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Mayor Who Ran Town Entirely Using WhatsApp On The Run After Accusations Of Embezzlement

Entertainment News

In another prominent case of political corruption in South America, the mayor of a small Brazilian town who ran the city using Whatsapp is on the run after she was accused for embezzlement.

The 25 year old Lidiane Leite was the mayor of Bom Jardim, a tiny town in the state of Maranhao in the northeastern region of Brazil. The population is approximately 35,000. Leite was elected as mayor in 2012 after her boyfriend at the time, Beto Rocha, was banned from running for the office because of corruption. Unfortunately, the corruption did not end with Rocha.

Once Leite was elected, she appointed Rocha as her top adviser. She then moved to Sao Luis, the capital of Maranhao – 170 miles away from Bom Jardin. From that distance, she performed her mayoral duties using a mobile app known as WhatsApp. The app is a mobile messaging program which allows users to exchange messages without having to pay for a normal simple messaging system (“SMS”). She simply sent messages to her cabinet through the messaging system, thereby “running” the town remotely.

As if that was not bad enough, Leite is now under a federal investigation for embezzling funds that were supposed to be used for the town’s education system. The investigation, named Operation Eden, discovered that approximately $4 million that was set aside for Bom Jardim’s school system was unaccounted for. After further investigation, federal authorities allege that Leite and Rocha stole the funds. Leite is now on the run and an arrest warrant has been issued for her arrest. A new mayor was sworn in over the weekend, promising to aggressively support a complete investigation into the missing funds and Leite’s involvement.

A local judge has confirmed that he will seek an international arrest warrant for Leite if she does not turn herself in by Tuesday. Leite’s attorney, Carlos Barros stated that, “[Leite] was too young and inexperienced when she took office. She lacked confidence and delegated many tasks to Mr. Rocha.”

Whoever was beyond the the embezzlement, the fact is that Bom Jardim’s school system has been left in a complete mess. The schools were already in trouble before their funds went missing. Now, the system has collapsed and teachers are not receiving compensation.

Hillary Clinton’s Popularity Is Dropping Fast In Iowa While Bernie Sanders’ Is Surging

News

Bernie Sanders is fast catching up to Hillary Clinton and could just beat her, according to a new poll from Iowa. The Vermont senator has seen his favorability and polling figures rise tremendously in the state since earlier in the year as Clinton’s continue to drop. Analysts have predicted the trend my signal another overtaking of Clinton, much like what happened in 2008.

In a poll released on Saturday, conducted by Ann Selver for Bloomberg and the Des Moines Register, 404 likely Democratic caucus goers were surveyed on their choice for Democratic presidential candidate.

Results revealed that while Clinton remained in the lead with 37 percent, Sanders had gained incredible ground, polling in at 30 percent.

The results indicate that Clinton has lost ground in Iowa, and up to a third of her support base has fled. This is the very first instance Clinton has fallen behind the majority in an Iowa poll. Analysts say if the trend continues, Clinton could lose out on one of the key crucibles in the run up to the democratic Presidential ticket.

Clinton’s favorability ratings have also received a beating. In the poll, 77 percent of caucus goers had a favorable view of her against 19 percent who did not. In June, the figures were at 88 percent for and 10 percent against.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders’ favorability has increased from just 37 percent in January to 73 percent in the recent poll, sparked by an increased liking by first time caucus goers.

Selzer said of the poll results, “This feels like 2008 all over again.” She was referring to the Democratic match up between then senator Barrack Obama and Clinton where though Clinton had enjoyed a solid lead, Obama capitalized on first time caucus goers and young voters. By November, he was in the lead.

According to Democratic strategist Steve McMahon, “These numbers would suggest that she can be beaten. But it’s still early, and Hillary Clinton’s done this before. She knows what it takes to win.”

Vice President Joe Biden, who has not formally announced his candidature, was third with 14 percent. Other Democratic candidates including former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley, former Rhode Island governor Lincoln Chafee and former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb could not get 5 percent of the vote.

Clinton may be in the lead but her competition is not lying on their laurels waiting for her to be handed an easy ticket. The Democratic frontrunner needs to step up her efforts to win and win convincingly in Iowa, lest she get struck by Iowa’s lightning the second time.

Spain Just Saw A Spate Of Bullfighting Deaths And People Now Want To Ban The Sport Completely

Entertainment News

The body count of matadors gored to death by raging bulls inside Spain’s infamous bullfighting rings is climbing at an unprecedented rate, causing many to see it as the end of the bloody sport.

Crazed matadors and giant bulls have dueled to death in Spain’s rings for centuries. However, never has the hand of death been so unfavorable to humans as in the recent months. Authorities are now being urged to ban the sport completely.

Francisco Rivera Ordonez is the latest casualty in what has been a summer of civilian death at the horns of enraged bulls. The matador, who for decades had been earning a living professionally in the bullfighting rings as his father had done 30 years before him, was gored by a 450 kilogram bull before thousands on Aug. 10.

During their duel, the bull’s 30 centimeter horn edged itself into Ordonez’s abdomen, sending him unconscious to the ground. Onlookers were horrified by the scene. Ordonez was quickly rushed to hospital for treatment.

Opponents of the popular sport have viewed Ordonez’s goring as a harsh reminder as to why the sport should be banned completely. Though doctors say he will survive, other have not been so lucky.

Every summer, Spanish cities are rife with the festival of “corrida” or the running of bulls. The bulls are chased around town before being guided to the rings where they are dispatched before thousands with swords and banderillas.

The sport has drawn many curious spectators and resulted in the slaughtering of thousands of bulls; 7,200 last year alone. However this year the tide has turned. Over the last two months, eight matadors have been gored to death by the bulls inside the fighting rings. Close to half a dozen others have been seriously maimed.

“The beginning of the end of bullfighting?” read the headlines of one newspaper El Diario, after Ordonez’ss maiming. Already two Spanish cities have banned the sport; Catalonia and the Canary Islands. A record 200,000 Catalonians signed a petition requesting the ban of the sport.

Animal rights activists are joining the fray, calling for the banning of the sport that “tortures” animals for amusement.

Ernest Hemingway, in his book “Death in the Afternoon” labeled the tradition “a decadent art in every way.” Hemingway said a matador “must have a spiritual enjoyment of the moment of killing. Killing cleanly and in a way which gives you esthetic pleasure and pride has always been one of the greatest enjoyments of a part of the human race.”

Bullfighting is a tradition that has been termed barbaric and belonging to the middle age. Through torturing bulls and spearing them till they fall, Spanish townspeople derive great joy and a sense of the vibrancy of their culture. However, as the casualties continue to increase, the tradition could be fast approaching its end.

Thai Police Arrest Bombing Suspect Carrying Over 200 Forged Passports

Entertainment News

Thai police have arrested a “foreign” suspect allegedly behind the Aug. 17 bombings that rocked the country’s capital Bangkok. The arrest of the suspect offers Thai authorities an opportunity to get to the bottom the bombings that claimed the lives of dozens.

Thai police on Saturday said they had made an arrest of a suspect believed to be behind the recent bombings in Erawan Shrine. Police reported to making the arrest after raiding the suspect’s apartment and finding him in possession of over 200 passports and bomb making material.

Initial reports indicated that the suspect was found holding several detonators and metallic pipes believed to have been for another bomb.

Although the authorities declined to reveal the suspect’s name, he has been described as “foreigner” who knows a little English but no Thai. The police now believe he was part of an illegal immigrant ring that provided passports to migrants. All the passports found were from one country which was not named.

Thai Police Spokesman Prawuth Thavornsiri said, “He is not cooperating much. From our preliminary investigation, we think he isn’t telling us the truth. He told us how he entered Thailand but we don’t believe everything he says.”

The Aug. 17 bombings took place outside the populous Erawan Shrine dedicated to the worship of Indian gods. The explosion claimed 20 lives and seriously injured 120 more.

Following the days of the attack, no group claimed responsibility for it. Prawuth said on Sunday that the arrested suspect was a member of “an illegal network that sends people who don’t have passports to third countries.” He added that the bombings were revenge on a recent government crackdown on illegal immigration.

He police spokesman said, “The police chief thinks it’s personal revenge, anger from a group that is not happy with the work of officials, that we have arrested some of his people. We have been very strict about getting rid of fake passports.”

Thavornsiri said, “From our preliminary checks, he is related to both bombings. We believe he is a culprit in the same network.”

The suspect will be arraigned in court to answer charges for possession of unauthorized explosives. He is currently under military custody.

The Erawan bombings marked a dark day for Thailand, a country mired with religious tension and political unrest. Thai police have acted brilliantly in arresting the suspect and allowing for the law to take its course.

Thai police announced on Monday that they will pocket the $84,000 reward that had been offered for information about the bombing suspects.

Christie Joins Immigration Debate With Scheme To Track Illegals ‘Like Fedex’

News

GOP Presidential candidate Chris Christie has proposed the tracking of immigrants with trackers the same way Fedex tracks packages. The governor joins the GOP field in taking a hardline stance on the contentious issue of immigration.

The New Jersey Gov. said he would crack down on illegal immigration by having them wear a tracker similar to the one Fedex used to track packages on the go. The Republican presidential candidate said he would request Fedex chief executive, Frederick W. Smith, to help with the tracking devices.

Christie told a Laconia, New Hampshire crowd, “At any moment, FedEx can tell you where that package is. It’s on the truck. It’s at the station. It’s on the airplane. Yet we let people come to this country with visas, and the minute they come in, we lose track of them.”

He went on to say, “We need to have a system that tracks you from the moment you come in.”
There are an estimated 11 million immigrants living in the U.S. Christie reported that over 40 per cent of illegal immigrants were allowed in the U.S. with visas and then went on to stay much longer than was expected.

Christie said, “However long your visa is, then we go get you. We tap you on the shoulder and say, ‘Excuse me. Thanks for coming. Time to go.’ ”

The Fedex system tracks packages with a barcode that can be read and tracked at very points.
Christie was forced to defend his statement later on as opponents termed the idea “ridiculous.” Speaking to FOX news on Sunday, the governor clarified, “I don’t mean people are packages, so let’s not be ridiculous.”

Governor Christie was forced to make his stand known on immigration following the issue taking center stage at the run up to the 2016 presidential elections.

Billionaire Republican Donald Trump said he would build a wall along U.S.’s border with Mexico and force the Mexican government to pay for it while deporting all the 11 million illegal immigrants. Wisconsin Gov. Mike Huckabee said on NBC’s “Meet The Press” that he was open to building a wall along the U.S. Canadian border.

Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton has taken the opposite stance and promised immigrants citizenship if she won the presidency in 2016.

Immigration has been thrust center stage and voters are getting to listen to various accounts of how the presidential hopefuls would deal with the 11 million migrants resident in the U.S. It remains to be seen whether some of the ideas proposed would ever be put in place given most so far are rather extreme on one side of the issue or another.

Obama Decides To Change The Name Of North America’s Highest Mountain

News

In yet another act of Presidential ‘legacy building’, Barack Obama announced over the weekend he’s decided to change the name of the tallest peak in North America from Mount McKinley to Denali.

The news comes on the eve of a historic presidential visit to Alaska. Denali is the term for the mountain used by Native Americans in Alaska.

The Athabascan word Denali means “the high one.” Alaskans have informally called the 20,320 foot mountain Denali for years and the name Mount McKinley has long been a sore spot for residents of the state.

The mountain is currently named after former President William McKinley. While there have been several campaigns by Alaskan politicians to officially name it Denali, efforts by politicians from McKinley’s home state of Ohio have thus far thwarted the name change.

Obama, in what is becoming increasingly common for Presidents, is unilaterally seeing to the name change, citing the Interior Department’s authority over the matter.

Obama begins his three-day visit to Alaska on Monday with the stated aim of focusing attention on climate change.

China Hopes To Curb Pollution By Allowing More Cars On Its Roads

Culture

China has passed curious new legislation amending the nation’s Air Pollution Control Law (APCL) by adding restrictions to various forms of smog while lifting civilian vehicle bans. The decision will implement a standard for gasoline quality as well as improved requirements for coal quality yet it remains unclear whether it will materially change pollution levels in the country.

China has developed a growing epidemic of pollution issues in recent decades as the modernization of its economy has progressed alongside a lax approach to environmental and safety regulations.

While the goal of the new legislation is to improve the situation, there are material concerns with lifting the long-held ban on civilian vehicles.

Other measures of the bill include bans on toxic pesticides in densely populated areas and the placement of remote sensors near streets to verify emission levels. These sensors will be designed to measure carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and carbon hydrate.

The new amendment comes in the wake of one of the worst industrial accidents in the nation’s history after a warehouse in Tianjin caught fire and exploded, causing hundreds of casualties and an ongoing cleanup effort.

Corruption among enforcement officials is widespread, so whether the new amendment will lead to concrete changes in policy remains to be seen. The Tianjin incident was a direct result of this atmosphere, with numerous violations of hazardous materials storage regulations.

China seems to have more of a problem with enforcement than with safety laws, lax as they may be.

The new legislation aims to provide greater transparency regarding environmental regulations by making public the results of environmental assessments.

Prior to the recent amendment, civilians were required to refrain from driving their vehicles on certain days in an effort to control smog. A temporary ban on half of the vehicles in Beijing is currently in place, however, in order to control smog levels in the lead up to the WWII 70th anniversary victory parade on September 3rd. Such bans are frequent in the highly polluted capital city.

Because a large portion of China’s competitive advantage in the world is due to the poor environmental and safety of its industries, the gradual improvements in this area can only serve to weaken these advantages. This phenomenon is not unique to China, but is often cited as one of the drivers of America’s disappearing middle class. It remains unclear how this will play out in the future, as China’s ruling Communist Party is fond of grand legislative reforms that do little to curb actual offenses, particularly if they hinder economic growth.

Jeb Bush Loses His Three Top Fundraisers, Yet May Still Only Have A ‘How To Spend It’ Problem

News

Three of Jeb Bush’s top fundraisers have quit his presidential campaign team under unclear circumstances in a shocking move that raises fresh doubts about Bush’s viability as a presidential candidate.

The race for the Republican presidential ticket is gaining momentum and deep pockets are gradually separating the top contenders from the rest of the field. Just how will their exit have an effect on the former governor’s bid for the White House?

Kris Money, Debbie Aleksander and Trey McCarley, announced they had formally quit Jeb Bush’s team on Saturday. The three Florida based fundraisers said they left voluntarily, and that they would still be working with Bush’s Super PAC, the Right to Rise SuperPAC.

The three did not respond to questioning about their exit. However Miller did say, “Governor Bush has the widest and deepest fundraising operation of any candidate in the field. Ann Herberger — a longtime aide with more than two decades of experience in state and national politics — will continue to lead the operation in Florida with our team in Miami.”

Different reports have emerged from Bush’s team explaining the exit of the three. One source attributed their exit to personality conflicts within the team. The conflicts were allegedly with regard to Heather Larrison, Bush’s finance director, whom many have described as being a shouter and difficult to work with.

Other accounts narrowed down to Money saying he was a haughty and carried a donate-or-else high handedness to potential contributors.

One campaigner said, “They were glad to go. This wasn’t a shock to anybody. There were just some personality problems. It happens when you have a big organization like this, a big campaign. Some of the national people are tough to work for.”

The three had crafted an image for themselves in Florida Republican circles. Aleksander was a long standing active member of Bush’s administration during his time as governor. Money is very close to Republican former House Speaker Will Weatherford and McCarley was part of Commissioner Adam Putner’s team.

The exit of the three leaves a huge gap in Bush’s Florida team. His campaign managers have moved with pace to try and fill the gap by recruiting Meredith O’ Rouke. Meredith has earned a reputation for being one of the top fundraisers in Florida. She was previously aligned with Chris Christie before leaving in July.

Republican frontrunner Donald Trump seized the opportunity to throw jibes at one of his rivals. He took to Twitter and joked, “Wow, Jeb Bush just lost three of his top fundraisers – they quit!”

The exit of the three fundraisers will mean a gap in Bush’s donation raising efforts in Florida. However, the son of and brother to former presidents may not be faced with liquidity problems for his campaign, maybe only on how to spend. According to one campaign consultant, “Jeb might not have a fundraiser problem. He might have a spending problem.”

NASA Chief Calls Out Congress For Bashing Russia Yet Forcing NASA To Pay Millions For Rides Into Space

News

While congress and the Obama administration talk tough about Russia and impose a wide range of sanctions on leader Vladimir Putin and his inner cadre, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden this week called out American politicians for talking tough yet refusing to put their money where their mouth is.

Bolden told congress this week NASA is tired of relying on the Russians to carry American astronauts into space, a need which has arisen because Congress continues to defund NASA programs to put Americans into orbit.

The result is also hundreds of millions of American dollars going directly to Russia.

The United States currently must pay for spots on Russia’s Soyuz rockets, which are the only method for ferrying people to the International Space Station (ISS). The White House decided to retire the Space Shuttle early in 2004 after the Columbia disaster, leaving Americans unable to access space since the final shuttle mission in 2011.

While NASA, which has suffered under heavy budget cuts for years, plans to replace the Space Shuttle with the Space Launch System (SLS) and the Orion spacecraft, the project is severely behind schedule due to continually decreasing funding. The project isn’t expected to fly until 2020 and will more than likely be delayed beyond 2025, meaning America will be without manned space access for nearly 15 years.

Bolden, showing increasing desperation in wanting to deliver a world class program yet having insufficient funding to do so, published an op-ed Friday in Wired titled “Congress, Don’t Make Us Hitch Rides With Russia. Love, NASA.” In the letter Bolden made the case to Congress for funding the Commercial Crew program, a partnership between NASA and private companies to put astronauts into low earth orbit from American soil.

“Just recently, NASA was left with no other choice but to write a $490 million check to our Russian counterparts so that we can get our own astronauts to the Space Station,” Bolden stated. “It doesn’t have to be this way.”

Bolden’s job has turned from head scientist and program administrator to beggar-in-chief.

Earlier this month Congress set U.S. launches back two years because of inadequate funding, and with it forced NASA to beg for money to buy more rides on Russian rockets.

Both programs require money yet congress is increasingly unwilling to fund anything space related, unless its part of the military.

That decision comes at a time when Russia, China and India are investing heavily in their publicly funded space programs and putting the American space program to shame.

“It’s as if we keep ordering expensive takeout because we haven’t yet set up our own kitchen — only, in this case, the takeout meals are costing us hundreds of millions of dollars,” Bolden wrote.

He added that “Space travel is complex, but this choice is simple: Do we invest in ourselves — in our businesses, our ingenuity, our people — or do we choose instead to send our tax-dollars to Russia?”

Failure To Strike Training Camps Raises Serious Doubts About Pentagon’s ISIS Strategy

News

As the Obama administration continues to tout the success of its airstrike campaign against ISIS, intelligence officials contend that the strength of the group has actually been growing. Failure to attack ISIS training camps in order to avoid possible civilian casualties has allowed the group to more than offset its losses on the battlefield with new recruits, posing a tricky problem for defense planners.

The camps are spread throughout Iraq and Syria and have had such success that ISIS leadership is considering opening more camps in Libya and Yemen. They’re also actively expanding in Europe, as we profiled here. Not only do these facilities allow for fresh reinforcements for the group, but also open the possibility of fighters returning to their home countries to initiate attacks there.

The main targets of the airstrikes to date have been conventional in nature: tanks, vehicles, and weapons factories. A recent offensive in August was able to eliminate ISIS’s second in command, Fadhil Ahmad al-Hayali, and the fight has extended beyond the air campaign, with efforts to disrupt the group’s financial resources as well.

When questioned about the failure to bomb the camps, Pentagon spokesman Major Roger Cabiness declined to offer new information.

Pursuing the air campaign has allowed Obama to tow a line between engagement and not initiating another open-ended conflict. As a means of justifying its ISIS strategy, recent reports have stated that senior officials pressured intelligence analysts to alter their estimates of the strength of ISIS, portraying it as weaker than evidence has shown, which has led to an embarrassing full investigation of U.S. Central Command.

A U.S. Central Command report also showed that no attacks against training camps have been made since last year, in contradiction of administration claims.

Brigadier General Thomas Weidley, who is in charge of the operation, confirmed the conventional nature of the offensive, “When [ISIS] terrorists expose themselves and their equipment, we will strike them.”

The Obama administration has long desired to distance itself from the unpopular Middle East conflicts started by the prior administration. Engaging in an air campaign has also allowed administration officials to make the claim that no “boots on the ground” have been put in place. Yet fresh questions swirl about just how effective, if at all, this policy is.

It also shows the lengths to which Obama, in his twilight as President, will go to in order to secure his much-touted legacy. Obama wishes to be known as a troop withdrawer not a deployer. Yet by effectively punting and leaving the ISIS problem to the next administration, Obama appears to be putting ego ahead of the needs of America.

Illinois Becomes The First State In The Country To Lock Prescription Pill Bottles

Health & Wellness

Illinois, a state wracked by prescription drug abuse, will become the first state in the nation to test locking devices on some powerful prescription painkillers. The move is an attempt to make it more difficult for people to abuse the drugs.

The locking devices will be similar combination bicycle locks. Under the one-year pilot project, participating pharmacies will lock bottles of painkillers that contain hydrocodone, which is marketed as Vicodin or Norco.

The measure was signed into law by Gov. Bruce Rauner this week and will take effect in 2016.

“Too many Illinoisans become addicted to these powerful medications,” said state Sen. Iris Martinez, one of the sponsors of the bill. “This legislation will help prevent individuals who haven’t obtained a written prescription from using hydrocodone, a dangerous drug when used without a doctor’s supervision.”

Former addict, Nick Gore, addressed lawmakers earlier in the year and called the measure important in preventing abuse.

“I’m pretty hopeful today for the youth who may not get mixed up in this awful disease,” Gore said. “It’s a bold move made by Illinois to set the tone for the rest of the country to follow.”

Yet while the program seems well intentioned it remains to be seen if it will have a measurable impact on the scourge of addiction. Most addicts do not steal one pill at a time, instead either stealing whole bottles or more commonly obtaining prescriptions for the powerful drugs. Many drugs are often purchased from street dealers, making the move to secure individual pill pots well intentioned but perhaps more headline grabbing than truly helpful.

German Teen Slang Sees Angela Merkel’s Name Mean ‘To Do Nothing’

Entertainment News

German teens are using Chancellor Angela Merkel’s name as slang – and it’s not flattering. ‘Merkeln’ is one of the entrants in German dictionary maker Langenscheidt’s, ‘Youth Word of the Year’ contest. The verb, which means “to do nothing, make no decisions, issue no statement”, refers to Angela Merkel’s wait-and-see political approach.

The term is presently leading the pack for this year’s national poll among other phrases created by teenagers such as ‘earthporn’ meaning amazing scenery or ‘smombie’ meaning a person who is so absorbed by his mobile phone that he turns into a zombie-like creature.

For the past seven years the contest has been held by Langenscheidt and it aims at reflecting the sprouting nature of the German language. German citizens can select their preferred word online up to the 31st of October. A panel will then pick the 10 trendiest terms, choose the word of the year and come up with a top-five ranking.

Despite being far from flattering, the word ‘Merkeln’ is seen as a good indication within her political party. At a time when the young people are less and less involved in politics her party takes this as a sign that she has at least managed to capture their interest.

According to Reuters, Angela Merkel is commonly viewed quite positively by Germans and has been asked to run for a fourth term as the country’s chancellor in 2017.

A recent opinion study placed support for Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union and its associate party, the Christian Social Union in Bavaria, at 43 per cent.

Iranian President Urges Country To Not Make Nuclear Deal Legally Binding

Entertainment News

In order to prevent a binding condition on adherence to the recent nuclear deal between Iran and the U.S., president Hassan Rouhani says he opposes a parliamentary vote on the agreement. If the deal were ratified by the legislature, the terms would become legal obligations, a condition Rouhani stated that he wishes to avoid placing upon his country.

The deal is to be voted on soon by a U.S. Congress that has critics from both the Republican and Democrat parties sceptical of the deal.

President Obama has vowed to veto a rejection of the deal by Congress, and similar deals are also moving forward by both the United Nations and European Union. In light of that fact, the Obama administration has warned of the possibility that the U.S. might be left behind the international community if it were to continue a policy of non-engagement with Iran.

Rouhani’s description of the deal as a “political understanding,” characterizes what has been claimed as a landmark achievement by the Obama administration, as a marketing product. Iran would like the worldwide headlines and the lifting of sanctions yet has little will to actually be bound to any agreement.

Rouhani also stated that Iran would implement the terms voluntarily. So-called “snap back” provisions in the deal would allow for U.S. sanctions to be re-implemented if Iran is found to have failed at any of its commitments.

Marketing is of course an important portion of politics, and an advantage of this deal could come in the form of a new asset in the fight against radical Islam. While the U.S. fights a limited war against the Sunni-Islamic group ISIS, a better relationship with predominantly Shia Iran could improve America’s strategic options in the region, which is seeing an increase in clashes between Sunni and Shia Muslims amid the rapid spread of ISIS.

Although Iran is currently subject to a UN arms embargo, Russia has acted against the measure in a recent move to provide delivery of four S-300 air defense missile systems. Previous deals for the S-300 were suspended in 2010 under western pressure, but poor economic conditions in Russia have led to the nation’s decision to move ahead with the deal.

Iran also continues to support the al-Assad regime in Syria, and the Houthi rebellion in Yemen, but U.S. leaders have decided to pursue engagement over isolation in the pursuit of its regional interests. Just how engaged Iran would like to be remains to be seen.

Commuters In The Netherlands Will Soon Have The First 100% Green Rail System

Culture

Dutch commuters will soon have the ability to use one of the most environmentally friendly rail systems in Europe, which will use only electricity generated by wind farms. A new contract between Eneco and VIVENS will bring the portion of electricity provided to rail from wind energy from half up to 100% by 2018.

An account manager with Eneco, Michel Kerkhof, commented on the plan, “What makes this contract and partnership unique is that a whole sector decreases its CO2 footprint enormously and sets an example for other sectors to follow. Mobility is responsible for 20% of CO2 emissions in the Netherlands, and if we want to keep travelling, it is important that we do this without burdening the environment with CO2 and particulate matter. This contract offers all Dutch citizens the option to make a climate neutral trip, regardless of distance.”

Eneco is scheduled to provide 1.4 terawatt-hours per year of electricity for the rail system, which is equivalent to the total energy consumption by all the households in Amsterdam.

In order to proclaim that the rail system is 100% green, Eneco and VIVENS had to carefully select wind farms that were traceable so that the precise source of the power was known.

Promoting green energy worldwide was also a key motivation behind the project, so farms outside the Netherlands were required. A portion of the power will therefore come from Belgium and Scandinavia.

Eneco has pursued a similar initiative with Google by providing its data centers with power from wind farms in Eemshaven, located in the northern part of the country.

The VIVENS group includes Netherlands Railways, which is one of the main players in green energy travel, having cut the energy consumed per mile of travel by 30% since 2005 through improvements in efficiency. In so doing, they have been able to keep ticket prices competitive even though wind energy does cost more to produce than traditional sources.

The move to green energy is more than a nice sentiment for the Dutch. In June a court in The Hague issued a declaration that the Netherlands must cut its emissions by one quarter within five years. The case marked the increasing use of legal channels to compel environmental responsibility.

Such projects are well-suited to Europe, with its extensive network of rail transport. In the U.S., energy sourced from wind and solar has to contend not only with the increased price of these technologies, but also the lack of a suitable electrical grid to transmit the power, thanks to the vast size of the country.

Now That Its A Success, Facebook Promises To Crack Down On Illegal Video Sharing

Finance

Video has been an exceptional tool to reinvent the ageing Facebook, pleasing both its own users and marketers clamoring to show videos ads to its users.

But not everybody has been happy about the quick transition to video and many publishers have been vocally miffed about having their videos stolen and reposted to the massive social network.

But at last, Facebook intends to act. In a blog post Friday the company acknowledged that “we’ve heard from some of our content partners that third parties too frequently misuse their content on Facebook. For instance, publishers have told us that their videos are sometimes uploaded directly to Facebook without their permission.

This practice has been called “freebooting,” and it’s not fair to those who work hard to create amazing videos.

We want creators to get credit for the videos that they own.”

The company says it presently works with Audible Magic to see when someone uploads a video recording that violates someone else’s intellectual property rights. The current system utilizes “audio fingerprinting technology” which can recognize videos via their soundtracks and prevent copied videos from reaching users’ feeds.

The company says it also has reporting tools which enable content makers to file a report if their recording is uploaded without consent.

However, the company says it now understands it can do more to help video makers – and when you reflect on the actuality that 72.5% of the major videos on Facebook are supposedly freebooted pieces – that’s not difficult to believe.

Facebook’s plan is to keep on enhancing the current procedures and system, making it easier and quicker to report contravening content and to keep known violators off its site and also try new approaches.

A group of video makers, including chosen individuals, media organizations and multi-channel producers, will soon be given the chance to beta test an innovative matching technology created in association with Audible Magic which the social networks hopes to cut down the rate of copied videos.

The company seems to be sure about the innovative matching technology, stating that it will “evaluate millions of video uploads quickly and accurately, and when matches are surfaced, publishers will be able to report them to us for removal.”

During the beta stage, the company is hoping to receive comments that will enable it to improve the system yet further.

Sometime in the future, the organization says, the new tool will be made more extensively available. It says, “This is just the beginning. In the long-term, our goal is to provide a comprehensive video management system that fits the needs of our partners. This will take time, but we’re working on it, and we’re committed.”

Jail Sentences For Al Jazeera Journalists Underscore Just How Deeply Egypt Despises Radical Islam

Entertainment News

Egyptian courts have sentenced three journalists to three years jail time for allegedly covering “false” news on the country. The move to jail the three has sparked international condemnation for President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who took over after the military ousted president Mohammed Morsi in 2013.

The crackdown on journalists has been heralded as a return to the dark days for the country that is yet to find stability.

Egyptian courts on Saturday sentenced three journalists: Canadian Mohammed Fahmy, Egyptian producer Baher Mohammed and Australian journalist Peter Greste to three years imprisonment for allegedly broadcasting false news that harmed Egypt. Greste was tried in absentia as he was deported earlier this year.

A number of co defendants accused of working for Al Jazeera also received similar sentences.

The three were arrested in 2013 when the military raided an upmarket hotel at the time used by Al Jazeera to report on the Egyptian revolution. They were consequently charged with being members of the Muslim brotherhood, a group that supported ousted president Morsi.

The three denied the charges but were detained and arraigned in court. At the time, Qatar, which owns news service Al Jazeera, was a huge supporter of Morsi and the Muslim brotherhood.

During their trial, video clips were aired showing an animal hospital with donkeys and later on about Christian life in the country. The defense dismissed the videos as irrelevant, something the courts also held. However, the three were convicted in June 2014. Gretse and Fahmy were handed seven years while Mohammed was handed ten.

The verdict was severely criticized by the international community, leading to Egypt’s Court of Cassation’s order of a retrial. Both Fahmy and Mohammed were released on bail.
Many had thought a retrial would result in the acquittal of the three but as the judgement was read, such was not the case.

Fahmy’s blood brother, Abdel said, “I’m shocked. Terribly shocked. We waited for an acquittal and then found ourselves stuck again in the case. This is illogical.”

Gretse described the sentences as “devastating” before adding, “We did nothing wrong. The prosecution presented no evidence that we did anything wrong and so for us to be convicted as terrorists on no evidence at all is frankly outrageous.”

Al Jazeera termed the ruling as marking a “dark day for the Egyptian judiciary” where “Rather than defend liberty and the free and fair media, the Egyptian judiciary has compromised its own independence.”

Australian authorities expressed “dismay” over the outcome while Canadian officials called for the “immediate return” of Fahmy.

A statement from the EU termed the sentences as a “setback for freedom of expression in Egypt”.

Through sentencing the three journalists, Egypt has shown president al-Sisi’s intolerance to radical Islam and his iron fisted hold of the country’s judiciary.

Thousands Take To The Street Of Malaysia After Prime Minister Steals $700 Million From Development Fund

Entertainment News

Thousands of Malaysians are protesting in the country’s capital of Kuala Lumpur demanding the resignation of their Prime Minister. The demonstrators are upset over alleged financial impropriety. During tough economic conditions the country has absorbed billions in unaccounted for debt while $700 million ended up in the Prime MinisterNajib Razak’s personal account.

Between 50,000 and 80,000 protesters marched to the center of Malaysia’s capital clamoring for the immediate removal of Prime Minister Najib Razak. Protesters were infuriated after reports emerged that Najib had embezzled up to $700 million from the 1Malasyia Development Berhad (1MDB), fund set up to aid the country during the recession. The fund was managed by U.S. bank Goldman Sachs.

The protesters, representing a broad spectrum of Malaysia’s civil society, flocked to the streets of the country’s capital, despite the heavy presence of police. Kuala Lumpur authorities had denied the group a permit to demonstrate, police have labeled the rally illegal and the government has gone as far as completely banning the yellow clothing worn by the protesting crowds.

All these measures did little to quell the angry demonstrators.

The group organizing the demonstrations is called Bersih, which means clean in Malay, remained steadfast despite police resistance. Bersih leader Maria Chin pointed out that the demonstrations were not anti government. She said, “We don’t want to topple the government but we want to topple corrupt politicians.”

The government has admitted to the Prime Minister’s receipt of the money. However, they say the amount was a donation from foreign Middle East allies. Najib has gone on to state that he was not involved in any wrong doing.

Najib has been facing calls to resign from both within and outside his party. A junior member of the premier’s ruling party has even filed a lawsuit against him, asking for information on how the money was spent.

The government has been trying to slow down the pace of the investigations since the embezzlement was reported in late July. Najib fired his attorney general in the days following the revelation and when his deputy prime minister called for investigations, he had him dismissed as well.

Jose Ugaz, Chair of Transparency International, said “It is clear that there is a push by the government to not allow this investigation to go forward.”

He proceeded to say, “It is not really believable that all this huge amount of money came as a donation into the personal bank account of the prime minister. Even if it is true, it is absolutely improper that a prime minister received such an amount of money from a secret source. Donation for what?”

The 1MDB fund was set up in 2009 by Najib as a state investment fund that would transform Malaysia’s economy. However, in 2014, reports that the fund had began missing payments to creditors emerged. Investigators later revealed the fund was actually $11 billion in debt.

Malaysian nationals have been suffering from tough economic conditions presided over by a corrupt regime. Reports that their country owed $11 billion in debt were the last straw for many, who have thronged to the streets demanding change. The protests are expected to continue in the coming days, according to organizers.

Uber Just Poached Two Leading Car Hackers To Help Secure Its Self Driving Cars

Finance

Two engineers who showed they could remotely hack into vehicles have been hired by taxi hailing service Uber. In its latest round of recruiting, Uber has been recruiting aggressively as it seeks to beef up car security after previous breaches damaged the company’s business in some parts of the U.S. Through the hires, the service is setting itself up to be the most secure transport services in North America.

It also, most interestingly, hints that Uber continues to have ambitions that go far beyond just being a hailing app and instead controlling, and possibly building, self driving cars. CEO Travis Kalanick has in the past hinted that Uber would like to operate a fleet of self driving cars. Such a fleet would have significant security overhead and face just the kind of problems the new hires know how to solve.

Charlie miller and Chris Valasek are the two engineers hired by Uber to work in the company’s Pittsburgh offices. The two will work under Uber’s self driving car and robotics research department, yet more evidence the focus of the hires is longer term projects around autonomous vehicles.

A statement released by Uber revealed that the two hackers would work closely with both Joe Sullivan Uber’s chief security officer, and John Flynn, Uber’s chief information security officer, to “continue building out a world-class safety and security program at Uber.”

The hiring of the two marks Uber’s latest round of recruiting after aggressively poaching top tech officials from other firms. Sullivan was hired from Facebook from where he worked as a highly respected security information engineer. In the last year, the cab hailing company has also gradually poached 100 engineers from Google to work in its own mapping and geo divisions.

The recent round of talent recruitment comes in the wake of the company’s enhanced focus on security after a breach of its computer systems in February. The breach exposed the names, identification numbers and driver’s’ licenses of up to 50,000 of its drivers.

Uber security officials noted that the potential for breach continued to grow especially as modern vehicles became more and more computerized. A Verizon research conducted last year November revealed that 14 car makers controlled a whooping 80 per cent of the market. In addition, each had its own connectivity system.

With the high end user figures dependent on 14 car manufacturers, a vulnerability in car security systems would be disastrous if not a calamity.

Both Miller and Valasek have made car security systems their specialty. In the start of the year, the two revealed just how they could remotely hack into hundreds of thousands of vehicles and take control of their operations including windshield wipers, air conditioning, lights, radio, navigation, braking, acceleration and even steering.

Their exposure of the vulnerability led to the recall of 1.4 million Fiat Chrysler vehicles in July.
The two said their focus was in making cars safer and more secure for the millions of Americans using them every day.

Uber’s Pittsburgh center is dedicated to advanced technology for enhancing car safety and autonomy. All signs continue to point to the company’s vaulting ambitions to make a self driving network of Uber’s a reality in the near future.

Activists Sound The Alarm As Zimbabwe Sells Hundreds Of Elephants To Chinese Circus

Culture

Conservationists are raising alarm this weekend over Zimbabwe’s decision to export a large number of its elephants to China. Zimbabwe authorities have proceeded to export the first batch of elephants and are now separating the second batch of elephant calves from their mothers and underfeeding them, to prepare them before they are sold and exported.

The Zimbabwe independent reported that last week, 24 of the country’s elephants were exported to China in a controversial government deal that has yet to be completely laid bare. According to the newspaper, another 170 are due to be exported soon.

As part of being prepared for the oncoming shipping, the newspaper reported that the elephants, most of whom were between two-and-a-half and five years old and still heavily dependent on their mothers, would be separated from their maternal parents and underfed.

Johnny Rodriguez, Chairman of animal rights group Conservation Task Force said, “Some 24 elephants are en route to China as we speak after they were taken from their families in Hwange national park. The conditions in which these animals were exported are extremely cruel and we condemn the whole idea of separating baby elephants from their mothers.”

The Zimbabwe government has not declared how much the deal is worth. However, conservationists have pegged the figure as between $40,000 and $60,000 per elephant.

The elephants are reported to be destined for Chimelong Safari Park in Guangdong, China. The park has stirred controversy in many conservationist circles since animals often appear in circus like performances. A broadcast travel story by CNN termed the park “surreal, intriguing and disconcerting all at once.”

The fact that the elephants are being shipped to China, a country known to be one of the largest importers of poached ivory, has also raised a lot of worry.

Poachers kill elephants by the droves and saw off their tusks, selling them for over $1000 a pound in the illegal but vibrant Asian black market.

In April, US actress and animal rights activist Pamela Anderson had petitioned the government of Zimbabwe against exporting the baby calves to China, saying that such a move was likely to cause the elephants emotional stress.

Zimbabwe authorities responded by stating the proceeds from the sale would be used in beefing up conservation efforts within the country’s parks. Zimbabwe has been seeing an increase in illegal poaching recently with 300 elephants killed last year after poachers poisoned water holes.

Zimbabwe is currently knee deep in hyperinflation that has seen the country’s currency eroded many times over. Through the sale of elephants, one of the country’s natural resources, the government may be attempting to raise foreign currency to beat the biting inflation. However, the result may just be more detrimental to the country’s economy and even worse for its international image.

Tropical Storm Erika Weakens Over Cuba, No Longer Expected To Be A Threat To Florida

Culture

Tropical Storm Erika, formerly on track to slam Florida, weakened early Saturday morning as it pushed over Cuba and Hispaniola.

As the tropical storm was steadily moving towards Cuba, it dispersed due to higher topography and adverse weather conditions. The National Hurricane Center called off all tropical storm warnings and watches associated with to the storm at around 9 a.m.

Even with losing strength, the tropical storm still drenched the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The storm also caused extensive devastation on the little Caribbean island of Dominica, leaving about 31 people missing and killing more than 20.

Speaking on Friday, Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said, “The extent of the devastation is monumental. It is far worse than expected,” adding, “We have, in essence, to rebuild Dominica.”

The tropical storm also caused damage to crops with a value of at least $16 million in in Puerto Rico, where at least 200,000 citizens lost power during the tropical storm.

The major effects to Florida will probably be high winds and heavy rain during the first part of next week.

Rick Scott, the governor of Florida, announced a state of emergency prior to the tropical storm’s anticipated advance late Sunday.

As the Puerto Rico, Lesser Antilles, Haiti, Dominican Republic, and soon Cuba can verify, even a weak cyclone is quite capable of making a lot of rain. The formal strength of the tropical storm is only gauged by the highest wind somewhere in the whole storm, but other effects are also significant and shouldn’t be disregarded.

The latest 5-day rainfall forecast shows large amounts of precipitation for fundamentally all of Florida, but chiefly along the west coast.

Official During Bush Era Claims U.S. Mulled Using Nuclear Weapons After 9/11 Attacks

News

An assistant to former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder claims the Bush government ‘really played through all possibilities’ in responding to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, including the use of nuclear weapons.

Germany’s Der Spiegel reported on its official website on Saturday that the United States thought about employing nuclear weapons against Afghanistan, according to Michael Steiner, who was as a political counselor to then-German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder.

When asked whether the United States really considered employing nuclear weapons in reaction to the attacks organized by Al-Qaida’s Osama bin Laden, in which almost 3,000 people lost their lives, Steiner said, “The papers were written,” adding, “they had really played through all possibilities.”

Steiner revealed that Schroder had suspected that the United States, which was in a state of distress after the terrorist attacks, would react excessively.

Furthermore, Steiner said in the news interview that Schroder turned down his suggestion to publish a declaration stating “unconditional support” for the United States.

Suspicion between the then U.S. President George Bush and Schroder deepened in 2003 when the chancellor said no to joining the coalition led by the United States in the military movement against Iraq.

In a report published by Global Research, it was revealed that the U.S. has used lethal weapons in Asia before. “Tactical nuclear weapons were used, at least one in Iraq and several were used in Afghanistan –in the Tora Bora mountains,” Peter Eyre, a Middle East consultant, stated. Eyre explained that the atomic bomb that hit Tora Bora region in Afghanistan was so strong that it in fact created an earthquake there.

The analyst continued to explain that the use of such deadly weapons by United States armed forces, which is a gross contravention of the Geneva Convention, has been endorsed by the United States leaders; thus they should be put on trial for war crimes.

The United States has never acknowledged the use of nuclear weapons aside from the attacks on Japan to end the second world war.

State Department Urges U.S. Travelers To Avoid Pakistan Citing Increased Terrorist Threats

News

The United States on Friday advised its citizens to postpone all their unnecessary travel to Pakistan, citing the significant increase in terror activities in the nation.

“The Department of State warns US citizens against all non-essential travel to Pakistan,” a formal travel advisory stated. Nevertheless, the United States Consulate General in Karachi and the United States Embassy in Islamabad continue to offer consular services for all its nationals in Pakistan.

The Consulate General in Peshawar does not offer consular services anymore, and consular services at the Consulate General in Lahore are provisionally suspended. “The presence of several foreign and indigenous terrorist groups continues to pose a danger to US citizens throughout Pakistan,” read the travel advisory mentioning that across the nation, terrorist activities regularly occur against foreign, government and civilian targets.

Terrorist attacks range from targeted kidnappings and killings, to violent assaults against profoundly safeguarded facilities, including Pakistani armed forces airports and installations.

The administration of Pakistan continues to believe that the heightened security procedures, mostly in the most important cities, and these procedures may change from day to day. Threat reporting reveals that terrorist groups continue to find chances to attack regions where United States citizens and other Westerners are known to assemble or visit, the statement said.

Japan’s Version Of The Mafia Is About To Go To War

Entertainment News

A rift has appeared in Japan’s “yakuza” organized crime group, with Japanese law enforcement officials warning that the division could lead to a wave of violence among rival groups of criminals.

Just like the Chinese triads and the Italian Mafia, the yakuza participate in everything from drugs, gambling and prostitution to sharking of loans, white-collar crime and protection rackets.

But unlike their overseas equivalents, they operate with the explicit permission of the government and each of the designated factions have their own recognized headquarters.

Speaking on Friday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said, “The government is aware that some member factions of the Yamaguchi-gumi, regarded as Japan’s biggest crime syndicate, are showing moves toward secession.”

“Police are working to collect information. We hope police will use this opportunity to take measures to weaken the organisation,” Suga added.

The group boasts 23,000 associates and members.

Intermittent crackdowns and attempts by the police to choke off Yamaguchi-gumi’s financial sources have gained energy, while a pitiable public image and Japan’s robust financial system have made life complex for the gangs and made membership less appealing for possible recruits, specialists say.

According to the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper, domestic reports stated the Yamaguchi-gumi dismissed 13 leaders of its member sections and that 11 of the expelled leaders were planning to establish a new faction, which could work closely with other gangsters to build a new organization.

Law enforcement officers were highly prepared and expecting inter-gang disagreement to turn fierce, Kyodo News said.

The National Police Agency will hold a crisis meeting on Wednesday to discuss the matter, the Nikkei newspaper reported.

According to the guardian, the organization had been seriously affected by rows over members’ split loyalties toward the organization’s chief, Shinobu Tsukasa.

The 73-year-old, who rose to be Japan’s most influential mafia boss in 2005, has allegedly angered allied gangs by giving special treatment to certain members and heading a push into new areas far from the gang’s traditional turf.

On Thursday, El Salvador Set A New Record Of 51 Recorded Murders In A Single Day

Entertainment News

Officials in El Salvador say the small yet horrifically violent country has set yet another record in criminal violence after at least 51 people were killed in a single day this week.

While most nations would find such a total shocking, for gang-ridden El Salvador this is simply another day like any other.

The National Civil Police confirmed that Thursday’s death toll surpassed the mark of 45 killed on a single day just one week ago.

Officials in the nation of just 6 million attribute the surge in violence to a government crackdown that has led to bloody gunfights between police and criminals. A wave of arrests have left prime gang turf up for grabs, causing a surge in gang battles which has added to the bloody total.

Police on Friday also confirmed that they found the body of a police officer, the 45th this year to die in the struggle with gangs. Six prison guards and sixteen soldiers have also been killed this year.

In 2014 the government says 3,942 people were murdered, an increase of 1,429 over 2013.

El Salvador is one of the most dangerous places in the world, with a homicide rate of 69.2 per 100,000 in 2011, which was far from the peak in violence.

China Poised To Take Leading Role In Iran’s Nuclear Program As Sanctions Are Lifted

Entertainment News

In the wave of business opportunities that have accompanied the Iran nuclear deal, Iran’s Vice-President of its Atomic Energy Organization, Akbar Salehi, confirmed on Friday that China would play “a leading role” in its nuclear program.

Salehi elaborated that China would be heavily involved in the restructuring of the Arak heavy-water reactor to produce considerably less plutonium.

Selahi’s remarks, made as he concluded his meeting with Chinese nuclear specialists and officers in Beijing, again emphasized China’s role in the latest nuclear agreement reached by Iran and the key world powers, as well as the two nations’ close collaboration in energy projects.

As one of the primary elements of the agreement on Iran’s nuclear program with the P5+1 team – comprising Germany, France, the United States, Britain, China, and Russia – Iran has decided to revamp the Arak reactor, which is in its last stage of building, to trim down its annual plutonium output from 10kg to not more than 1kg to “remove the concerns” of its use in a nuclear weapon, Salehi said.

He stated, “China has accepted … a leading role in a working group that would look into the redesign and refurbishing of Arak. Americans will also participate very seriously.”

Salehi met with China Atomic Energy Authority chairman Xu Dazhe and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Under the nuclear agreement structure, a trilateral meeting between the U.S, China and Iran was expected to occur in mid-next month on the sideline of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s general meeting, despite domestic political battling between the Obama administration and congress on the agreement, according to Salehi.

The vice-president of Iran said the nation was also seeking Chinese support to construct a couple of small nuclear reactors with power of 100 megawatts each.

The two parties had discussed the matter “at length” and were expected to seal the agreements “in the coming months”, he revealed. China had “indicated readiness” to fund the projects, he added.

Salehi said Iran would also explore the possibility of constructing bigger nuclear plants, with capacities of 1,000MW each, as the nation aims to construct 20,000MW of nuclear capacity in three decades.

Iran has formally signed deals with Russia to construct a couple of 1,000MW nuclear reactors.

With monetary sanctions on Iran eliminated after the realization of the nuclear agreement, the multibillion-dollar trade connection between Iran and China is set to get bigger.

China is likely to invest more deeply in Iran’s oil, industrial and gas sectors.

Foreign Minister Wang was previously cited by state-controlled Xinhua as saying the agreement “created more favorable conditions for the development of the China-Iran relationship”.

With Almost A Year To Go, Hillary Clinton Said To Have Secured 60% Of Democrat Support For Presidential Bid

News

Hillary Clinton’s campaign, seemingly out of positive favor with the media, hit back strongly on Friday by touting a convincing early lead in not only the polling figures but also in superdelegate commitments.

The Democratic presidential candidate is showcasing her strong case for the presidency based on her close connection to a number of superdelegates in the race for the Democratic presidential ticket.

But how do these numbers total and will she maintain their support when Vice President Joe Biden throws his hat into the ring?

In Minneapolis on Friday, at the Democratic National Committee meeting, Clinton staff claimed the Democratic frontrunner had already secured the commitments of over one-fifth of the required pledges needed to clinch the Democratic Party’s ticket. The pledges, Clinton’s staff alleged, came from former party officials, current officials, former dignitaries and committee office holders.

The numbers fronted by Hillary’s campaign team told a story of 130 delegates currently backing the former Secretary of State.

In addition, they claimed the figure was actually higher, up to 440, taking into account private commitments from state party officials not keen on coming in the open.

How many delegates would a democrat require to clinch the ticket? Estimates have pegged the number of delegates attending next year’s nomination convention at about 4,491. Should this be so, a candidate would require just over 2,245 for the win. The number of superdelegates has been put to 713. If so, Clinton’s claim to 440 delegates would place her at a commanding 60 per cent likelihood to clinch the ticket hands down

This time round, Clinton has turned her attention on delegates like never before.

In the meeting on Friday, she said her focus was as a “result of the lessons that I learned the last time – how important it is to be as well-organized and focused from the very beginning on delegates and those who are superdelegates.”

In 2008, Clinton enjoyed an early lead over then Senator Barack Obama. However, her grip on the delegates was shaky and when Obama got his foot in the delegate door, he charged full throttle, easily clinching the coveted ticket.

Clinton said, “This is really about how you put the numbers together to secure the nomination. As some of you might recall, in 2008 I got a lot of votes but I didn’t get enough delegates. And so I think it’s understandable that my focus is going to be on delegates as well as votes this time.”

This year, Clinton is miles ahead of where she was at a similar period in 2008. However, superdelegates have the leeway to change their commitments any time before next summer’s convention. Should Vice President Joe Biden choose to go for the top seat, it would certainly place her at unfamiliar territory, having in mind she is still struggling to clear her name from her private email scandal.

This year, Clinton is not taking any chances with her election The Democratic frontrunner is filling all her gaps and asserting her dominance in the quest for America’s top job. Should her superdelegates stick with her to the every end, the former first lady will have the White House in her sights one more time, only this time, as the main resident.

Senators Start Inquiry Into ‘Ambulance Chaser’ Hedge Funds That Gamble On Lawsuits

Finance

Two top dog Republican senators – John Cornyn of Texas and Chuck Grassley of Iowa – have started an investigation which will examine what “the impact of third-party litigation financing is having on civil litigation.”

“Litigation speculation is expanding at an alarming rate,” said Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “And yet, because the existence and terms of these agreements lack transparency, the impact they are having on our civil justice system is not fully known.”

Legal and financial experts say hedge fund speculation on lawsuits has become a new type of financial engineering that promotes wasteful and unnecessary courtroom warfare.

Grassley along with Senate majority whip Cornyn, have sent letters to three of the biggest commercial litigation finance firms in the U.S. —Bentham IMF, Burford Capital, and Juridica Investments— asking for details on legal cases they finance, the terms of these investments and what the return on these investments has been to date.

Burford has been the leader in corporate lawsuit financing.

It targets lawsuits initiated by major companies being litigated by large corporate law firms such as King & Spalding, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, and Latham & Watkins. Knowing the high cost of court cases which can drag on, Burford, is offering a service which is not that different to what so called “ambulance chasing” law firms offer in the form of contingency cases, where in exchange for financing lawsuits, they take a share of any recovery.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has come out against the lawsuit investment calling it “a sophisticated scheme for gambling on litigation” which allegedly not only creates conflicts of interest but also fuels already abusive lawsuits.

Litigation finance firms argue they enable legitimate claims that otherwise would remain dormant on their corporate clients books.

Law experts said there is a very good likelihood that the attention on lawsuit financing could lead to public hearings, which often follow senate committee inquiries.

These Beautiful Images Show The Prison Of The Future And Why It Works

News

At the recently redesigned Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility in San Diego, a new approach to the prison system is being implemented. Iron bars have been replaced with large windows, and the overall appearance is more like that of a college campus.

The design is intended to rehabilitate rather than punish, in an attempt to combat the high recidivism rate of U.S. prisoners. Although U.S. prisons have been called “correctional facilities,” formerly imprisoned individuals will often go on to become repeat offenders and end up back in prison.

According to U.S. Bureau of Justice statistics on 400,000 prisoners surveyed in 2005, a stunning two thirds were back in jail or prison within three years of being released.

Yet education programs have been shown to be successful at reducing these numbers. It is in this light that the Las Colinas facility was developed.

Jim Mueller, leader of the project at KMD Architects stated, “The intent was to replicate as much as possible, the demands and responsibilities they would face out in the community within this particular facility.” Towards that end, lodging for inmates has the appearance of dorm rooms, rather than cells.

There will of course be higher security units for individuals who are more dangerous, but the facility will operate on a step-down process, motivating the inmates using the incentives of less restrictive environments as they make progress.

The new model will have prison employees circulate freely among the population in an effort to correct minor problems before they become severe.

The $268 million dollar facility is one of the first U.S. prisons to try the design, and after one year of operation, both the staff and inmates have given positive responses.

The design is based on juvenile facilities where, it was thought, their behavior can still be modified because they have not yet established their behavioral personalities.

The need for a new prison system strategy has long been apparent, with 1 in 100 adults currently in jail or prison and the U.S. incarceration rate currently ranked second in the world. Las Colinas looks like it may be a badly needed step in the right direction.

Here are pictures of the uniquely designed facility:

Radical New Strategy To Stop The Spread Of ISIS Takes The War Out Of The War On Terror

News

In recognition of the fact that traditional warfare cannot totally combat the threat of terrorism, there is a movement termed “countering violent extremism” (CVE), that aims to create institutions dedicated to finding a working strategy to combat the rise of terrorist threats.

The approach, while decidedly a military strategy, is radically different from past strategies that relied on the use of overwhelming force or precision tactics.

CVE would, instead of troops and bombs, utilize civil society over local government and law enforcement in order to identify what is driving extremism in the community. Civil society is also better suited to identify and deflect the causes of extremism in communities.

CVE acknowledges there must be a security and community component for success, and in so doing illustrates the disconnect that is currently present between developmental agencies and NGOs, and the military and police forces.

In past efforts of the war on terror community-building goals have often been subject to security concerns, a divide that in part comes from skepticism of CVE’s effectiveness.

Military solutions often provide much quicker results to problems, and this also leads to impatience with the long-term nature of CVE that is essential to its success.

CVE recognizes that security interventions often focus on regions where violence is already in action, and developmental agencies on regions that are poor. This approach fails to account for vulnerable populations including refugees, transit migrants, and others that do not fall into these two categories.

Youth that are susceptible to extremism must be provided with opportunities for education, sports, and vocational training as part of a comprehensive strategy rather than as an afterthought.

In order to pursue these approaches in a productive way, there must also be a means of determining what works and what doesn’t. Towards that end, a dedicated organization to lead CVE efforts is needed where this data can be collected and analyzed in order to make future recommendations on strategy.

With a new multilateral body dedicated to CVE, it may be possible to pave the way for an era of success against the problem of violent extremism.

How The Car Is Becoming The New Favorite Target For Identity Stealing Hackers

Finance

As car manufacturers move to make their vehicles more and more e-interactive, experts say this opens their owners up to cyber criminals as hackers develop creative new ways to take control of their vehicles, snatching their identity and generally cause havoc.

Hungry for a percentage of driver’s purchases of gas, fast food etc, automakers are quickly working on developing e-commerce friendly dashboards. Ford already has an app that allows drivers to order pizza from Dominos using voice controls and smart phones, while General Motors, not to be outdone, offers AtYourService which allows drivers to book a hotel through Priceline.com using voice commands, and alerts them of Dunkin’ Donuts’ deals.

Auto practice Vice president at Gartner, Thilo Koslowski, said by the year 2020, 40 percent of new vehicles will allow drivers to shop while driving. But, he warned, that while “today the motivation for hacking a car is mischief, with an objective of hurting people or car companies” in the future “the car will definitely be viewed as a vulnerable device” by cybercriminals hungry for identity information.

He said new cars with interactive capabilities will present a rich target, with hackers trolling for personal details like home addresses, e-mail information and credit card numbers.

The majority of cars sold currently lack inbuilt technology for e-commerce but according to IHA Automotive researchers, by 2022, 82.5 million autos will be Internet connected.

Richard Crone, who runs Crone Consulting LLC, said within five years, smartphone connected dashboard “buy buttons will start being a norm on many new vehicles, giving drivers the ability to place orders at retailers without physically using their phones.”

Already car hackers have shown the way of the future. Over the last few months two security experts managed to hack into a Jeep Cherokee’s infotainment system, taking control of the transmission and engine. In another incident, a security researcher hacked into OnStar, using GM’s RemoteLink app in a 2013 Chevrolet Volt, allowing him to unlock the vehicle and start its engine.

“This has been a bit of a blind spot for automakers,” said Mark Boyadjis, an IHS technology analyst.

Ryan Smith, chief scientist for cybersecurity company Optiv, said giving access to third parties through car apps will “invite thieves along for the ride.”

“When payment systems come online inside of cars, it will be an attack surface that attackers will start looking at and poking. You’re going to see the entire spectrum of fraud inside these vehicles.” said Smith.