Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport – sparking the cancellation of over 200 flights.
The attack is a major blow to Putin’s war machine.
It comes just three days after Putin’s forces killed 24 civilians in a brutal strike on Kyiv.
A 12-year-old girl was amongst those killed in one of the worst onslaughts on Ukraine to date.
Moscow came under attack days later.
One woman was killed in a home in Khimki, north of Moscow, and another remains trapped beneath rubble, according to Moscow regional Governor Andrei Vorobyov.
Two more were killed in the village of Pogorelki.
One witness in Moscow – which has rarely been struck by Ukraine – said: “Everything’s completely ****ed up.
“The sirens have gone off. I ran out of the house, grabbed a bag and the dog. I’m panicking. I’m shaking.”
It comes as Putin recently suffered the humiliating loss of a £40million aircraft after Ukraine hit the plane more than 600 miles from the frontline.
The Beriev Be-200 amphibious aircraft was engulfed in flames from a pin-point attack in Yeisk, on the Azov Sea in the Krasnodar region.
It was reportedly just one of 20 of its kind and could land and take off from ground or sea.
Long-range missions over the frontline have also destroyed Ka-27 helicopters, a cargo ship loaded with ammunition and an anti-aircraft missile complex in recent days.
Russian authorities have launched an investigation into the failure of their air defences.
Volodymyr Zelensky praised the strikes and said: “These are completely justified responses to what the Russians are doing. We will continue to increase the distance and frequency of [these] sanctions.”
https://www.the-sun.com/news/16371895/
Taliban legalizes sick child marriages with special rules for ‘virgin girls’ in Afghanistan
The Taliban has formally legitimized child marriages under a twisted new family law decree that sets out rules for marriages involving minors — treating the girls as sellable property.
It also establishes specific guidelines governing “virgin girls,” reported Afghan outlet Amu TV.
Approved by Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, the 31-article regulation — titled “Principles of Separation Between Spouses” — was published in the regime’s official gazette in mid-May.
In Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, girls can effectively be sold before they are even old enough to walk.
Desperate families, crushed by poverty, routinely strike “marriage” deals involving infants as young as 20 days old, exchanging their baby daughters for cash to pay debts or simply survive another day.
The price of a child bride reportedly ranges between $500 and $3,000, according to human rights groups.
Nearly one-third of Afghan girls are married before the age of 18, according to the charity Girls Not Brides.
Under the Taliban’s horrifying new rules, a female child legally married to an adult man may later seek an annulment “upon puberty” — but only if a Taliban court approves it.
Even worse, the regulations state that the silence of a “virgin girl” may be interpreted as consent to marriage.
The decree lays out the rules for dissolving marriages under a maze of religious and legal conditions, including child marriage, missing husbands, forced separation, breastfeeding relations and accusations of adultery.
The regulations give power over child marriages to fathers and grandfathers, claiming the marriages could be overturned if the guardians are considered abusive, mentally unfit or morally corrupt.
Since seizing power in August 2021, the Taliban regime has imposed what many international observers describe as a gender apartheid system against women and girls, report many humanitarian groups, such as Amnesty International.
The Taliban’s legal code reportedly does not prohibit sexual or psychological violence against women, reports British outlet GB News. Reports also state husbands are permitted to beat their wives, provided it does not leave obvious bodily harm.
“Child marriage is not marriage in any meaningful sense. A child cannot properly consent, and treating silence as consent is dangerous because it removes a girl’s voice completely,” political commentator Fahima Mahomed told the outlet.
“As a Muslim, I would also strongly reject the idea that this reflects Islam as a whole. The Qur’an itself speaks against compulsion and mistreatment of women, so the Taliban’s position should not be presented as ‘Islamic law’ in a broad sense.
“It is their political and extremist interpretation, enforced through power and fear.”
https://www.aol.com/articles/taliban-legalizes-sick-child-marriages-203958577.html
California sees massive surge in Republican votes as more than 900K ballots already returned
Could the state of California actually be turning red?
Early voters in the Golden State have already returned more than 900,000 ballots ahead of the June 2 Primary, showing a massive surge in Republican votes compared to four years ago for the governor’s race.
A post on Saturday from the research firm Political Data (PDI) showed that out of 905,889 ballots that have been returned, 37% were from Republicans, with Republican returns up 11% compared to the same stage of the 2022 midterms.
More shocking is the fact that the data showed 41% of Democrats who have returned their ballots, down 13 points from the same moment in the primary election four years ago.
When comparing the 2022 numbers to 2026 the difference is stark.
41% (-13)-Democrats
37% (+11)- Republicans
22% (+2)-Independents/other
Vice President with PDI Paul Mitchell attributed the early numbers to two different things.
“Republicans are potentially returning their ballots at a pre-2020 rate, before [President Donald]Trump and other leaders discouraged it,” Mitchell told The Post.
And the second, he said that “some Democrats are holding on to their ballot to make sure their vote isn’t wasted, so that they get to vote for someone that makes it to the top two.”
A post on X from Central Valley Politics celebrated the early voting results mapping out how each county is faring, showing huge swaths of the state blood red for Republicans.
“California Republicans are currently killing it in the early vote, so I decided to map it out,” the post read.
“First map is returns by party. Second map is returns relative to the party registration advantage of each county.”
It added, “we’re punching above our weight in all but two counties so far.”
Digging into the PDI data, it found that the largest turnout has been in the 65 and older group, with 54% ballots returned, with the 18-34 age group having a low turnout of 10% ballots returned.
Mitchell noted that these are the kind of numbers they typically see in a low-voter turnout election year.
“It’s kind of typical of a low-turnout election that these are the people that always vote in every election. They probably almost always vote early, and they’re getting their ballots in right away.”
The Democratic field is led by former US Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, progressive billionaire Tom Steyer and former Orange County congresswoman Katie Porter, while San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and ex-Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa have shown more feistiness in recent weeks.
While on the Republican side, former Fox News host Steve Hilton appears to have a firm lead on Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/california-sees-massive-surge-in-republican-votes-as-more-than-900k-ballots-already-returned-000414580.html
Since it's legal to cheat in Cali elections, can't anyone from any state or country just mail-in a vote?
Sounds like a win/win. Flood the state with Republican votes, or they ban mail-in voting.
Karen Bass getting lit up in public for her failures.
https://x.com/spencerpratt/status/2055016761779724615
Trans HS track athlete sparks shocking podium decision after sweeping California finals
A transgender high school athlete dominated multiple girls track and field events at a California regional final Saturday, igniting backlash from parents, competitors and activists, and prompting officials to award duplicate gold medals to female runners-up.
Jurupa Valley High School senior, AB Hernandez, 17, captured first place in the girls’ long jump, high jump and triple jump events during the California Interscholastic Federation’s Southern Section championship final.
The meet drew roughly 2,000 spectators, many of whom voiced outrage over Hernandez competing in the girls division.
In an apparent response to mounting criticism, event organizers awarded extra gold medals in events won by Hernandez, giving first-place honors to the biological female athletes who finished directly behind him.
Hernandez posted a winning long jump mark of 20 feet, 4.75 inches (6.21 meters), comfortably ahead of Moorpark High School athlete Gianna Gonzalez, who jumped just over 19 feet (5.79 meters).
Hernandez cleared 5 feet, 8 inches (1.72 meters), while Mureika reached 5 feet, 6 inches (1.67 meters).
Crean Lutheran High School standout Reese Hogan, a vocal critic of transgender athletes competing in girls sports, finished third in the high jump.
But when Hernandez stepped onto the top podium spot for the triple jump medal ceremony, Strange, who was expected to stand alongside Hernandez after receiving a matching gold medal under the CIF’s pilot policy, did not appear, raising speculation that the third-place finisher intentionally snubbed the celebration.
The athlete’s mother, Nereyda Hernandez, 44, sat in the bleachers alongside a female companion and declined to comment to The Post.
Among the crowd were the parents of 17-year-old athlete Olivia Viola, both wearing pink shirts reading “Protect Girls Sports” as they supported their daughter at the meet.
“She thinks it’s a fundamental issue of fairness for women,” Olivia’s mother, Tracy Howton, 55, told The Post.
“She’s fighting for the rights of female athletes. It’s a very simple principle. That’s what she’s standing strong on. It shouldn’t be that controversial.”
Howton also blasted California Gov. Gavin Newsom over comments related to transgender athletes in girls sports.
“He’s tried to peg any female who’s trying to stand up for women as bullies,” she said. “It’s a way for him to try to shut them down.
“It’s easier for him if the girls don’t speak up.”
Olivia’s father, Juan Luis Viola, accused state leaders and CIF officials of failing to defend female athletes.
“She shouldn’t be the one fighting for this,” he told The Post. “Where are the adults fighting for the kids?”
Critics at the event repeatedly invoked Title IX protections, arguing girls athletics are being undermined by allowing biological males to compete in female divisions.
Title IX is a landmark federal law that bans sex discrimination in any American school or educational program that receives federal funding.
Spectator Mary Davis, 60, called the situation “a form of neo-misogyny.”
“I’m here to support the girls,” Davis told The Post. “We fought hard for Title IX. We are not going backwards. I’m not going to have some boy shove girls off a podium. There’s real harm being done.”
Chino Valley Unified School Board President Sonja Shaw, who is running for California State Superintendent, condemned the competition outcome as “diabolical.”
“How did we get to a point in society that allows biological male once again swept podium spots in girls’ track events, robbing our daughters of hard-earned victories right in front of us,” Shaw told The Post.
“California cannot let this agenda continue to hurt our girls.”
Shaw blamed California laws including AB 1266 for what she described as a direct violation of Title IX, arguing female athletes are losing “Podiums. Records. Scholarships. Championships. Privacy. Safety. Fairness.”
“For six years, I have fought this insanity in our schools, and I’m done watching California sacrifice girls to appease activists, failed legislators and teachers unions,” she told The Post.
The CIF introduced a pilot policy during last year’s state finals allowing female athletes who finish behind a transgender competitor to move up one placement in official standings.
The program also allows additional female athletes to qualify for championship events when a transgender athlete secures a qualifying spot.
According to the parent of a competitor at Saturday’s meet, coaches informed families that the policy would continue throughout the remainder of the postseason.
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/trans-hs-track-athlete-sparks-013012452.html