Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<br /> <keyword id="2520139" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Cow-trafficking">Cow trafficking</keyword> and slaughtering are words which don’t exist for many Indians, but visit the east and you would encounter the harsh reality — it (cow trafficking) is a regular affair, and a lucrative business for smugglers and butchers. This is precisely the reason why the country’s total cattle population declined from 20.45 crore in 1992 to 19.90 crore in 2007.<br />
<br /> It is sad that cows are battling for life in India, a country where they are regarded as sacred and worshipped by the majority population. Our Vedic scriptures, which refer to them as ‘mothers,’ attached great importance to cows, and encouraged people to value as well as preserve them. Even Mughal emperors such as Akbar were against <keyword id="2520140" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Cow-slaughtering">cow slaughtering</keyword> — the fact was highlighted during a hearing on The <keyword id="2520142" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="West-Bengal-Animal-Slaughter-Central-Act">West Bengal Animal Slaughter Central Act</keyword>, 1950. “Mughal Emperor Babar saw the wisdom of prohibiting the slaughter of cows as and by way of religious sacrifice and directed his son Humayun to follow this. Similarly, Emperors Akbar, Jahangir and Ahmad Shah, it is said, prohibited cow slaughter,” the Supreme Court had said.<br />
<br />
<strong>Cow traffickers spreading their wings across India</strong><br /> The network of cow smugglers is spread across different states. According to local estimates, about 20,000 to 30,000 cows are smuggled to Bangladesh every day. The smuggling reaches its peak during <keyword id="6417740" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Eid-ul-Zuha">Eid-ul-Zuha</keyword> (<keyword id="6622052" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bakrid">Bakrid</keyword>). From Bangladesh, they are exported all over the world, especially the Middle East, where beef is in huge demand. The route traffickers take for illegal export of cow is: cows from UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and states as far as Haryana and Punjab are first transported to <keyword id="6357783" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="West-Bengal">West Bengal</keyword> from where they are smuggled to Bangladesh through <keyword id="55201" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Murshidabad">Murshidabad</keyword>, the bordering district of India and Bangladesh.<br />
<br /> On August 29, about 2000 cows stuffed in 100 trucks were caught in Govindpur (Jharkhand). The trucks, which were carrying cows from the neighbouring states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand for being sacrificed on the occasion of Eid-ul-Zuha (Bakrid), were on their way to West Bengal. These trucks, jam-packed with cows, were found by the volunteers of <keyword id="2520141" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Akhil-Bharatiya-Gau-Raksha-Mission">Akhil Bharatiya Gau Raksha Mission</keyword>, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Bajrang Dal and BJP activists.<br />
<br />
<strong>Holy cows facing the worst in </strong><strong>West Bengal </strong><br />
In Bihar, export of cows for any purpose is banned. In Muslim-dominated Jammu and Kashmir, there is a punishment of up to 10 years of imprisonment if someone is found guilty of cow slaughter. Even possession of flesh of slaughtered animals is a punishable offence with imprisonment up to one year. Transport of cows outside Jammu and Kashmir for slaughtering is also prohibitted.<br />
<br />
Sadly, the West Bengal police and administration isn’t taking any stern action in this regard. The Akhil Bharatiya Gau Raksha Mission activists allege that the West Bengal police behave rudely whenever they approach them to lodge complaint. According to them, when their activists rescued some cows in Kolkata’s Lalbazar, police threatened to arrest them under non-bailable sections. Now, the big question that arises is: Is the state police under some ‘external pressure’ not to act against the perpetrators?<br />
<br />
There surely seems to be some connection. The West Bengal government’s sheer apathy towards cow slaughtering has been witnessed on several occasions. For instance, the Bengal government used the provision granted in the West Bengal Animal Slaughter Central Act*, 1950, to allow cow slaughter on Eid-ul-Zuha (Bakrid). After this relaxation, more than one lakh young and healthy cows got slaughtered in Kolkata every year on this occasion.<br />
<br />
The Calcutta High Court intervened and struck down the exemption provided by the state government in 1982. The Bengal government and butchers took the matter to the Supreme Court, which upheld the High Court’s judgment. But, in spite of the court order, the West Bengal administration hasn’t taken any concrete measures; except for cosmetic steps like publishing advertisements in local newspapers.<br />
<br />
The Animal Husbandry Department of the Government of India says that in West Bengal, the contempt of the Supreme Court's judgment is going on since 1994. “Any amount of follow-up action by the animal welfare organisations to persuade the state administration have not achieved the desired results. On the contrary, some peaceful agitators pleading with the administration for compliance with the Supreme Court order were rounded up and put behind bars on the occasion of Eid-ul-Zuha (Bakrid) in the year 2002.”<br />
<br />
<strong>Better fate awaits cows</strong><br />
Except for West Bengal and the northeastern states, other states have been making effort to save cows. In 1982, the erstwhile Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, wrote a letter to chief ministers of 14 states, asking them to enforce the ban in letter and spirit. Sadly, the ban has remained only in ‘letters’ and never in ‘spirit.’<br />
<br />
With the Narendra Modi-led government in power at the Centre, one can hope that stern action would be taken against the smugglers. After all, Modi had talked about the issue during his election campaign and promised to take care of farmers and their cattle. He ruthlessly attacked the UPA government for ‘pink revolution’ and increase in export of meat, including beef, while his supporters chanted <em>Modi ko matdaan, Gai ko jeevandaan </em>slogan<em>. </em><br />
<br />
However, after coming to power, we have not seen any action from the BJP government on this front yet. Agreed, that government has several high-priority tasks at hand, but cow protection is also the need of the hour — not because of the religious sentiments attached, but for maintenance of the ecological balance. If slaughtering of cows goes on rampantly, they may get to the verge of extinction, which would disturb the ecological chain.<br />
<br />
<strong>*</strong><strong> The West Bengal Animal Slaughter Central Act, 1950: </strong>The act was passed to “control the slaughter of certain animals with a view to increase the supply of milk and to avoid the wastage of animal power necessary for improvement of agriculture. Section 2 lays down that the Act applies to animals specified in the sched­ule. The schedule to the Act covers bulls, bullocks, cows, calves, male and female buffaloes, buffalo calves and castrated buffaloes.” However, the Act also has a provision for lifting the ban for religious, medicinal or research purposes.<br />

With Cow Trafficking And Slaughtering On Rise, ‘Mother’ Cow Struggles For Existence

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Twitter announced Thursday it would start sharing ad revenue with some creators.</li><li>It gave a windfall to right-wing influencers who have Musk's personal approval.</li></ul><p>Elon Musk has started sharing Twitter's ad revenue with a handful of accounts, hoping to incentivize the best creators to put their content on his platform.</p><p>But while some will benefit for getting paid to Tweet, the move is unlikely to shift the dynamics of the creator economy and tempt creators from other platforms.</p><p><a href="https://help.twitter.com/en/using-twitter/creator-ads-revenue-sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter announced Thursday</a> that creators would now be eligible to some of the company's ad revenue, "to help people earn a living directly" on the platform.</p><p>To sign up, accounts have to be subscribed to Twitter Blue or be a verified organization, pass "human review," and have at least 5 million impressions every month for the past three.</p><p>As Taylor Lorenz <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/07/13/twitter-creators-payments-right-wing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported for the Washington Post</a>, the initial wave of creators to be rewarded skewed towards the troll-y, right-wing accounts who mirror Musk's personal preferences. Andrew Tate, Ian Miles Cheong, Rogan O'Handley, and the anonymous account End Wokeness all featured.</p><p>Tate, who is currently awaiting trial in a sex trafficking and rape investigation in Romania, said he had been paid $20,000, while End Wokeness claimed to have earned $10,400.</p><p>Musk's move is part of a plan to compete with other social-media sites, including YouTube, which have been paying creators directly for years.</p><p>He's been attempting to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/nov/06/elon-musk-tries-to-lure-youtube-stars-on-to-twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lure some of YouTube's biggest stars</a> since November, promising a better deal than YouTube, which offers creators 55% of the ad revenue from their videos.</p><p>But it doesn't seem to be working, with most YouTubers using Twitter as they always have — a secondary place to voice their opinions and promote their YouTube content.</p><p>At the same time, Twitter is also becoming a less reliable and pleasant place in general. It's getting "glitchier, bottier, and spammier than ever," <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-killed-twitter-irrelevant-meta-threads-debt-mark-zuckerberg-2023-7?r=US&amp;IR=T">as Insider's Linette Lopez wrote</a>.</p><p>Musk's decision to replace the verification system with offering a blue tick in exchange for money has favored misogynists, conspiracy theorists, crypto scammers, and right-wing trolls, whose posts now get priority.</p><p>As old Twitter fades away and favors Musk's own interests and volatility, people have been fleeing to TikTok and  Meta's new platform Threads for a nicer, less hate-fueled experience.</p><p>As well as having trouble attracting onto talent, Musk should also take heed of other platforms' history with paying creators. YouTube's journey proves that it isn't easy to please everyone.</p><p>Monetization is one of the thorniest subjects on YouTube. It has faced accusations of <a href="https://newuniversity.org/2018/01/09/youtube-is-undeservedly-loyal-to-logan-paul/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">favoritism towards larger, often controversial, creators</a> such as the Paul bothers and <a href="https://www.insider.com/shane-dawson-channels-demonetized-youtube-confirms-why-offensive-content-2020-6">demonetizing creators' channels inconsistently</a>.</p><p>Any changes to its payment policy prompts a backlash, like the infamous <a href="https://youtube.fandom.com/wiki/YouTube_Adpocalypse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adpocalypse of 2017.</a></p><p>As a result, many of YouTube's biggest stars don't rely on the platform to give them much revenue directly anyway.</p><p>Instead they rely on brand deals and outside-platform revenue streams such as selling merchandise.</p><p>YouTube's biggest single creator — Jimmy Donaldson, aka MrBeast — has 127 million subscribers, and regularly spends upwards of $1 million on his videos, implying that he would be making bank from YouTube directly.</p><p>But on the rare occasion Donaldson reveals how much ad revenue he makes, <a href="https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/mrbeast-reveals-insight-into-youtube-ad-revenue-on-latest-video-2211284/#:~:text=Recently%20they%20tweeted%20a%20screenshot,another%20and%20watch%20MrBeast's%20video." target="_blank" rel="noopener">it is surprisingly little</a>. His real money comes from partnering with brands like Quidd, CSGO Lotto, and Honey. His <a href="https://www.insider.com/youtuber-mrbeast-shares-sets-for-recreated-squid-game-competition-2021-11">famous "Squid Game" remake</a>, which cost $3.5 million to produce, was sponsored by the gaming company Supercell.</p><p>Who would give up the consistency of MrBeast's 1.2 billion views per month on YouTube for the turbulent, uninviting world Musk is building?</p><p>We don't know yet who will be in Twitter's next round of ad revenue earners, but we do know Musk will be missing out by setting the bar for monetization so high.</p><p>Ad revenue traditionally aids smaller accounts who don't have their own brand deals — YouTube monetization is open to anyone with 1,000 subscribers.</p><p>Twitter's requirements of 5 million impressions means small accounts will be left out, and increases the likelihood that Musk's scheme will be a cash cow for his favorites rather than a real game-changer.</p>

Elon Musk's scheme to pay big Twitter accounts is rewarding his favorite trolls but probably won't entice major creators

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Marco Bello</span></p><p class="caption">An aerial view of Little St. James.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>As <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jeffery-epstein-private-island-reportedly-tourist-attraction-after-death-2019-8">Business Insider</a> previously reported, Jeffrey Epstein's private island in the Caribbean is becoming a tourist attraction.</strong></li><li><strong>Up until his arrest in July, it was believed to be his <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article232374872.html">primary residence</a>. </strong></li><li><strong>The island boasts peculiar decorations, including a temple-like structure and life-size plastic cows.</strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</a></strong></li></ul><p>Jeffrey Epstein's private island in the Caribbean - now dubbed "Pedophile Island" and "Orgy Island" by locals, according to the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-jeffrey-epstein-private-island-20190712-story.html">Los Angeles Times</a> - has gained worldwide media attention for its troubling ties to the sexual-abuse allegations against him.</p><p>According to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/28/business/jeffrey-epstein-island.html">court filings</a>, Epstein, a convicted sex offender, was accused of trafficking underage girls to the island for sex. Up until his arrest in July 2019, the private island was considered <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article232374872.html">his primary residence</a>.</p><p>Since Epstein's July arrest and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/heres-the-latest-jeffrey-epstein-news-from-finances-to-legal-2019-8">subsequent death by apparent suicide</a> on August 10, the island has become a tourist attraction, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jeffery-epstein-private-island-reportedly-tourist-attraction-after-death-2019-8">Business Insider</a> previously reported.</p><p><em><strong>Read more</strong>: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jeffrey-epstein-net-worth-a-multimillion-real-estate-portfolio-2019-7">A look inside Jeffrey Epstein's real-estate portfolio, from the Florida and NYC mansions where sex trafficking reportedly took place to the private island in the Caribbean that was raided by the FBI</a></em></p><p>"I'll admit it's effed up, but I want to see where Satan lived," one St. Thomas visitor told <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/curious-tourists-want-up-close-glimpse-of-epsteins-island-businesses-happy-to-oblige">Fox News</a>. </p><p>John Stewart, the owner of a boat-tour agency on St. Thomas, also told reporters that, over the past few weeks, he has seen a large increase in the number of catamarans sailing by Epstein's island. </p><p>"No one used to pay attention to it," Stewart told the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2019-08-15/jeffrey-epstein-caribbean-island-tourists">Los Angeles Times</a>. Now, he says, in light of Epstein's media attention, there are a lot more tourists. </p><p>But even from that distant vantage point, there is a lot to be seen - including a temple-like structure and life-size plastic cows.</p><p>Keep reading for a closer look at "Orgy Island."</p>

Jeffrey Epstein's 'Orgy Island' is becoming a tourist attraction in the Caribbean - here's what the curious visitors are able to see

<ul class="summary-list"><li>GOP lawmakers are reportedly starting a caucus that emphasizes "Anglo-Saxon political traditions."</li><li>Other <keyword id="66537" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Republicans">Republicans</keyword> came out against it, with Rep. <keyword id="675926" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Adam-Kinzinger">Adam Kinzinger</keyword> saying members should be punished.</li><li>Reps. <keyword id="963658" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Kevin-McCarthy">Kevin McCarthy</keyword> and <keyword id="1630595" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Liz-Cheney">Liz Cheney</keyword> also came forward to condemn "nativism" in the GOP.</li></ul><p>Multiple Republican lawmakers have come out against an "America First Caucus" reportedly created by their colleagues that emphasizes "Anglo-Saxon political traditions."</p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/PunchbowlNews/status/1383104228256837637">Punchbowl News</a> reported Friday the caucus was formed by GOP Reps. <keyword id="9740457" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="marjorie-taylor-greene">Marjorie Taylor Greene</keyword> and <keyword id="3051005" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Paul-Gosar">Paul Gosar</keyword> to "follow in President Trump's footsteps, and potentially step on some toes and sacrifice sacred cows for the good of the American nation," according to a <a href="https://punchbowl.news/wp-content/uploads/America-First-Caucus-Policy-Platform-FINAL-2.pdf">document obtained by the outlet</a>.</p><p>The document also included a number of false statements concerning immigrants, foreign aid, and US elections, as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/sonam-sheth">Insider's Sonam Sheth</a> reported.</p><p>A number of Republicans have since condemned the caucus, with Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois saying anyone who joins should be punished by the GOP.</p><p>"I believe anyone that joins this caucus should have their committees stripped, and the Republican conference should expel them from conference participation," <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamKinzinger/status/1383189586248151049?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1383189586248151049%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fthehill.com%2Fhomenews%2Fhouse%2F548788-kinzinger-republicans-who-join-america-first-caucus-should-be-stripped-ofd-of">Kinzinger said in a tweet</a>. "While we can't prevent someone from calling themselves Republican, we can loudly say they don't belong to us."</p><p><em><strong>Read more: </strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/paul-gosar-gop-culture-war-stop-steal-qanon-america-first-2021-3">Paul Gosar is the GOP's under-the-radar hardcore culture warrior</a></em></p><p>Kinzinger is a regular critic of former president Donald Trump and his most loyal allies, but some Republicans less critical came out in opposition as well.</p><p>"The hatefulness of this statement is only surpassed by its ignorance of American history and values," Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado <a href="https://twitter.com/RepKenBuck/status/1383215386284363778?s=20">tweeted</a> of the caucus document.</p><p>Others did not mention the caucus by name but came forward to condemn nativism, a policy of protecting the interests of the native-born against those of immigrants, saying it has no place in the GOP.</p><p>House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California, a strong ally of Trump, <a href="https://twitter.com/GOPLeader/status/1383158647266611203?s=20">tweeted</a> in an apparent reference to the caucus.</p><p>"America is built on the idea that we are all created equal and success is earned through honest, hard work. It isn't built on identity, race, or religion," he said. "The Republican Party is the party of Lincoln &amp; the party of more opportunity for all Americans-not nativist dog whistles."</p><p>Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming also sought to separate the GOP from some of the ideals outlined in the caucus document.</p><p>"Republicans believe in equal opportunity, freedom, and justice for all. We teach our children the values of tolerance, decency and moral courage. Racism, nativism, and anti-Semitism are evil. History teaches we all have an obligation to confront &amp; reject such malicious hate," she said in a <a href="https://twitter.com/Liz_Cheney/status/1383170349202821129?s=20">tweet</a>.</p><p>A number of Trump loyalists plan to join the caucus, according to Punchbowl News, including Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, who is currently <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/prosecutors-doj-veterans-react-joel-greenberg-plea-deal-matt-gaetz-2021-4">facing a federal sex-trafficking probe</a>.</p><p>Gaetz <a href="https://twitter.com/mattgaetz/status/1383137540249636868?s=20">tweeted</a> he is "proud" to join the caucus.</p>

Republican lawmakers condemned pro-Trump caucus emphasizing 'Anglo-Saxon political traditions,' said GOP is not about 'nativism'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>GOP Reps. <keyword id="9740457" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="marjorie-taylor-greene">Marjorie Taylor Greene</keyword> and <keyword id="3051005" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Paul-Gosar">Paul Gosar</keyword> formed the "America First Caucus," Punchbowl <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news">News</keyword> reported.</li><li>The group will reportedly emphasize "common respect for uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions."</li><li>It will also push racist lies about immigration and foreign aid and parrot Trump's conspiracy theories about the election.</li><li>Rep. Matt Gaetz, who is facing a federal sex-trafficking investigation, said he'll join the caucus.</li></ul><p>Two Republican lawmakers worked together to create an "America First Caucus" that emphasizes "common respect for uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions" and infrastructure that "befits the progeny of European architecture," Punchbowl News <a href="https://twitter.com/PunchbowlNews/status/1383104228256837637" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported on Friday</a>.</p><p>Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar collaborated to form the far-right caucus, whose aim is to "follow in President Trump's footsteps, and potentially step on some toes and sacrifice sacred cows for the good of the American nation," according to a document <a href="https://punchbowl.news/wp-content/uploads/America-First-Caucus-Policy-Platform-FINAL-2.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">obtained by Punchbowl News</a>.</p><p>GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz, who is currently <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/prosecutors-doj-veterans-react-joel-greenberg-plea-deal-matt-gaetz-2021-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">facing a federal sex-trafficking probe</a>, announced his "proud" support for the group, <a href="https://twitter.com/mattgaetz/status/1383137540249636868" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeting</a>, "We will end wars, stop illegal immigration &amp; promote trade that is fair to American workers." Other Trump loyalists on Capitol Hill, like Reps. Barry Moore and Louie Gohmert, have also agreed to join the caucus, Punchbowl News reported.</p><p>"America is a nation with a border, and a culture, strengthened by a common respect for uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions," the document said in a section outlining its views on immigration.</p><p>It went on to say, without citing any evidence, that "societal trust and political unity are threatened when foreign citizens are imported en-masse into a country, particularly without institutional support for assimilation and an expansive welfare state to bail them out should they fail to contribute positively to the country."</p><p>The document also pushed the lie that immigrants who came to the US before 1965 were "more educated, earned higher wages, and did not have an expansive welfare state to fall back on when they could not make it in America and thus did not stay in the country at the expense of the native-born."</p><ul><li><strong>Fact check: </strong>The Pew Research Center <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/09/14/education-levels-of-u-s-immigrants-are-on-the-rise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> in a 2018 study that "the <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/2018/09/14/facts-on-u-s-immigrants/">estimated 44 million immigrants</a> in the United States are better educated than ever, due in part to rising levels of schooling in many of the countries they came from and an influx of high-skilled workers to the U.S. in recent years, especially from Asia."</li></ul><p>The document's section on infrastructure said the caucus will "work towards an infrastructure that reflects the architectural, engineering and aesthetic value that befits the progeny of European architecture," and criticized the US government for "sending trillions of dollars out the door to support the infrastructure of other nations - even to countries that hate the United - with nothing to show for it."</p><p>On foreign aid, the document said it would be "unwise" for the US to send financial and military support to other countries because it represents an "entanglement that rarely provides any benefit to our citizens."</p><ul><li><strong>Fact check: </strong>This view stands in stark contrast to what experts in the field say. As George Ingram, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute, <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/policy2020/votervital/what-every-american-should-know-about-us-foreign-aid/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote in 2019</a>, "there is hard evidence that development and humanitarian programs produce considerable results," including a sharp decline in extreme poverty over the last three decades; a significant decrease in maternal, infant, and child mortality rates; an increase in global life expectancy; and the eradication of diseases like smallpox and a steep drop in cases of polio and malaria.</li><li>Sending foreign assistance also bolsters US national security "by supporting allies in promoting regional and global stability and peace," Ingram wrote, and it shores up "national economic progress and stability, which can make it more viable for citizens to remain at home rather than migrate to other countries."</li></ul><p>The America First Caucus' mission statement also parroted many of Trump's lies about the 2020 election and voter fraud, saying, "Recent election results demonstrate a compromised integrity of our elections and made our election system a subject of global mockery."</p><p>It went on to falsely claim that "federal elections have been undermined by using voting machines that are readily compromised and illegally accessed whereby results appear manipulated, voters are disenfranchised, and faith in our system eroded." The document added: "Mail-in voting, long recognized as subject to fraud, has become normalized."</p><ul><li><strong>Fact check: </strong>As Business Insider <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/2020-election-administration-was-successful-not-a-disaster-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has reported</a>, the 2020 election was the safest and most secure in US history. Trump and Republicans filed dozens of lawsuits challenging the election results in battleground states that President Joe Biden won, and the GOP either lost every case or it was dismissed for a lack of standing. The Department of Homeland Security under Trump also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dhs-breaks-from-trump-2020-election-most-secure-in-history-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">publicly refuted his conspiracy theories</a> and confirmed that the 2020 election was the "most secure in American history."</li></ul><p lang="x-size-16">Punchbowl News said that Gosar's office did not respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for Greene accused "dirty backstabbing swamp creatures" of leaking "gossip to borderline tabloids," and added: "Be on the look out for a public release for the America First Caucus platform when it's released publicly very soon."</p>

GOP Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar create 'America First Caucus' that emphasizes 'Anglo-Saxon political traditions'

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Axel Heimken/picture alliance via Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Legal prostitution has a lot of problems.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/prostitution">Prostitution</a> is legal and regulated in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/germany">Germany</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/switzerland">Switzerland</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/greece">Greece</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/austria">Austria</a>, and many other countries in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/europe">Europe</a>.</li><li>Many major European cities have red-light districts and regulated brothels that pay taxes and follow certain rules.</li><li>Regulating the prostitution industry was supposed to help limit sex trafficking and connect sex workers with critical health and government services, but reports say there hasn't been much success on either front.</li></ul><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/prostitution">Prostitution</a> is big business in Europe.</p><p>By some estimates, the number of prostitutes across the European Union's 28 members states ranges between <a href="https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01672872/document">700,000 and as many as 1.2 million</a>. In Germany alone, the industry is estimated to be worth $16.3 billion, according to <a href="https://www.citylab.com/life/2013/12/across-europe-growing-sense-legalized-prostitution-isnt-working/7777/">Germany's Federal Statistics Office</a>.</p><p>While prostitution has a long history in Europe, it's legality varies from country to country. In countries like Germany and Greece, the sex trade is fully legalized and regulated, whereas is many northern European countries like Sweden, it is illegal to buy sex, but not illegal to sell it.</p><p>Brothels and red-light districts have been a part of major European cities like Amsterdam and Hamburg for decades and, in some cases, centuries. But the current era of prostitution began around 2000 when the Netherlands became one of the first major European countries to formalize prostitution's legality and regulate it like any other industry. Germany, Greece, and others followed suit, though Switzerland has had fully legal prostitution since 1942.</p><p>Legalizing and regulating prostitution was supposed to make the trade safer for sex workers, helping them access critical health and government services, but by most accounts, it mostly resulted in turning prostitution a major industry with hotel-sized brothels, brothel chains, and a cash cow of tax revenue.</p><p>Here's what the sex industry in Europe is actually like.</p>

Prostitution is legal in countries across Europe, but it's nothing like what you think

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Siegfried Modola</span></p><p class="caption">Women are screened for malnutrition at a joint UNICEF-WFP Rapid Response Mission (RRM), which delivers critical supplies and services to those displaced by conflict, in Nyanapol, northern Jonglei, March 3, 2015.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>A South Sudanese family auctioned off their 16-year-old daughter to marry the highest bidder.</strong></li><li><strong>Facebook told Business Insider that it removed the post and permanently disabled the account.</strong></li><li><strong>But that took place six days after the girl had been given away.</strong></li><li><strong>South Sudan's legal marriage age is 18, but more than half of the country's girls are married before then.</strong></li></ul><p>A family in South Sudan used Facebook to auction off their 16-year-old daughter as a child bride and managed to complete the transaction before anybody could stop it.</p><p>The family in Eastern Lakes, a central region of South Sudan, put up a post selling off the girl on October 25, Reuters reported. She was married off on November 3, <a href="https://plan-international.org/news/2018-11-12-child-marriage-facebook-auction-reminiscent-slave-markets">according to Plan International</a>, a British girls' rights charity.</p><p>Facebook told Business Insider that it found the post on November 9 - more than two weeks after it was first posted - and permanently removed it.</p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mark-zuckerberg-best-person-facebook-ceo-2018-11">Mark Zuckerberg insists he's still the best person to run Facebook, despite the endless scandals</a></em></p><p>The post featured a picture of the unnamed girl and noted that five men were participating in an auction for her. Some were high-ranking government officials, Plan International reported.</p><p>The winning bidder gave the girl's father 500 cows, three cars, and $10,000 in exchange for his daughter, Plan International said.</p><p>Neither the girl, nor her family, nor her husband's identities are publicly known.</p><p>Taban Abel, the information minister in Eastern Lakes, said the girl has gone into hiding in Juba, South Sudan's capital.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Dado Ruvic/Reuters</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>South Sudan's legal marriage age is 18, but more than 50% of girls in the country are wedded off before their 18th birthday, <a href="https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/child-marriage/south-sudan/">according to UNICEF</a>.</p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-warring-parties-in-south-sudan-abducted-hundreds-of-women-and-girls-un-2018-10">The UN reports warring factions in South Sudan abducted hundreds of women and forced them into sexual slavery</a></em></p><p>George Otim, the South Sudan country director at Plan International, said in a statement: "This barbaric use of technology is reminiscent of latter-day slave markets. That a girl could be sold for marriage on the world's biggest social networking site in this day and age is beyond belief."</p><p>A Facebook spokesperson told Business Insider in a statement: "Any form of human trafficking - whether posts, pages, ads or groups is not allowed on Facebook. We removed the post and permanently disabled the account belonging to the person who posted this to Facebook."</p><p>"We're always improving the methods we use to identify content that breaks our policies, including doubling our safety and security team to more than 30,000 and investing in technology," they added.</p><p>Facebook's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/communitystandards/dangerous_individuals_organizations/">Community Standards</a> forbid users to post content or engage in human trafficking, which includes "recruiting, transporting, transferring, detaining, providing, harboring, or receiving a minor, or an adult against their will."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-york-city-marathon-race-week-training-2016-10">How to train the last days before a marathon</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Facebook allowed the sale of a 16-year-old child bride before finding and removing the post

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Screen grab</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Pablo Escobar grew up on a humble farm in rural Colombia, and through violence and cunning he rose to be the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/10-facts-that-prove-the-absurdity-of-pablo-escobars-wealth-2015-9" target="_blank">most powerful kingpin</a> in the country - and, indeed, the world.</p><p>In the process, Escobar brought many Colombian officials and security forces onto his payroll in order to protect himself and his business from both rivals and government intervention.</p><p>His control over the security apparatus in his home base of Medellín, in Antioquia state, was so extensive that, as Mark Bowden detailed in his book "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Killing-Pablo-Worlds-Greatest-Outlaw/dp/0142000957" target="_blank">Killing Pablo</a>," the drug lord was able to deliver a swift, bloody, and nearly debilitating blow to the government's Search Bloc - the first force that set out to bring him down.</p><p>According to Bowden:</p><p>Antioquia, in northwest Colombia, has been a hub for drug trafficking because its heavy jungle and rugged landscape help obscure operations, and because its proximity to the Caribbean and Central America make it a prime departure point for drug shipments heading north.</p><p>It has long been a locus for violent criminal groups involved in illicit operations like drug trafficking and illegal mining. The left-wing Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) <a href="http://www.insightcrime.org/colombia-organized-crime-news/farc-profile?highlight=WyJmYXJjIiwiZmFyYydzIiwiJ2ZhcmMiLCInZmFyYyciLCJhbnRpb3F1aWEiLCJhbnRpb3F1aWEncyJd" target="_blank">are present there</a>, and Los Urabeños - Colombia's <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-sinaloa-cartel-and-colombian-cocaine-2015-8" target="_blank">most power criminal organization</a> - have based <a href="http://www.insightcrime.org/colombia-organized-crime-news/urabenos-profile" target="_blank">their operations there</a>.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Google Maps</span></p><p class="caption">Colombia's Antioquia department has been a center of operations for drug traffickers, rebel groups, and other criminal organizations.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>In the first days of the Search Bloc, the group was in over its head. Escobar and his sicarios, or assassins, had a marked advantage.</p><p>And Escobar - who didn't become the most feared drug lord in history because he shied away from bloodshed - pursued his new enemies.</p><p>Bowden <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Killing-Pablo-Worlds-Greatest-Outlaw/dp/0142000957" target="_blank">continues</a>:</p><p>The Search Bloc's violent introduction to Escobar came in early 1990, as Colombia's efforts to combat the Medellín cartel and other traffickers began to intensify with heavy US assistance.</p><p>While, as Bowden <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Killing-Pablo-Worlds-Greatest-Outlaw/dp/0142000957" target="_blank">notes</a>, the heavy losses frightened the Search Bloc, they were not cowed. With 200 additional men supplied by the Colombian government, they continued their pursuit, which would last another three violent years, until December 1993.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>US Government Photo</span></p><p class="caption">Escobar was gunned down by Colombian forces on December 2, 1993. The Colombians then celebrated the end to their long and costly pursuit.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Most accounts put the Search Bloc at the center of <a href="http://www.insightcrime.org/news-briefs/who-really-killed-pablo-escobar" target="_blank">Escobar's last stand</a> - a shootout that left the world's most powerful drug dealer sprawled across a dingy Medellín rooftop in a bloody heap.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/pablo-escobar-cocaines-biggest-kingpin-life-death-2015-9">Pablo Escobar: The life and death of one of the biggest cocaine kingpins in history</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="phNnBrdzpKXE2oFtDyJRVBKwhim_ZHgP" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

The beginning of the end for drug lord Pablo Escobar shows just how much power he had

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser</span></p><p class="caption">Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends a graduation ceremony and air show marking the 50th anniversary of the founding of King Faisal Air College in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, January 25, 2017.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>Saudi Arabia experienced an unprecedented weekend in both internal affairs and external relations.</strong></li><li><strong>At the center of the changes is Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.</strong></li><li><strong>A surprise anti-corruption purge launched Saturday by Mohammed arrested at least 11 princes, along with dozens of government ministers.</strong></li><li><strong>And a prominent member of the royal family died in a helicopter crash.</strong></li></ul><p><br />Saudi Arabia experienced an unprecedented weekend that saw the upheaval of leading government officials and business figures, as well as increased tension with the kingdom's rival, Iran.</p><p>At the center of the changes is Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the next in line to the Saudi throne. Mohammed has been publicly pushing for economic modernization for the kingdom and recently said he would lead the country back to "moderate Islam."</p><p>Arguably the most noteworthy of the weekend's actions is <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ap-top-saudi-official-ousted-princes-reportedly-arrested-2017-11-2">the surprise anti-corruption purge launched Saturday</a> by Mohammed. At least 11 princes were arrested, along with dozens of government ministers.</p><p>"With the weekend detentions, Crown Prince Prince Mohammad bin Salman has succeeded in controlling all three Saudi security services, while cowing both conservative and reform-minded clerics - an unprecedented consolidation of power in the country's history," <a href="http://thesoufancenter.org/political-upheaval-in-saudi-arabia/">strategic consultancy firm The Soufan Group</a> wrote in a Monday note.</p><p>Here's what you need to know about Saudi Arabia's ground-shaking weekend:</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Saudi Press Agency, via AP</span></p><p class="caption">The new Economy and Planning Minister, Mohammad al-Tuwaijri, right and the new National Guard chief, Prince Khalid bin Ayyaf al-Muqrin, left, pose for a photo with King Salman during a swearing in ceremony, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Monday, Nov. 6, 2017.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>A purge of princes and ministers</h2><p>Saturday's arrests hit at the heart of Saudi Arabia's government and business communities.</p><p>Among the 11 royals arrested were Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a prominent investor, and Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, the now-removed head of the National Guard.</p><p>Alwaleed, a billionaire investor in US companies such as Twitter and Citigroup, is the owner of investment firm Kingdom Holding and is one of the world's wealthiest men.</p><p>Miteb, as the head of the National Guard, oversaw protection of the royal Al Saud family, as well as important religious, oil, and gas sites.</p><p>By removing and replacing Miteb, Mohammed - who is also <keyword id="6354810" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Defense">defense</keyword> minister - sidelined a powerful rival. It appears that in addition to his role as defense minister, Mohammed will now have indirect control over the head of National Guard and the interior minister, who oversees internal security.</p><p>Other officials that were replaced by Mohammed include the minister of economy and planning, as well as the commander of Saudi Naval Forces.</p><p>The ousted princes and ministers are being held in the Riyadh Ritz-Carlton Hotel. The government said over the weekend that the anti-corruption committee headed by Mohammed has the right to issue arrest warrants, impose travel restrictions, and freeze bank accounts.</p><h2>A deadly helicopter crash</h2><p>Hundreds of miles away from Riyadh on Sunday, another prominent member of the Saudi royal family died when his helicopter crashed during a tour of coastal projects in the west of the kingdom.</p><p>Prince Mansour bin Muqrin, the recently named deputy governor of Saudi Arabia's Asir province, was the son of Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz, who was at one point the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.</p><p>Seven other government officials were reportedly killed in the helicopter with Mansour.</p><p>Saudi's government has not given a reason for the crash, but said a search of the wreckage was underway, <a href="http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-saudi-prince-helicopter-crash-20171106-story.html">according to the Associated Press</a>. Reports have noted that the crash site is about 100 miles from Yemen, where Saudi Arabia has been fighting Houthi rebels since March 2015.</p><h2>Tensions rise with Iran</h2><p>Aside from the internal upheaval in the kingdom, this weekend also highlighted Saudi Arabia's rising tensions with regional rival Iran.</p><p>Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri - a dual Lebanese-Saudi citizen - <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ap-lebanese-prime-minister-resigns-amid-tensions-with-hezbollah-2017-11">resigned on Saturday</a> during a trip to Saudi Arabia. Hariri is part of a joint government that includes Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group, and he used his resignation speech to publicly criticize both.</p><p>After Hariri's resignation, one member of <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/05/middleeast/middle-east-eventful-24-hours-analysis/index.html">Lebanon's parliament told CNN</a>, "We are back to an escalation between Iran and Saudi Arabia on the Lebanese front."</p><p>The same day, Saudi Arabia intercepted a ballistic missile targeting King Khalid International Airport in the capital city of Riyadh. The missile was launched by Houthi rebels in Yemen, who are also backed by Iran.</p><p>Saudi Arabia's foreign minister tweeted on Monday that the kingdom reserved the right to respond to Iran's "hostile actions."</p><p>A Saudi-led military coalition announced Monday it would close all air, land, and sea ports to Yemen, a move they claimed would lessen the flow of arms from Iran to the Houthi rebels, but which may also worsen a humanitarian crisis in Yemen.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/twin-brothers-chicago-helped-take-down-el-chapo-margarito-pedro-flores-wives-cocaine-traffickers2017-6">The wives of high-level cocaine traffickers reveal how their husbands took down 'El Chapo'</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Saudi Arabia had a crazy weekend that totally upended the Middle Eastern kingdom

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Eloy Alonso</span></p><p class="caption">A wild cow jumps over revelers in the bullring after the first running of the bulls at the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, northern Spain, July 7, 2016.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Hello! Here's what you need to know on Friday.</p><p><strong>1. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/shooting-dallas-texas-protest-2016-7">At least four police officers were killed by "snipers" amid a protest and rally in Dallas, Texas, on Thursday night.</a></strong> Dallas Police officials said at least 11 officers were shot. P<span>rotests have been ongoing nationwide this week in the wake of police shootings</span><span> in which two black men were killed.</span></p><p><strong>2. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/theresa-may-andrea-leadsom-michael-gove-tory-prime-minister-leadership-second-round" target="_blank">It's official: Theresa May and Andrea Leadsom will battle it out to become the next prime minister of the United Kingdom.</a></strong><span> The pair came first and second in the final round of internal voting for the Conservative leadership contest, while Michael Gove was eliminated.</span></p><p><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">3. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/r-super-typhoon-nepartak-hits-taiwan-disrupts-power-supplies-transport-2016-7?IR=T" target="_blank">Super typhoon Nepartak hit eastern Taiwan early on Friday, driving thousands of people from their homes, disrupting power supplies and forcing the cancellation of more than 500 flights.</a> </strong>As many as 15,400 people were evacuated from their homes in preparation for the storm, while 187,830 households suffered power outages, emergency officials said.</p><p><strong>4. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/china-foreign-exchange-reserves-surprisingly-increased-2016-7" target="_blank">The People's Bank of China announced on Thursday that its foreign-exchange reserves surged by $13 billion to $3.21 trillion in June - much to everyone's surprise.</a> </strong>Economists surveyed by Bloomberg expected reserves to come in at $3.17 trillion, in part because of the weaker pound and euro post-Brexit.</p><p><strong>5. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/brexit-hasnt-put-amazon-off-the-uk-2016-7" target="_blank">Brexit hasn't put Amazon off the UK</a><a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/brexit-hasnt-put-amazon-off-the-uk-2016-7" target="_blank">, as the company remains bullish on the UK's future.</a></strong> The ecommerce giant is planning to hire an additional 1,000 people in the region by the end of 2016, bringing Amazon's total <keyword id="6354868" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="UK">UK</keyword> workforce up to 15,500. </p><p><strong>6. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/burka-ban-introduced-in-switzerland-for-muslim-women-2016-7" target="_blank">Muslim</a><a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/burka-ban-introduced-in-switzerland-for-muslim-women-2016-7" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/burka-ban-introduced-in-switzerland-for-muslim-women-2016-7" target="_blank"> women can now be fined up to £8</a><a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/burka-ban-introduced-in-switzerland-for-muslim-women-2016-7" target="_blank">,000 for wearing burkas in Switzerland.</a></strong><span> </span><span>A controversial Swiss law prohibiting Islamic dress has been used to fine a Muslim convert and a businessman, who protested the ban. </span></p><p><strong>7. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/mark-zuckerberg-on-facebook-live-stream-of-philando-castile-2016-7" target="_blank"><span>Mark Zuckerberg responded to </span>the fatal police shooting of Philando Castile<span>, the aftermath of which was streamed live on Facebook</span><strong>,</strong></a><span><a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/mark-zuckerberg-on-facebook-live-stream-of-philando-castile-2016-7" target="_blank">by suggesting that the platform can "shine a light" on fear.</a> </span></strong>"The images we've seen this week are graphic and heartbreaking, and they shine a light on the fear that millions of members of our community live with every day," Zuckerberg writes.</p><p><a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/turkish-military-helicopter-carrying-top-brass-crashes-killing-7-2016-7"></a><strong>8.<strong> <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/colombias-army-is-stepping-up-its-fight-against-dissident-farc-rebels-across-the-nation-2016-7" target="_blank">Colombia's army will up their fight against dissident FARC rebels and crime gangs across the nation even after a peace accord - which will end South America's longest war - is signed with the Marxist group, the head of the army said.</a><span> </span></strong></strong>The army is doing so in a bid to prevent other armed groups and drug traffickers from taking over rebel territory.</p><p><strong>9. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/r-uber-raises-115-billion-leveraged-loan-2016-7" target="_blank">Uber Technologies Inc. has secured a $1.15 billion leveraged loan, the latest capital infusion for the well-financed ride-hailing company.</a> </strong>Turning to the leveraged loan market, which was previously exclusive to more established companies, allows Uber to take advantage of historically low interest rates while keeping venture capital backers happy by not further diluting their equity.</p><p><strong>10. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/owner-of-airbnb-reportedly-suing-hedge-funder-after-fourth-of-july-party-2016-7" target="_blank">A furious Airbnb owner of a $20 million Hamptons mansion is planning to sue a hedge funder after he threw a giant party complete with champagne guns and thousands of revelers.</a><span> </span></strong><span>The owner claims Brett Barna, a portfolio manager at Louis Bacon's Moore Capital Management, said he was holding a fundraiser for an animal charity with around 50 guests.</span></p><p><a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/chris-evans-presented-less-than-half-the-top-gear-episodes-he-signed-up-for-2016-7"></a><strong>And finally...</strong></p><p><strong><a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/map-europe-divided-nato-russia-2016-7" target="_blank">With the continuation of hostilities in Ukraine, relations between Moscow and NATO have continued to sink to some of their lowest levels since the end of the Cold War - this one map shows how this tension across Europe is playing out</a>. </strong></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/omaha-steaks-unboxed-mail-order-2015-5">Here's what you get when you order 'Omaha Steaks' in the mail </a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="BxanQ3dTqLutSb3FfaAJBvFo3VETCmUT" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

The 10 most important things in the world right now

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Maplecroft</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<p>Leading global risk analytics firm <a href="http://maplecroft.com/">Maplecroft</a> have put out a midyear update of the countries facing the worst risk of conflict and political violence. All together, 48 countries around the world have seen these risks intensify over the last six months. </p>
<p>Ukraine, due to the political instability of the interim government, saw the biggest increase in risk and dropped 52 places in the stability ranking. Maplecroft expects Ukraine to drop further in its 2014 rankings when the impact of pro-Russian separatists <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/iran-is-offering-to-supply-gas-to-europe-if-a-russian-energy-embargo-goes-into-effect-2014-5#!INCvU">overrunning eastern Ukraine</a> are taken into account. </p>
<p>Surprisingly, Ukraine is only the 35th least stable country in the world with Russia being designated as being more potentially unstable. </p>
<p>The Arab Spring countries altogether have seen the biggest increase in risk since 2011. Worryingly for investors, the high growth economies of Colombia, Nigeria, the Philippines, India, Bangladesh, Thailand, China, Indonesia, and Turkey are all also rated as being at 'high' or 'extreme risk.'</p>
<p>Below are the 16 most unstable countries according to the Maplecroft report. </p>
<h3>Syria</h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Hosam Katan </span></p><p class="caption">Smoke rises from a site hit by what activists said were barrel bombs dropped by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Aleppo's al-Shaar district April 13, 2014. </p></div><p></p></div></p>
<p>Syria has been in a state of civil war for a little over three years and over <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/charts-of-syrian-refugees-flooding-into-lebanon-2014-4#!IPnCP">1 million refugees</a> having fled into neighboring Lebanon alone. The Syrian regime has also <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/uk-syria-clothing-sarin-chemical-weapons-assad-2013-9#!IPoO7">used Sarin gas</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-syria-opposition-claims-has-evidence-of-chlorine-gas-attack-2014-14#!IPpTr">chlorine bombs</a> against rebel fighters and civilians. </p>
<h3>Central African Republic<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Siegfried Modola/REUTERS</span></p><p class="caption">An African Union (AU) soldier stands guard outside a home at the end of a funeral of two men killed by sectarian violence in the Muslim neighbourhood of Kilometre 5 (PK5) in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, on March 23, 2014.</p></div><p></p></div></h3>
<p>The UN Security Council has <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/un-peacekeepers-to-central-african-republic-2014-4#!IPuPU">unanimously voted</a> to send peacekeepers to the Central African Republic amongst fears that the sectarian violence between Christians and Muslims could spiral into genocide.</p>
<h3>Iraq</h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Ako Rasheed</span></p><p class="caption">Civilians gather at the site of a car bomb attack in Kirkuk, 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad, January 15, 2014.</p></div><p></p></div><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"></span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Sectarian violence in Iraq is </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/un-peacekeepers-to-central-african-republic-2014-4#!IPuPU">reaching its worst levels</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> since the country almost descended into civil war in 2007 and 2008. Hard-line al Qaeda spin off ISIS has also </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/this-map-of-al-qaeda-in-iraq-is-terrifying-2013-12#!IPLx3">taken control</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> of vast swathes of western Iraq after exploiting the chaos in Syria as a spring board. </span></p>
<h3>South Sudan</h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic</span></p><p class="caption">A man from Dinka tribe holds his AK 47 rifle in front of cows in a Dinka cattle herders camp near Rumbek, capital of the Lakes State in central South Sudan December 14, 2013. </p></div><p></p></div></p>
<p>South Sudan is the world's newest country, and it is also one of the world's poorest. It has also been in a state of civil war since last December which has <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27281666">displaced</a> at least 800,000 people so far.  </p>
<h3>Afghanistan</h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Parwiz Parwiz/REUTERS</span></p><p class="caption">An Afghan policeman destroys poppies during a campaign against narcotics in Kunar province, April 29, 2014.</p></div><p></p></div></p>
<p>Afghanistan is poised to become a narco-state. Its opium production is at an <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/afghan-opium-production-is-at-an-all-time-high-2014-5#!IP1PC">all-time high</a>, U.S. troops are due to withdrawal down to minuscule numbers, and the Taliban continues to operate throughout the country. </p>
<h3>Somalia</h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>AP</span></p><p class="caption">Al Shabaab fighters march in training.</p></div><p></p></div></p>
<p>Somalia has been without a functioning central government since the 1990s. During this time various armed groups have come to prominence, with <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/al-shabaab-westgate-al-qaeda-20-2014-2#!IP9ru">al Shabaab</a> being the most worrying as it has carried out terrorist attacks across the border in Kenya. </p>
<h3>Democratic Republic of Congo</h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS</span></p><p class="caption">Militants in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo carry weapons through the jungle.</p></div><p></p></div></p>
<p>The Democratic Republic of Congo has been in a state of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/these-7-conflicts-were-the-worst-since-rwanda-2014-4#!IQb5p">civil war since 1996</a>. During this time over 5 million people have died and violence, famine, and displacement remain constants in life in eastern regions of the DRC. </p>
<h3>Libya</h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Esam Al-Fetori / REUTERS</span></p><p class="caption">A protester in Libya burns the flag during a demonstration against the new central government.</p></div><p></p></div></p>
<p>Libya has faced growing unrest since Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown during the Arab Spring in 2011. Since then, Libya has faced difficulties establishing a central government, curtailing <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-should-deploy-troops-into-africa-2014-1#!IQqHk">weapons shipments</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-insight-armed-militias-hold-libya-hostage-2014-30#!IQoIV">disarming former militias</a>, and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/libya-threatens-to-bomb-north-korean-tanker-if-it-ships-oil-from-seized-port-2014-3#!IQpFg">controlling its oil exports</a>.  </p>
<h3>Sudan</h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>AP</span></p><p class="caption">A burning village after an attack by pro-government rebel forces.</p></div><p></p></div></p>
<p>The Darfur conflict in Sudan, labeled a genocide by many in the international community, is still <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/these-7-conflicts-were-the-worst-since-rwanda-2014-4#!IQte1">continuing at low levels</a>. Other minorities in Darfur <a href="http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/May-05/255429-ex-bishop-says-sudan-air-force-targeted-church-hospital.ashx#axzz30qxGCa4J">frequently complain</a> of discrimination by the Arab-dominated government, with some having taken up arms.</p>
<h3>Pakistan</h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>AP Images</span></p></div><p></p></div></p>
<p>Pakistan has been embroiled for years in a battle against the Pakistani Taliban, who have targeted <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/05/world/asia/pakistan-violence/">NATO workers</a>, <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=newssearch&amp;cd=1&amp;ved=0CCgQ-AsoAjAA&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Ftimesofindia.indiatimes.com%2Fworld%2Fpakistan%2FWHO-slaps-travel-restrictions-on-Pakistan-over-polio-fears%2Farticleshow%2F34694992.cms&amp;ei=FqlnU7rQJIjjsAT02ICIBg&amp;usg=AFQjCNHw-rrd_xG7ghz89iK4Y-NFzRvfug&amp;sig2=dkJdFG9k6ltsM09H0pxPWw&amp;bvm=bv.65788261,d.cWc">health care professionals</a>, and Pakistani soldiers. The country is also the frequent target of U.S. drone attacks and supports large numbers of Afghan refugees.</p>
<h3>Colombia</h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Jorge Cabrera/REUTERS</span></p><p class="caption">Military police keep watch at a checkpoint outside a military facility where drug trafficker Carlos Arnoldo Lobo is detained in Mateo, on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa May 3, 2014. </p></div><p></p></div></p>
<p>Colombia has been fighting drug cartels and a range of rebel forces, including FARC, for years. Rebels <a href="http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2014/05/02/rebel-attack-on-colombia-pipeline-causes-oil-spill/">frequently attack</a> economic interests, such as pipelines. Colombia also has a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-honduras-venezuela-have-worlds-highest-murder-rates-un-2014-10#!IQ9su">startling murder rate</a> of 30.8 per 100,000 people. </p>
<h3>Yemen</h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Mohamed al-Sayaghi</span></p><p class="caption">Men look at wall graffiti depicting a U.S. drone along a street in Sanaa, Yemen, November 9, 2013. </p></div><p></p></div></p>
<p>Yemen has become one of the key centers for a resurgence of al Qaeda in the world. The Yemeni branch of al Qaeda acts relatively in the open, has support, and has <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/yara-bayoumy-al-qaeda-vows-to-strike-america-in-new-video-2014-4#!IRink">pledged to attack</a> western interests. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/drone-strike-kills-al-qaeda-suspects-in-yemen-2014-4#!IRilb">Drone strikes</a> have also become a fact of life in Yemen. </p>
<h3>Myanmar</h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Minzayar Minzayar/REUTERS</span></p><p class="caption">Rohingya people wait to receive their share of food aid from the World Food Program (WFP) at the Thae Chaung camp for internally displaced people in Sittwe, Rakhine state, April 24, 2014.</p></div><p></p></div></p>
<p>Myanmar has been shifting slowly away from a military dictatorship. However, during this time it has <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/drone-strike-kills-al-qaeda-suspects-in-yemen-2014-4#!IRilb">severely limited rights</a> of its Muslim minority, allowed radical Buddhist monks to incite crowds to violence, and has kicked Doctors Without Borders out of the country. </p>
<h3>Egypt</h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany</span></p><p class="caption">A man walks near debris after an explosion near a security building in Egypt's Nile Delta city of Mansoura on Dec. 24, 2013.</p></div><p></p></div></p>
<p>Egypt has had an extremely rocky transition after the Arab Spring forced Mubarak to resign. The first elected president, Muhammad Morsi, was <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/egypt-ban-on-r4bea-rabea-signs-in-facebook-2013-12#!IRRrq">forced from power</a> by the military, which has proceeded to crack down on the Muslim Brotherhood and hand down <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-egyptian-court-recommends-death-sentence-for-683-brotherhood-supporters-2014-28#!IRPe0">mass death sentences</a>. Terrorists have also taken advantage of the chaos to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/drone-strike-kills-al-qaeda-suspects-in-yemen-2014-4#!IRilb">carry out attacks</a> throughout the country.</p>
<h3>Nigeria</h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde</span></p><p class="caption">A damaged car is seen at the scene of a car bomb blast in Nyanya, Abuja, May 2, 2014. </p></div><p></p></div></p>
<p>Nigeria is facing a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nigeria-is-melting-down-2014-5#!IR1EB">myriad of threats</a>. Boko Haram has carried out a five year terrorist campaign culminating in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-nigerias-boko-haram-claims-abduction-of-over-200-schoolgirls-2014-05#!IR73X">kidnapping 230 girls</a> in the north of the country. The country is also facing hefty corruption problems and falling oil prices upon which it is dependent for growth.</p>
<h3>Russia</h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Stringer Russia / Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">Russian special forces stood guard in Sochi before the start of the Olympics.</p></div><p></p></div></p>
<p>Although Putin is facing amazingly high approval ratings following his actions in Ukraine, the situation in Russia is disintegrating. Russia has started viciously <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-why-putins-surveillance-denial-was-clearly-wrong-2014-4#!ISvUQ">censoring the internet</a>, arresting political dissidents, and Russia's demography is in <a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2014/03/numbers-vladimir-putin-doesnt-want-you-to-see">complete shambles</a>.</p>

You Searched For "Cow trafficking" and got 12 results

With Cow Trafficking And Slaughtering On Rise, ‘Mother’ Cow Struggles For Existence

Manish Kumar

Elon Musk's scheme to pay big Twitter accounts is rewarding his favorite trolls but probably won't entice major creators

Lindsay Dodgson

Jeffrey Epstein's 'Orgy Island' is becoming a tourist attraction in the Caribbean - here's what the curious visitors are able to see

Libertina Brandt

Republican lawmakers condemned pro-Trump caucus emphasizing 'Anglo-Saxon political traditions,' said GOP is not about 'nativism'

Kelsey Vlamis

GOP Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar create 'America First Caucus' that emphasizes 'Anglo-Saxon political traditions'

Sonam Sheth

Prostitution is legal in countries across Europe, but it's nothing like what you think

Harrison Jacobs

Facebook allowed the sale of a 16-year-old child bride before finding and removing the post

Alexandra Ma

The beginning of the end for drug lord Pablo Escobar shows just how much power he had

Christopher Woody

Saudi Arabia had a crazy weekend that totally upended the Middle Eastern kingdom

Peter Jacobs

The 10 most important things in the world right now

Barbara Tasch

The 16 Countries With The Biggest Risk Of Violence And Unrest

Jeremy Bender

Niger's desert north is a glimpse into the destructive brilliance of Gaddafi's 42 years in power

Armin Rosen

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides