Posts - Americans

Ghanaian Student’s High Profile ISIS Recruitment Leads To Fears Of African Terrorist Invasion

Entertainment News

In the African nation of Ghana last week a young university graduate left the country in order to join the militant group ISIS. The incident was not the first, but in what was once thought to be one of Africa’s most stable and prosperous nations, social media and declining economic trends have heightened the threat of radicalization among its youth.

Its the latest sign that terror group ISIS is slowly invading Africa, even those countries which should not be susceptible to its propaganda.

The graduate was 25 year old Nazir Alema Nortey. He texted his family to tell them he had left the country to join ISIS. His family described him as polite and kind, active on campus and that he also had a girlfriend.

Ghana’s National Security Coordinator, Yaw Donkor, stated that potential members are being headhunted in Ghana using WhatsApp and Facebook.

A local radio station in Ghana released a report that ISIS agents are attracting unemployed youth with cash and the promise of guaranteed salvation. There are worries the group could attempt to exploit a possible rift between the minority Muslim demographic and the majority Christians. In June, a predominantly Muslim slum neighborhood was destroyed following official orders, which left thousands homeless.

The Christian demographic is mostly in the south and although relations between the two groups have been good, it has been increasingly noted that development and education progresses much more quickly in the southern region than in the Muslim north.

Ghana’s proximity to Nigeria is a risk factor, considering the presence of the radical group Boko Haram. It recently pledged allegiance to ISIS in March of this year, and its insurgency has spread to nearby Chad, Niger, and Cameroon.

Nortey was from a prosperous background, but even so, the opportunities for young people have not been sufficient in recent years. President John Mahama has stated that growth needs to be above 8% in order to provide enough jobs, but currently it is around 4%, which has led the country to seek aid from the International Monetary Fund.

So far there has been no evidence of a widespread trend towards radicalization, but the danger is currently rising, and Ghana has taken little action in its anti-terrorism efforts.

Apple Is Not-So-Secretly Working On A Virtual Reality Headset

Finance

All signs are indicating smartphone giant Apple will soon announce its serious entry into the immersive 3D technology sector based on industry chatter, patent filing information and the recent hiring of ‘CPU Software and Audio Engineer’, Nick Thompson.

It also makes sense given just about everyone, including Facebook, Google, Samsung and HTC, is planning a 3D headset of some sort for launch in 2016, which will likely be the year 3D displays hit the mainstream.

The experts say rumors have been floating around for several years that Apple was building a team to “explore the augmented reality (AR) space”, yet nothing had ever been confirmed. They say these rumours now appeared to be more fact than fiction with the appointment of Thompson, who formerly headed Microsoft’s HoloLens engineering team.

The experts said one interesting aspect of the new hire was that it really was a rehire as Thompson’s LinkedIn profile shows he has had a previous stint of seven years at Apple, as the senior engineering manager of the company’s audio software division. His industry profiles shows he was responsible for design, implementation and execution of Mac product’s built-in audio systems as well as the first-generation Apple TV.

Gene Munster, a Piper Jaffray analyst with a good track record on Apple calls said “Based on recent acquisitions of augmented reality companies, hiring of a key Microsoft Hololens employee, and conversations with industry contacts within the virtual and augmented reality spaces, we believe Apple has a team exploring the AR space,” he said.

Munster also noted that the acquisition of AR company Metaio by Apple was further evidence of the company’ intentions. Metaio is the holder of 171 worldwide patents and patent pending applications.

The experts say that following HoloLens’ “impressive debut” at the launch event for Microsoft’s Windows 10 in January this year, awareness of AR had been raised considerably as it showed that such hardware was possible with existing technology.

Munster said “We believe AR audio is often thought of as not important or secondary to the experience, however, we believe positional audio is what sells the experience and convinces the user there is a real object in front of you or behind you. The ability to re-create sound coming from a distinct location and changes based on proximity and direction of the object should not be overlooked.”

Al-Shabab Terror Network Kills Over 50 African Union Peacekeepers In Bloody Raid On Army Base

Entertainment News

Terrorist group Al-Shabab on Tuesday claimed it had killed “scores” of African Union peacekeeping troops in an attack south of the Somali capital Mogadishu. Residents from Janaale where the attack took place, in the country’s Lower Shabelle province, confirmed the attack but could not give exact casualty numbers.

Witnesses said the attack began when a car apparently loaded with explosives breached the outer defences of an African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and exploded.

The explosion was followed by heavily armed fighters storming the base, 55 miles south of Mogadishu.

Eyewitnesses said they had counted 20 AMISOM bodies but al-Shabab claimed they had killed 50 soldiers. Although the terrorist group is known to exaggerate “body counts,” Somali situation experts say they expect the final death toll to be “very large.”

An AMISOM release statement has condemned the “heinous” attack.

The statement read “The AMISOM base at Janaale, Lower Shabelle Region in Somalia came under attack from al-Shabab militants today.”

“The militants used a car loaded with explosives to trigger the attack and to facilitate their forced entry into the camp after which they engaged our soldiers in a gun-battle.”

“Although our troops undertook a tactical withdrawal following the initial vehicle borne explosive attack, they have since consolidated and regained full control of the base.”

Shortly after the Janaale attack, al-Shabab also claimed responsibility for a car bombing close to Mogadishu’s Jazeera Hotel in Mogadishu, which killed 10 people.

Yesterday US President Barack Obama said in Nairobi, that al-Shabab was still an overall threat despite having been “weakened”.

Al-shabab leader Ahmed Abdi Godane was killed a year ago in a U.S. led airstrike.

Al-Shabab which is al-Qaida aligned, has stated its aim is to overthrow Somalia’s Central government and establish a state governed by its own interpretation of Islamic law.

Bush Launches Attack Ads, Tweets, Against Trump As Gloves Come Off In GOP Race

News

The Jeb Bush presidential campaign gloves came off Tuesday as he attacked fellow Republican White House candidate Donald Trump by accusing him of being an unabashed liberal, a label which experts say Trump has been trying to distance himself from.

The accusations came in a video titled “The Real Donald Trump,” in which in two separate spots, the billionaire candidate says he has “lived in New York and Manhattan my whole life” and that “my views are a little bit different than if I had lived in Iowa”.

Accompanying text says “Liberal Things That Trump Says,” before changing to “Liberal Things That Trump Believes.” , references to Trump having in the past made a point of holding eclectic policy views.

In a clip from a 1999 “Meet the Press” interview, Trumps tells interviewer Tim Russert that he is “very pro-choice,” ,a complete different view from what he said a decade later when he announced that he opposed abortion except in cases of incest and rape, or to protect the life and health of the mother.

The video also highlights Trump’ singing the praises of single-payer health care systems in Scotland and Canada during last month’s Republican Party presidential nominee debate.

In the Bush camp released video, Trump is also shown in an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer in 2007 during which he says Hillary Clinton, now his biggest rival for the Presidency, “would do a good job” negotiating a deal with Iran, and then later saying he sees himself as being more of a Democrat than a Republican.

The video also notes Trump was a registered Democratic voter in 2001.

The video was released through Bush’s Twitter account in which he tweeted “Why are you a Republican @realDonaldTrump…The answer is, you’re not.”.

Trump fired back a three tweet salvo within a minute of Bush’s tweet hitting cyberspace, calling the video a “weak hit by a candidate with a failing campaign.”

The release of the video comes at a time when Trump has increased his lead over Bush in polls and has been needling the former Governor of Florida for having too easy a stance on illegal immigrants.

Bush is scheduled to spend over $10 million this month on video advertising and it appears much of that spend will go towards negative attack ads on Trump.

California Ends ‘Inhumane’ Long Term Isolation In Its Prisons

News

The life of imprisoned gang leaders in California prisons got a little easier yesterday with the announcement the State will put an end to its unlimited isolation policy that has seen some inmates kept in segregated cells for ten years or longer.

The move follows a class action courtroom victory for the New York based Center for Constitutional Rights on behalf of 3,000 inmates held in isolation in California’s prisons.

Jeffrey Beard, California’s Corrections and Rehabilitation Secretary said the State will now only isolate inmates who commit new crimes while in prison, and that it will no longer lock up gang leaders in windowless, sound proofed cells to stop them from directing gang members to commit illegal activities.

“It will move California more into the mainstream of what other states are doing while still allowing us the ability to deal with people who are presenting problems within our system, but do so in a way where we rely less on the use of segregation,” said Beard.

Over the last few months California’s isolation policy has drawn wide criticism from US Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy and president Barack Obama following widespread hunger strikes protests by prisoners in protest.

The successful lawsuit, which was originally filed in 2009, argued that isolating prisoners in 80-square-foot cells for all but 1 ½ hours per day, with no physical contact with visitors and limited reading materials and outside world communication, was an unusual and cruel punishment.

Under the settlement, prisoners can still be isolated for up to five years for crimes they commit behind bars.

Beard said the isolation system began 35 years ago after a string of killings of both inmates and guards.

“We probably had too many people locked up too long, because over 70 percent of the people that were reviewed were actually released, and we’ve had very, very few problems with those releases,” said Beard.

The World’s Oceans Are Now So Polluted That By 2050 99.8% Of Sea Birds Will Have Eaten Plastic

Culture

A recent scientific study on marine birds show some sobering statistics about the state of the world’s environment. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, finds that currently over 300,000 tons of plastic are floating around in Earth’s oceans.

This means about 90% of 80 different species of marine birds have consumed pieces of that plastic.

By 2050 about 99.8% of the species studied will have at some point eaten plastic.

The study was conducted by researchers at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (“CSIRO”) in Hobart, Australia and was led by marine ecologist Chris Wilcox.

The study shows that the worldwide production of plastic has doubled about every 11 years since the 1950s. As such, an increased amount of plastic, including bottle caps, bags and other synthetic fibers, has ended up in the oceans. Once the plastic reaches the sea, either through river runoff or waste dumps, the plastic breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces. Seabirds then consume the plastic bits, which can have a detrimental effect on the animals.

For example, some plastics actually absorb various environmental pollutants. After a seabird ingests the plastic, the pollutants can be released into the birds’ digestive systems.

Additionally, the chemicals that keep plastic soft and pliable are also ingested – but sometimes, the plastic is not flexible enough to travel through the digestive system. Most species of birds have difficulty passing large bits of plastic which can lead to a buildup in the birds’ stomachs.

The increased intake of chemicals is simply one of the results of birds ingesting plastic bits. Marine Biologist Richard Thompson points out that, “We don’t fully understand all of the physical effects of ingesting plastic, but it’s hard to imagine that the effects are going to be positive.”

And birds are not the only species affected by plastic trash floating in the oceans. A 2012 study published by the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity illustrates that greater than 600 species from microorganisms to whales are injured every year by the floating plastic. They either ingest the plastic or sometimes get tangled in the pieces, such as left-behind fishing nets.

Wilcox stresses that the problem is very serious and should not be taken lightly. He states that, “For the first time, we have a global prediction on how wide-reaching plastic impacts may be on marine species – and the results are striking.”

Canada Just Uncovered A Real Life Version Of ‘The Americans’ And The Legal System Doesn’t Know What To Do

Entertainment News

Canada’s citizenship by birth laws are being severely tested by the sons of a Russian couple who were outed as “deep cover” spies in 2010 after having lived for 20 years as Canadian citizens. The duo assumed the identity and citizenship of two people who had died as infants.

Alexander and Timothy Vavilova, 21 and 25 respectively, have sued the Canadian Government, claiming they are being denied their birthright to Canadian citizenship.

They are the children of Russian operatives Andrey Bezrukov and Elena Vavilova, Russian who were “planted” into Canada to develop identities and backgrounds that would allow them easy access into the United States and then eventually American citizenship.

The pair stole the identities two Canadians who had died when babies – Tracey Foley and Donald Heathfield, and managed to avoid detection for 20 years until their arrest in the USA in 2010 and deportation to Russia in a spy swap.

Before moving to the States the couple had lived in Toronto where they had two children, something which authorities are arguing was part of a master plan to allow them to blend into everyday American life as a close knit family.

The real life plot parallels the hit TV show ‘The Americans’ which features a similar deep cover Russian spy family living in the United States.

When Bezrukov and Vavilova were deported, their two children naturally went with them and now five years later the pair are arguing they have the right to Canadian citizenship.

“I am first and foremost Canadian,” said Timothy Vavilova in documents submitted to the court. “I have lived for 20 years believing that I was Canadian and still believe I am Canadian, nothing can change that.”

His brother Alexander claims in the documents that his Canadian heritage is “an important part of who I am. It is the only culture I can associate with, and has been a cornerstone of my identity.”

However Canadian intelligence is not buying into the brothers’ citizenship plea, accusing Timothy Vavilov of being a Russian operative just as his parents were.

The two brothers’ citizenship by birth was revoked in 2014 with Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) telling them children born in Canada to foreign government representatives weren’t eligible for Canadian citizenship.

But experts say the Vavilov brothers have somewhat of an edge in their legal battle for citizenship, because the Canadian government made two major “slip ups”. In 2012 they granted Alexander Vavilov a student’s permit to study in Canada, which was later cancelled after his parents’ background was discovered. In 2013 the government sent him a certificate of Canadian citizenship, with Passport Canada agreeing to renew his passport, until “officials” managed to persuade them to change their minds.

Sergio Karas, a Toronto based immigration lawyer said “It is interesting that it took so long for the authorities to realize that the application for citizenship was without merit, since they had already known that the parents’ citizenship was fraudulent.”

CIC’s documents obtained by the media show that The Canadian Security Intelligence Service believes the older Vavilova brother now works for the same organization that deployed Andrey Bezrukov and Elena Vavilova to Canada and then the U.S. – the Russian SVR Foreign Intelligence Service, but that “It is not know if Alexander has also pledged allegiance to the SVR.”

In documents submitted to the Canadian courts, Timothy Vavilov denies he was groomed to be a spy by his parents and he accuses Canadian authorities of attempting to “tarnish our lives.” and that he and his brothers had been “warned” to not apply for Canadian citizenship

“The representatives of the Canadian Secret Service stated that ‘if you continue, there will be consequences — for example, a campaign to publish damaging information about you in the press,’” he said. “I have a strong belief that the reason for the revocation is political and is not something we can influence.”

The Canadian Federal Court has yet to decided on Timothy Vavilov’s case, but it has upheld the government’s decision to revoke his brother Alexander’s Canadian citizenship.

PayPal Launches Digital IOUs Amid Fierce Competition To Own The Digital Wallet

Finance

In an attempt to expand its e-commerce payment system dominance, PayPal is introducing a new service called PayPal.Me to make it easier for people to pay their friends back and even purchase a pie at a bake sale simply by using their phones.

PayPal is rolling out the new service in order to boost user growth for PayPal’s other services. It also is staying current with the times as digital wallets continue to gain popularity among consumers which has led to successful competitors like Venmo and most recently Apple Pay.

PayPal’s Director of Consumer Product Marketing, Matt Gromada, stated that, “As we see money going digital and mobile, people need more flexible ways to manage their money. It’s simple – we all want no-fuss to pay and get paid back, and avoid awkward IOU conversations. PayPal pioneered sending money digitally 16 years ago, and we are continuing to lead the way with our P2P offerings.”

PayPal recently conducted a survey of 4,000 consumers in Germany, Canada, Australia and the United States. The study shows that one-third of adults in the United States have a ruined personal relationship over IOUs. The main reason for this is that people simply feel uncomfortable asking their friends and loved ones to pay back owed money.

Psychology professor Dr. Ryan Howell aptly stated that, “Money is still considered an incredibly private, personal topic for many people due to deep-seated cross-cultural stigmas around money.”

That is where PayPal.Me comes in. It is a free, personal service that people can use to request money from anyone anywhere in the world. It is a personal link that can be sent to friends, family or anyone else for a quick, easy way to pay someone back.

As PayPal’s head of consumer marketing, Kerry Reynolds, points out, PayPal’s “primary mandate has been to make it easy to move money around the globe and back and forth, making it easier for users to access their money.”

With PayPal’s success in pioneering the e-commerce payment industry, it seems likely that it will succeed with peer-to-peer commerce with PayPal.Me. Its goal of becoming the basic unit of pay-with-your phone in the mobile era is definitely on the right track though it remains to be seen if it will dominate the space like it once did for online payments.

The reason is because Venmo has already been offering this type of service for years and one can’t necessarily rule out Apple Pay having created a similar platform. Then there are banks and other startups all looking to tackle the same problem, albeit without PayPal’s scale.

SpaceX Will Return To Space With An Upgraded Version Of Its Falcon 9 Rocket

Finance

SpaceX, the privately held rocket company owned and by technology guru Elon Musk, plans to return its Falcon 9 rocket to flight in a few months with the launch of an upgraded Falcon 9, sometimes called Falcon 9 v 1.2.

The update has been delayed due to a June 28th launch failure.

Speaking at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Space 2015 Conference, SpaceX president Gwynne Stockwell promised that, “Our next flight will be both the return to flight and the first flight of the upgraded vehicle. So whenever people ask me what keeps me up at night, it’s getting ready for that flight.”

Prior to the June launch failure, the Falcon 9 was scheduled to launch in September, carrying the SES-9 satellite owned by the Luxembourg based satellite company, SES.

However, the recent launch failure and the added work of checking and double checking the new rocket has delayed the upcoming launch. According to SpaceX, the June launch was carrying a cargo ship headed toward the International Space Station for NASA. A metal strut holding down a helium bottle in the rocket’s upper stage broke. Helium then leaked from the bottle causing over-pressurization of the second stage engine. It burst and the rocket exploded over the Atlantic Ocean.

The accident, along with a failed launch of an Orbital ATK Antares rocket also carrying cargo for the space station, has left NASA dependent on Japanese and Russian launches to resupply the station.

Shotwell pointed out that while the problem with the June launch is something that can be “easily corrected,” SpaceX is not taking chances with any other part of the rocket. “We’re taking more time than we originally envisioned, but I don’t think any one of our customers wants us to race to the cliff and fail again . . . What we wanted to do was to take advantage of the lessons that we learned from that particular failure and make sure we’re not seeing something like that anywhere throughout the vehicle.”

The next mission scheduled for SpaceX had been to launch a United States government ocean-monitoring satellite named Jason 3. However, it looks that the U.S. has been bumped from the front of the line and a commercial satellite will launch first.

One of SpaceX’s main goals is not only to have a successful launch, but also to have a successful landing so that the company can refurbish and reuse the rocket. Shotwell stated that, “I want to see a Falcon 9 first stage land on a drone ship or land on my landing site this year. I want to stick a landing this year.”

Google Partners With Sanofi To Make Major Push Into Healthcare

Health & Wellness

Google has begun a major search for new ways to manage and treat diabetes under a partnership between its recently re-organized Life Sciences division and French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi.

Experts say the partnership was the first indication Google is serious about the division making a real contribution to the world of biomedical research after having recently hired prominent immunologists, neurologist and nanoparticle engineers.

Google said the life sciences division has already developed a blood glucose level measuring contact lens, and has entered into an agreement with medical equipment producer Dexcom to develop a convenient and inexpensive device for continuous glucose monitoring.

Medical experts said because sudden fluctuations in blood sugar was the main cause for the worst outcomes like strokes, heart disease, and nerve damage in diabetes patients, it was vital that monitoring devices were available to all. The experts also said that currently even the most basic blood sugar measuring units and their associated test strips were relatively expensive which was one reason many people did not monitor their blood sugar levels on an ongoing basis.

Through its data-centric work with Sanofi, Google hopes providing doctors and patients with better information could help prevent or mitigate these fluctuations.

In a released statement Google said the diabetes focus was a move away from the traditional “tech centric” approach to a “disease centric” one.

“New technologies could make it simple for a physician to understand when a patient’s blood sugar is tracking high for days in a row,” Google said, “or could offer new ways for a patient to get real-time information and specific guidance about diet or insulin dosage.”

Although Google realizes new technologies could take years to be readily available, it said one of the major goals of the Sanofi partnership was to speed up the time between medical breakthrough and patient accessibility.

The company said the partnership would not be solely diabetes focused as in the coming months it will release details on its plans to take on other diseases including heart disease, neurodegenerative conditions and cancer.

Russia Has Created A Siberian Research Center To Focus On Bringing Extinct Animals Back To Life

Culture

It seems like a scene out of Jurassic Park – taking DNA from an extinct animal and attempting to bring the species back to life. That very thing is what scientists from Russia are trying to do with the wooly mammoth and other frozen animals that have long been extinct. Leading the charge on these initiatives is Russia, which recently opened a research facility in Yakutsk, Siberia for the purpose of seeking out live cells from a preserved wooly mammoths.

Semen Grigoryev, director of the Mammoth at Northeastern Federal University said that “the priority is to look into bringing back the mammoth.” As exciting as this may be, there are also ethical questions raised by the process.

Each country involved in the research, including China, South Korea and the United States, is focusing on different aspects of the task of bringing back the mammoth.

Earlier this year, scientists at Harvard University reported that they had copied several wooly mammoth genes and inserted them into the DNA genome from a living Asian elephant. Russian researchers have access to an enormous collection of greater than 2,000 remains of prehistoric animals, including primitive dogs and mammoths – all found frozen in the Siberian permafrost.

The scientists hope to find cell tissue from these remains from which to extract DNA.

Presently, scientists have yet to uncover the most important element needed to clone: actual living cells. As such, the search for the key to life, nuclear DNA, continues.

Once that is located, molecular biologists could begin the process of trying to culture wooly mammoth stem cells. The next step would be to replace segments of elephant DNA with the newly created segments of wooly mammoth DNA. The living cells would then be spliced into an elephant embryo which would be implanted into a female elephant.

Hopefully, the elephant would then give birth to a wooly mammoth.

While all of this sounds absolutely amazing, there are some ethical concerns raised by cloning a wooly mammoth.

Researcher Dr. Tori Herridge points out that cloning would be a step backwards as the task potentially endangers existing elephants as they would face significant risks going through the surrogacy process. Moreover, the issues facing existing elephants, including poaching, could be ignored as the race for cloning wooly mammoths takes place.

Yet others believe that the risks are worth it. The study of the mammoth genome and perfecting the cloning process has applications that could benefit humans.

As we saw in the blockbuster Jurassic Park, the newly cloned dinosaurs did not act according to plan. The movie points out that dinosaurs had their chance and we know what happened. Could bringing back an extinct species such as the wooly mammoth defy the natural order of the universe and cause only problems? That remains to be seen.

The Polio Virus Is Back And Medical Researchers Are Panicked About The Consequences

Health & Wellness

Once thought to be completely eradicated, a new survey has found the polio virus living inside a man’s gut for many years. The results have sent shockwaves across the global medical community who have long thought the virus had been wiped out.

An anonymous British man showed no signs of the illness, but his stool was found to contain a highly infectious form of the virus. After receiving a full supplement of oral polio immunization at the required intervals, an unrelated health condition affected his immune system rendering it incapable of eliminating the virus. At least 100 stool samples collected over 20 years confirm the virus’ continual presence.

The survey is available in the journal PLOS Pathogens.

Though viral stool has been seen before, particularly in the case of the herpes virus, this is the most significant case that medical experts have ever seen. 73 other incidences of people whose immune systems have been incapable of destroying the virus have also been verified.

As for the British individual, contact with people who have been fully immunized against the virus does not pose any threat. Were he to be intimate with someone with a condition similar to his, though, a polio outburst could be the result.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative selected 2018 as the year when the illness would be wholly eliminated from Earth. However, international conflicts and the mutation of the disease through immunizations have made this hard to achieve. Three types of feral poliovirus do exist in the world and raise doubt that the virus can ever be fully eradicated.

They raise fears about just how much of the virus is lingering around the world. If the virus is still around, which the new study has confirmed, it could only be a matter of time before virulent new mutations appear that cannot be treated by normal drug therapies.

The World Health Organization is set to trial a new vaccine for polio in April 2016.

Apple Is Getting Ready To Make Its Own Movies And TV Shows

Finance

Apple, joining Netflix, Amazon, Yahoo and a host of others, is supposedly getting into the original programming business.

The iPhone manufacturer has started meeting with major Hollywood studios to get a feel for interest,according to Variety. While there’s no consensus about how serious the smartphone maker is about original programming, one reliable source informed Variety that the Cupertino Corporation wants to make both TV shows and movies.

Next month, Apple is likely to launch a new version of Apple TV, and perhaps even a new service dedicated to live channels, similar to Sling TV. However, that might just be an insignificant part of a very enormous strategy. Earlier this summer, Apple supposedly tried to acquire the services of Top Gear stars Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson and James May following their leaving from BBC, but Amazon finally won the lengthy bidding war.

Variety doesn’t give many particulars, and, actually, it looks like whatever Apple is planning is in the very initial stages. One likelihood is for Apple to copy Netflix’s model, which functions with outside production corporations to create original content; another option is for Apple to establish its own internal studio, though Microsoft tried that and the strategy proved difficult.

At this phase, it’s uncertain how Apple will handle the situation. The organization has dabbled in the indie circuit for many years by snatching up movies from festival circuits and dispensing that content on iTunes. Nevertheless, Variety does not say whether Apple intends to provide a service based on single transactions or a subscription-based service.

With services like Netflix and Amazon Prime growing in size, along with others like Hulu and Yahoo, it seems the next major content frontier will be original programming.While Apple will be joining a crowded and severely competitive industry, it surely has the muscle to do so.

It’s highly unlikely we’ll see any official mentions of such an attempt at next week’s annual Apple product unveiling. But by this time in 2016, Apple TV, currently a box serving everyone else’s content, might be much more of a living room focus than it has been to date.

Furious T-Mobile CEO Calls His Customers “Thieves” For Daring To Use Their Unlimited Data Plans

Finance

John Legere, T-Mobile US Chief Executive, launched a tirade on Sunday over customers who make substantial use of tethering on his system.

According to Legere his organization will tell 3,000 subscribers that they risk having their “unlimited” mobile network plans terminated if they don’t stop sidestepping T-Mob’s restrictions on LTE tethering.

All this anger despite customers paying for plans that are clearly advertised as “unlimited.” Except in the case of T-Mobile ‘unlimited’ actually means very limited. Subscribers are permitted to download just 7GB per month when tethering their LTE device – in straightforward terms, turning it into a wireless network hotspot to link a laptop to the internet over the mobile network.

Once the 7 GB is exhausted, T-Mobile decreases the speed of the network.

According to Legere, some users have altered their mobile devices to not send reports of tethered data, enabling them to access the internet at LTE speeds with no restrictions on data.

Legere claims that subscribers are stealing his organization’s “unlimited” plan to get limitless data, in some incidences as much as 2TB downloaded in a month.

Legere said, “This week, I am taking aim at a select group of individuals who have actually been stealing data from T-Mobile.”

He added, “If their activities are left unchecked, their actions could eventually have a negative effect on the experience of honest T-Mobile customers. Not on my watch.”

According to Legere, the ‘bad’ subscribers are just “1/100 of a percent” of T-Mobile’s customers, but nonetheless are capable of reducing LTE broadband speeds across the board for all users.

Or so the story goes. There is little evidence of this in fact happening given most mobile networks are vastly under-used. They’re designed this way after all.

As of yesterday T-Mobile began utilizing detection devices to sense when subscribers are circumventing data restrictions. Those who are detected trying to conceal their tethering traffic will be given a warning and, if caught a second time, will have their LTE plan lessened to T-Mobile’s “entry level” plan, though just how the legalities of this will work remain to be seen.

“I’m not in this business to play data cop, but we started this wireless revolution to change the industry for good and to fight for consumers,” Legere stated, once again using words the mean the exact opposite of what he intends.

He added, “I won’t let a few thieves ruin things for anyone else. We’re going to lead from the front on this, just like we always do.”

The somewhat comical, somewhat annoying incident highlights that when it comes to telecom companies up continues to mean down and black continues to mean white. And those who say otherwise are just ‘thieves.’

Netflix Ditching Movies Shows Its All In On Original Programming

Finance

Lovers of movies like World War Z and The Hunger Games are digesting the awful news this week that Netflix will not refresh its agreement with Epix, the first-class cable channel, whose contract with Netflix put those films (and many of others) on the streaming facility.

While this may be sad for some viewers, it speaks to a marked strategy shift by the former aggregator of tv shows and moviews.

Netflix now offers so much first-rate original programming that it doesn’t think you’ll miss the Epix films.

In the blog post, Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said, “While many of these movies are popular, they are also widely available on cable and other subscription platforms at the same time as they are on Netflix and subject to the same drawn out licensing periods.” (Epix later verified that it had endorsed a contract with Hulu to take these films.) Sarandos pointed to Netflix innovative programming like A Very Murray Christmas, Narcos, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Green Legend as reasons why subscribers should stick around.

Its move to original content is yet another barrier against a host of streaming TV offerings: You either have Netflix, with its original shows, or you do not.

All of this is related to the continuing narrative in the pay TV industry of cord cutters turning the industry upside down.

Netflix gave a lifeline to many of these cable companies by licensing their long-standing programming and bringing in subscribers—customers whose money is now being used to finance innovative programming that it doesn’t have to reconsider the rights for two years down the line.

For that reason, Netflix is becoming more like a TV channel, but with the additional bonus of controlling its own distribution model: Netflix takes all of the finances its subscribers remit monthly, whereas ordinary television channels have to handle complex cable organization deals.

Sarandos’s remark hints that Netflix no longer wants to be a replacement for cable. Instead, it wants to be considered as more of an independent content producer—a service customers pay for irrespective of whether or not they have a cable subscription.

In short, its the HBO model except with full control of distribution.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Sued For Claiming It Sells GMO Free Food

Health & Wellness

A California woman has filed a court case last week complaining that Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. is making deceitful and misrepresentative claims by stating that its menu is free of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

In a lawsuit filed on Aug. 28th in the United States District Court, Northern District of California, Colleen Gallagher complained on behalf of all California customers who ate at or bought food from Chipotle on April 27 to this day.

She is represented by Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP, a law firm in San Francisco, which seeks class-action status for the lawsuit.

In April, Chipotle unveiled a multimedia movement describing its menu as being free of GMOs at United States locations. The fast-casual chain, which is based in Denver, had been moving toward that objective for over a couple of years, citing worries about the way GMO organisms are cultivated, and mentioning that GMOs are restricted in many other nations.

“It’s clear that a lot of research is still needed before we can truly understand all the implications of widespread GMO cultivation and consumption,” Chipotle co-CEO Steve Ells said, adding, “While that debate continues, we decided to move to non-GMO ingredients.”

In the court case, which seeks unspecified financial damages, Gallagher says that Chipotle’s assertions are deceitful and misrepresentative because the organization continues to sell meat from animals that eat GMOs, including corn and soy, and that the chain’s cheese and sour cream come from farms that feed dairy animals with GMOs.

Chipotle also serves soft drinks that are made from corn molasses, which is a genetically modified component, the case claims.

“Consumers today are very concerned about what they eat and restaurants know that consumers place a premium on food that is considered to be healthy or natural,” said Laurence King, an advocate for the suggested class. “As a result, Chipotle’s advertising in its stores should have accurately informed customers about the source and quality of its ingredients and should not mislead consumers that they are serving food without GMOs when, in fact, they are.”

Chipotle communications director, Chris Arnold, said the organization does not talk about pending cases as a matter of policy. Though, he added, “We do plan to contest this.”

As part of the April declaration, the company said on its official website that a good percentage of animal feed in the United States is genetically modified, which implies that the dairy products and meat served at Chipotle came from organisms that were given a considerable amount of GMO feed.

“We are working hard on this challenge, and have made substantial progress: for example, the 100-percent grass-fed beef served in many Chipotle restaurants was not fed GMO grain — or any grain, for that matter,” the company announced on its official website.

It further stated, “Many of the beverages sold in our restaurants contain genetically modified ingredients, including those containing high-fructose corn syrup, which is almost always made from GMO corn.”

The court case, however, argues that Chipotle “takes no meaningful steps to clarify consumer misconceptions in its advertisements and its billboards, both in stores and in print, which instead say ‘all’ of the ingredients used in its food products are ‘non-GMO,’” the complaint stated. “A Chipotle meal was, and remains, the very definition of a GMO meal.”

Over 10,000 Icelanders Offer To House Syrian Migrants

Entertainment News

At least 10,000 Icelanders said on Monday on Facebook they were willing to welcome Syrian immigrants into their homes after the administration said it would only let in a few.

Bryndis Bjorgvinsdottir, an Icelandic professor and author, on Sunday asked fellow Icelanders to express their thoughts on Facebook if they wanted Iceland, a nation of just 330,000 inhabitants, to accommodate more Syrian refugees.

By Monday afternoon at least 10,000 people had responded to her call.

Writing on Facebook, Hekla Stefansdottir said, “I’m a single mother with a 6-year-old son… We can take a child in need. I’m a teacher and would teach the child to speak, read and write Icelandic and adjust to Icelandic society. We have clothes, a bed, toys and everything a child needs. I would of course pay for the airplane ticket.”

Many were willing to offer food, clothes, housing, and help with assimilation into Icelandic society.

Addressing the Icelandic public, on national television station RUV, Bjorgvinsdottir said, “I think people have had enough of seeing news stories from the Mediterranean and refugee camps of dying people and they want something done now.”

Eyglo Hardardottir, the Welfare Minister, told RUV that authorities were examining the Facebook offers and would mull over increasing the number of immigrants accepted under a humanitarian limit, presently capped at 50 for this year and 2016.

“I have made it clear that I don’t want to name a maximum figure, but that we (will) explore every avenue available in welcoming more refugees,” she stated.

Official data indicate that the volcanic island in the North Atlantic accommodated 1,117 immigrants in 2014.

The FDA Just Forced Kim Kardashian To Come Clean About A Dangerous Drug She Heavily Promoted

Health & Wellness

It isn’t just the FTC that’s targeting social media celebrities who use their massive reach to illegally hawk products.

On Sunday night, while the entertainment world was focused on the MTV Video Music Awards, Kim Kardashian West was forced to take to social media for reason outside her usual self promotion.

The FDA had forced her to acknowledge the side effects of a ‘miracle’ morning-sickness drug she has repeatedly endorsed.

The social media posts followed an Aug. 7th warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to drug maker Duchesnay warning that Kardashian’s original paid endorsement did not include important safety information.

The posts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter carried the hashtag #CorrectiveAd, per FTC guidelines on the issue.

“I guess you saw the attention my last #morning sickness post received,” Kardashian wrote as the world was distracted by the VMAs.

The original paid endorsement included links to websites with disclosures about the risks of the drug, Diclegis, but did not include them in the posts.

The drug she is promoting was approved in 2013 to treat morning sickness but only for a small number of women who don’t respond to more conservative treatment.

The rest of Kardashian’s post, almost certainly put up by handlers as the celebrity attended the VMAs, read that “Diclegis has not been studied in women with hyperemesis gravidarum,” or extreme, persistent vomiting. The warnings also included mention about interactions with other medications and alcohol, in addition to side effects like drowsiness.

Kardashian first promoted the product with the clearly illegal “OMG. Have you heard about this?” in early July. She has since taken down the posts based on advice from her lawyers.

While the FDA asked that the misleading drug messages be corrected in the format they were originally posted, Kardashian’s timing on that request meant the posts were buried quickly.

Her social media streams were quick to be overtaken by pictures of her at the VMAs.

Kardashian is the most recent and most high profile celebrity to come under fire from various U.S. regulators concerned about misleading promotion on social media. Yet her attitude to the issue shows a clear trend: Social media stars could care less about what they post to their followers, so long as the money’s right.

Despite influencing countless women to purchase the risky treatment, her apology was clearly timed to bury the issue and rings hollow.

It will be interesting to see if the FTC decides to investigate, as the promotional methods also fall afoul of their recent guidelines on paid social media promotion.

Russian Fighter Jets Are Headed To The Middle East And The Pentagon Doesn’t Know What To Do

Entertainment News

In Russia’s latest move to combat ISIS, an expeditionary force has made its way to Syria and will set up in an airbase controlled by Bashar al-Assad. It is expected that Russian fighter pilots will travel to the base in the coming days. The base, located near Damascus, will serve as a Russian military forward operating base. The United States is aware of Russia’s move but continues to remain silent as it opposes both ISIS and the Al-Assad regime.

Bashar Hafez al-Assad is the President of Syria, commander-in-chief of Syrian Armed Forces, General Secretary of the ruling Ba’ath Party and Regional Secretary of the party’s branch in Syria. He has been accused of war crimes and the United States has called al-Assad to step down. Moreover, Al-Assad’s regime is threatened by ISIS. Therefore, despite the American stance against al-Assad, many analysts believe that Russia’s continued support for al-Assad is all about saving its reputation and “exercising Russian influence” in Syria.

Analyst Paul Saunders commented that, “Moscow would not have much leverage over al-Assad if the Russian government attempted to persuade him to step down.”

With the support of al-Assad, Russia will send thousands of military personnel to Syria in order to battle ISIS and also to preserve al-Assad’s rule. Moreover, discussions between Russia and Iran have resulted in a strategic decision: do what it takes to preserve al-Assad’s power so that Syria may act as a physical barrier to Russia- thus preventing the spread of ISIS into former Soviet Islamic republics.

Russia’s military flying combat missions in Syria will most certainly change the existing situation in the Middle East.

In addition to the Russians working with Iran to try and defeat ISIS, the United States has also reached out to Iran to develop a plan to combat the militant fighters. It appears that the U.S. views Iran as a necessary, central force in the fight against ISIS. The American-Iranian cooperation focuses on two goals: 1) Help the province of Anbar, where Iraqis have so far failed to expel ISIS; and 2) Recapture Mosul.

Even though the United States has called for al-Assad to end his murderous regime, it has recently stopped touting this request. The United States has yet to issue any type of reaction to Russia’s intent to directly intervene in Syria in its fight against ISIS.

Global Banking Giant Barclays Just Announced It WIll Start Accepting Bitcoin

Finance

Global mega bank Barclays announced today that it will start acknowledging the controversial digital currency Bitcoin towards the end of this year.

The UK-based international financial services organization affirmed that Bitcoin has the “potential to change financial services” and has officially entered into partnership with an unidentified Bitcoin exchange and plans to start the trial by the end of this year.

It has previously been conducting trials into the digital money in London-based labs and engaging in business with startups in the space. Now it intends to test the cryptocurrency, reflecting both the size of the Bitcoin market and the trend towards alternative digital currencies.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, chief design and digital officer at Barclays, Derek White, said, “Barclays is enabling the Bitcoin exchange to help charities accept Bitcoin.”

While the bank initially plans to take a philanthropic approach make no mistake that its entry into the market is game changing and will likely be followed quickly by other big banks who are never keen to miss a lucrative business opportunity.

The statement pointed out this fact and said that the company is not the only one in the banking industry that is taking its first step towards embracing Bitcoin. The bank specifically mentioned that rival UBS is working with the database or “blockchain”, which keeps a record all Bitcoin transactions, as are a number of Wall Street firms.

Once niche, Bitcoin appears poised to enter 2016 as a legitimate currency that could be the world’s first truly universal unit of money.

EPA Places Limits On Genetically Modified Corn To Prevent Rise Of Super Pests

Culture

In an attempt to fight pest resistance in corn crops in the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is recommending limits on the amount of corn has the Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) characteristic that farmers are currently permitted to plant.

The precise reason for the suggested limits is to try and trim down the effects of the corn rootworm. Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Michael Gray, an entomologist from the University of Illinois at Urban-Champaign said corn rootworm can cost farmers an amount between $1 and $2 billion in losses per year.

If the EPA’s suggestion is implemented, farmers would have to adhere to better insect management practices like crop rotations or sowing in a “refuge area” that has corn without the Bt characteristic in areas that are vulnerable to rootworms.

The EPA’s worry is that if the rootworm grows to be even more resistant, American farmers will be compelled to use more artificial products which could pose a hazard to the environment.

The EPA is recommending about 35% of fields to be planted with a different crop after two successive years of corn.

Many big seed organizations have hybrids which have the Bt trait. It is poisonous to the pests but harmless to humans. They also have insect management protocols on their official websites.

“To me, it should be more an individual decision and not the government telling us what to do,” The Wall Street Journal quoted an anonymous farmer from Nebraska as saying.

Yet the new rules indicate that instead of being the silver bullet once thought, genetically modified crops may just speed up evolution and create superbugs that are incredibly resistant to all forms of control.

The matter is presently under a public comment phase until March 16. The EPA will confirm new suggestions afterwards.

Venezuelan President Accuses Columbia Of Trying To Assassinate Him

Entertainment News

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro made the shockingly blunt allegation that enemies in Colombia are trying to assassinate him. The indicate rising tensions between the two South American nations as the countries prepare for the upcoming Organization of American States (OAS) and a bitter fight over a tense border dispute.

Maduro made the remarks during a state visit to Vietnam. He said that the conspiracy has the backing the Colombian government although he did not specifically disclose any evidence to back the claim.

Maduro said he would present evidence at a later date.

Maduro and Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos have been trading allegations and rhetoric since Venezuela expelled over 1,000 Columbians living illegally within its borders.

Those expelled were accused of bringing a wave of crime and smuggling along the border.

Diplomats from the two countries are expected to spar as 34 Western Hemisphere nations gather for an OAS emergency meeting Monday evening in Washington. The topic of the meeting is to specifically address the border crisis.

The United States Is About To Impose Sweeping Sanctions Against China For Cyber Attacks On U.S. Interests

Entertainment News

The United States, in an unprecedented move, is preparing a comprehensive list of economic sanctions to be imposed against China for benefitting from its cyber theft of United States trade secrets.

The sanctions are aimed against both the Chinese government and private companies and individuals. While the Obama administration has yet to decide if it will impose the sanctions, it seems like the decision to do so has already been made.

The news comes as Chinese president Xi Jinping prepares for a state visit in September.

Issuing such sanctions against China would show a drastic expansion of the United States government’s response to increased “cyber-economic espionage” committed by Chinese hackers. Officials allege that such hackers have stolen secrets from every industry, including the government. The issuance of sanctions would come at a precarious time as China’s President, Xi Jinping, is set to visit President Obama next month.

In addition to cyber attacks, there are several other issues that exist between the world’s two largest economies. China’s recent devaluation of its currency is one major issue. However, despite their disagreements, the two countries also have deep trade ties. Imposing tough sanctions on China is not something the United States takes lightly.

In fact, if the United States imposes the expected sanctions, it will be the first time it does so under Obama’s April executive order stating that the President “find[s] that the increasing prevalence and severity of malicious cyber-enabled activities originating from, or directed by persons located, in whole or in substantial part, outside the United States constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. [He] hereby declare[s] a national emergency to deal with this threat.”

The order authorizes the government “to freeze financial and property assets of, and bar commercial transactions with, individuals and entities overseas who engage in destructive attacks or commercial espionage in cyberspace.”

When questioned, a White House official stated that, “As the president said when signing the executive order enabling the use of economic sanctions against malicious cyber actors, the administration is pursuing a comprehensive strategy to confront such actors. That strategy includes diplomatic engagement, trade policy tools, law enforcement mechanisms, and imposing sanctions on individuals or entities that engage in certain significant, malicious cyber-enabled activities.”

China is responsible for the vast majority of cyber attacks committed against the United States.

As pointed out by another White House official, the expected sanctions will “send a signal to Beijing that the administration is going to start fighting back on economic espionage and it sends a signal to the private sector that we’re on your team. It tells China, enough is enough.”

Essentially, most important and reputable financial institutions refuse to do business with individuals sanctioned by the United States. Therefore, as pointed out by analyst Zachary Goldman, those affected by the sanctions “will effectively be put out of business.” He further stated that “any company that’s been targeted under this authority will likely find it very difficult to participate in the international financial sector.”

While some experts warn that imposing such sanctions against China are risky and that China may retaliate, others feel that it must be done. As sanctions alone will likely not change China’s behavior, one official stated that, “Done in tandem with other diplomatic pressure, law enforcement, military, intelligence, then you can actually start to impose costs and indicate that there are costs to the bilateral relationship.”

Study Finds Earth Is Just A Breath Away From A ‘Perfect Storm’ That Would Take Down All The World’s Electronics

Culture

According to a recent scientific study, the chance of Earth being impacted by a “super solar storm” is far greater than originally thought. Specifically, a study conducted by astronomers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of California, Berkeley determined that two major 2015 solar storms were most likely related to the largest solar storm ever recorded.

Said storm occurred on July 23rd, 2012 and produced a number of solar “ejections” that was the most powerful type of solar flare event in both intensity and scale.

According to scientists, the storm missed the earth by a very small margin – and thus the worst blackout in modern history did not happen. Had the 2012 storm hit Earth, it would have changed society by wiping out power and satellites that control finances, military communications and so much more.

In fact, satellites are essential to modern day life. They are so essential that governments across Earth have drafted contingency plans for how to cope if and when these satellites ever lose power and go offline. Not only do satellites enable the global markets to continue operating, they enable the emergency and defense systems of nations, they provide GPS global navigation services for the majority of transportation systems and they supply modern manufacturing, agriculture and logistics chains that supply virtually everything people consume.

Scientists reassured governments and the public that since events like the 2012 storm are incredibly rare, we should not worry about another recurrence for a very long time. Specifically, astronomers determined that a number of perfectly timed conditions must be met in order for a “perfect storm” like the 2012 storm to occur.

However, a new study – conducted by the same scientists – reveals that they may have grossly underestimated the rareness of such solar storms. The study was published in the Astrophysical Journal and reports that, “The ‘perfect storm’ scenario may not be as rare as the phrase implies.”

The new concerns raised by the scientists are based on two solar storms that occurred in the spring and summer of this year. These solar flares were seen by people across the globe and the storm resulted in temporary disruptions to radio transmissions over the Pacific Ocean. The researchers, led by Chinese astronomer Liu Ying, determined that while the 2015 storms were not as severe as the 2012 storm, they still contained bad news. Basically, a process of combination flares may be occurring, similar to the 2012 storms.

Therefore, the rarity of these storms may not be so rare after all. The researchers warn that a majorly severe “super solar storm” was something the public “should worry about, because complex events [such as the storms occurring earlier in 2015] are common.”

Fierce Competition Forces Tesla To Seek Political Intervention On Chinese Electric Car Policies

Finance

Electric automaker Tesla is putting pressure on the White House to intercede on behalf of United States carmakers during a formal visit by Chinese leader Xi Jinping in September.

China forbids foreign carmakers from building vehicles in the nation without a local business partner. Chinese carmakers do not face such restrictions in the United States.

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Tesla spokesman Ricardo Reyes said, “China-owned companies are not expected to sell controlling stakes to American companies and are free from other trade hurdles that we face [in China].”

He added, “The requirement that Tesla establish a joint venture for local manufacturing and other obstacles to our activities, such as much higher import duties in China compared to the United States, put American car companies at a significant disadvantage.”

Though Tesla has had some accomplishments in China – with one enthusiastic fan building his own charging network across the nation – the organization has faced amplified rivalry in recent months from many Chinese-supported electric car startups. The new depreciation of the yuan against the United States dollar also makes it more costly to import vehicles from Tesla’s California branch to China.

Chinese smartphone maker and film streaming firm LeTV declared earlier this year that it is making a smart electric car. The organization has poached many engineers from U.S. carmakers, including Tesla. It joins Chinese companies Geely, BYD, Kandi, Foxconn and a host of others looking to enter the space.

Tycoon Elon Musk’s corporation is also facing rivalry closer to home. Wanxiang Group of China bought Californian electric car manufacturer Fisker Automotive out of insolvency in 2014 and is presently gearing up to resume production. Japanese automakers Nissan and Toyota have both unveiled electric cars, joining GM with the Chevy Volt.

In short, competition is tough and Tesla knows it. Anything it can do to catch a break seems like a prudent business decision.

Barack Obama is set to meet Xi in Washington in next month, the first formal state visit by the Chinese president, who met Obama in Sunnyvale, California in 2013 for an informal meeting soon after winning the presidency.

Economic matters are expected to dominate the program, predominantly Beijing’s depreciation of the yuan and its insistent involvement in the stock markets.

Obama has also vowed to talk to Xi on cyber security and Chinese hacking of U.S governmental agencies and businesses. Specialists have called for the U.S. leader to openly threaten the Great Firewall internet restriction apparatus as a method to prevent future Chinese cyber attacks.

India Joins EU, Canada In Launching Antitrust Investigation Of Google’s Business Practices

Finance

The Competition Commission of India (“CCI”), an agency equivalent to the United States Federal Trade Commission, is the latest such body to raise questions regarding the business practices of Google.

Specifically, the CCI has received complaints, corroborated by legitimate companies including Facebook, Flipkart and MakeMy-Trip.com, that Google has abused its extremely dominant market position by “rigging” its search results based on the amount of money paid by sponsors.

The CCI solicited responses from 30 businesses spanning a number of websites including social networks, travel and search sites. The companies’ responses led the CCI director-general to file an official report accusing Google of rigging search outcomes, both actual search results and the sponsored links. While other nations have discussed antitrust claims against Google, India’s formal action marks the first international case where an antitrust agency brought such claims against the company.

A few Indian companies, as well as Microsoft, made an extensive submission to the CCI regarding the Internet leading search engine’s alleged “abuse of power.” Thereafter the CCI filed its report.

As a result of the filing by the CCI, Google has until September 10th to file a response. Seven days following Google’s submission, a hearing will be held before the CCI’s seven members, led by Chairman Ashok Chawla. Like other cases, several hearings may be held before the CCI renders a decision, which is appealable to India’s Supreme Court.

According to CCI process and procedures, if it determines Google is guilty of the charges, it may request that the company changes its business practices. It may also impose a fine for up to 10% of Google’s net income. To put this in perspective, in 2014, Google earned a net income of greater than $14 billion on over $66 billion in revenue. The CCI may also impose personal penalties against head Google executives.

In response to these allegations, a Google spokesman issued a statement that, “[Google is] currently reviewing this report from the CCI’s ongoing investigation. [Google continues] to work closely with the CCI and remain confident that [it] compl[ies] fully with India’s competition laws. Regulators and courts around the world, including the US, Germany, Taiwan, Egypt and Brazil, have looked into and found no concerns on many of the issues raised in this report.”

The CCI’s report has alleged that Google is liable on two fronts: 1) that Google’s proprietary (i.e., sponsored) content supersedes the actual relevance of a user’s search; and 2) that Google’s sponsored links are essentially listed in order of the amount of money that a sponsor pays to Google. This means that sometimes the sponsored link appears higher up in the search results than the websites of the actual trademarks of a company.

As part of the CCI’s report, Google’s practice of modifying its search algorithms without informing the users searching for results violates fair trade regulations. The report states that, “As a result of Google’s policy, it is unavoidable for the trademark owners to participate and outbid third parties in the auction process for their ads to appear above others in response to search queries on their own trademark keywords.”

Around the globe, Google is dealing with similar, informal claims. In response to questions raised by the United States Fair Trade Commission, Google voluntarily changed some of its business practices. Similarly, Google changed some of its practices in response to inquiries raised by the European Commission (“EC”). However, the EC has raised some objections which will now need to be presented for hearing.

Depending of the findings reached by the CCI, it may affect the way trade commissions around the world deal with Google and certainly adds to the mounting set of litigation and inquiries faced by the search juggernaut.

Trump, Carson Dominating Iowa While Bush Falls Further Behind

News

The outsider Republican duo of Donald Trump and Ben Carson are in the lead for the Republican ticket against a field of seasoned politicians. The two led the pack with double digit margins against the other competitors for the GOP ticket and were also viewed as more favorable.

Analysts are now wondering whether it’s as good as certain that either of the two will win the ticket.

According to a new survey by Ann Selzer, where 400 likely Iowa republican Caucus goers were polled from Aug. 23 to Aug. 26, billionaire Donald Trump has a commanding lead over the rest of his competition. Trump polled in at an impressive 23 percent, the clear winner of the survey conducted on behalf of Bloomberg and the Des Moines Register.

Next on the survey was retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson with 18 percent of the vote. The two were the only candidates with double digit figures. The rest of the Republican hopefuls that included current and former governors and senators were in the single digits.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker were all third with 8 percent each. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush came in fourth with 6 percent. He had tied with fellow Floridian current senator Marco Rubio.

Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee drew 4 percent each. Ohio governor john Kasich tied with Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal with 2 percent each.

The poll also took into account the hopefuls’ favorability rankings. In these rankings, the non politicians fared even better. Carson led the pack with 79 percent favorability, followed closely by former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina with 64 percent. Trump pulled in a close third with 61 percent.

Bush, whose campaign team has raised over $100 million through affiliated PACs, has a big problem in the favorability department. Only 49 percent of those polled saw him favorably against 50 percent who have a negative opinion towards him.

Others at the bottom of the favorability index were Christie had 59 percent while Rand Paul, whose father almost won Iowa in 2012, had 49 percent.

Trump has been going on strong in polls heading to the end of summer. Analysts had predicted that his rankings would gradually go down but it seems they are moving in the opposite direction; upwards. Will this mark the onset of non politician leadership?

After 15 Year Battle India Finally Wins The War On Tetanus

Entertainment News

A year after seemingly eradicating polio, India has attained another public health success. Following a 15-year crusade, the nation has practically eradicated tetanus as a killer of mothers and newborns.

The illness, caused by a bacterium ordinarily found in animal dung and soil, typically infects newborn babies when the umbilical cord is slashed with an unclean blade. Mothers often get the illness by giving birth on unclean surfaces or being assisted by midwives with dirty hands.

The illness — also recognized as lockjaw, after its muscle tremor — typically sets in about seven days after a birth and is invariably deadly if not treated promptly. Fifteen years ago, the World Health Organization approximated that 800,000 newborn babies died of tetanus every year; now less than 50,000 do.

But the attempt to eradicate tetanus has moved slowly. The World Health Assembly — the yearly meeting of the ministers of health in Geneva — initially set 1995 as the target date for global eradication of the health hazard.

According to Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, the director of the W.H.O.’s Southeast Asia region, unlike smallpox or polio, tetanus can never be eliminated because bacterial spores live in soil universally.

India has lessened cases to about one per 1,000 healthy births, which the World Health Organization considers “elimination as a public health problem.” The nation succeeded through a mixture of efforts.

In vaccination campaigns, millions of women received tetanus injections, which also cares for babies for weeks.

Women who were resolute about giving birth at home, per native custom, were given kits with antiseptic soap, a clean synthetic sheet, and a disinfected blade and synthetic clamp for cutting and fastening the cord.

The nation also created an agenda under which women were given up to $21 to give birth in a hospital or a clinic. “Lady health workers” from their area were given $9 and up to $4 for taxi fare to make sure mothers in labor went to hospitals. The employees earned the whole amount after visiting each baby and administering tuberculosis shots.

The multi-pronged strategy has not been easy but it has been effective. While there still instances of tetanus it is no longer considered to be a public health crisis in the country of 1.25 billion people.

Netherlands Cracks Down On Illegal Immigrants As Refugee Crisis Sweeps Europe

Entertainment News

The Netherlands may soon implement a stricter asylum policy as anti-immigration sentiment grows amid the Syrian refugee crisis hitting Europe. Those individuals who are deemed not to be “asylum seekers” will be limited to a few weeks of accommodation in shelters if they do not agree to return to their countries of origin.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte stated that it would be “crazy” to offer permanent shelter to those refusing to leave, saying, “We are talking about the group that can go back, whose governments would take them back, but they don’t want to go back.”

Local governments responsible for operating shelters have criticized the idea, fearing a drastic increase in homelessness come November if the policy is implemented.

The country’s welfare system is beginning to strain under increasing demands from the immigrant population and anti-Muslim sentiments have grown. England and Finland have similarly restrictive policies, but Europe in general has not had to deal with the majority of asylum seekers fleeing the war in Syria.

Turkey has committed to accommodating nearly 2 million Syrian refugees in a country of only 75 million. Following the start of the Syrian civil war, only 10.6 million have not been displaced from a population of over 22 million. Some 4 million have fled the country since 2011, with many going to Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, and Jordan.

Lebanon has also displayed anti-immigrant sentiment, fueled in part by fallout from the country’s civil war between 1975 and 1990. A major cause of that war is considered to be the huge influx of Palestinian refugees following the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, which drastically changed the country’s demographics.

These displaced populations are at high risk for radicalization, with limited access to schools and employment in their host countries. Falling donations to the neighboring countries that have been harboring refugees are now at less than half of the $4.5 billion per year that is currently needed.

Turkey is currently the largest donor of refugee aid, having spent $6 billion, with the U.S. in second at $4 billion. The threat of ISIS will likely rise as the millions of refugees across the Middle East and Europe continue to languish amid declining options to improve their situation.

Researchers In Europe Just Made A Major Breakthrough By Linking Three Specific Behaviors To Suicide Attempts

Health & Wellness

Depressed people with risky behaviors are 50 per cent more likely to try committing suicide, a new study shows. Global rates of suicides are increasing. Through the research, psychiatrists established a pattern of risky habits indicating a high likelihood of a depressed person attempting suicide.

Research conducted by the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ENCP) surveyed 2,811 patients previously diagnosed with depression, of whom 628 had attempted suicide. The researcher examined the medical records, family, previous suicide attempts and the patients’ scores on the Global Assessment of Functioning scale.

What researchers were focusing on were the patterns in habits that led to a suicide attempt. Researchers said that from looking at the results, “certain patterns recur” just before suicide attempts.”

Researchers indicated suicide was 50 per cent more likely if depressed patients expressed: “risky behavior” like reckless driving and promiscuity, “psychomotor agitation” such as pacing about rooms and “impulsivity” defined as doing things with “little or no forethought, reflection, or consideration of the consequences.”
Dr. Dina Popovic, lead author of the study said, “We found that ‘depressive mixed states’ often preceded suicide attempts. A depressive mixed state is where a patient is depressed, but also has symptoms of ‘excitation’, or mania.”

The research also indicated that the traditional standard mental health criteria dictated by DSM did not necessarily lead to a comprehensive diagnosis on likelihood of suicide.

Popovic said, “The standard DSM criteria identified 12 percent of patients at showing mixed states, whereas our methods showed 40 percent of at-risk patients. This means that the standard methods are missing a lot of patients at risk of suicide.”

The report goes on to warn that should a depressed person display any of these habits, their guardians or care takers should immediately remove them from their means of suicide like guns, pills or rope and immediately offer strong social community.

According to Popovic, “This is an important message for all clinicians, from the GPs who see depressed patients and may not pay enough attention to these symptoms, which are not always reported spontaneously by the patients. The strength of this study is that it’s not a clinical trial, with ideal patients — it’s a big study, from the real world.”

World Health Organization estimates that 800,000 suicides occurred globally in 2012. To save more people from taking their own lives, it is important that proper measures are taken to monitor the depressed. Immediately the aforementioned habits are spotted, response should be adequate and assuring.