Posts - Americans

Court Orders Navy To Stop Using Sonar Linked To Harming Marine Mammals

Culture

A U.S. federal court has ruled against the Navy’s use of sonar off the coast of Southern California and Hawaii in a practice that interferes with sea animals in their natural habitat. The ruling had been long sought by environmental groups concerned over the fate of the sea fish in the hands of the Navy. The ruling looks set to increase petitions against military activities that have been blamed for the destruction of the environment.

The settlement, announced on Monday, has established new regulations which the Navy must strictly follow. The regulations govern the Navy’s use of sonar, a naval location tool that is often used in wargame scenarios. The technology has been blamed for a host of environmental effects, chief among them the destruction of fish migration patterns.

Earthjustice, an environmental aid organization, reported that the settlement prohibited the Navy from “using mid-frequency active sonar for training and testing activities in important habitat for beaked whales between Santa Catalina Island and San Nicolas Island” and from “using mid-frequency active sonar for training and testing activities in important habitat for blue whales feeding near San Diego.”

According to Earthjustice, the settlement secures “long-sought protections for whales, dolphins, and other marine mammals by limiting Navy activities in vital habitats.”

Environmental groups have long argued the use of sonar damages marine animals’ migration patterns, destroys feeding locations, breeding and their ability to listen underwater and communicate.

Earthjustice, National Resources Defence Council and Greenpeace have all brought claims against the Navy for its use of sonar and other training methods that are viewed as harmful to whales and other marine life.

Animal rights conservationists have lauded the settlement for the possibility it holds to change things for the better along the Pacific south coast. Environmentalist Marsha Green, president of Ocean Mammal Institute, said, “The Navy can meet its training and testing needs and, at the same time, provide significant protections to whales and dolphins by limiting the use of sonar and explosives in vital habitat.”

The new regulations will only take effect after 2018 when the current Navy agreement expires.

The Navy’s use of sonar training equipment has destroyed the natural habitat for fish and other marine animals along the U.S. south coast. Through the settlement, marine life in the Pacific will finally go back to normal.

Tone Deaf China Builds Yet Another Air Strip In The Disputed South China Sea

Entertainment News

China is staking a serious claim in contested territory in the South China Sea, as the country appears to building its third airstrip in the territory. Satellite photographs provided by Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies have been documenting China’s activity in the region.

The images from Mischief Reef match similar work by China on two other islands in the region. Mischief Reef is an artificial island that China has created in the area.

China has already constructed airstrips on the islands of Subi and Fiery Cross.

In the images, China appears to be working within a rectangular area, complete with a 3,000 meter long retaining wall.

Expert Greg Poling says “Clearly, what we have seen is going to be a 3,000m airstrip and we have seen some more work on what is clearly going to be some port facilities for ships.”

According to security officials, the strip would be able to accommodate most Chinese military airplanes. This strip would provide China’s military with easier access into the heart of maritime Southeast Asia. China has competing claims with multiple countries in the region.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is planning a visit to Washington D.C. next week. Concerns by the United States about China’s territorial claims are expected to be a major topic of discussion.

United States Defense Department spokesperson Commander Bill Urban would not comment on the situation. However he restated demands for the stopping of land reclamation, construction, and militarization of the South China Sea, in order to “ease tensions and create space for diplomatic solutions.”

‘Forest Bathing’ Is A Simple Yet Effective Counterbalance To The Stress Of Always Connected Lives

Health & Wellness

A group of tech workers recently took part in the first ever “Unplug and Recharge in Nature” forest bathing in the U.S. The ancient Japanese practice was used as a medical treatment for a host of conditions. It has now found its way into the U.S. and may just revolutionize modern medicine – and work – as we know it.

The first ever “Unplug and Recharge in Nature” was organized by the Wilderness Awareness School in a remote 40 acres of forested land just outside the high tech corridor that’s home to Microsoft and Amazon. The group had opted to come to the woods as an alternative to their daily routines that involved being exposed to computers and smartphones for almost their whole days.

Through being part of nature, they sought to counter the noise of the virtual world with the serenity of mother nature in what is known as ‘forest bathing.’

The practice of forest bathing started in Japan some thirty years ago. Called Shinrinyoku, the practice is a traditional foray into natural medicine where walking in nature and spending time alone in the forests is used as a stress reliever.

Today, the practice is slowly finding its way to the U.S. Santa Rosa, Calif. is home to America’s first Shinrinyoku organization. A similar organization, Earthwalk Ways, in Fredericksburg, Va., offers “forest therapy” as part of its treatment modes.

Recent studies have found that “bathing” in nature does lower stress levels, boosts the immune system, leads to a better mood, higher self esteem, physical fitness, creativity, memory, attention and other benefits. Psychologists are now offering eco therapy as a treatment while pediatricians such as Dr. Robert Zarr are including it as a prescription to patients.

According to Warren Moon, executive director at Wilderness Awareness School, “It’s kind of funny that we have to have a ‘fad’ to get us to do what humans have always done – go outside.”

Indeed, recent studies have shown that Americans are spending practically all their lives “logged in.” Americans are spending as much as five to seven hours a day checking screens from computers and smartphones.

The forest bathing group of a dozen was no different. One worker revealed she received an average of 10,000 emails a day. Another said she spent over 18 hours a day online. After spending a full day in nature, they were all in agreement that it offered the best remedy for the stresses of today’s virtual world. One participant, Michele Martaus, said “I feel like I’m seeing things for the first time.”

Moon suggested all Americans should find “sit spots” for themselves just near their homes to be alone with mother nature. Through the practice, all Americans could find a way of relieving their ever-mounting stress naturally.

Not Just Uber: Mercedes Benz Announces Plans For Self Driving Limo Service

Finance

In the near future, you might be able to call a limo without a driver, as Mercedes-Benz is considering creating a driverless version of the luxurious vehicle.

The company has not announced anything official, but they are looking into the possibility.

CEO of Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes, Dieter Zetsch said “This is a concrete development goal of ours.” Zetsch was speaking at the Frankfurt International Motor Show.

The service would supposedly be aimed at consumers who don’t see a need for owning a vehicle but still seek an occasional premium transportation service.

Mercedes-Benz has great potential for such a product. Daimler owns Car2Go, a car rental service, as well as taxi rental app MyTaxi. Additionally, Mercedes-Benz unveiled a futuristic driverless vehicle prototype at CES 2015. The company also featured a self-driving truck at the event it 2014.

Zetsche wants to make the Car2Go service capable of showing up without being prompted, arriving based on calendar appointments.

Driverless cars are quickly becoming a mainstream phenomenon in the automotive community. Yesterday, Google announced that it had hired John Krafcik, former CEO of Hyundai, as the CEO of its driverless vehicle project.

Meanwhile, other manufacturers, including Tesla and Toyota, are also working on self-driving technology and taxi hailing giants Uber and Didi Kuaidi have long had their sights on a self driving taxi service.

The self-driving vehicles from Mercedes-Benz are expected to be available to the public by 2025. This is behind the expected date of 2020 of other manufacturers, such as Google, who also is in the advanced stages of creating mass produced self driving vehicles.

Xiaomi Joins Apple, Microsoft In Opening Its First Retail Store

Finance

Chinese mobile phone giant Xiaomi is joining major competitors Microsoft, Alibaba and Apple by opening a traditional bricks and mortar store. The retail outlet is located in Beijing’s Modern Plaza.

Xiaomi burst onto the smartphone market undercutting competitors while producing sleek designs and has had most of its financial success through internet based flash sales, offering deals so attractive to customers that they sold thousands of phones every second the sale was on. Although the company is privately held and therefore doesn’t have to reveal it financials, analysts say the company was valued at $46 billion in 2014.

Due to the company’s online success the move to a traditional store front may seem archaic and strange to many but, as shown by American competitors, there is a marketing and brand-building strategy to it.

Experts say it gives the company exposure, especially where its competitors have a presence, and also sends out the message to potential customers of “what they can do, I can do better.”

The Xiaomi store is almost an exact copy of Apple, with the store having a lot of open space, huge wooden tables and clean shelves. Shoppers are served by staff that are supposedly so intelligent, that they are called “geniuses.”

The full range of the company’s products are on display and repair and warranty claims services are available. But the company hasn’t gone too far from what made it successful: Staff lead customers to a computer terminal to buy the device on-line once they’ve made a decision.

The one thing that differentiates the store from the Apple store in the same Plaza is that one corner has been set up to resemble a middle-class Chinese apartment sitting room. Experts say this is clearly designed to showcase the recently launched Xiaomi smart TV.

Xiaomi has not said if the Beijing store is a testing ground for further flagship stores and has denied South Korean media reports that it was planning to open a store in Seoul.

Engine In British Airways Plane Fire Found To Be Unsafe Years Ago

News

The failed General Electric engine from the recent incident involving a British Airway Boeing had been previously described by the Federal Aviation Administration as in an “unsafe condition”, and now Boeing and GE are under fire about the revelations.

A British Airways Boeing 777 experienced the engine failure last week while taking off from Las Vegas, resulting in fire and debris blasting into the wing and fuselage of the airplane.

The incident had the potential to be a massive catastrophe, as the airplane was loaded with more than 20,000 gallons of fuel. If the gas tanks of the plane had ignited, a severe fire would have made an escape for crew and passengers very unlikely.

It has recently been uncovered that the General Electric engine was issued a safety warning from the FAA four years prior. The FAA described the engine as in an “unsafe condition.”

Boeing and GE disagreed with the description provided by the FAA at the time. The companies had unsuccessfully attempted to have the term “unsafe condition” taken out of the final ruling. They argued that the flaw could not endanger the other portions of the aircraft.

The engine contained a flaw that the FAA warned could result in the “disintegration of the engine’s turbine and the explosion of high-velocity debris that would endanger an airplane.” Such an incident is exactly what occurred last week.

Investigators must now consider whether the intervals between FAA mandated inspections were too long for the possibility that an undetected crack developed in the compressor.

Kudos should be given to the British Airways pilots that showed great skill in the situation. The pilots managed to successfully abort the takeoff. They had to brake so severely that some of the landing gear tires had burst. Keeping control of the aircraft during this critical moment involved great technique.

Photographs of the airplane indicate that the protective casing on the left engine’s right side had been torn to shreds. Some of the shreds ended up on the runway, while other parts tore up the inner wing and fuselage, resulting in major damage.

The event could have been much worse. An anonymous expert of the Boeing 777 airplane stated, “In this case the damage appears to be so severe that it could very well have involved the burning of fuel, or oil, until the fuel flow was cut off.”

If such an incident had occurred, hundreds of deaths might have taken place.

The video of the event shows dark smoke and a flame burst erupting from the engine. Luckily, quick-working firefighters were able to prevent the flames from reaching the fuel tanks in the wings of the plane.

An engine failure such as this one is a major anomaly, as jet engines today are typically extremely reliable. The Boeing 777 is the largest airplane that is equipped with only two engines. Even if one engine fails, it is designed to fly for up to five hours on the other engine.

But in this instance, had the incident occurred while the plane was in the air, the damage to the plane would have most likely made it unsustainable for flight within a few minutes.

Thankfully, the plane hadn’t taken off yet. This incident could have been much worse.

North Korea Issues Fresh Threats Of Nuclear Weapons That Are New And Improved

Entertainment News

North Korea is up to more of its usual behavior, as the country led by Kim Jong Un again threatened The United States and its allies with the use of nuclear weapons in the event that they pursue “reckless hostile policy” toward the hermit kingdom.

The Korean Central News Agency issued a statement on Tuesday claiming that North Korea is improving its arsenal of nuclear weapons in both quality and quantity.

The Director of the North Korean Atomic Energy Institute said, “If the U.S. and other hostile forces persistently seek their reckless hostile policy towards the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) and behave mischievously, the DPRK is fully ready to cope with them with nuclear weapons any time.”

Yongbyon is the location of North Korea’s main nuclear complex, and it contains a uranium enrichment plant and a plutonium reactor. Even with nuclear material there are still doubts as to whether or not North Korea has the technological capabilities in order to reach the mainland of the United States.

North Korea said last Monday that it was going to conduct more satellite launches, possibly for the purpose of testing ballistic missile technology. The country did not indicate the date of the next launch, but it is likely that it could occur in October.

The atomic energy official of North Korea has claimed that its nuclear weapons program is a measure of self-defense.

United States Ambassador or South Korea Mark Lippert said that America is working with South Korea to protect allies in the region and the United States homeland from North Korean threats.

Lippert stated, “We’ve moved, over time, a good deal of missile defense capability to the region. Ground-based interceptors to Alaska, surface combatants to the Western Pacific, a THAAD (missile defense system) battery on Guam, another radar in Japan in order to be ready and vigilant for anything the North Koreans may or may not do.”

As tensions continue to mount between North Korea and the United States, it is not shocking that North Korea is making a strong effort to expand its nuclear testing at its Yongbyon facility. The country announced in 2013 that it would readjust and resume its program at the site.

However, some observers have challenged whether or not the reactor at the site is operating at its maximum potential. Satellite images from the site suggested that the reactor may have been shut down or functioning at low levels of power.

Former United Nations weapons inspector David Albright says that North Korea may possess between 10 and 15 nuclear weapons. In February, Albright predicted that the country could potentially increase its nuclear stockpile to somewhere between 20 and 100 by the year 2020.

The United States has demanded that North Korea shut down its nuclear programs as a condition of future negotiations between the two nations. However, Kim Jong Un has refused on multiple occasions citing the desire to be acknowledged as a world nuclear powerhouse.

Global Automakers Are Aggressively Hiring Software Engineers As Google, Tesla And Others Encroach On Their Market

Finance

European automakers are racing to catch up to its rivals by wooing and hiring software experts from around the world. Specifically, BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz are stepping up their efforts to compete with technology firms such as Google in the race to create and develop a marketable self-driving car.

The need for software and technology experts is at an alltime high as there is an increasing number of vehicles that require software and lines of code to connect electric car motors to batteries, activate brakes when a radar system detects detects obstacles or simply communicate with smartphones.

And, without strengthening their expertise in these areas, European carmakers will have troubles in offering new tech features such as self-driving and ride-sharing capabilities.

The carmakers simply need to step up their game if they are going to compete new rivals such as Google and Uber.

Malcolm Earp, chief executive at Magma People (a specialist automotive recruiter) stated that, “What car companies are doing is hiring people generally from outside automotive. Some companies a few years ago didn’t have a connected car department. They all have that now.”

With respect to mapping and geography technology, BMW, Audi and Mercedes said last month that they would pay over $2.8 million to acquire Nokia’s maps businesses, beating out several other rivals. Location services are viewed as crucial to the future of self-driving vehicles.

In the fall of last year, Daimler bought two smartphone apps, mytaxi and RideScout, that will help the company provide services to those who do not own cars.

Despite the general desire to cut costs across the board and improve profit margins due to the economic trouble in China – the world’s largest car market – premium carmakers are actually adding staff in their digital departments. BMW’s workforce increased by 6.2% from a year ago and the company states it will continue to recruit employees to help “the advancement of new technologies, including the ever-increasing scale of digitalization.” Audi increased its workforce by 8% and it also plans to add several thousand more employees “primarily to support the development of pioneering technologies as well as for the expansion of [its] international sales.”

Andreas Tschiesner, head of McKinsey’s automotive practice in German, points out that, “The automotive industry is facing a big disruption through connectivity and connected driving technologies. These features will become an important source of differentiation.”

Dallas Cowboys Named The World’s Most Valuable Sports Franchise

Finance

Showing that on field performance doesn’t necessarily equate to monetary worth, the Dallas Cowboys have been named the world’s most valuable sports team by Forbes magazine.

In the publication’s fourth annual survey of sports teams the Cowboys, who have not won a Super Bowl for 20 years, have been given an overall value of $4 billion. That valuation edges out famous international teams like Spanish soccer sides Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Manchester United, which many sports experts say is historically the sports team with the world’s highest profile, didn’t even make the top five. The English Premier League team was valued at $3.1bn, thanks mainly to annual revenues of $703 million and its ten year sponsorship deal with Adidas that is worth $1.1 billion.

Two other American sports clubs made the top five list of :

Dallas Cowboys – $4 billion

Real Madrid – $3.26 billion

Barcelona – $3.16 billion

New York Yankees – $3.2 billion

New England Patriots – $3.2 billion.

The Cowboys’ valuation by Forbes was attributed to playing in a large market, revenues from the team’s multi-purpose home stadium, which is used for events ranging from concerts to rodeos, “shrewd” marketing and the leadership of current owner Jerry Jones. Despite not having had Championship success for two decades, the Cowboys draw an average 90,000 fans to each home game.

In 2014, the Cowboys had reported revenues of $620 million, which was a U.S. record. That figure includes in-game premium seating revenue of $120 million and stadium revenue generated from non-NFL events of $30 million.

Jones bought the team in 1989 for $140 million.

Biotech Firms Using Fitness Trackers To Speed Drugs From The Lab To The Pharmacy

Health & Wellness

Participating in a clinical study is easier than ever before, as pharmaceutical companies are giving away free health gadgets in order to help patients by bringing drugs to the market more rapidly. Gadgets such as Fitbits that can be strapped to patients are being used as tools for researchers and drug creators to quickly amass information and gather the useful data vital to certain clinical trials.

While fitness trackers began as aides for athletes and dieters, people in the pharmaceutical industry were quick to realize their utility in seeing if a drug is working the way it is intended.

Kara Dennis, managing director of mobile health at Medidata Solutions Inc., said “The use of wearables has the potential to be a revolution.”

According to researchers such tracking technology is more accurate than subjective questionnaires, long an essential piece of clinical trials.

At the present time there are 300 clinical trials using wearable devices.

One study is following the movements of 25 individuals with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Participants are fitted with a small rectangular monitor that is attached to their chests. The monitor will display heart rate, walking steps, and elevation gain. The study is being conducted by GlaxoSmithKline Plc in collaboration with sports car company McLaren Applied Technologies.

The data is stored within the device, and it is downloaded automatically using a Bluetooth connection. The data is sent to a server that Glaxo can access and utilize for research, providing timely information without the need to process paperwork.

In another study, the Department of Veterans Affairs has plans to conduct a clinical trial next February of veterans with back pain. The department plans to track the number of steps that the veterans take. The data will be used, along with personal assessments of pain, to determine if more or less treatment is required.

The department does not yet know which devices will be used to track the number of steps, but it’s likely that the Fitbit will be used.

With the growing interest in such technology, companies are also looking for ways to make the wearable devices less obtrusive. Massachusetts biotechnology company MC10 Inc., has developed a device known as the “Biostamp”, which is an adhesive device containing flexible circuits and sensors.

Co-founder of MC10 Inc. Ben Schlatka describes the Biostamp as a “lightweight and intelligent Band-Aid” that can be placed on any part of the body. While MC10 Inc. has partnered with several pharmaceutical companies, the Biostamp has been yet to be utilized in a clinical trial.

Pharmaceutical companies are extremely optimistic that this new method of data collection will make developing methods of treatment for needy patients will be easier than ever before. This ease means less time from the lab to the pharmacy which should, at least in theory, result in noticeably more drug options for patients.

AG Lynch Says FIFA Corruption Probe Is Expanding And Remains Far From Over

News

The US Justice Department is expanding its probe on FIFA and says we’re likely to see more officials being investigated. U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch went after FIFA’s top brass, just days into being sworn in, over an elaborate system of bribes fed to those who control which country will host the world’s largest soccer tournament.

All eyes are on FIFA president Sepp Blatter and whether his recently discovered suspicious dealings will see him join the list of accused.

Lynch was speaking in Zurich, Switzerland, after meeting with Swiss officials including Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber. Lynch stunned the world of soccer when she said the May 14 indictment of FIFA officials was only the beginning.

Lynch said, “Separate and apart from the pending indictment, our investigation remains active and ongoing, and has in fact expanded since May. The scope of our investigation is not limited, and we are following the evidence where it leads. I am grateful for the significant cooperation and substantial evidence that we have received from all quarters. Based upon that cooperation and new evidence, we anticipate pursuing additional charges against individuals and entities.”

Lynch, a career prosecutor, declined to explain further on which organizations or individuals would be investigated. She did say, however, that the investigations involved prosecutors from the U.S., Switzerland and other nations.

Lynch continued that “We have also begun coordinating closely with prosecutors and law enforcement officials from a number of other countries as well. I have been gratified to see that the response to this problem has not been limited to one country or even one continent.”

The FIFA investigations have gone after all but the FIFA president for over two decades Sepp Blatter. The Swiss native, however, has been seen by many as one of those likely to be indicted in the coming days of the investigations.

Just two days after the May 14 indictments, Blatter was re-elected for another term at the helm of world soccer’s governing body. Three days after being elected, however, Blatter declared he would be resigning from his position, possibly prevailed upon by the continuing probe.

Only recently did Swiss media house SRG, report being in possession of a contract where Blatter signed the sale of TV rights for South Africa and Brazil World Cups to Jack Warner for $600,000. Warner allegedly sold the same rights for over $20 million.

Blatter is yet to be charged with anything before a court. However, the soccer president has limited his travelling to avoid being extradited to the U.S. and being charged.

Questioned on whether the U.S. Justice Department had any plans for Blatter, Lynch said, “I’m not going to comment at this time on people who may or may not be subject to the next round of arrests, and so I’m not able to comment on Mr. Blatter’s travel plans.”

The FIFA investigations are growing as more officials and up to 121 bank accounts, including those owned by FIFA officials, are being investigated for suspicious dealings. After years of corrupt practices where soccer has suffered, the U.S. Justice Department appears set to finally restore order in the management of the world’s most popular sport.

Alabama’s New School Curriculum Will Officially Teach Evolution In Science Class

News

Alabama is requiring its students to learn about evolution and global warming for the first time in decades. The marks a sharp departure from a previously conservative education doctrine heavy on religion. The controversial move has sparked debate in the largely Christian state on whether students should be taught the theory of evolution that wholly dismisses the Christian account of creation.

Alabama educators on Thursday, through the Alabama State Board of Education, set new rules to take effect in 2016 after conducting the first review of the state’s science syllabus since 2005.

The educators also said the new rules included a lot more hands-on instructions and less lecturing than what was involved in the previous system.

The current standards only allow the understanding of evolution and global warming. However, they do not specifically provide for them meaning some religious-based theories were instead taught in a science classroom. The new system expressly mandates that the two be taught to students in science class.

During the initial discussions on the new standards, no objections were raised. Reports indicate that a 40-member committee had developed the standards and included people who had “very strong religious beliefs.”

According to science specialist Michael Robinson, the panel was careful to consider the state’s deep religious faith. Robinson said, “We still have to teach what the science is. If students want to go into a science field in college or beyond, they have to have a foundation.”

The previous standards, in reference to evolution, only said, students “should understand the nature of evolutionary theories.” The soon-to-be-launched standards are more stringent in their requirements, even adding the preface, “The theory of evolution has a role in explaining unity and diversity of life on earth. This theory is substantiated with much direct and indirect evidence. Therefore, this course of study requires our students to understand the principles of the theory of evolution from the perspective of established scientific knowledge. The committee recognizes and appreciates the diverse views associated with the theory of evolution.”

Conservatives in the state have voiced their concerns challenging the new standards saying they would erode the Christian faith of the students at worst and chip away at it in the very least. However, proponents have argued that the panel only set guidelines. The schools themselves set the curriculum.

Currently in Alabama, science text books come with a sticker stating evolution is a “controversial theory,” not a fact. In line with the new standards, a committee will review the science texts and will debate on whether to remove the warnings or not. A public hearing has been set for Nov. 9 in Montgomery.

Alabama has long been considered the Bible belt of the U.S. with religious conservatism being at the forefront of the nation’s soul. The new standards threaten to chip away at the students’ beliefs and in the end, may change the course of the state forever.

This Massive Weed Is Wrecking America’s Farms And Is Now Immune To Herbicides

News

Louisiana has a serious weed issue, as a rapidly spreading invasive species that has been plaguing Louisiana farms since 2010 has recently become resistant to many common herbicides. The Palmer Amaranth plant, or pigweed as it’s known, isn’t just a nuisance: It putting a major dent in the pockets of farmers.

The weed harms corn, cotton, soybeans, and other crops. Few herbicides remain effective against the weeds, and farmers are desperately searching for ways to combat the pesky plants.

Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain said, “One of the best methods of control is to prevent the introduction of the seeds on a farm so the plant does not get a foothold. This can be done by cleaning equipment before moving it between fields and ensuring custom harvesters are thoroughly cleaning their equipment before entering a new farm.”

The pigweeds are able to transfer their pollen to other pigweeds over incredibly far distances. The pollen is also resistant to most herbicides, such as Monsanto’s Roundup, making it difficult to stop its spread.

Pigweed has for far been found in Mississippi and Tennessee as well.

Preventing the spread of these weeds has become the main objective. As Strain said, it is very important that farmers clean their equipment thoroughly. From there, it is advisable to use a few different herbicides that remain effective against the weed, alternating between their usages. By alternating between different herbicides, the weeds are less likely to develop immunities, at least for the moment.

Federal Officials Struggle To Sell Booby Trapped Property Of Anti-Taxers

News

Federal officials are having a difficult time selling a booby-trapped 100 acre property, complete with a fortress-like house, which they seized from a husband and wife duo of tax dodgers.

Officials have been attempting to sell properties seized from Ed and Elaine Brown at auction with little success.

Potential bidders have been turned off by the fact that they are unable to tour the 100 acres around the house due to the potentially dangerous traps and explosives that are said to be laid throughout the property.

The first auction took place 13 months ago, but it failed to attract any bidders. A second auction will take place in October. In addition to the compound in Plainfield, the former dental office of Elaine Brown is also up for auction.

The New Hampshire towns of Lebanon and Plainfield are owed hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes and interest by the Browns. Elaine Brown’s former dental office is located in Lebanon.

The Browns, who are now in their 70s, were found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison for tax evasion. The couple undertook a nine-month standoff with United States Marshals in 2007.

Now both have been sentenced over 30 years in prison.

The manager of the first failed auction, Deputy United States Marshall Brenda Mikelson, said that Internal Revenue Service specialist Roger Sweeny is managing the upcoming auction. Officials hope that using the IRS to promote the property will attract a wider audience of potential bidders.

Successful bidders will be given 45 days to arrange financing. The minimum bids for each of the two properties have been reduce by half from the previous auction. The minimum bid for the compound is $125,000, while the minimum bid is $250,000 for the office.

It is unknown if potential bidders will be permitted to examine the property before the auction this time. There are concerns that booby traps and explosives might be present on the densely wooded property. Marshals are also concerned that sympathizers of the Browns might show up if the property is showcased.

In his 2009 trial, Ed Brown testified that the purpose of the explosives was to scare intruders. However, during a radio interview that occurred during the standoff, Brown stated that if officials came after him, “The chief of police in this town, the sheriff, the sheriff himself will die. This is war now, folks.”

The auction may have more luck the second time around. The attorney representing the city of Lebanon, Shawn Tanguay, said, “They’ve cleaned up the Lebanon property quite a bit.”

Lebanon is owed more than $324,000 in back taxes and interest. The figure in Plainfield stands at $196,000.

Microsoft Backed Cyanogen Just Offered A Glimpse Into The Future Of Microsoft And It Doesn’t Include Windows

Finance

In a new development in the increasingly competitive digital personal assistant industry, Cyanogen Inc., creator of the Cyanogen operating system or Cyanogen OS, wants to increase the presence of Microsoft’s digital personal assistant, Cortana.

In fact, Cyanogen not only wants Cortana to be available as an app on Android powered phones – it wants Cortana to become “deeply integrated” into the phones.

CyanogenMod is an enhanced open source firmware distribution for smartphones and tablets based on the Android mobile operating system. It offers options and features not found in the official firmware distributed by sellers of these devices.

As Microsoft is already one of Cyanogen’s investors and the fact that Microsoft’s Office apps already come pre-installed on the Cyanogen OS, it makes sense to incorporate its digital personal assistant, Cortana.

Cyanogen co-founder and CEO, Kirt McMaster, believes that out of the smartphone operating systems available, Cyanogen OS has the best chance to compete at the same level of Android and the iPhone operating system iOS, primarily “because [Cyanogen OS is] not a fork of Android and [is] fully compliant with the existing Android eco-system,” making it easier for consumers to make the transition and not have to worry about lacking any features they love.

When it was first revealed that Microsoft had invested in Cyanogen, analysts wondered what that would mean for the Cyanogen OS as an alternative to Android. Seemingly, the first step – whether initiated by Cyanogen or Microsoft – is to integrate Microsoft’s Cortana right into the Cyanogen OS itself.

McMaster points out that, “Natural language coupled with intelligence is very important but as an application it doesn’t really work because you need to be embedded into the framework of the OS because that is where you get all the signal from the services that makes that intelligence smarter.”

Even though McMaster and his company are big supporters of Google and Android, Cyanogen’s ultimate goal is to have “no dependencies on Google.” He states that, “From an evolutionary standpoint, Android is a platform that enables us to springboard into something else.”

McMaster points out some holes in the ever-popular Siri digital assistant. “When Apple launched Apple Music at [the Worldwide Developers Conference (“WWDC”)], they showed the Siri integration with Apple Music. Siri doesn’t power Spotify like that so we can do all these kind of things with for example, integration of Microsoft’s Cortana into the OS enabling natural language to power Spotify and other services.”

Indeed, having voice control over Spotify and other services would be a major feature – and something that Apple and Google lack currently.

Perhaps more significantly, though, is what this latest development means for Microsoft.

Such a ‘deep integration’ would not come without significant developer resources being contributed by Microsoft, which happens to currently make a rival operating system. The latest move, along with its financial backing of Cyanogen, indicates new CEO Satya Nadella appears willing to concede the smartphone operating system market and instead focus on productivity tools that are multiplatform. While Microsoft has certainly not vocalized this strategy, instead only saying it is interested in productivity tools, it appears the company is embracing a future where Windows is not the operating system of choice for computing.

An Epidemic Of Children Drinking Hand Sanitizer Is Sweeping The Nation And Parents Don’t Have Easy Answers

News

In a growing trend across the United States, parents, teachers and doctors are witnessing more and more children becoming drunk after ingesting just a few squirts of regular, over-the-counter hand sanitizer.

In 2012, reports surfaced that several teenagers had been admitted to a California emergency room after they purposely ingested hand sanitizers as a means of getting drunk. In fact, teens were going so far as to separate the alcohol from the sanitizer by adding salt. The directions for distilling hand sanitizer were found on the Internet.

While it did not appear that consumption of hand sanitizer was a trend back then, it appears to be the case now – most often by unsuspecting young children

Since 2010, poison control hotlines across the nation have received a nearly 400% increase in telephone calls related to children younger than 12 years old ingesting hand sanitizer. Dr. Gaylord Lopez, the director of the Georgia Poison Center, observed that, “Kids are getting into these products more frequently, and unfortunately, there’s a percentage of them going to the emergency room.”

Surprisingly, compared to wine and beer which contain 12% and 5% of alcohol respectively, hand sanitizer contains between 45% to 95%. Ingesting even a few squirts of the liquid can result in alcohol poisoning.

Just recently, six-year-old Nhaijah Russell swallowed about three or four squirts of strawberry-flavored hand sanitizer while at school in Georgia. While it tasted good, it made her dangerously drunk.

She was rushed to an Atlanta emergency room while slurring her words and unable to walk. After doctors completed some tests, they determined that Nhaijah’s blood alcohol level was .179 – twice the limit of what constitutes legally drunk in an adult. Since Nhaijah’s condition caused her to fall and hit her head, she stayed at the hospital overnight for observation.

Nhaijah’s mother, Ortoria Scott, stated that the incident was “ . . . very scary. it could have been very lethal for my child.”

Lopez relayed some scary statistics. She stated that 2010, 3,266 hand sanitizer cases involving young children were reported to poison control centers. In 2014, the number increased 16,117 cases.

Lopez points out that more often than not, the children do not know they are getting themselves drunk. “A kid is not thinking this is bad for them. A lot of the more attractive [hand sanitizers] are the ones that are scented. There are strawberry, grape, orange-flavored hand sanitizers that are very appealing to kids.”

Lopez stresses that teachers and parents should store hand sanitizers out of reach of children and carefully monitor its use. She also points out that there are non-alcohol based products and sanitizing wipes that can be used.

Russia Rules Google Is Violating Antitrust Laws

Finance

The Russian Commission of Antitrust has ruled that Google has violated Russian antitrust law and recommended that Google “end [the] abuse of its dominant market position”, in what appears to be yet another instance of Google becoming involved in an antitrust controversy.

The ruling comes as rival Yandex filed a lawsuit against Google earlier this year. Yandex claims that services including search, maps, and email should be unbundled from Google’s Android operating system based on antitrust law.

The commission will inform the companies within 10 days about its recommended actions.

Google has been experiencing accusations of abusing its monopoly throughout the European Union. Last April, the European Commission filed formal antitrust charges against Google because of widespread complaints concerning the company.

The technology company is being accused of favoring its own services, such as its search, maps, and email, on its phone operating systems instead of the services offered by other companies.

Furthermore, search results using Google often favor the other services that are offered by Google.

Google, predictably, disagrees with these allegations.

In April, the company said, “While Google may be the most-used search engine, people can now find and access information in numerous different ways, and allegations of harm, for consumers and competitors, have proved to be wide of the mark. In fact, people have more choice than ever before.”

As of last April, Google maintains a 90% market share of online searches. The European Commission claims that Google utilizes this overwhelming share to support its own shopping services.

In the United States, Google faced a similar investigation more than two years ago. However, the investigation was ultimately closed after Google agreed to voluntary changes. Between 2009 and 2015, Google employees met with White House officials on more than 230 different occasions.

The latest charges add to what is surely a multi-billion dollar legal problem for the search giant. The EU commission alone is seeking penalties in the tens of billions of dollars in addition to major concessions about how Google conducts its business. The company is currently facing probes in Canada, Europe, The United States, Russia, and India.

Daring Prison Raid Sees 350 Afghan Inmates Freed By Taliban Commandos

Entertainment News

Taliban insurgents daringly stormed a jail in Afghanistan killing several guards and freeing over 350 prisoners in a special forces-like raid. While ISIS continues to gain more ground in Northern Iraq and Al Qaeda makes base of a whole province in Syria, Afghanistan’s Taliban is growing more relentless in their own pursuit of terror, raising fresh questions about just who is winning the global war on terror.

The militants stormed the jail, located in central Afghanistan on Monday night, raining terror and gunfire upon the guards. The jail is just three miles away from Ghazni city and approximately 72 miles from the country’s capital Kabul.

According to reports from Ghazni province governor Mohammad Ali Ahmadi, the prison gates were rendered susceptible when one Taliban insurgent blew himself up in front of them, allowing the rest to enter.

The terrorists then proceeded to move into the cells, freeing the prisoners including local Taliban commanders. Four policemen were killed in the raid. Authorities indicate four of the attackers were killed in the assault.

Reports indicate more than 350 prisoners escaped. Of those, 148 were jailed for attacking security forces while 207 were convicts jailed for other crimes. Only 80 prisoners were left in the cells.

Reports indicate that the prisoners were unable to identify the insurgents as members of the Taliban as they were dressed in uniform. Authorities are not ruling out the possibility of an inside job.

The massive overnight break will offer the Taliban terror network a much needed boost in morale after their founding leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, was killed. His death has resulted in a leadership battle that has threatened to break apart the group. The prison escape will also complicate the Afghan government’s narrative of being in control of the region.

Jailbreaks are fast becoming the signature recruitment tool for the Taliban. In April 2011, close to 500 prisoners were set free after the group attacked a jail in Kandahar city. In July 2010, 19 convicts escaped a prison in Farah province. In November 2009, 12 prisoners tunneled out of their jail cells in Farah. In June 2008, more than 900 prisoners were let loose in Kandahar from Sarposa prison

The Monday night jailbreak, the biggest since 2011, will complicate efforts by authorities to stem rising insecurity in Afghanistan and also raises the potential for a spike in terror activity in the region.

Apple Announces Record Iphone Shipments Yet Sales Slowdown May Be The Untold Story

Finance

In what has come to be a familiar pattern, Apple has announced that its first weekend of iPhone 6s model sales are off to the strongest start in iPhone history. Specifically, the company stated that pre-order sales for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus are on pace to beat last year’s sales of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus during the same opening weekend.

A spokesperson for Apple released a statement that, “We are on pace to beat last year’s 10 million unit first-weekend record when the new iPhones go on sale September 25. As many customers noticed, the online demand for iPhone 6s Plus has been exceptionally strong and exceeded our own forecasts for the preorder period. We are working to catch up as quickly as we can.”

Presently, shipping times for the iPhone 6 Plus model are scheduled to take three to four weeks.

The new iPhone 6s models are the same in appearance as the previously released iPhone 6 models, but they include some new bells and whistles. For example, they include new software features like 3D Touch and are available in a new color: Rose Gold. The 6s Plus, in particular, sold out extremely fast online.

With respect to last year’s sales, Apple announced at the time that the iPhone 6 models received a record-breaking 4 million pre-orders on Day 1 and later confirmed that the opening weekend resulted in over 10 million sales. Soon after, the company announced that in China alone, the iPhone 6 models had pre-orders of greater than 20 million sales.

However, this year’s pre-order sales include the Chinese market, thus not making it an apples-to-apples comparison. In fact, some analysts believe that the announcement of sales numbers may not be as monumental as it seems.

Walter Piecyk, an analyst with BTIG stated that, “While this is encouraging, first weekend sales includes China this year, more than doubling the addressable market for launch day compared when China was not launched until mid-October. It’s therefore not surprising that sales would be up and should not be taken as strong evidence in support of our view that it can grow iPhone sales in this December quarter.”

Whatever the case, investors seem to be satisfied with the news as Apple stock was up as much as 2% in early trading this morning following the announcement.

‘Snow Drought’ Results In California’s Mountain Peaks Having Lowest Snow Levels In 500 Years

Culture

California is facing major trouble and while its climate related it isn’t just wildfires. The snow from the Sierra Nevada Mountains is quickly disappearing. The state is dependent upon this snow for water, as more than two-thirds of its drinking water comes from these mountains.

The snow is rapidly disappearing because of hot and dry weather of the same sort that causes the devastating wildfires. Researchers say that the mountains haven’t had an amount of snow this small in almost 500 years.

Most of the snow arrives in winter and then in the warmer seasons it melts and flows down to agricultural operations, reservoirs, and the homes of California’s citizens.

While the problem is well documented the situation is said to be unlikely to improve in the coming decades.

University of Arizona’s Valerie Trouet says “We should be prepared for this type of snow drought to occur much more frequently because of rising temperatures. Anthropogenic warming is making the drought more severe.”

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, California needs to have its wettest year in known history just to hit average moisture levels in the state. Rainfall would have to be more than 300% of California’s average amount to return things to normal

California has been running a precipitation deficit for the past five years. The four-year rainfall amounts between 2011 and 2014 were between 54% and 75% of normal amounts. Every region in the state has essentially missed at least a year’s worth of rain during this time period. The south coast of the state has missed nearly two years of typical rainfall.

Airbus Is Setting Up Shop In Alabama And Arch Rival Boeing Is Getting Nervous

Finance

In what aviation experts are calling an aggressive and calculated move, Airbus has announced plans to take on rival Boeing head to head by opening up a plant on the American company’s home turf.

Fabrice Bregier, Airbus Group’s CEO, said the France based company will build a new $600 million, 300 acre plant in Mobile, Alabama, which will initially produce single-aisle planes. The move is just Airbus’s second such expansion outside of Europe.

The experts say that considering Airbus at present only controls 20 percent of the U.S. market, opening up the factory is an aggressive yet very calculated move. The United States is the world’s largest aerospace market and many of Airbus’s big customers are U.S. based.

When fulfilled, American Airlines latest order with Airbus will see the company double its share in the U.S. market with Bregier announcing his company’s aim is 50 percent of the U.S. market – a market that has historically has been controlled by Boeing.

“Our first U.S. facility has been years in the making,” Bregier said “It is the most significant, game-changing incident in U.S. aerospace in years.”

Aerospace strategy and aviation business development consultant Michel Merluzeau said “It’s all about location. It’s about where you do business, and how that property is going to grow over time.”

The first two aeroplanes that will roll out of the Mobile plant aircraft are A321 jetliners, which Bregier said the company is betting on to take a large chunk of the Chicago-based Boeing’s market share. The A321, which seats 200 passengers, is the bread and butter aircraft of transcontinental routes flown by major U.S. carriers Delta, JetBlue and American.

When asked by reporters if Airbus was planning a new mid-sized aircraft to take on Boeing’s planned replacement for the 757 Bregier said “The aircraft exists already. You don’t need to reinvent it,” referring to the A321.

There are plans to grow the initial 260 strong Mobile plant workforce to 1000 workers in concert with increasing output which is targeted at four aircraft per month by early 2018.

The man who will be overseeing product quality at Mobile, Timo Zaremba, said the planes and plant will be certified by regulators from Europe and not the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.

“We’re producing on American ground a European product with American people,” he said.

Phone Calls Home Led To First UK Drone Assassination Targeting ISIS

Entertainment News

Phone calls by two British ISIS jihadists were enough to give away their location to intelligence sources, resulting in their assassination by drone. The British Government Communication Headquarters (GCHQ) was able to locate the Jihadists after they called some friends back home in the UK.

On August 21st, Reyaad Khan, 21, and Rahul Amin, 26, were killed by a drone that was operated by RAF pilots roughly 3,000 miles away. One of the men made a telephone call that was intercepted, allowing the security staff at GCHQ to find their location.

British Intelligence agents found the car that the two men were traveling in, and the car was bombed with Hellfire missiles via an unmanned MQ-9 Reaper drone.

For more than a month prior to the attack, the two men had been watched by the SAS, MI6, and the CIA. Experts from GCHQ had been monitoring their phone conversations.

Three days after the August 21st attack, another man, Junaid Hussain, was killed by a United States drone in a joint operation with the UK.

When it was revealed that Kahn, who was from Cardiff, had been assassinated, claims of extrajudicial killing were quick to occur.

However, British Prime Minister David Cameron stated that these attacks were an act of necessary self-defense. He stated that Khan and Hussain were plotting attacks against “high-profile public commemorations” throughout the summer, including VJ Day last month and the VE day commemorations.

Cameron has been working to persuade the British Parliament to vote for increased military involvement against ISIS in Syria.

When asked if he would do it again, Cameron stated, “If it is necessary to safeguard the UK and act in self-defense, and there are no other ways of doing it, then yes, I would. The choice we were left with was to think, this is all too difficult, throw up our arms and walk away, and then wait for the chaos and terrorism to hit Britain, or to take action in the national interest.”

Cameron went on to add that the usage of the drone was “entirely lawful”. He claims he utilized legal advice from Attorney General Jeremy Wright.

Cameron added, “We were exercising the UK’s inherent right to self-defense. There was clear evidence of the individuals in question planning and directing armed attacks against the UK. These were part of a series of actual and foiled attempts to attack the UK and our allies. And in the prevailing circumstances in Syria, the airstrike was the only feasible means of effectively disrupting the attacks planned and directed by this individual. So it was necessary and proportionate for the individual self-defense of the UK.”

Despite Cameron’s insistence that the attack was lawful, other officials have been concerned since the decision was made without permission from the House of Commons. However, an SAS legal advisor was adamant that the attack was “legally sound”.

Kahn became a posterchild for ISIS after appearing in a propaganda video titled There Is No Life Without Jihad. The video urged Westerners to join ISIS. Kahn was a frequent user of Twitter, and he regularly showed graphic images and made threatening posts. He once posted horrific images of corpses of alleged ISIS victims.

Kahn tweeted, “Guys we caught and executed. This is how they looked less than an hr l8er”

In other posts, Kahn discussed the topics of decapitation and his joy in executing people.

Kahn’s Facebook page states that he was a Chelsea FC fan, and he enjoyed playing video games. The page demonstrates how quickly he changed from a typical teenage boy into a deadly jihadist.

Raging California Wildfires Just Burned 180 Homes To The Ground Over The Weekend

News

Two of California’s largest fires ripped through the state’s northern towns completely destroying over 180 homes over the weekend. Highways lined with buildings, cars and telephone poles were left burnt to ashes in a raging inferno that destroyed towns in a region that is too often the victim of wildfires made worse by human activity.

Residents of Lake County, San Francisco, spent the better part of their Sunday fighting a wildfire that had engulfed their town in a matter of minutes. Residents fled Middletown dodging falling telephone poles, power lines and falling trees.

According to a local resident Maddie Ross, “We were surrounded by fire. It looked like hell everywhere. It was terrifying, truly terrifying. I’ve never been in a situation like that. We all felt like the world was coming to an end.”

The town of more than 1000 residents, just 20 miles north of Napa Valley, saw whole blocks of buildings burnt to the ground. On the western side of the town, no house stood recognizable, only the charred debris of what was once a neighborhood.

Fire fighters had a tough time containing the spread of the fire. Wind gusts reportedly reaching highs of 30 miles an hour fanned the fire’s spreading over forest trees dried by years of drought.

Within hours, the quiet town of Middletown had been engulfed in smoke and flames.

California Department of Forest Protection spokesperson Daniel Berlant reported Sunday that four firefighters had suffered second degree burns trying to extinguish the fire. The firefighter said on realizing the strength of the fire, their priority changed to immediately evacuating the town.

The entire town, together with residents living along a 35 mile stretch on Route 29 has to be evacuated.

Calif. Gov. Jerry Brown was compelled to declare a state of emergency to release resources for fighting the fire and containing its damage. This was only the umpteenth time the governor has had to make the call.

Gov. Brown had earlier on just declared a state of emergency for a different 102 square mile wildfire on the south east of Sacramento. The fire had gutted down 86 homes and continued to rage on through the better part of the weekend after breaking out on Wednesday. It threatened to destroy 6,400 buildings. Director of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, Mark Ghilarducci, said the fires were the most volatile ever witnessed in four years. He attributed their rapid spread to dry conditions that parched trees dry.

Ghilarducci said “The bushes, the trees have absolutely no moisture in them, and the humidities are so low that we are seeing these `fire starts’ just erupt into conflagrations.”

Wildfires are a threat to towns and cities in California after years of drought, initiated by global warming, rendered the trees dry and the fields barren. The wildfires are just another example of how ruthless nature can be in response to increased abuse by its inhabitants.

Denmark Says “Simply No Reason” To Take In Any Syrian Refugees

Entertainment News

Denmark is standing firm on its anti refugee stance despite pressure from the European Union (EU) to take some of the thousands of asylum seekers that have been pouring into Europe over recent weeks.

Inger Støjberg, Denmark’s Integration Minister said there was “simply no reason” to bow to pressure for Denmark to participate in the EU’s plan to settle 160,000 asylum seekers, mainly from Syria.

“We have an opt-out – it is very well-known that we won’t participate in the redistribution of these 160,000 therefore I don’t think this is in any way something dramatic from a Danish viewpoint,” she said.

Denmark has been attempting to cut off the flow of refuge seekers by taking advertisements in four Lebanese newspapers with a very unmistakable and clear message: We don’t want you in Denmark.

The advertisements announced Denmark’s tighter regulations for asylum seekers and cuts in assistance for refugees. These include a 50 percent cut in social assistance for incoming refugees, while to receive permanent residency one needs to speak and understand Danish.

According to UNHCR figures 348,540 asylum applications have filed in European countries between 2011 and 2015, with 11,296 of these applications filed in Denmark.

Denmark’s firm stance on refugees is in contrast to a photo which has gone viral showing a Danish police officer playing games with a smiling Syrian child refugee. The photo was apparently taken last week when refugees started crossing into Denmark from Germany on foot after Denmark had stopped all rail traffic between the two countries.

Media experts say taking into consideration Denmark’s strict policy on Syrian refugees, the photo is most likely media manipulation.

The U.N has estimated that over the last four years, half of Syria’s population have been been displaced by deadly civil war there, with four million Syrians now refugees in neighboring countries, two million in Turkey and one million in each Jordan and Lebanon.

Scandal Plagued Deutsche Bank Closing Its Russian Operations

Finance

In its first move to reduce its global presence, Deutsche Bank has decided to close its Russian operations, with the exception of transaction banking services. Deutsche Bank recently announced its plan to transition from a global presence to a multi-regional one after being hit by a wave of lawsuits around the world over its conduct. As a result, the bank has closed and will continue to close about 90% of its Russian activities.

The bank announced its intention to exit a number of countries, but as of yet, has not specifically identified the countries. Apparently, Russia was first on the list.

Deutsche Bank stated that the chairman of its Russian unit, Joerg Bongartz, will leave the Moscow office and return to Germany. Interestingly, his departure from Russia comes at a time when Deutsche Bank and the United States Department of Justice are conducting an investigation into accusations that several of the bank’s senior staff members took bribes. They are also investigating several “questionable” share trades stemming from the bank’s Moscow office.

It is also reported that the FBI is investigating the suspicious trades.

Deutsche Bank officials have stated that Bongartz’ move from Moscow to Germany is not connected with the investigations but rather is a part of a long-planned promotion. Since 2006, Bongartz was chairman of the management board of Deutsche Bank’s Russian division. Now, he will move to the Frankfurt office to concentrate on the business in eastern and central Europe – for as long as those divisions exist.

The closing of the majority of Russian operations comes as no surprise as the bank’s investment turnover has declined steadily in Russia since 2014, when the West imposed sanctions on Russia over the conflict in Ukraine and a resulting economic downturn.

Specific details regarding Deutsche Bank’s plan to shift to a regional service will be released in October. However, it is believed that the bank’s transition will focus on the Asian, North American and European markets.

Political Chaos Sees Australia With Fifth Prime Minister In Five Years

Entertainment News

Australia has a new Prime Minister following a dramatic and somewhat ironic leadership ballot today. Malcolm Turnbull has become the country’s 29th prime minister after he beat out controversial current Prime Minister Tony Abbott in a leadership battle which has been brewing for some time, but which came to a head with today’s ballot amongst ruling Liberal Party members.

Turnbull’s victory is ironically similar to the 2010 coup staged by former prime minister Julia Gillard against Kevin Rudd.

Abbott’s overthrow highlights the inner turmoil of the Liberal Party and Australian politics in general, as Turnbull, the former communication Minister, is the country’s fifth prime minister in five years.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop was elected deputy prime minister in an easy 70 to 30 vote over main challenger Kevin Andrews. Bishop had been serving as Abbott’s deputy but dumped him, switching her allegiance to Turnbull last week when rumours of the leadership challenge surfaced.

The dumping of Abbott was a revenge of sorts for Turnbull, a former lawyer and journalist, as six years ago he had been replaced by Abbott as Liberal Party leader in a climate change policy dispute, and had even quit politics in 2010 for a while because of Liberal party infighting.

Liberal Party sources said just before the inner party vote that ended Abbott’s role as Prime Minister, he had told his colleagues “the prime ministership was not a prize or a plaything to be demanded. It should be something which is earned by a vote of the Australian people. There will be a party room ballot for both the leadership and deputy leadership positions later this evening. I will be a candidate and I expect to win.”

After the vote, according to the source Abbott had taken a shot at Turnbull and his infamous temper by warning colleagues that the stress and pressures of being Prime Minister were such that “a more febrile and lesser man” might not endure them.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Found To Significantly Lower The Risk Of Breast Cancer

Health & Wellness

It is generally well known that eating according to the principles of the Mediterranean Diet is a healthy life choice. Now there is evidence to show that eating a Mediterranean Diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil may considerably lower the risk of breast cancer in women.

The diet is called the Mediterranean Diet because it is inspired by the traditional dietary patterns of Greece, Southern Italy and Spain. The principal tenets of the diet include the consumption of large amounts of olive oil, legumes, unrefined cereals, fruits and vegetables, fish, dairy products including cheese and yogurt, moderate amounts of wine, and low consumption of non-fish meat.

Miguel Martinez-Gonzalez from the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain and his team conducted a study that monitored women taking part in three different diets: 1) the Mediterranean Diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil; 2) the Mediterranean Diet supplemented with nuts; and 3) the Mediterranean Diet with advice to lower daily fat intake.

From 2003 to 2009, over 4,000 women, aged 60-80 years, with a high risk of cardiovascular disease participated in the study. With respect to Group 1, study participants were asked to follow the Mediterranean Diet as well as consume 5.1 ounces of extra virgin olive oil per day. For Group 2, study participants were asked to follow the Mediterranean Diet as well as eat one ounce of mixed nuts per day. With respect to Group 3, participants were asked to follow the Mediterranean Diet as well as reduce their dietary fat intake.

When the researchers followed up with the study participants, about 5 years after the initial contact, the scientists identified 35 confirmed, new cases of malignant breast cancer.

When breaking down the groups, researchers discovered that the Group 1 participants showed a 68% relatively lower risk of malignant breast cancer than those of Group 3. Group 2 participants showed a nonsignificant risk reduction compared with those of Group 3.

The study stated that, “The results of the trial suggest a beneficial effect of a [Mediterranean Diet] supplemented with extra virgin olive oil in the primary prevention of breast cancer.”

The study was published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association – Internal Medicine.

Google Hires Former Hyundai CEO To Lead Global Push Into Self Driving Cars

Finance

Advertising behemoth Google is continuing to show all the signs of a massive push into self-driving vehicles. The latest indication of just how large this project has become, the company has announced that it hired former Hyundai CEO John Krafcik to lead the well-known self-driving car project. Krafcik has confirmed his involvement in the project.

Krafcik wrote on his Twitter account, “This is a great opportunity to help Google develop the enormous potential of self-driving cars. I can’t wait to get started. “Self-driving cars could save thousands of lives, give people greater mobility and free us from things we find frustrating about driving today.”

Google’s self-driving car project specialist Chris Urmson will retain his current position, and Krafcik will serve as his boss.

Krafcik was the CEO of Hyundai from 2008 to 2013. Currently, he is the president of Truecar Incorporated. Krafcik is a 30 year veteran of the motor industry.

By hiring Krafcik, Google is holding nothing back into making business out of this exciting upcoming technology.

Google first presented their concept for its very own driverless vehicle in May of 2014. The concept had no steering wheel or pedals. By December of last year, Google managed to produce a fully functioning prototype. They started testing the car in the San Francisco area earlier this year.

The company has now progressed to making over 100 test vehicles with plans to make hundreds more by the end of next year. The ramp up in production appears related to the company eyeing mass production of the vehicles, putting it in direct competition with global automakers.

Google has stated that it expects these vehicles to be available for purchase starting in 2020.

Self-Driving cars are currently permitted in Nevada, Florida, Michigan, Washington, D.C., and California. In 2012, the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles issued its first permit for an autonomous car to a Toyota Prius that had been modified with Google’s experimental self-driving technology.

So far, Google has managed to equip several different types of cars with its technology in addition to the custom made prototypes it has developed. These include Toyota Prius, Audi TT, and Lexus RX450h. It remains unclear whether these were just convenient test beds for its technology or whether the company is looking to offer self driving conversion kits in addition to its own brand of vehicle.

Google’s prototypes have been assembled by Roush Enterprises, and utilize equipment from Bosch, ZF Lenksysteme, LG, and Continental.

Google has been road testing various driverless vehicles on public roads since 2012.

Last June, the company announced that their driverless vehicles had traveled a total of over 1 million miles. According to the company, this is the equivalent of roughly 75 years of typical adult driving in the United States. So far, Google self-driving cars have been involved in 14 minor traffic incidents, though Google states that none of these accidents were the result of the vehicle malfunctioning.

While Google’s precise game plan remains unclear, all signs points to a major push into the area of self driving cars. By hiring a former CEO of a global automaker, Google is showing that its plans are of a truly game-changing nature.

Pressure Mounts On Assad’s Syrian Regime Amid Conflicting Signals Of Russian Intentions

Entertainment News

Syrian president Bashar Assad is continuing to face mounting pressure to resign from office. This time it appears that the United States, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Syrian rebels have been talking about ideas for removing Assad from office, though it remains to be seen if Russia can be completely trusted amid conflicting signals about its true feelings on the issue.

The countries have been discussing a plan since June that would have Assad placed into a position as the interim head of the state until elections could take place. Russia has been a longtime ally of Assad, and the country has resisted previous plans of a similar nature. The rise of ISIS has supposedly resulted in a change of ideology for the country.

Vice President of the Middle East Institute in Washington Paul Salem said, “There’s a convergence on the threat of ISIS. This convergence wasn’t there when they last tried diplomacy two years ago.”

However, it remains unclear if Russia is fully on-board with such a plan. Russian president Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov recently said, “Only the Syrian people can decide the fate of Syria, not some outside countries.”

Additionally, Russia reportedly sent an advanced anti-aircraft missile system to Syria last week, the latest arms shipment the country has sent. Western countries believe that this is part of an effort to support troubled Syrian president Assad.

Meanwhile, Lebanese officials have observed troops from Russia participating in military operations on behalf of Assad’s regime. While Russia has yet to comment on these reports, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated at a news conference that Russia was sending military equipment to assist Assad against Islamic State Fighters.

Russia keeps its only Mediterranean naval base at Tartus on the Syrian coast. Protecting this base is a major strategic objective for Russia and could explain its sudden interest in the region.

Iranian President Takes To Twitter Offering Surprising Best Wishes To Israeli People

Entertainment News

In a surprising gesture and rare display of humanity Iranian President Hassan Rouhani took to Twitter on Monday in order to send a New Year greeting to Jewish people, saying that he hopes they all have a happy Jewish New Year. The Jewish New Year celebration, also known as Rosh Hashanah, began on Sunday and lasts until Tuesday.

President Rouhani wrote to his Twitter followers, “L’Shanah Tovah,” meaning “Happy New Year” in Hebrew.

Rohani added, “May our shared Abrahamic roots deepen respect and bring peace and mutual understanding.”

Iran has a long history of a presence of Judaism, dating back almost 3,000 years and the country is home to thousands of native-born Jews. However, Iran refuses to recognize Israel, and the country is supportive of anti-Israeli military groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah.

Rouhani also tweeted Rosh Hashanah messages in 2013, the year in which he took office. He wrote at the time, “As the sun is about to set here in #Tehran I wish all Jews, especially Iranian Jews, a blessed Rosh Hashanah.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu maintains that Iran is the largest foreign threat to Israel. The hard line Prime Minister has been highly critical of the nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers that was struck in July.