News Info - A criminal ring with links to Eastern Europe is behind an ATM skimming scam targeting Sydney bank customers, police believe.
Amid a rise in incidences of ATM skimming since January, New South Wales police have released CCTV footage from central Sydney showing two alleged offenders, described as men of Eastern European appearance.
baby hiccups - Footage taken at an ATM on Market Street on March 28 shows two suspected skimmers, both men in their 20s or early 30s, one wearing a navy blue polo shirt and black baseball cap and the second wearing a navy blue, long-sleeved shirt.
Police have also released a picture of a man captured by security cameras on Beamish Street in Campsie on March 21, thought to be aged in his late 30s or 40s and also described as being of Eastern European appearance.
More than 40 ATMs in a number of suburbs across Sydney, from Clovelly in the east to Parramatta in Western Sydney, and in the CBD have been targeted by skimmers recently.
Detectives from the Fraud and Cybercrime Squad arrested two foreign nationals, one Hungarian and one Romanian, for allegedly tampering with an ATM on Market Street in Sydney last month.
Both men are before the courts.
ATM skimmers use cameras to steal PINs
Detective Superintendent Arthur Katsogiannis says there are still a number of people out there fitting skimming devices to vulnerable ATMs.
"Our investigation, which has been strongly supported by a number of banks, suggests that the spike in ATM skimming incidents can be attributed to an organised syndicate targeting ATMs in suburbs right across Sydney," he said.
"The skimming devices the group are using are capable of copying card details while a tiny video camera records people entering their personal identification numbers.
"A copy of the compromised card is then created, with all of the capabilities of the original, allowing the group to access the account holders' funds at liberty."
Police said members of the group remained at large and would likely continue targeting ATM users.
"While we have arrested some members of the group, we know there are still a number out there, so cardholders need to exercise caution when using ATMs," Detective Superintendent Katsogiannis said.
"Make sure you carefully cover the hand entering the PIN with your other hand, a newspaper or a magazine.
"It's also important to regularly check your bank account transactions so that if you spot any suspicious withdrawals you can contact your financial institution before more money goes missing."
Sunday 27 April 2014
Government Wasting $120 Million
News Info - Health economists say the Federal Government is losing millions of dollars each year because of a loophole in the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
A study published today in the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) says the Government unnecessarily spent an extra $120 million on "combination medications".
The loophole allows the drugs, which combine two drugs into one pill, to be sold to the Government at full price, even though they contain off-patent generic ingredients.
fastest land animals - The Federal Government says it is now giving the issue "serious consideration".
The study's author, Melbourne University's Professor Philip Clarke, says the most common combination drug mixes a cholesterol-lowering drug and a blood pressure drug.
"That combination would cost the Government each time it's dispensed around $70, but if you were to purchase the drugs individually it would only cost $40," he said.
"On that drug alone it costs an additional $30 million a year for the Government to pay for these combination therapies."
In the United Kingdom the government has stopped purchasing combination drugs because of the price discrepancies.
Dr Brendan Shaw from Medicines Australia says combination products provide a range of benefits to patients.
"They are more convenient, they help in compliance. It's easier to take them and the big saving for patients is they get one co-payment, not two," he said.
His organisation believes the Government undervalues the benefits combination products provide.
Pursue PBS efficiencies first: Clarke
Professor Clarke says the Government needs to look at ways to reduce waste and improve efficiency in the health system.
"I would argue that we should probably be looking at these issues first, before looking at more substantive changes that affect consumers such as a Medicare co-payment," he said.
The Federal Government says drugs are approved for PBS subsidy on a case-by-case basis, which includes cost-effectiveness.
"Efforts have been made when implementing new pricing policy to ensure companies are not disadvantaged," a Health Department spokeswoman said.
"Over time it has become evident that, in some cases, arrangements put in place to avoid disadvantage can provide a windfall advantage to companies. The issue referred to in the MJA article appears to be such an instance."
It says the prices on some combination drugs such as those for heart conditions and cholesterol are more closely linked to price disclosure policies than the price of ingredients.
A study published today in the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) says the Government unnecessarily spent an extra $120 million on "combination medications".
The loophole allows the drugs, which combine two drugs into one pill, to be sold to the Government at full price, even though they contain off-patent generic ingredients.
fastest land animals - The Federal Government says it is now giving the issue "serious consideration".
The study's author, Melbourne University's Professor Philip Clarke, says the most common combination drug mixes a cholesterol-lowering drug and a blood pressure drug.
"That combination would cost the Government each time it's dispensed around $70, but if you were to purchase the drugs individually it would only cost $40," he said.
"On that drug alone it costs an additional $30 million a year for the Government to pay for these combination therapies."
In the United Kingdom the government has stopped purchasing combination drugs because of the price discrepancies.
Dr Brendan Shaw from Medicines Australia says combination products provide a range of benefits to patients.
"They are more convenient, they help in compliance. It's easier to take them and the big saving for patients is they get one co-payment, not two," he said.
His organisation believes the Government undervalues the benefits combination products provide.
Pursue PBS efficiencies first: Clarke
Professor Clarke says the Government needs to look at ways to reduce waste and improve efficiency in the health system.
"I would argue that we should probably be looking at these issues first, before looking at more substantive changes that affect consumers such as a Medicare co-payment," he said.
The Federal Government says drugs are approved for PBS subsidy on a case-by-case basis, which includes cost-effectiveness.
"Efforts have been made when implementing new pricing policy to ensure companies are not disadvantaged," a Health Department spokeswoman said.
"Over time it has become evident that, in some cases, arrangements put in place to avoid disadvantage can provide a windfall advantage to companies. The issue referred to in the MJA article appears to be such an instance."
It says the prices on some combination drugs such as those for heart conditions and cholesterol are more closely linked to price disclosure policies than the price of ingredients.
Federal Budget
News Info - A day after failing to rule out a new tax to pay off the nation's debt, the Prime Minister will tonight describe next month's budget as not for the "rich or the poor", but "for the country".
After what is expected to be a lengthy Cabinet meeting today focusing on budget measures, Tony Abbott will tonight deliver a speech to the Sydney Institute, warning Australians that bringing the budget back into black will take a collective effort.
"I know that the tendency on budget night is to focus on 'what's happening to me' but we need to focus on 'what's happening to us' because everyone needs to be involved in fixing Labor's debt mess if all of us are to prosper in the years ahead," he says in excerpts of the speech released by the Prime Minister's Office.
"This will not be a budget for the rich or the poor; it will be a budget for the country.
"This will be a nation-building budget, even though it cuts spending, because you can't build a nation spending money you don't have and that's more than you need to borrow."
Top ten fastest animals - Yesterday, when asked about reports the Government was considering a temporary levy to pay off the deficit, Mr Abbott said the Government would "tackle the fiscal disaster that we have inherited".
"It's important that the mess be tackled," he added.
"Now, we are going to do it in ways which are faithful to the commitments that we made to the Australian people, but we are not going to squib the challenge."
The reports said any new debt tax would target high-income earners and Mr Abbott said any measure the Government took would be "fair".
The Federal Opposition has seized on the reports and accused the Coalition of breaking an election promise.
Labor leader Bill Shorten says it should be renamed a "deceit tax".
"It is clear to most reasonable Australians that the Abbott government said one thing in opposition [is] now doing something else in government," he said.
"If they are not committed to this deficit levy, what we call this deceit tax, the Abbott government should just rule it out.
"The Abbott government's ruled out other things. The fact that they're letting these rumours, these fears run, tells me the Abbott government is using the Australian people to scare them, to prepare the ground for unpleasant, unnecessary decisions."
Opposition treasury spokesman Chris Bowen says such levies should be for "genuine unexpected emergencies" and fixing the deficit "falls a long way short".
"[Treasurer] Joe Hockey has deliberately inflated the budget deficit and is now asking the Australian people to pay for it in a clear breach - a clear breach - of an election promise that there'd be no new taxes," he told Radio National.
Mr Bowen said Labor supported returning the budget to surplus but only "gradually and over time without swingeing cuts that would affect confidence".
Federal MP Clive Palmer says his party, which will control four key Senate seats after July 1, will vote against a deficit levy because it is not warranted.
"If we get the opportunity we'd vote against it - but we may not get that opportunity," he said.
Business groups warn new tax could hurt economy
Business groups are also cautioning the government against embracing the idea.
The Australian Industry Group says a debt tax could further weaken the economy.
"Raising taxes would dampen private sector demand at a time when the economy is growing at below trend and the labour market is flat at best," chief executive Innes Willox said.
"You can't tax your way to prosperity."
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief operating officer John Osborn agrees.
"An income tax levy is an income tax. It's an unwelcome surprise from a government that promised no new taxes and no surprises," he said.
"We run the risk of further weakening an already weak economy by dampening demand."
Mr Osborn called on the government to wind back its plans for a wage-replacement paid parental leave scheme in favour of a greater focus on childcare.
"It's a gold-plated scheme that we can't afford," Mr Osborn said.
"We certainly need to look at winding that back.
"Childcare is a very appropriate area of investment that can help further promote female participation in the workforce."
But budget expert and economist with Deloitte Access Economics Chris Richardson has interpreted the discussion about a debt tax as a sign the government is serious about fixing the budget.
"Budget repair does hurt economies," he told The World Today.
"You don't need a surplus tomorrow, you don't need it even necessarily in five years time, but you do need it over time.
"The tougher the government is in two weeks' time in May's budget, the more likely it is that we will not see an interest rate rise from the Reserve Bank for a very long time.
"That flexibility gives the economy a buffer."
Mr Richardson said if the tax applied to those earning more than $80,000, it could reap the Budget around $800,000 a year.
Mr Abbott's speech tonight - due at 9:00pm (AEST) - further signals that the budget will include measures that hit taxpayers in the hip pocket.
"We owe it to our country; we owe it to everyone who elected a government to clean up Labor's mess; to take the right decisions rather than the popular ones," he will say.
"I don't expect politicians to be more popular the day after the budget but I hope that we might have earned a little more respect."
After what is expected to be a lengthy Cabinet meeting today focusing on budget measures, Tony Abbott will tonight deliver a speech to the Sydney Institute, warning Australians that bringing the budget back into black will take a collective effort.
"I know that the tendency on budget night is to focus on 'what's happening to me' but we need to focus on 'what's happening to us' because everyone needs to be involved in fixing Labor's debt mess if all of us are to prosper in the years ahead," he says in excerpts of the speech released by the Prime Minister's Office.
"This will not be a budget for the rich or the poor; it will be a budget for the country.
"This will be a nation-building budget, even though it cuts spending, because you can't build a nation spending money you don't have and that's more than you need to borrow."
Top ten fastest animals - Yesterday, when asked about reports the Government was considering a temporary levy to pay off the deficit, Mr Abbott said the Government would "tackle the fiscal disaster that we have inherited".
"It's important that the mess be tackled," he added.
"Now, we are going to do it in ways which are faithful to the commitments that we made to the Australian people, but we are not going to squib the challenge."
The reports said any new debt tax would target high-income earners and Mr Abbott said any measure the Government took would be "fair".
The Federal Opposition has seized on the reports and accused the Coalition of breaking an election promise.
Labor leader Bill Shorten says it should be renamed a "deceit tax".
"It is clear to most reasonable Australians that the Abbott government said one thing in opposition [is] now doing something else in government," he said.
"If they are not committed to this deficit levy, what we call this deceit tax, the Abbott government should just rule it out.
"The Abbott government's ruled out other things. The fact that they're letting these rumours, these fears run, tells me the Abbott government is using the Australian people to scare them, to prepare the ground for unpleasant, unnecessary decisions."
Opposition treasury spokesman Chris Bowen says such levies should be for "genuine unexpected emergencies" and fixing the deficit "falls a long way short".
"[Treasurer] Joe Hockey has deliberately inflated the budget deficit and is now asking the Australian people to pay for it in a clear breach - a clear breach - of an election promise that there'd be no new taxes," he told Radio National.
Mr Bowen said Labor supported returning the budget to surplus but only "gradually and over time without swingeing cuts that would affect confidence".
Federal MP Clive Palmer says his party, which will control four key Senate seats after July 1, will vote against a deficit levy because it is not warranted.
"If we get the opportunity we'd vote against it - but we may not get that opportunity," he said.
Business groups warn new tax could hurt economy
Business groups are also cautioning the government against embracing the idea.
The Australian Industry Group says a debt tax could further weaken the economy.
"Raising taxes would dampen private sector demand at a time when the economy is growing at below trend and the labour market is flat at best," chief executive Innes Willox said.
"You can't tax your way to prosperity."
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief operating officer John Osborn agrees.
"An income tax levy is an income tax. It's an unwelcome surprise from a government that promised no new taxes and no surprises," he said.
"We run the risk of further weakening an already weak economy by dampening demand."
Mr Osborn called on the government to wind back its plans for a wage-replacement paid parental leave scheme in favour of a greater focus on childcare.
"It's a gold-plated scheme that we can't afford," Mr Osborn said.
"We certainly need to look at winding that back.
"Childcare is a very appropriate area of investment that can help further promote female participation in the workforce."
But budget expert and economist with Deloitte Access Economics Chris Richardson has interpreted the discussion about a debt tax as a sign the government is serious about fixing the budget.
"Budget repair does hurt economies," he told The World Today.
"You don't need a surplus tomorrow, you don't need it even necessarily in five years time, but you do need it over time.
"The tougher the government is in two weeks' time in May's budget, the more likely it is that we will not see an interest rate rise from the Reserve Bank for a very long time.
"That flexibility gives the economy a buffer."
Mr Richardson said if the tax applied to those earning more than $80,000, it could reap the Budget around $800,000 a year.
Mr Abbott's speech tonight - due at 9:00pm (AEST) - further signals that the budget will include measures that hit taxpayers in the hip pocket.
"We owe it to our country; we owe it to everyone who elected a government to clean up Labor's mess; to take the right decisions rather than the popular ones," he will say.
"I don't expect politicians to be more popular the day after the budget but I hope that we might have earned a little more respect."
Wednesday 23 April 2014
Twitter hit by massive wave of malicious messages
News Info - Hundreds of Twitter accounts appear to have been hijacked Wednesday to deliver a tidal wave of malicious messages.
The attack, which seems to have begun at about 2 p.m. PT, featured messages testifying to dramatic weight loss and life-changing events, such as, "If I didn't try this my life wouldn't have changed." An accompanying link led to a Women's Health magazine spoof site promoting a "miracle pill" for weight loss.
transsexual women surgery - It wasn't immediately clear if the page was trying to install malware or perform some other nefarious task, but Twitter wasn't taking any chances, warning readers that the link had been flagged as potentially harmful.
The source of the attack wasn't immediately clear either. The attack appeared to be related to security breaches at third-party sites and apps, according to Ars Technica's Dan Goodin. He noted that early versions of the messages included the tag "via weheartit.com," leading to speculation that the accounts had some connection to the social network.
We Heart It told Ars Technica that it had identified malicious activity on the network and was investigating. The social network announced in a tweet that it had temporarily disabled sign-in and sharing via Twitter.
The attack appears similar to one that hit thousands of Hootsuite accounts last September and featured the same diet product. The popular platform for social-media management said that about 7,000 accounts, less than .01 percent of its user base, were affected by unauthorized access through a third party using OAuth, an authentication mechanism that allows third-party access without sharing login credentials.
The attack, which seems to have begun at about 2 p.m. PT, featured messages testifying to dramatic weight loss and life-changing events, such as, "If I didn't try this my life wouldn't have changed." An accompanying link led to a Women's Health magazine spoof site promoting a "miracle pill" for weight loss.
transsexual women surgery - It wasn't immediately clear if the page was trying to install malware or perform some other nefarious task, but Twitter wasn't taking any chances, warning readers that the link had been flagged as potentially harmful.
The source of the attack wasn't immediately clear either. The attack appeared to be related to security breaches at third-party sites and apps, according to Ars Technica's Dan Goodin. He noted that early versions of the messages included the tag "via weheartit.com," leading to speculation that the accounts had some connection to the social network.
We Heart It told Ars Technica that it had identified malicious activity on the network and was investigating. The social network announced in a tweet that it had temporarily disabled sign-in and sharing via Twitter.
The attack appears similar to one that hit thousands of Hootsuite accounts last September and featured the same diet product. The popular platform for social-media management said that about 7,000 accounts, less than .01 percent of its user base, were affected by unauthorized access through a third party using OAuth, an authentication mechanism that allows third-party access without sharing login credentials.
Zuckerberg explains the three tiers of Facebook
News Info - Not all Facebook apps are created equal.
This decree comes directly from Mark Zuckerberg, the chief himself, who Wednesday stratified the company's ever-expanding collection of mobile applications in an attempt to rationalize Facebook's approach to working on single-purpose applications. With the established hierarchy, Zuckerberg also tried to quell Wall Street's appetite for additional revenue from Facebook's latest, craziest ventures.
Genghis Khan quotes - Unsurprisingly, sitting in the top spot is the Facebook mobile app you know (and love?), which now has an audience of more than 1 billion people each month and is contributing to the company's bottom line in a major way. Mobile sales totaled roughly $1.34 billion for the first three months of 2014, accounting for 59 percent of advertising revenue.
So of course you should believe Zuckerberg when he says that this tried and true Facebook app will continue to be the center of the company's business for years to come. "The Facebook app, by itself, is...not only the most used app, it's the core of our business," he said.
Situated on the second tier are Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger, or the crop of Facebook apps that are extremely important to the social network's continued quest for world dominance. With this bunch, which range in size from 200 million monthly users to 500 million users, size trumps substance.
"These are apps that are now at a pretty big scale, and the immediate priority is getting them to a billion people," Zuckerberg said, "so [we're] continuing to focus on that before focusing on monetization."
Read his remarks as: WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger are super popular but they are not, nor will they be, profitable -- at least not for a very long, long time.
Finally, on the bottom rung, are a group of highly experimental mobile applications that may or may not last. We're currently only privy to just one of these apps: Paper. The iOS news app, developed by a group that Facebook calls its "Creative Labs," was released earlier this year and has an unknown number of users, though apparently those who do use it read 80 stories per day.
What we do know, based on Zuckerberg's statements, is that some of these test-tube app babies, which Facebook plans to release rapidly and refine after launch, will dabble with more private forms of expression, and none of them will be money-makers.
"It will probably take a few years for those to even get to the stage that Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp are at," Zuckerberg said. "Our next priority will be to grow them to 100 million people before we start developing them into significant businesses."
So there you have it. In a nutshell, the native Facebook mobile application is where the money is. Everything else is just gravy.
This decree comes directly from Mark Zuckerberg, the chief himself, who Wednesday stratified the company's ever-expanding collection of mobile applications in an attempt to rationalize Facebook's approach to working on single-purpose applications. With the established hierarchy, Zuckerberg also tried to quell Wall Street's appetite for additional revenue from Facebook's latest, craziest ventures.
Genghis Khan quotes - Unsurprisingly, sitting in the top spot is the Facebook mobile app you know (and love?), which now has an audience of more than 1 billion people each month and is contributing to the company's bottom line in a major way. Mobile sales totaled roughly $1.34 billion for the first three months of 2014, accounting for 59 percent of advertising revenue.
So of course you should believe Zuckerberg when he says that this tried and true Facebook app will continue to be the center of the company's business for years to come. "The Facebook app, by itself, is...not only the most used app, it's the core of our business," he said.
Situated on the second tier are Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger, or the crop of Facebook apps that are extremely important to the social network's continued quest for world dominance. With this bunch, which range in size from 200 million monthly users to 500 million users, size trumps substance.
"These are apps that are now at a pretty big scale, and the immediate priority is getting them to a billion people," Zuckerberg said, "so [we're] continuing to focus on that before focusing on monetization."
Read his remarks as: WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger are super popular but they are not, nor will they be, profitable -- at least not for a very long, long time.
Finally, on the bottom rung, are a group of highly experimental mobile applications that may or may not last. We're currently only privy to just one of these apps: Paper. The iOS news app, developed by a group that Facebook calls its "Creative Labs," was released earlier this year and has an unknown number of users, though apparently those who do use it read 80 stories per day.
What we do know, based on Zuckerberg's statements, is that some of these test-tube app babies, which Facebook plans to release rapidly and refine after launch, will dabble with more private forms of expression, and none of them will be money-makers.
"It will probably take a few years for those to even get to the stage that Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp are at," Zuckerberg said. "Our next priority will be to grow them to 100 million people before we start developing them into significant businesses."
So there you have it. In a nutshell, the native Facebook mobile application is where the money is. Everything else is just gravy.
Tuesday 22 April 2014
Ukraine alert as politician
News Info - Ukraine's acting president has ordered the relaunch of military operations against pro-Russian militants in the east after two men, one a local politician, were "tortured to death".
Oleksandr Turchynov said the body of politician Vladimir Rybak was found near rebel-held Sloviansk.
"The terrorists who effectively took the whole Donetsk region hostage have now gone too far," he said.
The move came as US Vice-President Joe Biden was visiting Ukraine.
As he met Ukrainian leaders in Kiev, Mr Biden called on Russia to "stop talking and start acting" to defuse the Ukraine crisis.
america economy - The US and the West accuse Russia of using undercover military to back separatists in eastern Ukraine, where public buildings are occupied in at least nine cities and towns. Russia denies involvement.
Mr Biden warned Russia that further "provocative behaviour" would lead to "greater isolation" and urged Moscow to end its alleged support for pro-Russian militants.
In remarks to Ukrainian MPs, Mr Biden said the US stood with Ukraine's new leaders against "humiliating threats" - an apparent reference to Russia.
The vice-president called on Moscow to urge the pro-Russian separatists to leave the buildings they are occupying and to abandon checkpoints.
The US is to provide an additional $50m (£30m) for political and economic reforms in Ukraine, including $11m to help run the presidential election due on 25 May.
In another US move, Washington is sending 600 troops to take part in Nato exercises in the three Baltic states and Poland.
A defence department spokesman said the decision was designed to show a strong commitment to the alliance as events unfolded in Ukraine.
'Connivance'
Announcing the decision to reactivate the military operation in eastern Ukraine, Mr Turchynov said in a statement: "I call on the security bodies to resume and carry out successful anti-terrorist measures aimed at defending Ukrainian citizens living in the east of Ukraine against terrorists."
Mr Rybak, whose body was found on Tuesday, was described as a local councillor for the Fatherland party in the nearby town of Horlivka. The other man killed has not yet been publicly identified.
Mr Rybak had gone missing recently and, according to police, his body was found in a river.
"These crimes are being committed with the full support and connivance of the Russian Federation," Mr Turchynov said.
Kiev's military operation to end the occupation of buildings began on 16 April but was suspended over the Easter period.
Funerals
In another incident, a Ukrainian military surveillance plane was hit by small arms fire over eastern Ukraine, the defence ministry said.
The aircraft, an Antonov AN-30, suffered minor damage over Sloviansk when it was targeted by automatic gunfire, according to the ministry. No-one was hurt and the plane returned safely to Kiev.
The funerals have meanwhile taken place of three men shot on Sunday during a raid on a checkpoint manned by pro-Russian separatists near Sloviansk.
The local separatists said the attack was carried out by ultra-nationalist Right Sector militants but Kiev called it a "provocation" staged by Russian special forces.
The bodies of those killed lay in open coffins at the funeral ceremony at the Church of the Holy Spirit in the centre of Sloviansk.
Photos released
Moscow and Washington are accusing each other of breaking last week's Geneva accord on resolving the Ukraine crisis, and the US is planning further sanctions should Russia fail to fulfil its Geneva commitments.
But Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told the Russian parliament on Tuesday that Russia would be able to "minimise the consequences" of any further sanctions.
The 17 April Geneva accord stipulated an immediate end to violence in eastern Ukraine and called on illegal armed groups to surrender their weapons and leave official buildings.
Amid Moscow's denials of being behind the unrest in eastern Ukraine, the government in Kiev released photos, also distributed by the US State Department, it said showed Russian soldiers among militants holding official buildings in eastern Ukraine.
There was no immediate response to the pictures from the Russian government.
Ukraine has been in turmoil since last November, when Kiev was gripped by protests over whether the country should lean more towards Russia or Europe.
Also on Tuesday, Crimea's Muslim Tatars said the leader of their community, Mustafa Dzhemilev, had been banned by Russia from returning to Crimea for five years.
Tatars opposed Russia's annexation of Crimea in March.
Oleksandr Turchynov said the body of politician Vladimir Rybak was found near rebel-held Sloviansk.
"The terrorists who effectively took the whole Donetsk region hostage have now gone too far," he said.
The move came as US Vice-President Joe Biden was visiting Ukraine.
As he met Ukrainian leaders in Kiev, Mr Biden called on Russia to "stop talking and start acting" to defuse the Ukraine crisis.
america economy - The US and the West accuse Russia of using undercover military to back separatists in eastern Ukraine, where public buildings are occupied in at least nine cities and towns. Russia denies involvement.
Mr Biden warned Russia that further "provocative behaviour" would lead to "greater isolation" and urged Moscow to end its alleged support for pro-Russian militants.
In remarks to Ukrainian MPs, Mr Biden said the US stood with Ukraine's new leaders against "humiliating threats" - an apparent reference to Russia.
The vice-president called on Moscow to urge the pro-Russian separatists to leave the buildings they are occupying and to abandon checkpoints.
The US is to provide an additional $50m (£30m) for political and economic reforms in Ukraine, including $11m to help run the presidential election due on 25 May.
In another US move, Washington is sending 600 troops to take part in Nato exercises in the three Baltic states and Poland.
A defence department spokesman said the decision was designed to show a strong commitment to the alliance as events unfolded in Ukraine.
'Connivance'
Announcing the decision to reactivate the military operation in eastern Ukraine, Mr Turchynov said in a statement: "I call on the security bodies to resume and carry out successful anti-terrorist measures aimed at defending Ukrainian citizens living in the east of Ukraine against terrorists."
Mr Rybak, whose body was found on Tuesday, was described as a local councillor for the Fatherland party in the nearby town of Horlivka. The other man killed has not yet been publicly identified.
Mr Rybak had gone missing recently and, according to police, his body was found in a river.
"These crimes are being committed with the full support and connivance of the Russian Federation," Mr Turchynov said.
Kiev's military operation to end the occupation of buildings began on 16 April but was suspended over the Easter period.
Funerals
In another incident, a Ukrainian military surveillance plane was hit by small arms fire over eastern Ukraine, the defence ministry said.
The aircraft, an Antonov AN-30, suffered minor damage over Sloviansk when it was targeted by automatic gunfire, according to the ministry. No-one was hurt and the plane returned safely to Kiev.
The funerals have meanwhile taken place of three men shot on Sunday during a raid on a checkpoint manned by pro-Russian separatists near Sloviansk.
The local separatists said the attack was carried out by ultra-nationalist Right Sector militants but Kiev called it a "provocation" staged by Russian special forces.
The bodies of those killed lay in open coffins at the funeral ceremony at the Church of the Holy Spirit in the centre of Sloviansk.
Photos released
Moscow and Washington are accusing each other of breaking last week's Geneva accord on resolving the Ukraine crisis, and the US is planning further sanctions should Russia fail to fulfil its Geneva commitments.
But Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told the Russian parliament on Tuesday that Russia would be able to "minimise the consequences" of any further sanctions.
The 17 April Geneva accord stipulated an immediate end to violence in eastern Ukraine and called on illegal armed groups to surrender their weapons and leave official buildings.
Amid Moscow's denials of being behind the unrest in eastern Ukraine, the government in Kiev released photos, also distributed by the US State Department, it said showed Russian soldiers among militants holding official buildings in eastern Ukraine.
There was no immediate response to the pictures from the Russian government.
Ukraine has been in turmoil since last November, when Kiev was gripped by protests over whether the country should lean more towards Russia or Europe.
Also on Tuesday, Crimea's Muslim Tatars said the leader of their community, Mustafa Dzhemilev, had been banned by Russia from returning to Crimea for five years.
Tatars opposed Russia's annexation of Crimea in March.
S Korea ferry survivor 'haunted' by memory of trapped students
News Info - A survivor of South Korea's ferry disaster has described taking the agonising decision to save himself as the ship capsized and water washed away students he was trying to rescue.
Lorry driver Eun-su Choi told the BBC: "We were trying to pull them up... but it was very difficult. We then decided to climb up, but I now regret it."
The confirmed death toll has reached 113, as divers recovered more bodies from the sunken hull of the Sewol.
More than 190 people are still missing.
parking space - The ship's crew have been criticised for allegedly failing to save passengers, with the captain and several other crew members charged with negligence of their duty to evacuate passengers safely.
A total of 174 passengers were rescued from the Sewol, which capsized as it sailed from Incheon in the north-west to the southern island of Jeju.
'Sliding on their knees'
Of the 476 people on board, some 339 were children and teachers on a school trip.
Many were trapped inside the ship as it listed to one side and then sank within two hours of distress signals being sent.
Eun-su Choi had made the ferry journey from Incheon in the north-west to the southern island of Jeju hundreds of times. He had just had breakfast and gone up on the deck for a smoke when disaster struck.
"All of a sudden the ship tilted and started to sink. Containers started to fall off into the sea, and I realised we were going to capsize.
"I was clinging on to the handrail. I tried to save some of the students in the cafeteria. They were sliding around on their knees by the cashier's desk."
He added: "We were trying to pull them up with a fire hose, but it was very difficult to rescue them. We then decided to climb up, but I now regret it."
He said his friend managed to pull a six-year-old girl to safety after she was passed by her parents and other passengers, hand to hand, from inside the ferry.
He said the parents and passengers, who did not survive the ordeal, were "the bravest people of all".
All of the people he saw helping the girl were swept away by the water, he added.
Reports suggest that passengers were told to remain in their rooms and cabins as the ship listed, amid confusion on the bridge over whether to order them to abandon ship.
The first distress call from the sinking ferry was made from a mobile phone by a boy with a shaking voice, officials told Reuters.
It reported that his plea for help was followed by about 20 other emergency calls from children on board the ship.
Salvage preparations
A crew member quoted by local media said that attempts to launch lifeboats were unsuccessful because the ship was listing too severely. Only two of the vessel's 46 lifeboats were reported to have been deployed.
South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Monday condemned the conduct of some of the crew, calling it "akin to murder".
The number of bodies recovered has risen sharply since the weekend, with divers taking advantage of better weather conditions on Tuesday.
They have managed to reach many of the cabins in the hull of the upturned ferry, but are still trying to get into the ship's restaurant, where they believe many of the passengers were trapped.
An underwater robot was unloaded at Jindo port on Tuesday morning, ready to help in the operation to bring the hull to the surface.
The BBC's Jonathan Head in nearby Jindo island says that the rescue operation has now become something of a grim routine, with police boats regularly returning from the scene of the disaster with bodies recovered by military divers.
Our correspondent says that most of the families of those still missing have accepted that no more survivors will be found.
Rescue officials say they will keep searching with divers for another two days, but that the families of the victims have agreed that the salvage operation can begin after that.
Investigations are focusing on whether the ferry took too sharp a turn - perhaps destabilising the vessel - before it started listing and whether an earlier evacuation order could have saved lives.
Captain Lee Joon-seok was not on the bridge when the ferry began listing. It was being steered by a third mate who had never navigated the waters where the accident occurred, prosecutors say.
The captain and two other crew members have been charged with negligence of duty and violation of maritime law. Four more crew members were reported to have been detained on Monday and two on Tuesday.
There were up to 30 crew members on the stricken ship, reports say, and some seven of them are missing.
Lorry driver Eun-su Choi told the BBC: "We were trying to pull them up... but it was very difficult. We then decided to climb up, but I now regret it."
The confirmed death toll has reached 113, as divers recovered more bodies from the sunken hull of the Sewol.
More than 190 people are still missing.
parking space - The ship's crew have been criticised for allegedly failing to save passengers, with the captain and several other crew members charged with negligence of their duty to evacuate passengers safely.
A total of 174 passengers were rescued from the Sewol, which capsized as it sailed from Incheon in the north-west to the southern island of Jeju.
'Sliding on their knees'
Of the 476 people on board, some 339 were children and teachers on a school trip.
Many were trapped inside the ship as it listed to one side and then sank within two hours of distress signals being sent.
Eun-su Choi had made the ferry journey from Incheon in the north-west to the southern island of Jeju hundreds of times. He had just had breakfast and gone up on the deck for a smoke when disaster struck.
"All of a sudden the ship tilted and started to sink. Containers started to fall off into the sea, and I realised we were going to capsize.
"I was clinging on to the handrail. I tried to save some of the students in the cafeteria. They were sliding around on their knees by the cashier's desk."
He added: "We were trying to pull them up with a fire hose, but it was very difficult to rescue them. We then decided to climb up, but I now regret it."
He said his friend managed to pull a six-year-old girl to safety after she was passed by her parents and other passengers, hand to hand, from inside the ferry.
He said the parents and passengers, who did not survive the ordeal, were "the bravest people of all".
All of the people he saw helping the girl were swept away by the water, he added.
Reports suggest that passengers were told to remain in their rooms and cabins as the ship listed, amid confusion on the bridge over whether to order them to abandon ship.
The first distress call from the sinking ferry was made from a mobile phone by a boy with a shaking voice, officials told Reuters.
It reported that his plea for help was followed by about 20 other emergency calls from children on board the ship.
Salvage preparations
A crew member quoted by local media said that attempts to launch lifeboats were unsuccessful because the ship was listing too severely. Only two of the vessel's 46 lifeboats were reported to have been deployed.
South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Monday condemned the conduct of some of the crew, calling it "akin to murder".
The number of bodies recovered has risen sharply since the weekend, with divers taking advantage of better weather conditions on Tuesday.
They have managed to reach many of the cabins in the hull of the upturned ferry, but are still trying to get into the ship's restaurant, where they believe many of the passengers were trapped.
An underwater robot was unloaded at Jindo port on Tuesday morning, ready to help in the operation to bring the hull to the surface.
The BBC's Jonathan Head in nearby Jindo island says that the rescue operation has now become something of a grim routine, with police boats regularly returning from the scene of the disaster with bodies recovered by military divers.
Our correspondent says that most of the families of those still missing have accepted that no more survivors will be found.
Rescue officials say they will keep searching with divers for another two days, but that the families of the victims have agreed that the salvage operation can begin after that.
Investigations are focusing on whether the ferry took too sharp a turn - perhaps destabilising the vessel - before it started listing and whether an earlier evacuation order could have saved lives.
Captain Lee Joon-seok was not on the bridge when the ferry began listing. It was being steered by a third mate who had never navigated the waters where the accident occurred, prosecutors say.
The captain and two other crew members have been charged with negligence of duty and violation of maritime law. Four more crew members were reported to have been detained on Monday and two on Tuesday.
There were up to 30 crew members on the stricken ship, reports say, and some seven of them are missing.
Teen hitches ride to Hawaii in jet's landing gear
News Info - The questions are many.
But the first has to be, how in the world did a 16-year-old boy survive a five-hour flight in below freezing cold weather at oxygen-depleted heights without dying or falling out of the wheel well of a huge jumbo jet?
Another has to be, how does a 16-year-old even sneak on to an airport and a plane to begin with?
Authorities likely were trying to find the answers to some of their questions Monday. The boy remained in the custody of child welfare services workers in Hawaii. But the FBI says they have no more need to interview the boy as he is no threat.
Apparently he's just a runaway who popped out of the wheel well of Hawaii Airlines Flight 45 on Sunday to the amazement of the ground crew at the Kahului Airport on the island of Maui -- and triggering a host of questions.
How did he survive the flight?
human body system - as unlikely as it sounds, officials believe the boy rode in a tiny, cramped compartment for almost five hours, at altitudes that reached 38,000 feet, without oxygen and in subzero temperatures.
"It sounds really incredible," said aviation expert Jeff Wise. "Being in a wheel well is like all of a sudden being on top of Mount Everest."
Between the oxygen depletion and the cold, life expectancy "is measured in minutes," Wise said.
But some people have survived. Since 1947, 105 people are known to have attempted to fly inside wheel wells on 94 flights worldwide, the Federal Aviation Administration's Civil Aerospace Medical Institute says. Of those, 25 made it through, including a 9-year-old child -- a survival rate of 24%. One of the flights went as high as 39,000 feet. Two others were at 38,000 feet.
The conditions at high altitudes can put stowaways in a virtual "hibernative" state, the FAA said.
Someone could slip into unconsciousness so that the body cools and "the central nervous system is preserved," said CNN aviation expert Michael Kay. Also, he said, "there could be a situation where inside the bay is warmer than the external air temperature and you wouldn't get the instantaneous freezing of the skin."
Still, "for somebody to survive multiple hours with that lack of oxygen and that cold is just miraculous," airline analyst Peter Forman told CNN affiliate KHON in Honolulu.
The boy's survival is "dumb luck mostly," says Dr. Kenneth Stahl, trauma surgeon at Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital. The temperature outside the airplane could have been as low as 75 or 80 degrees below zero, said Stahl, who is also a pilot. "Those are astronomically low temperatures to survive."
The boy was likely so cold that "he was essentially in a state of suspended animation," Stahl said. Being young likely worked in his favor, too. "No adult would have survived that," Stahl added.
The boy could face permanent brain damage from the experience, in fact, it's "more likely than not," Stahl said. He could face neurological issues, memory problems or a lower IQ.
When the ground crew at Kahului Airport noticed the boy, he was wandering the tarmac, dazed and confused.
The teen also could have frostbite or a kidney injury because when the body freezes, particles of muscle enter the blood stream and damage the kidneys, Stahl said.
How did he get there?
The 16-year-old apparently hitched a ride from San Jose, California, to Maui in the landing-gear wheel well of a Boeing 767, Hawaiian Airlines said.
The boy told authorities he was from Santa Clara, California, and ran away from home Sunday morning, said FBI Special Agent Tom Simon. He didn't have an ID and was carrying only a comb.
He hopped an airport fence, ran to the plane and climbed on, the FBI said.
"It appears that this teenager scaled a section of our perimeter," Mineta San Jose International Airport spokeswoman Rosemary Barnes told CNN. The boy "was able to proceed onto our ramp under cover of darkness and enter the wheel well of an aircraft."
Officials for the city of San Jose, which operates the airport, are not planning any legal action, Barnes said Monday. Once they were confident that the teen did not present a threat, the FBI dropped out of the investigation.
The boy is in the custody of child welfare services workers in Hawaii, said Kayla Rosenfeld, a spokeswoman for the state's Department of Human Services. She said Monday afternoon that officials have notified the boy's family that he is safe.
How did no one notice him?
Surveillance camera footage shows the boy hopping the fence at the San Jose airport, the FBI said. There's also camera footage of him walking across the ramp in San Jose toward the Hawaiian aircraft, the airport said.
Video "is under review by federal and local law enforcement officials here," Barnes said. "And we'll continue to review that to determine where, in fact, the teenager was able to scale the fence line."
The boy told investigators he crawled into the wheel well of the plane and lost consciousness when the plane took off.
An hour after the plane landed at Kahului Airport, the boy regained consciousness and emerged to a "dumbfounded" ground crew, the FBI's Simon said.
The Maui airport has video of him crawling out of the left main gear area.
"It makes no sense to me," Simon said.
Mavin Moniz, the Maui District airport manager, added that a worker saw the boy come out of the wheel well and walk toward the front of the aircraft.
"Clearly there's a big security breach here, which in the post 9/11 world order is a concern," said Kay. To get past all sorts of people apparently unnoticed is "a physical feat," he said.
How did he not get crushed or fall?
It's not hard at all" to climb inside the wheel well, said Jose Wolfman Guillen, a ground operations coordinator at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. "You can grab onto the struts and landing gear assembly kind of like a ladder, and you just jump on the tire and climb into the wheel well."
Inside, there's not much room -- even less than in the trunk of a car, Guillen said. A stowaway would need to guess "where the tire is going to fold in when it closes after takeoff. There's a high risk of getting crushed once the gear starts going in."
During the flight, "the interior guts of the aircraft, they're pretty exposed inside the wheel well, so there's a lot of stuff you can hold on to," Guillen adds. "It's just a matter of holding on to it for the duration of the flight and maintaining your grip when the gear opens up and not falling out. If you fell out, you could get horribly mangled or dragged on the runway."
It's possible for a stowaway to enter other parts of the plane through a wheel well, though complicated, Guillen said. It would require know-how.
"On a 767 and other wide bodies, there are small latched doors that a very small and fit person can (use to) access the wheel wells for maintenance. You could access the passenger cabin from the wheel wells, but again, some knowledge of the anatomy of the aircraft is required. I wouldn't know how to do it."
In February, crews at Dulles International Airport in suburban Washington found the body of a man inside the landing-gear wheel well of an Airbus A340 operated by South African Airways.
In 2010, a 16-year-old boy died after he fell out of the wheel well of a US Airways flight that was landing at Boston's Logan International Airport.
The most recent known case of someone surviving was on a short domestic flight in Nigeria. A 15-year-old boy snuck into the wheel well of a flight from Benin City to Lagos -- thinking it was a flight to the United States, according to an FAA report. The ride lasted only 35 minutes, and the plane likely went no higher than 25,000 feet.
The FAA and Transportation Security Administration have studied stowaway incidents to augment security. Many incidents involve people desperately trying to escape their countries.
"No system is 100%," said San Jose airport spokeswoman Barnes.
Boy, 11, hops plane to Rome without ticket or passport
Boy sneaks onto Vegas flight by himself
But the first has to be, how in the world did a 16-year-old boy survive a five-hour flight in below freezing cold weather at oxygen-depleted heights without dying or falling out of the wheel well of a huge jumbo jet?
Another has to be, how does a 16-year-old even sneak on to an airport and a plane to begin with?
Authorities likely were trying to find the answers to some of their questions Monday. The boy remained in the custody of child welfare services workers in Hawaii. But the FBI says they have no more need to interview the boy as he is no threat.
Apparently he's just a runaway who popped out of the wheel well of Hawaii Airlines Flight 45 on Sunday to the amazement of the ground crew at the Kahului Airport on the island of Maui -- and triggering a host of questions.
How did he survive the flight?
human body system - as unlikely as it sounds, officials believe the boy rode in a tiny, cramped compartment for almost five hours, at altitudes that reached 38,000 feet, without oxygen and in subzero temperatures.
"It sounds really incredible," said aviation expert Jeff Wise. "Being in a wheel well is like all of a sudden being on top of Mount Everest."
Between the oxygen depletion and the cold, life expectancy "is measured in minutes," Wise said.
But some people have survived. Since 1947, 105 people are known to have attempted to fly inside wheel wells on 94 flights worldwide, the Federal Aviation Administration's Civil Aerospace Medical Institute says. Of those, 25 made it through, including a 9-year-old child -- a survival rate of 24%. One of the flights went as high as 39,000 feet. Two others were at 38,000 feet.
The conditions at high altitudes can put stowaways in a virtual "hibernative" state, the FAA said.
Someone could slip into unconsciousness so that the body cools and "the central nervous system is preserved," said CNN aviation expert Michael Kay. Also, he said, "there could be a situation where inside the bay is warmer than the external air temperature and you wouldn't get the instantaneous freezing of the skin."
Still, "for somebody to survive multiple hours with that lack of oxygen and that cold is just miraculous," airline analyst Peter Forman told CNN affiliate KHON in Honolulu.
The boy's survival is "dumb luck mostly," says Dr. Kenneth Stahl, trauma surgeon at Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital. The temperature outside the airplane could have been as low as 75 or 80 degrees below zero, said Stahl, who is also a pilot. "Those are astronomically low temperatures to survive."
The boy was likely so cold that "he was essentially in a state of suspended animation," Stahl said. Being young likely worked in his favor, too. "No adult would have survived that," Stahl added.
The boy could face permanent brain damage from the experience, in fact, it's "more likely than not," Stahl said. He could face neurological issues, memory problems or a lower IQ.
When the ground crew at Kahului Airport noticed the boy, he was wandering the tarmac, dazed and confused.
The teen also could have frostbite or a kidney injury because when the body freezes, particles of muscle enter the blood stream and damage the kidneys, Stahl said.
How did he get there?
The 16-year-old apparently hitched a ride from San Jose, California, to Maui in the landing-gear wheel well of a Boeing 767, Hawaiian Airlines said.
The boy told authorities he was from Santa Clara, California, and ran away from home Sunday morning, said FBI Special Agent Tom Simon. He didn't have an ID and was carrying only a comb.
He hopped an airport fence, ran to the plane and climbed on, the FBI said.
"It appears that this teenager scaled a section of our perimeter," Mineta San Jose International Airport spokeswoman Rosemary Barnes told CNN. The boy "was able to proceed onto our ramp under cover of darkness and enter the wheel well of an aircraft."
Officials for the city of San Jose, which operates the airport, are not planning any legal action, Barnes said Monday. Once they were confident that the teen did not present a threat, the FBI dropped out of the investigation.
The boy is in the custody of child welfare services workers in Hawaii, said Kayla Rosenfeld, a spokeswoman for the state's Department of Human Services. She said Monday afternoon that officials have notified the boy's family that he is safe.
How did no one notice him?
Surveillance camera footage shows the boy hopping the fence at the San Jose airport, the FBI said. There's also camera footage of him walking across the ramp in San Jose toward the Hawaiian aircraft, the airport said.
Video "is under review by federal and local law enforcement officials here," Barnes said. "And we'll continue to review that to determine where, in fact, the teenager was able to scale the fence line."
The boy told investigators he crawled into the wheel well of the plane and lost consciousness when the plane took off.
An hour after the plane landed at Kahului Airport, the boy regained consciousness and emerged to a "dumbfounded" ground crew, the FBI's Simon said.
The Maui airport has video of him crawling out of the left main gear area.
"It makes no sense to me," Simon said.
Mavin Moniz, the Maui District airport manager, added that a worker saw the boy come out of the wheel well and walk toward the front of the aircraft.
"Clearly there's a big security breach here, which in the post 9/11 world order is a concern," said Kay. To get past all sorts of people apparently unnoticed is "a physical feat," he said.
How did he not get crushed or fall?
It's not hard at all" to climb inside the wheel well, said Jose Wolfman Guillen, a ground operations coordinator at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. "You can grab onto the struts and landing gear assembly kind of like a ladder, and you just jump on the tire and climb into the wheel well."
Inside, there's not much room -- even less than in the trunk of a car, Guillen said. A stowaway would need to guess "where the tire is going to fold in when it closes after takeoff. There's a high risk of getting crushed once the gear starts going in."
During the flight, "the interior guts of the aircraft, they're pretty exposed inside the wheel well, so there's a lot of stuff you can hold on to," Guillen adds. "It's just a matter of holding on to it for the duration of the flight and maintaining your grip when the gear opens up and not falling out. If you fell out, you could get horribly mangled or dragged on the runway."
It's possible for a stowaway to enter other parts of the plane through a wheel well, though complicated, Guillen said. It would require know-how.
"On a 767 and other wide bodies, there are small latched doors that a very small and fit person can (use to) access the wheel wells for maintenance. You could access the passenger cabin from the wheel wells, but again, some knowledge of the anatomy of the aircraft is required. I wouldn't know how to do it."
In February, crews at Dulles International Airport in suburban Washington found the body of a man inside the landing-gear wheel well of an Airbus A340 operated by South African Airways.
In 2010, a 16-year-old boy died after he fell out of the wheel well of a US Airways flight that was landing at Boston's Logan International Airport.
The most recent known case of someone surviving was on a short domestic flight in Nigeria. A 15-year-old boy snuck into the wheel well of a flight from Benin City to Lagos -- thinking it was a flight to the United States, according to an FAA report. The ride lasted only 35 minutes, and the plane likely went no higher than 25,000 feet.
The FAA and Transportation Security Administration have studied stowaway incidents to augment security. Many incidents involve people desperately trying to escape their countries.
"No system is 100%," said San Jose airport spokeswoman Barnes.
Boy, 11, hops plane to Rome without ticket or passport
Boy sneaks onto Vegas flight by himself
Health Canada recall 'purple kush' marijuana
News Info - This B.C. bud's not for you. Nor should it be for anyone, according to the pot producers who are now asking customers to ditch a batch of cannabis sold as "purple kush," following a Health Canada inspection.
The voluntary recall is for a shipment labelled PK-10-20-13. In an advisory, Health Canada said it found "issues with the company's production practices" that could affect the product.
human body parts - It's believed to be the first-ever marijuana recall announced by the federal health agency.
The shipment of medical marijuana in question was produced by Greenleaf Medicinals out of Nanaimo, B.C.
Greenleaf has informed Health Canada the company is "working with other licensed producers to find a supply of marijuana for the impacted clients."
Consumers were being asked to discontinue use, though anyone who has already used the product is not in danger, according to Health Canada.
The health agency's recall notice was posted online on April 18, two days before Sunday's annual "4/20" day, which celebrates cannabis culture.
Health Canada reminded the public that dried marijuana is not an approved drug or medicine in Canada, and that use and possession of marijuana is illegal unless authorized by a medical professional.
The voluntary recall is for a shipment labelled PK-10-20-13. In an advisory, Health Canada said it found "issues with the company's production practices" that could affect the product.
human body parts - It's believed to be the first-ever marijuana recall announced by the federal health agency.
The shipment of medical marijuana in question was produced by Greenleaf Medicinals out of Nanaimo, B.C.
Greenleaf has informed Health Canada the company is "working with other licensed producers to find a supply of marijuana for the impacted clients."
Consumers were being asked to discontinue use, though anyone who has already used the product is not in danger, according to Health Canada.
The health agency's recall notice was posted online on April 18, two days before Sunday's annual "4/20" day, which celebrates cannabis culture.
Health Canada reminded the public that dried marijuana is not an approved drug or medicine in Canada, and that use and possession of marijuana is illegal unless authorized by a medical professional.
South Korea Ferry
News Info - One by one, coast guard officers carried the newly arrived bodies covered in white sheets from a boat to a tent on the dock of this island, the first step in identifying a sharply rising number of corpses from a South Korean ferry that sank nearly a week ago.
what are hiccups? - Dozens of police officers in neon green jackets formed a cordon around the dock as the bodies arrived Tuesday. Since divers found a way over the weekend to enter the submerged ferry, the death count has shot up. Officials said Tuesday that confirmed fatalities had reached 104, with nearly 200 people still missing.
If a body lacks identification, details such as height, hair length and clothing are posted on a white signboard for families waiting on Jindo island for news.
The bodies are then driven in ambulances to two tents: one for men and boys, the other for women and girls. Families listen quietly outside as an official briefs them, then line up and file in. Only relatives are allowed inside.
Divers continued the grim work of recovering bodies from inside the sunken Sewol ferry on April 21, securing a new entryway into the wreck, as a newly released transcript showed the ship was crippled by confusion and indecision well after it began listing.
1 of 18
For a brief moment there is silence. Then the anguished cries, the wailing, the howling. They have not known for nearly a week whether they should grieve or not, and now they sound like they're being torn apart.
"How do I live without you? How will your mother live without you?" a woman cries out.
She is with a woman who emerges from a tent crying and falls into a chair where relatives try to comfort her. One stands above her and cradles her head in her hands, stroking her face.
"Bring back my daughter!" the woman cries, calling out her child's name in agony. A man rushes over, lifts her on his back and carries her away.
This heartbreak still awaits many families of those still missing from the submerged ferry Sewol, or at least those whose relatives' bodies are ultimately recovered. Families who once dreamed of miraculous rescues now simply hope their loved ones' remains are recovered soon, before the ocean does much more damage.
"At first, I was just very sad, but now it's like an endless wait," said Woo Dong-suk, a construction worker and uncle of one of the students. "It's been too long already. The bodies must be decayed. The parents' only wish right now is to find the bodies before they are badly decomposed."
'Unforgivable, murderous behaviour'
About 250 of the more than 300 missing or dead are students from a single high school, in Ansan near Seoul, who were on their way to the southern tourist island of Jeju.
Bodies are being identified visually, but family members have been providing DNA samples in case decomposition makes that impossible.
The families, and South Koreans more broadly, have at times responded with fury. The captain initially told passengers to stay in their rooms and waited more than half an hour to issue an evacuation order as the Sewol sank. By then, the ship had tilted so much it is believed that many passengers were trapped inside.
At a Cabinet briefing Monday, President Park Geun-hye said, "What the captain and part of the crew did is unfathomable from the viewpoint of common sense. Unforgivable, murderous behaviour." The comments were posted online by the presidential Blue House.
The captain, Lee Joon-seok, and two crew members have been arrested on suspicion of negligence and abandoning people in need, and prosecutors said Monday that four other crew members have been detained. On Monday night, prosecutors requested a court to issue a warrant to formally arrest these four people, a prosecution office said in a release late Monday.
A transcript of ship-to-shore communications released Sunday revealed a ship that was crippled with indecision. A crew member asked repeatedly whether passengers would be rescued after abandoning ship even as the ferry tilted so sharply that it became impossible to escape.
Lee, 68, has said he waited to issue an evacuation order because the current was strong, the water was cold and passengers could have drifted away before help arrived. But maritime experts said he could have ordered passengers to the deck — where they would have had a greater chance of survival — without telling them to abandon ship.
No sharp turn before sinking
Emergency task force spokesman Koh Myung-seok said bodies have mostly been found on the third and fourth floor of the ferries, where many passengers seemed to have gathered. Many students were also housed in cabins on the fourth floor, near the stern of the ship, Koh said.
The cause of the disaster is not yet known, and only became murkier Tuesday, when a South Korean official said the ferry had not taken an unusually sharp turn shortly before the sinking as had been initially believed.
Data from the Sewol's automatic identification system, an on-board transponder used for tracking, shows that the ship made a J-shaped turn before listing heavily and ultimately sinking.
A ministry of ocean and fisheries official had said Friday that the vessel had taken a sharp turn. But on Tuesday a ministry official said in a phone interview that the AIS data had been incomplete. He says the true path of the ship became clear when the data was fully restored.
The official declined to elaborate or give his name, but provided a map that showed both the hard 115-degree turn originally estimate and the more gradual path the restored data describes.
It remains unclear why the ship turned around shortly before it sank. The third mate, who has been arrested, was steering at the time of the accident, in a challenging area where she had not steered before, and the captain said he was not on the bridge at the time.
Authorities have not identified the third mate, though a colleague identified her as Park Han-gyeol. Senior prosecutor Ahn Song-don said Monday the third mate has told investigators why she made the turn, but he would not reveal her answer, and more investigation is needed to determine whether the answer is accurate.
Most of the bodies found have been recovered since the weekend, when divers, frustrated for days by strong currents, bad weather and poor visibility, were finally able to enter the ferry. But conditions remain challenging.
"I cannot see anything in front ... and the current underwater is too fast," said Choi Jin-ho, a professional diver who searched the ferry Monday. "Then breathing gets faster and panic comes."
what are hiccups? - Dozens of police officers in neon green jackets formed a cordon around the dock as the bodies arrived Tuesday. Since divers found a way over the weekend to enter the submerged ferry, the death count has shot up. Officials said Tuesday that confirmed fatalities had reached 104, with nearly 200 people still missing.
If a body lacks identification, details such as height, hair length and clothing are posted on a white signboard for families waiting on Jindo island for news.
The bodies are then driven in ambulances to two tents: one for men and boys, the other for women and girls. Families listen quietly outside as an official briefs them, then line up and file in. Only relatives are allowed inside.
Divers continued the grim work of recovering bodies from inside the sunken Sewol ferry on April 21, securing a new entryway into the wreck, as a newly released transcript showed the ship was crippled by confusion and indecision well after it began listing.
1 of 18
For a brief moment there is silence. Then the anguished cries, the wailing, the howling. They have not known for nearly a week whether they should grieve or not, and now they sound like they're being torn apart.
"How do I live without you? How will your mother live without you?" a woman cries out.
She is with a woman who emerges from a tent crying and falls into a chair where relatives try to comfort her. One stands above her and cradles her head in her hands, stroking her face.
"Bring back my daughter!" the woman cries, calling out her child's name in agony. A man rushes over, lifts her on his back and carries her away.
This heartbreak still awaits many families of those still missing from the submerged ferry Sewol, or at least those whose relatives' bodies are ultimately recovered. Families who once dreamed of miraculous rescues now simply hope their loved ones' remains are recovered soon, before the ocean does much more damage.
"At first, I was just very sad, but now it's like an endless wait," said Woo Dong-suk, a construction worker and uncle of one of the students. "It's been too long already. The bodies must be decayed. The parents' only wish right now is to find the bodies before they are badly decomposed."
'Unforgivable, murderous behaviour'
About 250 of the more than 300 missing or dead are students from a single high school, in Ansan near Seoul, who were on their way to the southern tourist island of Jeju.
Bodies are being identified visually, but family members have been providing DNA samples in case decomposition makes that impossible.
The families, and South Koreans more broadly, have at times responded with fury. The captain initially told passengers to stay in their rooms and waited more than half an hour to issue an evacuation order as the Sewol sank. By then, the ship had tilted so much it is believed that many passengers were trapped inside.
At a Cabinet briefing Monday, President Park Geun-hye said, "What the captain and part of the crew did is unfathomable from the viewpoint of common sense. Unforgivable, murderous behaviour." The comments were posted online by the presidential Blue House.
The captain, Lee Joon-seok, and two crew members have been arrested on suspicion of negligence and abandoning people in need, and prosecutors said Monday that four other crew members have been detained. On Monday night, prosecutors requested a court to issue a warrant to formally arrest these four people, a prosecution office said in a release late Monday.
A transcript of ship-to-shore communications released Sunday revealed a ship that was crippled with indecision. A crew member asked repeatedly whether passengers would be rescued after abandoning ship even as the ferry tilted so sharply that it became impossible to escape.
Lee, 68, has said he waited to issue an evacuation order because the current was strong, the water was cold and passengers could have drifted away before help arrived. But maritime experts said he could have ordered passengers to the deck — where they would have had a greater chance of survival — without telling them to abandon ship.
No sharp turn before sinking
Emergency task force spokesman Koh Myung-seok said bodies have mostly been found on the third and fourth floor of the ferries, where many passengers seemed to have gathered. Many students were also housed in cabins on the fourth floor, near the stern of the ship, Koh said.
The cause of the disaster is not yet known, and only became murkier Tuesday, when a South Korean official said the ferry had not taken an unusually sharp turn shortly before the sinking as had been initially believed.
Data from the Sewol's automatic identification system, an on-board transponder used for tracking, shows that the ship made a J-shaped turn before listing heavily and ultimately sinking.
A ministry of ocean and fisheries official had said Friday that the vessel had taken a sharp turn. But on Tuesday a ministry official said in a phone interview that the AIS data had been incomplete. He says the true path of the ship became clear when the data was fully restored.
The official declined to elaborate or give his name, but provided a map that showed both the hard 115-degree turn originally estimate and the more gradual path the restored data describes.
It remains unclear why the ship turned around shortly before it sank. The third mate, who has been arrested, was steering at the time of the accident, in a challenging area where she had not steered before, and the captain said he was not on the bridge at the time.
Authorities have not identified the third mate, though a colleague identified her as Park Han-gyeol. Senior prosecutor Ahn Song-don said Monday the third mate has told investigators why she made the turn, but he would not reveal her answer, and more investigation is needed to determine whether the answer is accurate.
Most of the bodies found have been recovered since the weekend, when divers, frustrated for days by strong currents, bad weather and poor visibility, were finally able to enter the ferry. But conditions remain challenging.
"I cannot see anything in front ... and the current underwater is too fast," said Choi Jin-ho, a professional diver who searched the ferry Monday. "Then breathing gets faster and panic comes."
Sunday 20 April 2014
Israeli Police Block U.N. Envoy During Procession
Juresalem - Israeli security forces halted Palestinian Christians -- joined by a U.N. envoy -- participating a pre-Easter procession Saturday in Jerusalem's Old City, an action the envoy sharply criticized but that an Israeli official dismissed as a "non-event."
dark chocolate dog - Robert Serry, the U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, was among a large, tightly packed group trying to walk together on what is Holy Saturday on the Christian calendar. A woman yells out at one point, "They are preventing us from accessing our churches to pray."
Some time later, the people are stopped by security forces. Barricades are set up, only to be picked up and taken away. There's also some pushing and shoving before the scene eventually calms down.
The special coordinator's office explained that the group had intended to move from the area's New Gate to the Holy Sepulchre "at the invitation of the Palestinian Christian community in Jerusalem." It said the group had been earlier given "assurances ... of unhindered access," only to have "the Israeli police refuse ... to allow such entry claiming they had orders to that effect."
Serry expressed "dismay" over the incident, adding, "I call on all parties to respect the right of religious freedom, granting access to holy sites for worshippers of all faiths and refraining from provocations, not least during the religious holidays."
Yet Israel's government saw the matter in a different light.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor -- in a message retweeted by Israel Defense Forces spokesman Peter Lerner -- said, "UN envoy #RobertSerry shows poor judgment in fabricating an incident out of a non-event, mishandling sensitive issue of religious freedom."
Palmor told the Jerusalem Post that police were acting to limit the number of those packed into the church and the narrow streets around it, dismissing what happened as "a micro-incident."
This incident is not Serry's first run-in with authorities: The U.N. envoy said he was threatened by armed men in Crimea, which broke away from Ukraine and joined Russia.
Whatever its origins or conclusions, Saturday's ordeal did not prevent other activities in and around the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is where many Christians believe Jesus was buried and rose from the dead.
On Saturday, the church once again was home to the Holy Fire ceremony, including the sight of dozens of people holding candles or small torches.
dark chocolate dog - Robert Serry, the U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, was among a large, tightly packed group trying to walk together on what is Holy Saturday on the Christian calendar. A woman yells out at one point, "They are preventing us from accessing our churches to pray."
Some time later, the people are stopped by security forces. Barricades are set up, only to be picked up and taken away. There's also some pushing and shoving before the scene eventually calms down.
The special coordinator's office explained that the group had intended to move from the area's New Gate to the Holy Sepulchre "at the invitation of the Palestinian Christian community in Jerusalem." It said the group had been earlier given "assurances ... of unhindered access," only to have "the Israeli police refuse ... to allow such entry claiming they had orders to that effect."
Serry expressed "dismay" over the incident, adding, "I call on all parties to respect the right of religious freedom, granting access to holy sites for worshippers of all faiths and refraining from provocations, not least during the religious holidays."
Yet Israel's government saw the matter in a different light.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor -- in a message retweeted by Israel Defense Forces spokesman Peter Lerner -- said, "UN envoy #RobertSerry shows poor judgment in fabricating an incident out of a non-event, mishandling sensitive issue of religious freedom."
Palmor told the Jerusalem Post that police were acting to limit the number of those packed into the church and the narrow streets around it, dismissing what happened as "a micro-incident."
This incident is not Serry's first run-in with authorities: The U.N. envoy said he was threatened by armed men in Crimea, which broke away from Ukraine and joined Russia.
Whatever its origins or conclusions, Saturday's ordeal did not prevent other activities in and around the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is where many Christians believe Jesus was buried and rose from the dead.
On Saturday, the church once again was home to the Holy Fire ceremony, including the sight of dozens of people holding candles or small torches.
Syria on track to meet April deadline
Syria Civil War - Syria has destroyed a majority of its chemical weapons material, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said Saturday.
"The Syrian Arab Republic has removed or destroyed in-country approximately 80 percent of its chemical weapons material," according to the OPCW Executive Council.
dangerous road conditions - The OPCW also said Saturday that the regime of embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is now on track to complete the disposal of the country's chemical weapons in the next few days. If that happens, Syria would meet the deadline set by the OPCW for the destruction of the weapons before the end of April.
"The renewed pace in movements is positive and necessary to ensure progress towards a tight deadline," said Sigrid Kaag, special coordinator of the OPCW-U.N. Joint Mission in Damascus.
In March, Syria submitted to the OPCW a revised proposal for its chemical weapons disposal with a deadline at the end of April. That revised deadline proposal followed a February report by the OPCW that the country had shipped out just 11% of its weapons stockpile for disposal, falling far short of a February 5 deadline to have all such weapons removed.
The slow pace of removal prompted U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to warn in January that all options remain available to force compliance.
Al-Assad agreed to get rid of all of Syria's chemical weapons last fall to avoid a possible U.S. military strike against the regime.
Attacks in Syria claim at least 13 lives
As the country remains on track for disposal of its chemical weapons, the violence in the years-long civil war rages on.
Attacks in three cities Saturday killed at least 13 people and injured dozens more. A car bomb exploded in Hama Saturday, killing four people and injuring nine others, a source at Hama Police Command told SANA, Syria's national news agency. The bomb targeted a convoy of four trucks carrying humanitarian aid workers with the Syrian Red Crescent organization.
Mortar shelling and rocket attacks on neighborhoods in Homs left six people dead and at least 40 others injured. A car bomb also exploded near a mosque in Homs Saturday, according to SANA. An unknown number of casualties are reported in that attack.
Three people were killed, including a 3-year-old child, and more than a dozen injured in mortar attacks on neighborhoods in Aleppo, according to SANA.
SANA is also reported attacks in Daraa and Damascus Saturday injured at least 24 people, including 14 children.
French journalists released
Four French journalists held hostage in Syria for the past 10 months are now on their way home. Journalists Edouard Elias, Didier François, Nicolas Henin and Pierre Torres are in good health despite the tough conditions they endured during their captivity, the Elysee Palace said in a statement released Saturday. The men were taken hostage last June.
French President Francois Hollande learned of the journalists' release with "great relief," the statement said.
The Elysee Palace also said the men are on their way home to France.
Francois, a reporter, and Elias, a photographer, were on assignment in Syria for French radio station Europe 1 when they disappeared on June 6, 2013. They were en route to Aleppo and had already crossed the Turkish border into Syria when they vanished, according to the radio station.
Reporter Henin and photographer Torres were taken hostage a short time later, on June 22, the French Foreign Ministry said last October. Henin was working on assignment for Le Point magazine and the TV channel Arte, while Torres was there to cover municipal elections, the ministry said.
Syria was the most deadly nation in the world for journalists on the job in 2013. The Committee to Protect Journalists reported 29 journalists died covering the conflict there in 2013, including some who died in Lebanon or Turkey.
The report says more than 60 have died covering the war in Syria so far.
Wednesday 16 April 2014
With Eyes on 2016
The last nine months of Rick Perry’s tenure as the longest-serving governor of Texas were supposed to be a political victory lap.
extreme talents modeling - Greg Abbott, the Republican state attorney general, and Wendy Davis, the Democratic state senator, both of whom are vying to replace Mr. Perry, have been sparring across Texas. Meanwhile Mr. Perry has been traveling the country and the world promoting the robust Texas economy and bolstering his national profile as he considers another run for president in 2016.
Mr. Perry, who began serving as governor in December 2000 and who leaves office in January 2015 after deciding not to seek re-election, has gone to great lengths to show he is not the same man he was during his disastrous 2012 presidential bid, including wearing designer eyeglasses to enhance his statesmanlike appearance.
But in recent days, Mr. Perry’s final months in office have been interrupted by a political and legal problem at home, one that could haunt him on the campaign trail should he run for president and that his Democratic critics are using to accuse him of punishing his political enemies.
extreme talents modeling - Greg Abbott, the Republican state attorney general, and Wendy Davis, the Democratic state senator, both of whom are vying to replace Mr. Perry, have been sparring across Texas. Meanwhile Mr. Perry has been traveling the country and the world promoting the robust Texas economy and bolstering his national profile as he considers another run for president in 2016.
Mr. Perry, who began serving as governor in December 2000 and who leaves office in January 2015 after deciding not to seek re-election, has gone to great lengths to show he is not the same man he was during his disastrous 2012 presidential bid, including wearing designer eyeglasses to enhance his statesmanlike appearance.
But in recent days, Mr. Perry’s final months in office have been interrupted by a political and legal problem at home, one that could haunt him on the campaign trail should he run for president and that his Democratic critics are using to accuse him of punishing his political enemies.
Ukraine troops blocked in Kramatorsk as tension rises
Ukrainian troops have entered the eastern town of Kramatorsk a day after an operation began to recapture areas seized by anti-government separatists.
However, they were blocked by civilians and it is unclear whether they have any control of the town.
abyssal plain animals - In the regional capital, Donetsk, pro-Russian gunmen took control of the mayor's office.
Ukraine's interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk has warned Russia wants to build a new "Berlin Wall".
In a televised address he demanded that Russia "stop supporting terrorists in Ukraine".
Ukrainian forces recaptured an airfield outside Kramatorsk on Tuesday and armoured vehicles were seen in the centre of the town early on Wednesday.
Video later emerged of armoured personnel carriers, flying Russian flags, which were said to be travelling in the Kramatorsk-Sloviansk area.
In Donetsk, where activists have been occupying the regional government building since 6 April, gunmen met no resistance as they entered the mayor's office.
They told an AFP correspondent their only demand was for the region to stage a referendum on turning Ukraine into a federation with broader local rights.
'Civil war'
Russia's President Vladimir Putin warned Ukraine was "on the verge of civil war" in a phone call to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, after acting President Olexander Turchynov announced the start of the operation to reclaim territory.
Russian officials said both leaders "emphasised the importance" during the conversation of planned four-way talks on Thursday between senior diplomats from Russia, the EU, the US and Ukraine.
However, Ukrainian and Western officials have accused Russia of being behind the pro-Russia activism in the region. Moscow strongly denies fomenting the unrest.
Ukrainian counter-terrorism chief Gen Vasyl Krutov, speaking to reporters at Kramatorsk airfield late on Tuesday, emphasised that armed individuals had crossed the border into Ukraine.
"We have to deal with a very serious, highly skilled and very professional opponent," he said according to Interfax-Ukraine news agency.
"They display a very high level of preparedness, tactical and practical skill. These people must have been to hot spots across the world and on their own territory."
Last month's annexation of Crimea by Moscow was preceded by the presence of uniformed, armed men believed to be Russian troops, although in greater numbers than the similarly dressed and equipped men who have been seen in eastern Ukraine, correspondents say.
The Kremlin has condemned the Ukrainian military operation in eastern Ukraine as an "anti-constitutional course to use force against peaceful protest actions".
Buildings seized
Tensions have mounted in recent days after pro-Russian rebels seized buildings in about 10 towns and cities across eastern Ukraine.
They are demanding greater autonomy or referendums on secession from Ukraine.
Speaking in London, UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said Russia had sent in "thinly disguised" armed groups to spearhead the occupation of buildings.
Moscow, he said, faced "serious long-term consequences" if it continued to destabilise Ukraine.
Russia took control of the Ukrainian region of Crimea last month, after it held a controversial referendum on self-determination.
The US has said it is "seriously considering" adding to sanctions imposed after the annexation of Crimea.
The White House has described Ukraine's military operation as a "measured" response to a lawless insurgency.
However, they were blocked by civilians and it is unclear whether they have any control of the town.
abyssal plain animals - In the regional capital, Donetsk, pro-Russian gunmen took control of the mayor's office.
Ukraine's interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk has warned Russia wants to build a new "Berlin Wall".
In a televised address he demanded that Russia "stop supporting terrorists in Ukraine".
Ukrainian forces recaptured an airfield outside Kramatorsk on Tuesday and armoured vehicles were seen in the centre of the town early on Wednesday.
Video later emerged of armoured personnel carriers, flying Russian flags, which were said to be travelling in the Kramatorsk-Sloviansk area.
In Donetsk, where activists have been occupying the regional government building since 6 April, gunmen met no resistance as they entered the mayor's office.
They told an AFP correspondent their only demand was for the region to stage a referendum on turning Ukraine into a federation with broader local rights.
'Civil war'
Russia's President Vladimir Putin warned Ukraine was "on the verge of civil war" in a phone call to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, after acting President Olexander Turchynov announced the start of the operation to reclaim territory.
Russian officials said both leaders "emphasised the importance" during the conversation of planned four-way talks on Thursday between senior diplomats from Russia, the EU, the US and Ukraine.
However, Ukrainian and Western officials have accused Russia of being behind the pro-Russia activism in the region. Moscow strongly denies fomenting the unrest.
Ukrainian counter-terrorism chief Gen Vasyl Krutov, speaking to reporters at Kramatorsk airfield late on Tuesday, emphasised that armed individuals had crossed the border into Ukraine.
"We have to deal with a very serious, highly skilled and very professional opponent," he said according to Interfax-Ukraine news agency.
"They display a very high level of preparedness, tactical and practical skill. These people must have been to hot spots across the world and on their own territory."
Last month's annexation of Crimea by Moscow was preceded by the presence of uniformed, armed men believed to be Russian troops, although in greater numbers than the similarly dressed and equipped men who have been seen in eastern Ukraine, correspondents say.
The Kremlin has condemned the Ukrainian military operation in eastern Ukraine as an "anti-constitutional course to use force against peaceful protest actions".
Buildings seized
Tensions have mounted in recent days after pro-Russian rebels seized buildings in about 10 towns and cities across eastern Ukraine.
They are demanding greater autonomy or referendums on secession from Ukraine.
Speaking in London, UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said Russia had sent in "thinly disguised" armed groups to spearhead the occupation of buildings.
Moscow, he said, faced "serious long-term consequences" if it continued to destabilise Ukraine.
Russia took control of the Ukrainian region of Crimea last month, after it held a controversial referendum on self-determination.
The US has said it is "seriously considering" adding to sanctions imposed after the annexation of Crimea.
The White House has described Ukraine's military operation as a "measured" response to a lawless insurgency.
Monday 14 April 2014
Asian air pollution strengthens Pacific storms
Air pollution in China and other Asian countries is having far-reaching impacts on weather patterns across the Northern Hemisphere, a study suggests.
Researchers have found that pollutants are strengthening storms above the Pacific Ocean, which feeds into weather systems in other parts of the world.
The effect was most pronounced during the winter.
adinkra cloth - The study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Lead author Yuan Wang, from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology, said: "The effects are quite dramatic. The pollution results in thicker and taller clouds and heavier precipitation."
Toxic atmosphere
Parts of Asia have some of the highest levels of air pollution in the world.
In China's capital, Beijing, pollutants frequently reach hazardous levels, while emissions in the Indian capital, Delhi, also regularly soar above those recommended by the World Health Organization.
This has dire consequences for the health of those living in these regions, but there is growing evidence that there are other impacts further afield.
To analyse this, researchers from the US and China used computer models to look at the effect of Asia's pollution on weather systems.
The team said that tiny polluting particles were blown towards the north Pacific where they interacted with water droplets in the air.
This, the researchers said, caused clouds to grow denser, resulting in more intense storms above the ocean.
Dr Yuan Wang said: "Since the Pacific storm track is an important component in the global general circulation, the impacts of Asian pollution on the storm track tend to affect the weather patterns of other parts of the world during the wintertime, especially a downstream region [of the track] like North America."
Commenting on the study, Professor Ellie Highwood, a climate physicist at the University of Reading, said: "We are becoming increasingly aware that pollution in the atmosphere can have an impact both locally - wherever it is sitting over regions - and it can a remote impact in other parts of the world. This is a good example of that.
"There have also been suggestions that aerosols over the North Atlantic effect storms over the North Atlantic, and that aerosols in the monsoon region over South Asia can affect circulation around the whole of the world."
Researchers have found that pollutants are strengthening storms above the Pacific Ocean, which feeds into weather systems in other parts of the world.
The effect was most pronounced during the winter.
adinkra cloth - The study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Lead author Yuan Wang, from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology, said: "The effects are quite dramatic. The pollution results in thicker and taller clouds and heavier precipitation."
Toxic atmosphere
Parts of Asia have some of the highest levels of air pollution in the world.
In China's capital, Beijing, pollutants frequently reach hazardous levels, while emissions in the Indian capital, Delhi, also regularly soar above those recommended by the World Health Organization.
This has dire consequences for the health of those living in these regions, but there is growing evidence that there are other impacts further afield.
To analyse this, researchers from the US and China used computer models to look at the effect of Asia's pollution on weather systems.
The team said that tiny polluting particles were blown towards the north Pacific where they interacted with water droplets in the air.
This, the researchers said, caused clouds to grow denser, resulting in more intense storms above the ocean.
Dr Yuan Wang said: "Since the Pacific storm track is an important component in the global general circulation, the impacts of Asian pollution on the storm track tend to affect the weather patterns of other parts of the world during the wintertime, especially a downstream region [of the track] like North America."
Commenting on the study, Professor Ellie Highwood, a climate physicist at the University of Reading, said: "We are becoming increasingly aware that pollution in the atmosphere can have an impact both locally - wherever it is sitting over regions - and it can a remote impact in other parts of the world. This is a good example of that.
"There have also been suggestions that aerosols over the North Atlantic effect storms over the North Atlantic, and that aerosols in the monsoon region over South Asia can affect circulation around the whole of the world."
Washington Post
The Guardian and Washington Post have shared the Pulitzer Prize for public service journalism for a series of stories on US electronic spying.
Their reporting was based on documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.
Among other winners of the top prize in US journalism was the Boston Globe, for breaking news reporting.
extreme talents - Two staff writers of the Reuters news agency were awarded the prize for international reporting.
The Pulitzer Prizes are awarded by the Columbia University journalism school.
'Authoritative and insightful'
In giving the top prize to The Guardian US and the Washington Post, the Pulitzer committee said the Guardian helped "through aggressive reporting to spark a debate about the relationship between the government and the public over issues of security and privacy".
It said the Post's stories were "marked by authoritative and insightful reports that helped the public understand how the disclosures fit into the larger framework of naional security".
Mr Snowden, in a statement published by The Guardian, called the award "a vindication for everyone who believes that the public has a role in government.
"We owe it to the efforts of the brave reporters and their colleagues who kept working in the face of extraordinary intimidation," added Mr Snowden, who has been charged with espionage in the US and is currently a fugitive in Russia.
Meanwhile, the Boston Globe provided "exhaustive and empathetic coverage of the Boston Marathon bombings and the ensuing manhunt that enveloped the city", the committee wrote of the paper's coverage of the 15 April 2013 attack.
Chris Hamby of the Center for Public Integrity was awarded a Pulitzer for his reporting on how lawyers and doctors conspired to deny benefits to coal miners stricken with black lung disease.
The top prize for US reporting was awarded to The Gazette in Colorado for its examination of mistreatment of wounded combat veterans, while the prize for international reporting went to Reuters for reports of persecution of a Muslim minority group in Burma, also known as Myanmar.
The editorial staff of the Oregonian in Portland won the prize for commentary for pieces explaining pension costs.
Tyler Hicks of the New York Times won for breaking news photography for images captured during a terrorist attack at Westgate Mall in Kenya. Also for the Times, Josh Haner won in the feature photography category for a "moving" essay on a Boston Marathon bomb blast victim who lost most of both legs.
Among other categories, Donna Tartt, author of The Goldfinch, was awarded the Pulitzer for fiction writing, while Don Fagin received the award for general nonfiction for his work, Tom's River: A Story of Science and Salvation.
Members of this year's selection committee included Katherine Boo, a staff writer for The New Yorker, and Eugene Robinson, a columnist for The Washington Post.
Their reporting was based on documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.
Among other winners of the top prize in US journalism was the Boston Globe, for breaking news reporting.
extreme talents - Two staff writers of the Reuters news agency were awarded the prize for international reporting.
The Pulitzer Prizes are awarded by the Columbia University journalism school.
'Authoritative and insightful'
In giving the top prize to The Guardian US and the Washington Post, the Pulitzer committee said the Guardian helped "through aggressive reporting to spark a debate about the relationship between the government and the public over issues of security and privacy".
It said the Post's stories were "marked by authoritative and insightful reports that helped the public understand how the disclosures fit into the larger framework of naional security".
Mr Snowden, in a statement published by The Guardian, called the award "a vindication for everyone who believes that the public has a role in government.
"We owe it to the efforts of the brave reporters and their colleagues who kept working in the face of extraordinary intimidation," added Mr Snowden, who has been charged with espionage in the US and is currently a fugitive in Russia.
Meanwhile, the Boston Globe provided "exhaustive and empathetic coverage of the Boston Marathon bombings and the ensuing manhunt that enveloped the city", the committee wrote of the paper's coverage of the 15 April 2013 attack.
Chris Hamby of the Center for Public Integrity was awarded a Pulitzer for his reporting on how lawyers and doctors conspired to deny benefits to coal miners stricken with black lung disease.
The top prize for US reporting was awarded to The Gazette in Colorado for its examination of mistreatment of wounded combat veterans, while the prize for international reporting went to Reuters for reports of persecution of a Muslim minority group in Burma, also known as Myanmar.
The editorial staff of the Oregonian in Portland won the prize for commentary for pieces explaining pension costs.
Tyler Hicks of the New York Times won for breaking news photography for images captured during a terrorist attack at Westgate Mall in Kenya. Also for the Times, Josh Haner won in the feature photography category for a "moving" essay on a Boston Marathon bomb blast victim who lost most of both legs.
Among other categories, Donna Tartt, author of The Goldfinch, was awarded the Pulitzer for fiction writing, while Don Fagin received the award for general nonfiction for his work, Tom's River: A Story of Science and Salvation.
Members of this year's selection committee included Katherine Boo, a staff writer for The New Yorker, and Eugene Robinson, a columnist for The Washington Post.
Ukraine Crisis
The EU and the US say they will impose "further costs" on Russia over its actions in Ukraine, as unrest continues in the east of the country.
EU foreign ministers said on Monday they would expand a list of names targeted by EU sanctions.
Tension has been rising in Ukraine, with pro-Russian activists occupying buildings in more eastern towns.
Also on Monday, the US said a Russian fighter jet repeated close-range passes over a US warship in the Black Sea.
aloe vera benefits - US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin spoke by phone on Monday evening.
Mr Putin told Mr Obama that allegations of Russian interference in Ukraine were "based on questionable information".
The unrest in the east was the result "of the unwillingness and inability of the leadership in Kiev to take into account the interests of the Russian-speaking population", the Kremlin said.
The White House said Mr Obama told Mr Putin of his "grave concern" about Russian support for armed separatists and he urged the Russian leader to use his influence with pro-Moscow groups to convince them to leave occupied buildings.
He warned: "The costs Russia already has incurred will increase if those actions persist."
After a meeting in Luxembourg, EU foreign ministers said they had decided to expand "the list of those subject to assets freezes and visa bans".
Earlier, UK Foreign Secretary William Hague had told reporters that he believed the seizure of official buildings in eastern Ukrainian towns and cities "is something that is being planned and brought about by Russia".
Moscow denies fomenting the unrest.
EU foreign ministers also approved measures to provide up to 1bn euros (£800m; $1.4bn) of economic assistance to Ukraine.
The ministers backed "the temporary reduction or elimination of customs duties" for Ukrainian exports to the EU.
In Washington, the US signed a $1bn loan guarantee agreement for Ukraine after a meeting between US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew and his Ukrainian counterpart, Oleksandr Shlapak.
UN appeal
Earlier on Monday, pro-Russian activists attacked another official building in eastern Ukraine, ignoring a deadline to leave or face eviction by Ukrainian forces.
A crowd stormed a police station in the town of Horlivka, near Donetsk, taking control of the building.
Interim President Olexander Turchynov had said Ukraine was preparing an "anti-terrorist operation" against gunmen occupying government buildings in a number of other towns and cities, but the deadline appeared to pass with no large-scale action from Kiev.
Mr Turchynov has condemned "aggression" from Russia and suggested the UN could assist in any "anti-terrorist" operation.
This would be highly unlikely as Russia has a veto on the Security Council, which would have to authorise any such action.
However, Mr Turchynov also said Kiev was "not against" a vote on the future of the country, a key demand from protesters.
The pro-Russian groups who have seized government buildings in eastern regions are demanding local referendums on either increased local rights or an option to join the Russian Federation.
The interim president suggested Kiev would be open to moving from a republic into a federation and giving broader rights to Ukraine's Russian-speakers.
But he appeared to suggest a national vote as opposed to several regional ones. Many observers say the outcome of a national referendum would be uncertain because most people in Kiev and the Ukrainian-speaking west reject the idea of federalisation.
Putin's 'concern'
Russian Foreign Ministry Sergei Lavrov said on Monday it was not in Russia's interests for Ukraine to break up but added that Moscow wanted all citizens of the country to be given equal treatment by Kiev.
He also denied allegations that Russian agents had been fomenting unrest in eastern Ukraine and said he was seeking an explanation from the US about a visit by CIA director John Brennan to Kiev.
The White House confirmed that Mr Brennan was in Kiev over the weekend but said the trip was routine.
Mr Putin's spokesman told Interfax he had been "receiving many appeals from eastern Ukraine... calling on him to help in some form", and that he was watching developments "with a great deal of concern".
Ukraine's foreign ministry said on Monday that it had proof Russian forces had been behind the "separatist operation" and said it would present its evidence at a meeting in Geneva later this week.
EU foreign ministers said on Monday they would expand a list of names targeted by EU sanctions.
Tension has been rising in Ukraine, with pro-Russian activists occupying buildings in more eastern towns.
Also on Monday, the US said a Russian fighter jet repeated close-range passes over a US warship in the Black Sea.
aloe vera benefits - US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin spoke by phone on Monday evening.
Mr Putin told Mr Obama that allegations of Russian interference in Ukraine were "based on questionable information".
The unrest in the east was the result "of the unwillingness and inability of the leadership in Kiev to take into account the interests of the Russian-speaking population", the Kremlin said.
The White House said Mr Obama told Mr Putin of his "grave concern" about Russian support for armed separatists and he urged the Russian leader to use his influence with pro-Moscow groups to convince them to leave occupied buildings.
He warned: "The costs Russia already has incurred will increase if those actions persist."
After a meeting in Luxembourg, EU foreign ministers said they had decided to expand "the list of those subject to assets freezes and visa bans".
Earlier, UK Foreign Secretary William Hague had told reporters that he believed the seizure of official buildings in eastern Ukrainian towns and cities "is something that is being planned and brought about by Russia".
Moscow denies fomenting the unrest.
EU foreign ministers also approved measures to provide up to 1bn euros (£800m; $1.4bn) of economic assistance to Ukraine.
The ministers backed "the temporary reduction or elimination of customs duties" for Ukrainian exports to the EU.
In Washington, the US signed a $1bn loan guarantee agreement for Ukraine after a meeting between US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew and his Ukrainian counterpart, Oleksandr Shlapak.
UN appeal
Earlier on Monday, pro-Russian activists attacked another official building in eastern Ukraine, ignoring a deadline to leave or face eviction by Ukrainian forces.
A crowd stormed a police station in the town of Horlivka, near Donetsk, taking control of the building.
Interim President Olexander Turchynov had said Ukraine was preparing an "anti-terrorist operation" against gunmen occupying government buildings in a number of other towns and cities, but the deadline appeared to pass with no large-scale action from Kiev.
Mr Turchynov has condemned "aggression" from Russia and suggested the UN could assist in any "anti-terrorist" operation.
This would be highly unlikely as Russia has a veto on the Security Council, which would have to authorise any such action.
However, Mr Turchynov also said Kiev was "not against" a vote on the future of the country, a key demand from protesters.
The pro-Russian groups who have seized government buildings in eastern regions are demanding local referendums on either increased local rights or an option to join the Russian Federation.
The interim president suggested Kiev would be open to moving from a republic into a federation and giving broader rights to Ukraine's Russian-speakers.
But he appeared to suggest a national vote as opposed to several regional ones. Many observers say the outcome of a national referendum would be uncertain because most people in Kiev and the Ukrainian-speaking west reject the idea of federalisation.
Putin's 'concern'
Russian Foreign Ministry Sergei Lavrov said on Monday it was not in Russia's interests for Ukraine to break up but added that Moscow wanted all citizens of the country to be given equal treatment by Kiev.
He also denied allegations that Russian agents had been fomenting unrest in eastern Ukraine and said he was seeking an explanation from the US about a visit by CIA director John Brennan to Kiev.
The White House confirmed that Mr Brennan was in Kiev over the weekend but said the trip was routine.
Mr Putin's spokesman told Interfax he had been "receiving many appeals from eastern Ukraine... calling on him to help in some form", and that he was watching developments "with a great deal of concern".
Ukraine's foreign ministry said on Monday that it had proof Russian forces had been behind the "separatist operation" and said it would present its evidence at a meeting in Geneva later this week.
Thursday 10 April 2014
New Power Balance
New Power Balance - The generally peaceful election may yield a short-term upside to financial markets but there is growing concern about the effectiveness of future economic policy-making, after quick counts indicated heavily fragmented factions in the House of Representatives.
genghis khan, The quick counts on Wednesday revealed the balance of power in the House may be evenly distributed, presenting a complex situation for the next administration if it wants to push through crucial economic policies.
The election's frontrunner and possibly the next ruling party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), is estimated to have pocketed only around 19 percent of the vote, below the party's 27 percent target.
Countless surveys indicated a landslide victory for the PDI-P, leading to a potentially more stable coalition of the majority. But this is not the case.
The PDI-P's share of the vote, as indicated by the quick counts on Wednesday, was not too far ahead of the Golkar Party and the Gerindra Party, which are estimated to have garnered 15 percent and 12 percent, respectively.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's ruling Democratic Party, which secured 21 percent of the vote in the 2009 legislative election, has frequently encountered difficulties from its House counterparts when seeking to introduce important economic policies, with prolonged negotiations leading to inefficient policy-making.
"A coalition is required if the next government wants to govern effectively," Destry Damayanti, chief economist with state-run Bank Mandiri, said regarding the election's quick-count results. "Big parties such as the PDI-P and Golkar must not compete against each other. They should unite for Indonesia's interests in the long run."
But forming a coalition with too many parties may also be a double-edged sword, as it could pave the way to backdoor political haggling, to acquire concessions, normally in the form of ministerial posts or projects funded by the state budget or state companies.
At least 18 of the 34 ministers in the current administration have solid party political backgrounds.
"History may repeat itself if the next Cabinet is once again dominated by politicians rather than professional technocrats, who may be deemed the best for the jobs," said Latif Adam, an economist with the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI).
"The coalition may be an entry point for transactional politics," he said, adding that the diverse political landscape increased the country's need to secure a firm, bold leader, someone equipped with savvy political skills. "We need a president who is not only clever in formulating economic policies, but also has the firmness and better negotiation skills to win over the House."
The markets may also be spooked by the possibility that the PDI-P may put economic issues on the back burner.
This is because PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is still a powerful figure within the party, is deemed to have poor economic credentials following her stint as president.
When Megawati served as president from 2001 to 2004, also the last time the PDI-P was the ruling party, her economic policy views were "less definitive", and her tenure was marked by slow economic growth and high unemployment, noted Lim Su Sian, an economist with the HSBC Bank in Singapore.
"Megawati has never been a noted reformer, neither in office nor as head of the party," she said.
There could also be an unwanted shift in policy that may deter portfolio investors.
Indonesia's stance over its fiscal and monetary policies, which focus on stability over growth, may shift to the opposite direction if and when the PDI-P takes over, analysts have warned.
"As the macroeconomic stability-growth trade-off becomes more apparent, Bank Indonesia's [BI] independence in terms of monetary policy could be greatly tested, given that the PDI-P is unlikely to want to see a slowdown in growth," commented Enrico Tanuwidjaja, an economist with Japan-based fund manager Nomura.
genghis khan, The quick counts on Wednesday revealed the balance of power in the House may be evenly distributed, presenting a complex situation for the next administration if it wants to push through crucial economic policies.
The election's frontrunner and possibly the next ruling party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), is estimated to have pocketed only around 19 percent of the vote, below the party's 27 percent target.
Countless surveys indicated a landslide victory for the PDI-P, leading to a potentially more stable coalition of the majority. But this is not the case.
The PDI-P's share of the vote, as indicated by the quick counts on Wednesday, was not too far ahead of the Golkar Party and the Gerindra Party, which are estimated to have garnered 15 percent and 12 percent, respectively.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's ruling Democratic Party, which secured 21 percent of the vote in the 2009 legislative election, has frequently encountered difficulties from its House counterparts when seeking to introduce important economic policies, with prolonged negotiations leading to inefficient policy-making.
"A coalition is required if the next government wants to govern effectively," Destry Damayanti, chief economist with state-run Bank Mandiri, said regarding the election's quick-count results. "Big parties such as the PDI-P and Golkar must not compete against each other. They should unite for Indonesia's interests in the long run."
But forming a coalition with too many parties may also be a double-edged sword, as it could pave the way to backdoor political haggling, to acquire concessions, normally in the form of ministerial posts or projects funded by the state budget or state companies.
At least 18 of the 34 ministers in the current administration have solid party political backgrounds.
"History may repeat itself if the next Cabinet is once again dominated by politicians rather than professional technocrats, who may be deemed the best for the jobs," said Latif Adam, an economist with the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI).
"The coalition may be an entry point for transactional politics," he said, adding that the diverse political landscape increased the country's need to secure a firm, bold leader, someone equipped with savvy political skills. "We need a president who is not only clever in formulating economic policies, but also has the firmness and better negotiation skills to win over the House."
The markets may also be spooked by the possibility that the PDI-P may put economic issues on the back burner.
This is because PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is still a powerful figure within the party, is deemed to have poor economic credentials following her stint as president.
When Megawati served as president from 2001 to 2004, also the last time the PDI-P was the ruling party, her economic policy views were "less definitive", and her tenure was marked by slow economic growth and high unemployment, noted Lim Su Sian, an economist with the HSBC Bank in Singapore.
"Megawati has never been a noted reformer, neither in office nor as head of the party," she said.
There could also be an unwanted shift in policy that may deter portfolio investors.
Indonesia's stance over its fiscal and monetary policies, which focus on stability over growth, may shift to the opposite direction if and when the PDI-P takes over, analysts have warned.
"As the macroeconomic stability-growth trade-off becomes more apparent, Bank Indonesia's [BI] independence in terms of monetary policy could be greatly tested, given that the PDI-P is unlikely to want to see a slowdown in growth," commented Enrico Tanuwidjaja, an economist with Japan-based fund manager Nomura.
Voters get discounts
Voters get discounts, Voters in Jakarta enjoyed election day with discounted prices at food and beverage outlets, shopping malls and recreation centers for participating in the legislative election.
Retailers - ranging from cafes to supermarkets and bookstores - and an amusement center offered a variety of perks to customers who showed proof of having voted in the form of an Indian ink-stained pinkie on Wednesday.
menstrual cramps, In the 2009 legislative election, only a few cafes and shopping malls offered discounts to voters.
Voters who sought a fun day off work were offered discounted entry into Ancol recreation complex in North Jakarta if they showed their purple-stained finger at the entrance.
Coffee retailers Starbucks, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and Excelso all had offers on specific items aimed at voters, ranging from free coffee to big discounts.
Voting from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. kept Jakarta’s roads clear of the usual daily congestion. Despite the empty roads, shopping malls filled up more and more with voters and non-voters alike as the day progressed.
For example, Cilandak Town Square shopping center in Cilandak, South Jakarta, was crowded with patrons after 1 p.m. The mall is home to several retailers, including Starbucks, Excelso and Aksara, offering freebies and discounted prices to voters.
With Jakartans voting under clear skies and in hot temperatures, some found it a relief that one of the retailers offering voter discounts specialized in a treat to cool one down.
The Baskin-Robbins ice cream parlor in Cilandak Town Square was busy with visitors with ink on their pinkies, and some without. The parlor offered voters a free scoop of ice cream with a purchase of another product.
"We just opened shop at 11 a.m., and so far four people have taken up our promotional offer in the hour since opening," said Baskin-Robbins worker Muhammad Iksan, who bore a purple finger tip as he served two customers who had obviously taken part in the polling.
However, Baskin-Robbins’ offer required a specific text message from cell phone provider Indosat, which sponsored the promotion that was limited to Indosat subscribers.
"I received the text informing me about the offer, so why waste it?" Cilandak voter Henny told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
In another part of the mall, Aksara bookstore offered 10 percent discounts on books, music and knickknacks to customers with ink-stained fingers. Employees at the store said the offer had been made to encourage people to vote.
"[The offer] gives people a little reward for voting," said Aksara Cilandak Town Square shop assistant Lia Charianna. She added that three customers had taken up the offer in the 90 minutes since the store had opened at noon.
Elsewhere in the city, coffee giant Starbucks was capitalizing on its offer to give purple-fingered customers a free cup of milk coffee with other purchases from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
"Around 200 people have taken up the free milk coffee offer. That’s a normal number for us," said Roni, an attendant at Starbucks Plaza Senayan in Central Jakarta.
The promotion lasted for two hours, but not everyone who visited Plaza Senayan took up the offer for various reasons.
"Even though Starbucks sent me a message advising me of the offer, I missed it. A free coffee would have been nice though," said frequent Starbucks patron Martin after casting his vote.
Retailers - ranging from cafes to supermarkets and bookstores - and an amusement center offered a variety of perks to customers who showed proof of having voted in the form of an Indian ink-stained pinkie on Wednesday.
menstrual cramps, In the 2009 legislative election, only a few cafes and shopping malls offered discounts to voters.
Voters who sought a fun day off work were offered discounted entry into Ancol recreation complex in North Jakarta if they showed their purple-stained finger at the entrance.
Coffee retailers Starbucks, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and Excelso all had offers on specific items aimed at voters, ranging from free coffee to big discounts.
Voting from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. kept Jakarta’s roads clear of the usual daily congestion. Despite the empty roads, shopping malls filled up more and more with voters and non-voters alike as the day progressed.
For example, Cilandak Town Square shopping center in Cilandak, South Jakarta, was crowded with patrons after 1 p.m. The mall is home to several retailers, including Starbucks, Excelso and Aksara, offering freebies and discounted prices to voters.
With Jakartans voting under clear skies and in hot temperatures, some found it a relief that one of the retailers offering voter discounts specialized in a treat to cool one down.
The Baskin-Robbins ice cream parlor in Cilandak Town Square was busy with visitors with ink on their pinkies, and some without. The parlor offered voters a free scoop of ice cream with a purchase of another product.
"We just opened shop at 11 a.m., and so far four people have taken up our promotional offer in the hour since opening," said Baskin-Robbins worker Muhammad Iksan, who bore a purple finger tip as he served two customers who had obviously taken part in the polling.
However, Baskin-Robbins’ offer required a specific text message from cell phone provider Indosat, which sponsored the promotion that was limited to Indosat subscribers.
"I received the text informing me about the offer, so why waste it?" Cilandak voter Henny told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
In another part of the mall, Aksara bookstore offered 10 percent discounts on books, music and knickknacks to customers with ink-stained fingers. Employees at the store said the offer had been made to encourage people to vote.
"[The offer] gives people a little reward for voting," said Aksara Cilandak Town Square shop assistant Lia Charianna. She added that three customers had taken up the offer in the 90 minutes since the store had opened at noon.
Elsewhere in the city, coffee giant Starbucks was capitalizing on its offer to give purple-fingered customers a free cup of milk coffee with other purchases from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
"Around 200 people have taken up the free milk coffee offer. That’s a normal number for us," said Roni, an attendant at Starbucks Plaza Senayan in Central Jakarta.
The promotion lasted for two hours, but not everyone who visited Plaza Senayan took up the offer for various reasons.
"Even though Starbucks sent me a message advising me of the offer, I missed it. A free coffee would have been nice though," said frequent Starbucks patron Martin after casting his vote.
Abyssal Plain
abyssal plain, flat seafloor area at an abyssal depth (3,000 to 6,000 m [10,000 to 20,000 feet]), generally adjacent to a continent. These submarine surfaces vary in depth only from 10 to 100 cm per kilometre of horizontal distance. Irregular in outline but generally elongate along continental margins, the larger plains are hundreds of kilometres wide and thousands of kilometres long. In the North Atlantic the Sohm Plain alone has an area of approximately 900,000 square km (350,000 square miles). The plains are largest and most common in the Atlantic Ocean, less common in the Indian Ocean, and even rarer in the Pacific, where they occur mainly as the small, flat floors of marginal seas or as the narrow, elongate bottoms of trenches.
abyssal plain - The plains are thought to be the upper surfaces of land-derived sediment that accumulates in abyssal depressions, thus smoothing out a preexisting hilly or otherwise irregular topography. Seismic profiles (cross sections) of abyssal plains reveal accumulations of sediment averaging one kilometre in thickness, deposited on undulating topography. Incomplete burial of preexisting relief may result in the presence of isolated volcanic hills or hill groups that rise abruptly out of some abyssal plains. Sediment from the continental margins accretes at steep continental slopes, and occasional submarine slumping of this coarse material creates dense, sediment-laden slurries, called turbidity currents, that flow down the slopes in obedience to gravity. Part of the turbidity-current sediment settles out at the bases of the continental slopes, creating continental rises of lesser gradient, but some of the coarse sediment reaches the abyssal depressions. Horizontal silty, sandy, and even gravelly beds that are fractions of a centimetre to several metres thick comprise 2 to 90 percent of abyssal-plain sediment. Many such layers demonstrably are of shallow-water organisms—e.g., the microscopic protozoan Foraminifera. An individual layer may be progressively finer grained from bottom to top; this grading reflects the bed’s origin as the deposit of a single turbidity current.
The coarse layers are interbedded with homogeneous deposits of fine-grained clay and the microscopic remains of organisms that inhabit the waters overlying the abyssal plains. Between turbidity-current episodes these fine-grained sediments are believed to fall through the water column particle by particle, accumulating at exceedingly slow rates (a millimetre to several centimetres per 1,000 years). Alternatively, it has been proposed that deep-sea clay deposits may be brought to abyssal plains continuously by slowly flowing, diffusely turbid bottom waters that originate in turbulent, shallow nearshore areas.
abyssal plain - The plains are thought to be the upper surfaces of land-derived sediment that accumulates in abyssal depressions, thus smoothing out a preexisting hilly or otherwise irregular topography. Seismic profiles (cross sections) of abyssal plains reveal accumulations of sediment averaging one kilometre in thickness, deposited on undulating topography. Incomplete burial of preexisting relief may result in the presence of isolated volcanic hills or hill groups that rise abruptly out of some abyssal plains. Sediment from the continental margins accretes at steep continental slopes, and occasional submarine slumping of this coarse material creates dense, sediment-laden slurries, called turbidity currents, that flow down the slopes in obedience to gravity. Part of the turbidity-current sediment settles out at the bases of the continental slopes, creating continental rises of lesser gradient, but some of the coarse sediment reaches the abyssal depressions. Horizontal silty, sandy, and even gravelly beds that are fractions of a centimetre to several metres thick comprise 2 to 90 percent of abyssal-plain sediment. Many such layers demonstrably are of shallow-water organisms—e.g., the microscopic protozoan Foraminifera. An individual layer may be progressively finer grained from bottom to top; this grading reflects the bed’s origin as the deposit of a single turbidity current.
The coarse layers are interbedded with homogeneous deposits of fine-grained clay and the microscopic remains of organisms that inhabit the waters overlying the abyssal plains. Between turbidity-current episodes these fine-grained sediments are believed to fall through the water column particle by particle, accumulating at exceedingly slow rates (a millimetre to several centimetres per 1,000 years). Alternatively, it has been proposed that deep-sea clay deposits may be brought to abyssal plains continuously by slowly flowing, diffusely turbid bottom waters that originate in turbulent, shallow nearshore areas.
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