Saturday, August 24, 2019
Two New York women inspired by radical Islam who pleaded guilty to planning to build bombs for US terror attacks face up to 20 years in jail
- The women pleaded guilty in New York City on Friday to teaching and distributing information about the manufacture and use of explosive weapons
- Asia Siddiqui, 35, and Noelle Velentzas, 31, face up to 20 years in prison
- The pair taught each other chemistry for creating explosives and other devices
- They discussed devices used in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and 1993 World Trade Center attack
Two women inspired by radical Islam pleaded guilty in New York City on Friday to teaching and distributing information about the manufacture and use of explosive weapons, federal prosecutors said.
Asia Siddiqui, 35, and Noelle Velentzas, 31, who are American citizens and both from the borough of Queens, face up to 20 years in prison when they are sentenced.
Between 2013 and 2015, Velentzas and Siddiqui planned to build a bomb for use in a terrorist attack in the United States.
The women taught each other chemistry and electrical skills for creating explosives and building detonating devices.
They also carried out research on how to make plastic explosives and how to build a car bomb. The pair also shopped and collected items to be used in an explosive device.
Disturbingly, they also discussed similar devices used in past terrorist incidents, including the Boston Marathon bombing, Oklahoma City bombing and 1993 World Trade Center attack.
The New York Post reported that the pair visited a Home Depot store in Queens to look for materials to make explosives with a woman called 'Mel.'
Noelle Velentzas, 31 (left) and Asia Siddiqui, 35 (right) who are American citizens researched how to make bombs to be used in the US. They are pictured above in a courtroom sketch from 2015
She was an undercover agent who recorded them talking about their plans to unleash terror in public places.
'Noelle, Mel and I discussed the need to prepare for jihad,' Siddiqui told Brooklyn federal Judge Sterling Johnson Jr., reading from a prepared written statement earlier this year.
They also researched potential targets of attack, focusing on law enforcement and military-related targets.
Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers said the guilty pleas were entered before United States District Court Judge Sterling Johnson Jr.
In a statement he said: 'Inspired by radical Islam, Velentzas and Siddiqui researched and taught each other how to construct bombs to be used on American soil against law enforcement and military targets.
'They were thwarted by the excellent work of...
10 Offbeat Stories You Might Have Missed This Week (8/24/19)
Another week has passed, which means that it is time, once again, to look at some of the bizarre stories that made the headlines recently. If you want to read up on the last offbeat list, click here.This week, we have a tale from Japan and a tail from Japan. There is a grand cheese heist in Canada, a creepy statue in New Zealand, and a nasty crocodile in a Swedish aquarium. A German town challenges us to prove it doesn’t exist, and a scorned English husband takes revenge with a giant heap of manure.
Photo credit: Solent News & Photo Agency
In an apparent act of revenge, an unidentified person dumped a giant pile of manure outside a country inn in Hampshire, England, alongside a sign accusing the pub landlord of sleeping with his spouse.One morning, Simon Emberley, the landlord and chef at the Hawkley Inn, came into work to find a foul-smelling pile of horse dung blocking the entrance to his establishment. The mound was so big that it blocked up traffic in the village, as drivers had to go around it.Stuck on top of the heap was a sign which said “The landlord is f—ing my wife.”[1] Unsurprisingly, Emberley called the allegations “unfounded and untrue” and claimed that they were a part of a smear campaign against him.Both he and his wife insist that they have no idea who is behind it, although police are conducting their investigation to find out. Village rumors attribute the deed to a local farmer. Meanwhile, the Emberleys tried to make light of the situation by posting a sign offering the horse manure for free, courtesy of a “generous supplier.” No one took them on their offer, though, and workmen came in and cleaned the heap.
Photo credit: Yasushi Sato
Farmers from the Japanese village of Kiso in Nagano Prefecture have formed a “monkey militia” to deal with the primate pests that keep raiding their crops.Located in the Kaida Highlands at the foot of Mount Ontake, Kiso has an ideal climate for farming. Crops thrive, especially sweet corn, but this also makes them a particularly attractive target for monkeys.In the past, people have tried scaring off the monkeys with shouts and bottle rockets, but these proved ineffective. Now, a group of roughly 30 farmers and other workers have formed the “monkey chaser” squad and will be more proactive in fighting off the simian invasion.The town spent 850,000 yen ($80,000) on 30 air guns and a supply of pellets.[2] Earlier this month, the “monkey fighters” underwent training in order to learn how to use their new weapons. From now on, they will patrol their crops regularly. Should they spot monkeys munching on their corn, they will alert the rest via group-messaging app. The entire squad will gather and fire warning shots to scare off the animals.The mayor of Kiso gave the men matching hats and certificates that attest that they are allowed only to fire into the air, not directly at the monkeys.
Photo credit: Dezeen
The people of Wellington have a new nightmarish sight to enjoy for the next few years: A giant sculpture called Quasi was mounted via helicopter on top of the Wellington City Gallery.The 5-meter (16 ft) statue depicts a large, anthropomorphic hand which bears the face of its creator, Melbourne-based artist Ronnie van Hout. According to the gallery’s description, Quasi is “as if ‘the hand of the artist’ has developed a monstrous life of its own.”[3]Van Hout made the sculpture in 2011 for his hometown of Christchurch following the 2011 earthquake. Now, it has been placed in the Civic Square in the New Zealand capital in an attempt to liven up another area damaged by an earthquake back in 2016.Residents are divided over the sculpture, to say the least, with most finding it very disturbing. Quasi enjoyed a similar reception back in Christchurch, but the people of Wellington better get used to it. The statue is scheduled to stay there for the next three years.
Photo credit: Schwiki
A new study published in Nature Communications deepens the mystery of Skeleton Lake in India by dismissing most of the hypotheses proposed for its existence.Nestled up in the Himalayas, kilometers above sea level, is a usually frozen glacial lake called Roopkund. It is more commonly known as Skeleton Lake because bones from numerous persons have been recovered from the site, with researchers speculating that as many as 500 people could be buried there.Remains were first found during World War II, and since then, scientists have offered numerous ideas regarding the origins of the bones. Most of them assumed that they were all an unfortunate group of people who died at once. Some said they were invading Japanese soldiers, a returning Indian army unit, or even a king and his revelers who were passing through.The good thing about Roopkund is that the cold weather preserved DNA within the bones. This new study presents the analysis of the remains of 37 individuals recovered at the site. But they are of different ages and different ancestries, immediately discounting the possibility that all of the people died in a single event.About a third of the deceased were of Mediterranean heritage. Moreover, while it’s true that the majority of the remains are 1,000 years old, some are as recent as the early 1800s.[4]Researchers are still divided over the fundamental question: How did all these bodies end up in Roopkund? Some argue that it was a planned effort and that the lake functioned as a graveyard for the locals, while others opine that it was landslides, not humans, that brought the skeletons to a single place.
10A Smear Campaign
In an apparent act of revenge, an unidentified person dumped a giant pile of manure outside a country inn in Hampshire, England, alongside a sign accusing the pub landlord of sleeping with his spouse.One morning, Simon Emberley, the landlord and chef at the Hawkley Inn, came into work to find a foul-smelling pile of horse dung blocking the entrance to his establishment. The mound was so big that it blocked up traffic in the village, as drivers had to go around it.Stuck on top of the heap was a sign which said “The landlord is f—ing my wife.”[1] Unsurprisingly, Emberley called the allegations “unfounded and untrue” and claimed that they were a part of a smear campaign against him.Both he and his wife insist that they have no idea who is behind it, although police are conducting their investigation to find out. Village rumors attribute the deed to a local farmer. Meanwhile, the Emberleys tried to make light of the situation by posting a sign offering the horse manure for free, courtesy of a “generous supplier.” No one took them on their offer, though, and workmen came in and cleaned the heap.
9Village Of The Apes
Farmers from the Japanese village of Kiso in Nagano Prefecture have formed a “monkey militia” to deal with the primate pests that keep raiding their crops.Located in the Kaida Highlands at the foot of Mount Ontake, Kiso has an ideal climate for farming. Crops thrive, especially sweet corn, but this also makes them a particularly attractive target for monkeys.In the past, people have tried scaring off the monkeys with shouts and bottle rockets, but these proved ineffective. Now, a group of roughly 30 farmers and other workers have formed the “monkey chaser” squad and will be more proactive in fighting off the simian invasion.The town spent 850,000 yen ($80,000) on 30 air guns and a supply of pellets.[2] Earlier this month, the “monkey fighters” underwent training in order to learn how to use their new weapons. From now on, they will patrol their crops regularly. Should they spot monkeys munching on their corn, they will alert the rest via group-messaging app. The entire squad will gather and fire warning shots to scare off the animals.The mayor of Kiso gave the men matching hats and certificates that attest that they are allowed only to fire into the air, not directly at the monkeys.
8The Hand Of The Artist
The people of Wellington have a new nightmarish sight to enjoy for the next few years: A giant sculpture called Quasi was mounted via helicopter on top of the Wellington City Gallery.The 5-meter (16 ft) statue depicts a large, anthropomorphic hand which bears the face of its creator, Melbourne-based artist Ronnie van Hout. According to the gallery’s description, Quasi is “as if ‘the hand of the artist’ has developed a monstrous life of its own.”[3]Van Hout made the sculpture in 2011 for his hometown of Christchurch following the 2011 earthquake. Now, it has been placed in the Civic Square in the New Zealand capital in an attempt to liven up another area damaged by an earthquake back in 2016.Residents are divided over the sculpture, to say the least, with most finding it very disturbing. Quasi enjoyed a similar reception back in Christchurch, but the people of Wellington better get used to it. The statue is scheduled to stay there for the next three years.
7The Mystery Of Skeleton Lake
A new study published in Nature Communications deepens the mystery of Skeleton Lake in India by dismissing most of the hypotheses proposed for its existence.Nestled up in the Himalayas, kilometers above sea level, is a usually frozen glacial lake called Roopkund. It is more commonly known as Skeleton Lake because bones from numerous persons have been recovered from the site, with researchers speculating that as many as 500 people could be buried there.Remains were first found during World War II, and since then, scientists have offered numerous ideas regarding the origins of the bones. Most of them assumed that they were all an unfortunate group of people who died at once. Some said they were invading Japanese soldiers, a returning Indian army unit, or even a king and his revelers who were passing through.The good thing about Roopkund is that the cold weather preserved DNA within the bones. This new study presents the analysis of the remains of 37 individuals recovered at the site. But they are of different ages and different ancestries, immediately discounting the possibility that all of the people died in a single event.About a third of the deceased were of Mediterranean heritage. Moreover, while it’s true that the majority of the remains are 1,000 years old, some are as recent as the early 1800s.[4]Researchers are still divided over the fundamental question: How did all these bodies end up in Roopkund? Some argue that it was a planned effort and that the lake functioned as a graveyard for the locals, while others opine that it was landslides, not humans, that brought the skeletons to a single place.
6Tails For The Elderly
Old people should have tails. At least, that is according to researchers at Tokyo’s Keio University. They have been working on a robotic tail which mimics the movements of real ones and can help elders maintain their balance.Researcher Junichi Nabeshima says that the gray, 1-meter (3.3 ft) appendage is attached to the waist with a harness and acts like a pendulum. Therefore, when the human body tilts in one direction, the tail moves in the opposite one. It does this with the help of four artificial muscles and a supply of compressed air which allow it to move in eight directions.[5]Scientists believe their robotic tail can be really useful for elderly people but are also looking into other people who could use a bit more balance, such as warehouse workers who carry heavy loads.5Flight Of The Mattresses
Egtved Girl Origins Keep Getting More Complicated
The Egtved girl’s remains were found in an oak coffin in a peat bog at a Bronze Age archaeological site near Egtved, Denmark in 1921. Her remains have been dated to 1370 BC, but the story of where she’s from has been a topic of heated debate. Some say Germany, others Denmark, and now one researcher provides three Scandinavian alternatives for the place the famous Bronze Age Egtved girl once called home.
Who Was Egtved Girl?
Calling the individual found in the oak coffin a ‘girl’ is based on a modern interpretation of age. She was most likely considered a woman when the 16 to 18 year old died in the Bronze Age . She apparently held a high social status, was blonde-haired, and had a slim build.
Liz Leafloor describes the Egtved girl’s burial and the impact it had on society when it was discovered:
“The teenager had been laid on an ox hide and covered by a rough woolen blanket. The contours of where her dead body had lain are still visible, pressed into the ox hide beneath her. […] and her clothing—a short string skirt and small, midriff-baring, sleeved top—caused a sensation when revealed in the 20s. Around her waist she had worn a large, spiked bronze disc decorated with spirals. Even now people recreate the stylish Bronze Age fashion .”
Apart from those artifacts, she was also buried with bronze pins, a sewing awl, a hair net, flowers, and a small bucket of beer that was made of honey, wheat, and cowberries.
Previous Analyses of Egtved Girl’s Remains Provide Different Origin Stories
Most of the research to find the Egtved girl’s homeland has been based on strontium isotope analysis. Strontium is an element that comes from food and water and absorbs into our teeth, bones, and hair. When scientists examine the different isotopes of strontium in human remains they can compare them to known amounts of the element from locations of interest and see which makes the best match – in this case to find the origins of the Egtved girl in Europe.
Let’s follow the research using this method in order: In 2015, Karin Frei, of the National Museum of Denmark and Centre for Textile Research at the University of Copenhagen, analyzed the girl’s remains with strontium isotope analysis. Through examining the Egtved Girl’s molar, hair, and fingernails, and combining that information with her distinctive woolen clothing, Frei and her team declared that she probably had was born in the Black Forest of South West Germany and traveled frequently via ship between there and Jutland during the last couple of years of her life.
Most of the research to find the Egtved girl’s homeland has been based on strontium isotope analysis. Strontium is an element that comes from food and water and absorbs into our teeth, bones, and hair. When scientists examine the different isotopes of strontium in human remains they can compare them to known amounts of the element from locations of interest and see which makes the best match – in this case to find the origins of the Egtved girl in Europe.
Let’s follow the research using this method in order: In 2015, Karin Frei, of the National Museum of Denmark and Centre for Textile Research at the University of Copenhagen, analyzed the girl’s remains with strontium isotope analysis. Through examining the Egtved Girl’s molar, hair, and fingernails, and combining that information with her distinctive woolen clothing, Frei and her team declared that she probably had was born in the Black Forest of South West Germany and traveled frequently via ship between there and Jutland during the last couple of years of her life.
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