tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66168956038230999162024-03-13T20:28:19.927-07:00World News eTrendNews from all around the world 24/7 a day. World news eTrend line e-paper.Jamshaid Yousafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11983070484013651808noreply@blogger.comBlogger2546125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616895603823099916.post-64788994488677857912015-09-16T23:04:00.001-07:002015-09-16T23:04:24.248-07:00Report: Illegal timber trade from Myanmar to China growing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BEIJING (AP) -- An environmental group says that the illicit timber trade between Myanmar and China is rebounding to levels near their peak a decade ago, as loggers push deeper into Myanmar to harvest its forests.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The London- and Washington D.C.-based Environmental Investigation Agency called in a report for both governments to stop the trade, which is worth hundreds of millions of dollars a year and supplies China's furniture industry. EIA says Chinese businesses acquire the rights to illegally log Burmese mountains through bribery.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">EIA campaigner Julian Newman says the volume of illegal timber crossing the border has risen to nearly 900,000 cubic meters a year - not far off the 2005 peak of about 1 million cubic meters, which fell after Chinese authorities temporarily clamped down.</span></div>
</div>
Jamshaid Yousafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11983070484013651808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616895603823099916.post-57725325306196844082015-09-16T23:02:00.000-07:002015-09-16T23:02:04.894-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://hosted.ap.org/photos/A/a4009c3b-a645-4668-b4c9-085c22b6d39f-big.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://hosted.ap.org/photos/A/a4009c3b-a645-4668-b4c9-085c22b6d39f-big.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NEW YORK (AP) -- At an exclusive and intimate New York Fashion Week party, Katy Perry dedicated a song not to fabulous designers or picture-perfect models, but to their assistants.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perry closed her 30-minute set at the Plaza Hotel on Wednesday with her inspirational No. 1 hit, "Firework."</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She told the audience she wanted them to remember it "when you're going about your day and you rip your pants ... I'm talking about all the assistants here."</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perry performed at a party by Harper's Bazaar paying tribute to women in fashion. Honorees included Oprah Winfrey, Mariah Carey, Willow Smith, Jessica Chastain, Dakota Johnson and Perry.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She kicked off her set with "Roar" and performed popular hits like "I Kissed a Girl," "Teenage Dream" and "Dark Horse."</span></div>
</div>
Jamshaid Yousafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11983070484013651808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616895603823099916.post-54415233039736442472015-09-16T23:01:00.003-07:002015-09-16T23:01:25.966-07:00Slave fisherman's story: 'Like our lives were already over'<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://hosted.ap.org/photos/C/c6ea0543-ee8b-4a83-a586-a242b0dea295-big.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://hosted.ap.org/photos/C/c6ea0543-ee8b-4a83-a586-a242b0dea295-big.jpg" height="211" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AMBON, Indonesia (AP) -- Myo Aung took a fishing job that he thought would keep him close to home in southern Myanmar, but he ended up thousands of miles away with no chance of return for five years. The 25-year-old is among more than 2,000 fishermen rescued this year from forced labor under brutal conditions, mainly in remote Indonesian islands, following reporting by The Associated Press and subsequent investigation by Indonesian authorities. Last week he was on Ambon island, awaiting his return home.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is his story, in his own words, translated from Burmese and with editing for organization and length.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we were working under the rain and the sun, I got really sick. I went to the captain and asked for medicine. The captain said, "OK, but you have to keep working after taking the pills." ... I couldn't stand the fever and went to sleep without going to work. The captain beat me up and shouted at me, and I went back to work.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Who could stand working continuously without taking a rest? Sometimes we have to sew the nets and we work half-asleep. We had to drink coffee a lot to keep ourselves awake.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The captain tortured the workers and beat them up if someone was not doing things that he asked. ... He never wanted to pay the right amount of money. He would sometimes give us 2 million or 1 million rupiah ($138 or $69) after three or four months. ... Here in Indonesia, a million rupiah is nothing. We could buy nothing much with it. We would buy coffee and some clothes.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They are so reluctant to pay us money. Our lives were like slaves. They only think us as their servants. For years since I got to Indonesia, there was no way back home. It was like our lives were already over.</span></div>
</div>
Jamshaid Yousafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11983070484013651808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616895603823099916.post-68569333545632631352015-09-16T22:58:00.001-07:002015-09-16T22:58:35.121-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://hosted.ap.org/photos/7/795936a6-f4e5-4fa7-8123-5437ce5738e4-big.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://hosted.ap.org/photos/7/795936a6-f4e5-4fa7-8123-5437ce5738e4-big.jpg" height="209" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Giants pitcher Jake Peavy homered through the low-hovering mist for his first long ball in more than nine years, leading San Francisco past the Cincinnati Reds 5-3 on Wednesday night.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Peavy struck out eight in six-plus innings on the mound and connected for his third career home run in the fourth against reliever Collin Balester. It was Peavy's first since July 26, 2006, at Dodger Stadium with the Padres.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That gave Giants pitchers nine home runs this season, most since hitting 10 in 1934. The 1924 staff also had nine.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Peavy (7-6) became the fifth San Francisco pitcher to go deep this season, matching a major league record. Everyone in the rotation with at least 16 starts aside from rookie Chris Heston has homered, and Madison Bumgarner has five.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">San Francisco remained 7 1/2 games behind NL West-leading Los Angeles and 7 1/2 back of the Cubs for the second wild card.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Marlon Byrd hit an RBI triple in the third after a double in the second, and Ehire Adrianza added an RBI double and a run-scoring triple as the Giants chased Cincinnati starter Michael Lorenzen (4-9) after three innings.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brandon Phillips hit an RBI double in the sixth to put the Reds on the board a night after they rallied for a 9-8 win in 10 innings. Skip Schumaker doubled home a run in the seventh.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cincinnati loaded the bases with nobody out in the eighth but managed only one run.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Santiago Casilla retired Phillips on a bases-loaded grounder for his 34th save after a replay review extended the ninth inning.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Peavy allowed seven hits and one walk to win his third straight start and fourth consecutive decision since a loss at Pittsburgh on Aug. 20.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The right-hander went 250 at-bats and 287 plate appearances between home runs. He walked off to a warm ovation from the sellout crowd of 41,383 and chants of "Peavy! Peavy!"</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">San Francisco became the 16th team since 1901 to have five pitchers homer in a season and first since the 2002 Dodgers. The New York Giants did so twice, in 1930 and `35.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">REDS IN THE RAIN</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rain forced the Giants inside during pregame warmups in the drought-starved Bay Area. The Reds have regularly attracted rain whether at home or on the road this year, with 23 rain delays spanning more than 30 hours. It began pouring in the bottom of the eighth, sending fans scattering for cover while others cheered the precipitation.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">TRAINER'S ROOM</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Reds: CF Billy Hamilton did not start for the second consecutive game after leaving Monday's series opener with a sore shoulder. He entered as a pinch runner in the ninth and was awarded a stolen base upon replay review after initially getting called out. ... Manager Bryan Price altered his rookie rotation by removing Lorenzen, Raisel Iglesias and Keyvius Sampson going into a weekend series at Milwaukee beginning Friday. Iglesias has fatigue in his right shoulder and the club will evaluate how to monitor his workload the rest of the way. Sampson is leaving for a couple of days to deal with personal family business. ... LHP Brandon Finnegan will make his first major league start Friday against the Brewers. ... C Brayan Pena (strained right hamstring) threw and worked out of his squat while catching a bullpen session.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Giants: RHP Tim Hudson will play catch and throw a light bullpen Friday and plans to pitch Sunday on turn despite a hip issue. "It's just an old, tricky hip," he said. ... 2B Joe Panik was transferred to the 60-day disabled list with lower back inflammation that has kept him out since Aug. 2. ... C Trevor Brown and OF Mac Williamson had their contracts purchased from Triple-A Sacramento.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">UP NEXT</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Reds: Finnegan's first career start will be his 24th appearance overall and second against the Brewers.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Giants: Bumgarner (18-7) goes for a career high in wins as he looks to follow up a one-hitter his last time out in which he took a perfect game into the eighth inning against the Padres. The Giants have won his last seven starts at home and 10 of 12 overall.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="entry-content" style="background-color: white;"></span></span><br />
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BBN_REDS_GIANTS?SITE=MYPSP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-09-17-01-52-43#f2e377f5-68c7-45f9-a25f-38609a1e04e3" id="f2e377f5-68c7-45f9-a25f-38609a1e04e3" rel="item-license" style="color: #bb6633;">© 2015 <span class="source-org vcard"><span class="org fn">The Associated Press</span></span>. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</a> Learn more about our <a href="http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/privacy" style="color: #bb6633;">Privacy Policy</a> and <a href="http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/terms" style="color: #bb6633;">Terms of Use</a>.</span></div>
</div>
Jamshaid Yousafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11983070484013651808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616895603823099916.post-50417983816935490922015-09-16T22:57:00.000-07:002015-09-16T22:57:04.533-07:00Brady says he hopes Trump can win presidency<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://hosted.ap.org/photos/0/02c9224e-271b-4f45-8fc8-742a236f7b18-big.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://hosted.ap.org/photos/0/02c9224e-271b-4f45-8fc8-742a236f7b18-big.jpg" height="217" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) -- New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said Wednesday that he hopes Donald Trump can win the presidency, hours before Trump participated in the second Republican debate.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Super Bowl MVP, whose four-game suspension for using deflated footballs was recently overturned by a judge, grinned broadly as he talked about his golf partner.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I hope so," he said. "It would be great. There would be a putting green on the White House lawn, I'm sure of that."</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brady's locker sported a "Make America Great Again" red hat sent to him by Trump.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"It was a nice keepsake," he said. "It could be a - yeah, a nice piece of memorabilia he sent me."</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brady will lead the Patriots against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brady doesn't appear to have given to federal politicians, a review of Federal Election Commission records shows.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">His boss, Robert Kraft, gave $5,000, the maximum amount, to President Barack Obama's campaign and another $52,000 to Democratic Party committees for Obama's 2012 re-election. Kraft is mostly a Democratic supporter but has given donations in recent years to Sens. Marco Rubio and Lindsey Graham - both of whom are among those vying for the Republican presidential nomination.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">---</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Online:</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AP NFL website: <a href="http://www.pro32.ap.org/" style="color: #bb6633;" target="-blank">www.pro32.ap.org</a> and<a href="http://twitter.com/AP-NFL" style="color: #bb6633;" target="-blank">http://twitter.com/AP-NFL</a></span></div>
</div>
Jamshaid Yousafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11983070484013651808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616895603823099916.post-55997373341577655032015-09-16T22:55:00.002-07:002015-09-16T22:55:30.178-07:00Asian stocks higher as investors bet Fed to hold rate steady<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://hosted.ap.org/photos/3/3906a6ff-f3fc-47c6-b00c-5f33a893a6d1-big.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://hosted.ap.org/photos/3/3906a6ff-f3fc-47c6-b00c-5f33a893a6d1-big.jpg" height="231" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- Asian stock markets and currencies were mostly higher Thursday as investors bet the Federal Reserve would not raise interest rates at this week's closely watched meeting.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">KEEPING SCORE: Tokyo's Nikkei 225 advanced 1.2 percent to 18,396.34. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 0.9 percent to 22,151.59 and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 gained 1.3 percent to 5,167.30. Markets in Southeast Asia were also higher. China's Shanghai Composite Index reversed course to gain 0.8 percent to 3,175.81. South Korea's Kospi was flat at 1,974.89. The dollar fell 0.4 percent against the South Korean won and dropped 0.5 percent against Indonesia's rupiah.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">HIKE OR NO HIKE: Two months ago, it seemed almost certain that the Fed was going to raise rates in September. Now, after the turmoil in financial markets and concerns about China's economy, there are more investors who believe that the Fed will wait until</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">December to raise rates. The Fed started its two-day policy meeting Wednesday and will announce its decision Thursday afternoon. Interest rates have been near zero since 2008 in response to the financial crisis and Great Recession. The Fed's low interest rate policy was designed to encourage lending, but it also helped drive a seven-year bull market in stocks.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">MONETARY MOVES: Some analysts said the recent advances in stock markets are driven by expectations that central banks around the world may do more to support economic growth. Some economists expect the Bank of Japan will increase its asset purchase program and a number of European Central Bank members have talked up the prospect of additional asset purchases.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ANALYST QUOTE: "I can't help but think there is a view that something more substantial is at play here than just potential Fed inaction and I feel that market participants are looking at a global response driven by central banks," said Chris Weston, chief market strategist at IG in Melbourne, Australia.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">WALL STREET: Wall Street closed higher as the Fed policymakers began their two-day meeting. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 0.8 percent to 16,739.95. The Standard & Poor's 500 rose 0.9 percent to 1,995.31 and the Nasdaq composite added 0.6 percent to 4,889.24.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ENERGY: U.S. benchmark crude edged up 3 cents at $47.18 per barrel on electronic trading in New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract jumped $2.56, or 5.7 percent, to close at $47.15 per barrel on Wednesday after a steeper-than-expected drop in crude inventories. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, added 12 cents to $50.64 per barrel in London after a 4-percent jump in the previous session.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CURRENCIES: The dollar strengthened to 120.76 yen from 120.56 yen and the euro weakened to $1.1288 from $1.1289.</span></div>
</div>
Jamshaid Yousafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11983070484013651808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616895603823099916.post-16986437902281592002015-09-16T22:54:00.000-07:002015-09-16T22:54:01.058-07:00Martinez, Tigers outlast Twins 7-4 in 12 innings<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://hosted.ap.org/photos/9/92205489-b033-411d-a29c-c1bdca2eb5ba-big.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://hosted.ap.org/photos/9/92205489-b033-411d-a29c-c1bdca2eb5ba-big.jpg" height="236" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Ian Kinsler's two-out RBI single preceded a two-run homer by J.D. Martinez in the top of the 12th inning, pushing the Detroit Tigers past the Minnesota Twins 7-4 in a back-and-forth game Wednesday night.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With scant fans left from the paid crowd of 22,509, Martinez's 37th home run off Brian Duensing (4-1) landed with a loud clang on the metal bleachers in lower left field that punctuated a tough loss for the postseason-chasing Twins. They stayed 1 1/2 games behind Houston for the second American League wild card spot, after the Astros lost to Texas.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ian Krol (2-3), the ninth Tigers pitcher, got the last nine outs for the victory while allowing only one walk. He stranded the two runners he inherited with no outs in the 10th.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first pitch was delayed 56 minutes because of rain, and the game finally ended at 12:23 a.m. local time.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jefry Marte hit a two-run single in a four-hit ninth inning against Kevin Jepsen, his first squandered save in eight attempts with Minnesota. Then the Twins got one back in the bottom of the inning as Bruce Rondon took his third blown save in eight tries for Detroit, walking Miguel Sano to start and surrendering the tying double to Trevor Plouffe.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eddie Rosario of the Twins held star of the night status until then, with a home run in the third inning and the go-ahead RBI single in the eighth.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Daniel Norris came off the disabled list to start for the Tigers on a strict pitch count that limited him to 3 2/3 innings. The Twins had only two hits through the sixth, but Joe Mauer walked to start the seventh and stretch his streak of reaching base to 36 consecutive games.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sano followed with his second double of the game. Hunter's single off third baseman Marte's glove gave Drew VerHagen his first run allowed in 12 appearances. Then Rosario met Detroit's third reliever, Blaine Hardy, with the big hit.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twins starter Ervin Santana surrendered a two-run, two-out, full-count double in the first inning to Tyler Collins, but the Tigers had just three other hits against him. Second baseman Brian Dozier helped turn three double plays, stretching for a wide toss from Santana and staying in stride to fire the relay throw to first to end the fourth.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over his last four turns, Santana has finished 29 innings and allowed just 22 hits, six walks and five runs with 32 strikeouts.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NOLASCO NEWS</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Signed for $49 million, RHP Ricky Nolasco has a 5.40 ERA over the first half of his four-year deal with the Twins. He won five straight starts in May but landed on the DL with a right ankle injury that needed surgery. Nolasco threw a sharp bullpen session Wednesday, though, and manager Paul Molitor used the words "professionalism" and "hunger" in praising Nolasco's effort to return this season. The Twins have a six-man rotation, so the only chance for Nolasco to pitch while the Twins are in contention would be in relief.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I'm proud of what he's done to get himself ready," Molitor said.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>TRAINER'S ROOM</b></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tigers: Nick Castellanos was scratched from the original lineup due to tightness in his left groin. He was replaced at 3B by Marte, who batted sixth with Collins moving up one slot. ... RHP Anibal Sanchez saw Dr. James Andrews in Pensacola, Florida, where an MRI showed no structural damage to his shoulder. He received a platelet-rich plasma injection.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twins: RHP Glen Perkins looked good in his bullpen session, Molitor said, and the closer should be ready for game action by Friday. Jepsen has been handling the ninth inning for Perkins, who's been out with a bad back since Sept. 1.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>UP NEXT</b></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tigers: After a day off Thursday, Detroit returns home to host division-leading Kansas City. RHP Justin Verlander (3-8, 3.58 ERA) pitches Friday for the Tigers, opposite RHP Johnny Cueto (9-12, 3.47 ERA) of the Royals.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twins: This 10-game homestand continues for Minnesota on Thursday against wild-card competitor Los Angeles, with LHP Tommy Milone (8-5, 3.73 ERA) taking the mound for the Twins against LHP Hector Santiago (8-9, 3.21 ERA) of the Angels.</span></div>
</div>
Jamshaid Yousafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11983070484013651808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616895603823099916.post-75414916567363649092015-09-16T22:52:00.001-07:002015-09-16T22:52:16.431-07:00Wednesday's Sports Scoreboard<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, helvetica, arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal;"><tbody>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><th colspan="1" rowspan="1">All Times Eastern</th></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Interleague</td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Toronto 9, Atlanta 1 F</td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">American League</td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Boston 10, Baltimore 1 F</td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Cleveland 5, Kansas City 1 F</td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">N.Y. Yankees 3, Tampa Bay 1 F</td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Texas 14, Houston 3 F</td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Detroit 7, Minnesota 4 F 12 Innings</td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Chicago White Sox 9, Oakland 4 F</td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Seattle 3, L.A. Angels 1 F</td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">National League</td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Chicago Cubs 3, Pittsburgh 2 F 12 Innings</td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Washington 12, Philadelphia 2 F</td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Miami 6, N.Y. Mets 0 F</td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">St. Louis 5, Milwaukee 4 F</td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">San Diego 4, Arizona 3 F</td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">L.A. Dodgers 2, Colorado 0 F</td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">San Francisco 5, Cincinnati 3 F</td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">National Football League</td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">No games today.</td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Top 25 College Football</td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">No games today.</td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">WNBA Basketball Playoffs</td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">No games today.</td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Major League Soccer</td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">New England 2, New York 1 F</td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">New York City FC 2, Toronto FC 0 F</td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana, Times, serif; line-height: 13px;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1">Montreal 1, San Jose 1 F</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Jamshaid Yousafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11983070484013651808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616895603823099916.post-37043670681152127262015-09-16T22:51:00.003-07:002015-09-16T22:51:49.835-07:00Paris authorities clear out hundreds from migrant camps<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">PARIS (AP) -- Paris authorities are evacuating more than 500 Syrian and other migrants from tent camps and moving them to special housing as the country steps up efforts to deal with Europe's migrant wave.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">City social workers and charity workers woke the migrants before dawn Thursday, and they gathered their belongings calmly, watched over by police.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The operations took place at a large camp near the Gare d'Austerlitz train station in southeast Paris, and another in the 18th arrondissement of northern Paris.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paris city hall said migrants are being bused to special migrant housing centers in Paris and the surrounding region, and offered help applying for asylum.</span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ap-story-p" style="color: black; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">France has been criticized for its relatively slow response to the migrant crisis even as neighboring Germany has taken in hundreds of thousands of people.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="entry-content" style="background-color: white;"></span></span><br />
<div class="ap-story-p" style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, helvetica, arial; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Jamshaid Yousafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11983070484013651808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616895603823099916.post-51684178155739732322015-09-16T22:48:00.000-07:002015-09-16T22:48:05.771-07:00Why is EU struggling with migrants and asylum?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="story-body__introduction" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 28px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i>Source: BBC</i><br />
<div style="font-weight: bold;">
A surge of desperate migrants from the Middle East and Africa has put unprecedented pressure on EU countries, especially Italy, Greece and Hungary.</div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 23px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
More than 350,000 migrants were detected at the EU's borders in January-August 2015, compared with 280,000 detections for the whole of 2014.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
That 350,000 figure - an estimate from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) - does not include the many who got in undetected.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The conflicts raging in Syria and Afghanistan, and abuses in Eritrea, are major drivers of the migration.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
More than 2,600 migrants have drowned in the Mediterranean this year, trying to reach Greece or Italy, the IOM says.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Many attempt the perilous Western Balkans route, hoping to reach Germany and other northern EU countries. They run the gauntlet of brutal people traffickers and robbers.</div>
<hr class="story-body__line" style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px;" />
<h2 class="story-body__crosshead" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1e1e1e; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.25rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.2; margin: 18px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
How many people are on the move?</h2>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The 350,000 total detected so far this year at the EU's borders includes more than 230,000 who arrived in Greece and nearly 115,000 in Italy. About 2,100 arrived in Spain.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Most of those heading for Greece take the relatively short voyage from Turkey to the islands of Kos, Chios, Lesvos and Samos - often in flimsy rubber dinghies or small wooden boats.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<img src="http://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/16F05/production/_85075939_028611994-1.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The voyage from Libya to Italy is longer and more hazardous.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Some of the worse tragedies in 2015 include:</div>
<ul class="story-body__unordered-list" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 16px; list-style: none; margin: 18px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li class="story-body__list-item" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; list-style: square outside; margin: 18px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 4px; vertical-align: baseline;">Two boats carrying about <a class="story-body__link" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-34082304" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(17, 103, 168, 0.298039); border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">500 migrants sinking after leaving Zuwara in Libya</a>on 27 August</li>
<li class="story-body__list-item" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; list-style: square outside; margin: 18px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 4px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bodies of 71 people, believed to be Syrian migrants, <a class="story-body__link" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34083337" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(17, 103, 168, 0.298039); border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">discovered in an abandoned lorry in Austria</a> on 27 August</li>
<li class="story-body__list-item" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; list-style: square outside; margin: 18px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 4px; vertical-align: baseline;">Shipwreck off Italy's Lampedusa island on 19 April took an estimated 800 lives</li>
<li class="story-body__list-item" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; list-style: square outside; margin: 18px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 4px; vertical-align: baseline;">At least 300 migrants <a class="story-body__link" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-31414009" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(17, 103, 168, 0.298039); border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">feared to have drowned</a> after attempting to cross the Mediterranean in rough seas in early February</li>
</ul>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Survivors often report violence and abuse by people traffickers. Many migrants pay thousands of dollars each to the traffickers.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Chaos in Libya has given traffickers freedom to exploit migrants.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<img src="http://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/51C2/production/_85103902_migrant_routes_numbers_v4.png" /><br />
<img src="http://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/51C2/production/_85103902_migrant_routes_numbers_v4.png" />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The EU's external border force, Frontex, monitors the <a class="story-body__link-external" href="http://frontex.europa.eu/trends-and-routes/migratory-routes-map/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(17, 103, 168, 0.298039); border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">different routes</a> migrants use and how many people are arriving at Europe's borders.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Frontex has been carrying out most of the rescue operations in the Mediterranean.</div>
<hr class="story-body__line" style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px;" />
<h2 class="story-body__crosshead" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1e1e1e; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.25rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.2; margin: 18px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Where do they come from?</h2>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The largest migrant group by nationality in 2015 is Syrians, as people flee the country's brutal civil war.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Afghans and Eritreans come next. They are often also fleeing poverty and human rights abuses.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
People from Nigeria and Kosovo also make up large groups. Poor, marginalised Roma account for many of the migrants from Kosovo.</div>
<img src="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/ABB5/production/_85075934_migrants_numbers__chart-01.png" /> <br />
<img src="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/media/images/82353000/gif/_82353692_key_migration_routes_624.gif" />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
In Italy new migrants from Eritrea form the biggest group, followed by those from Nigeria.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
But in Greece migrants from Syria are the biggest group, then Afghans.</div>
<hr class="story-body__line" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px;" />
<h2 class="story-body__crosshead" style="border: 0px; color: #1e1e1e; font-size: 1.25rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.2; margin: 18px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Where are they going next?</h2>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<figure class="media-landscape no-caption full-width" style="border: 0px; clear: both; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 16px; margin: 24px -24.6406px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="image-and-copyright-container" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></figure><br /><br />
<br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.375; margin: 18px 0px 0px; orphans: auto; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
Germany, which receives by far the most asylum applications in the EU, is<a class="story-body__link" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-33992563" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(17, 103, 168, 0.298039); border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">expecting 800,000 refugees</a> to arrive this year.</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.375; margin: 18px 0px 0px; orphans: auto; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.375; margin: 18px 0px 0px; orphans: auto; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.375; margin: 18px 0px 0px; orphans: auto; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<img src="http://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/32F6/production/_85164031_migrant_journeys_turkey_to_germany_624.png" />
<br />
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Some 3,000 people are expected to cross into Macedonia each day in the coming months, according to the UN.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Many then cross into Serbia, which says it has seen 90,000 migrants so far this year, and head for Hungary - a gateway to the EU's passport-free Schengen zone.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
In July alone, 34,000 migrants were detected trying to cross from Serbia into Hungary.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Faced with that influx, Hungary has built a controversial 175km (110-mile) razor-wire fence to keep migrants out. It plans to fortify it over the coming weeks.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
It has also urged EU partners not to send back migrants who have travelled on from Hungary.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
After hundreds of migrants crowded onto trains bound for Austria and Germany at a central Budapest station the Hungarian authorities decided to close it to migrants on 1 September.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The EU's <a class="story-body__link-external" href="http://www.ecre.org/topics/areas-of-work/protection-in-europe/10-dublin-regulation.html" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(17, 103, 168, 0.298039); border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Dublin Regulation</a> places responsibility for examining an asylum seeker's claim with the first EU country that the migrant reached.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
But Greece complained that it was inundated with applications, as so many migrants arrived in Greece first. Germany then suspended the Dublin rule and decided to consider asylum cases from the majority of Syrian applicants.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Finland is also among the countries that have stopped sending people back to Greece.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Other countries are also struggling with the influx of arrivals.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Austria says it is expecting 80,000 asylum applications this year.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Meanwhile several thousand migrants are camped around Calais in northern France. Many have been risking their lives jumping aboard UK-bound lorries and trains near the Channel Tunnel.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a class="story-body__link" href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34039968" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(17, 103, 168, 0.298039); border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Migrants follow perilous route to Germany</a></div>
<hr class="story-body__line" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px;" />
<h2 class="story-body__crosshead" style="border: 0px; color: #1e1e1e; font-size: 1.25rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.2; margin: 18px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
What are politicians doing about it?</h2>
<div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
After much argument EU leaders <a class="story-body__link-external" href="http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2015/04/23-special-euco-statement/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(17, 103, 168, 0.298039); border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">agreed to triple the funding of Frontex</a> to some €120m (£86m) in April.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
However Frontex said in August it had not received enough pledges of assets from EU states to help Greece and Hungary.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Italy abandoned its Mare Nostrum search-and-rescue mission last year after some EU members - including the UK - said they could not afford to fund it. The decision was widely criticised by rights groups.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
In April EU leaders pledged to beef up maritime patrols in the Mediterranean, disrupt people trafficking networks and capture and destroy boats before migrants board them. Any military action would have to conform to international law.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
And huge questions remain over how the migrants who arrive in the EU are dealt with.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The European Commission tried unsuccessfully to persuade member states to accept a mandatory quota system for taking in 40,000 Syrians and Eritreans over the next two years. They agreed to accept 32,500 on a voluntary basis.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Another 20,000 refugees currently in UNHCR camps would also be transferred to the EU, but the details have not been decided.</div>
<hr class="story-body__line" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px;" />
<h2 class="story-body__crosshead" style="border: 0px; color: #1e1e1e; font-size: 1.25rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.2; margin: 18px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Are EU countries doing their fair share?</h2>
</div>
<div>
<img src="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/media/images/83535000/jpg/_83535963_italycampap.jpg" />
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
For years the EU has been struggling to harmonise asylum policy. That is difficult with 28 member states, each with their own police force and judiciary.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Championing the rights of poor migrants is difficult as the economic climate is still gloomy, many Europeans are unemployed and wary of foreign workers, and EU countries are divided over how to share the refugee burden.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
More detailed joint rules have been brought in with the <a class="story-body__link-external" href="http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/asylum/index_en.htm" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(17, 103, 168, 0.298039); border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Common European Asylum System</a> - but rules are one thing, putting them into practice EU-wide is another challenge.</div>
<figure class="media-landscape no-caption full-width" style="border: 0px; clear: both; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 16px; margin: 24px -24.6406px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="image-and-copyright-container" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Asylum applications in EU, 2014" class="js-image-replace" datasrc="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/media/images/82547000/gif/_82547911_eu_asylum_applications_624.gif" height="420" src="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/media/images/82547000/gif/_82547911_eu_asylum_applications_624.gif" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; color: inherit; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: auto; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 616.203px;" width="624" /></span><span class="image-and-copyright-container" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span><span class="image-and-copyright-container" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The number of asylum claims in the EU rose to 626,065 in 2014, up from 435,190 in 2013, the <a class="story-body__link-external" href="http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Asylum_statistics" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(17, 103, 168, 0.298039); border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">European Commission reports.</a></div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Germany granted the most, followed by Sweden and Italy.</div>
<hr class="story-body__line" />
<h2 class="story-body__crosshead" style="border: 0px; color: #1e1e1e; font-size: 1.25rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.2; margin: 18px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
How do migrants get asylum status in the EU?</h2>
<figure class="media-landscape has-caption full-width" style="background-color: #111111; border: 0px; clear: both; font-stretch: inherit; margin: 24px -24.6406px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="image-and-copyright-container" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="A migrant sits on a Norwegian Coast Guard boat after being transferred from the Italian Navy Ship Fulgosi during a migrant search and rescue mission off the Libyan coast - 1 September 2015" class="js-image-replace" datasrc="http://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/E31D/production/_85414185_028810578.jpg" height="549" src="http://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/E31D/production/_85414185_028810578.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; color: #bdbdbd; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: auto; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 616.203px;" width="976" /><span class="off-screen" style="border: 0px !important; clip: rect(1px 1px 1px 1px); color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1px !important; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px !important; position: absolute !important; vertical-align: baseline; width: 1px !important;">Image copyright</span><span class="story-image-copyright" style="background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.6); border: 0px; bottom: 0px; color: #ececec; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.5625rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0.25px; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 3px 8px 1px; position: absolute; right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">AP</span></span><figcaption class="media-caption" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible;"><span class="off-screen" style="border: 0px !important; clip: rect(1px 1px 1px 1px); color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1px !important; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px !important; position: absolute !important; vertical-align: baseline; width: 1px !important;">Image caption</span><span class="media-caption__text" style="border: 0px; color: #ececec; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.8125rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.23077; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">More than 100,000 people got refugee status in the EU last year</span></figcaption></figure><div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
They have to satisfy the authorities that they are fleeing persecution and would face harm or even death if sent back to their country of origin.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Under EU rules, an asylum seeker has the right to food, first aid and shelter in a reception centre. They should get an individual assessment of their needs. They may be granted asylum by the authorities at "first instance". If unsuccessful, they can appeal against the decision in court, and may win.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Asylum seekers are supposed to be granted the right to work within nine months of arrival.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
In 2014, the EU statistics agency <a class="story-body__link-external" href="http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Asylum_statistics" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(17, 103, 168, 0.298039); border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Eurostat reports</a>, 45% of first instance asylum decisions were positive - that is, authorities granted refugee or subsidiary protection status, or permission to stay for humanitarian reasons.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Nearly 104,000 got refugee status in the EU last year, nearly 60,000 subsidiary protection status and just over 20,000 authorisation to stay for humanitarian reasons. (Austria was not included in the data.)</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The highest number of positive asylum decisions in 2014 was in Germany (48,000), followed by Sweden (33,000), then France and Italy (both 21,000) and the UK (14,000).</div>
</span></figure></div>
</div>
</div>
Jamshaid Yousafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11983070484013651808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616895603823099916.post-77204497773019021442012-10-30T11:13:00.000-07:002012-10-30T11:13:04.103-07:00At least 38 dead, millions without power in Sandy's aftermath<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Millions of people from Maine to the Carolinas awoke Tuesday without electricity, and an eerily quiet New York City was all but closed off by car, train and air as superstorm Sandy steamed inland, still delivering punishing wind and rain. The U.S. death toll climbed to 38, many of the victims killed by falling trees.</span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The full extent of the damage in New Jersey, where the storm roared ashore Monday night with hurricane-force winds of 80 mph, was unclear. Police and fire officials, some with their own departments flooded, fanned out to rescue hundreds.</span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"We are in the midst of urban search and rescue. Our teams are moving as fast as they can," Gov. Chris Christie said. "The devastation on the Jersey Shore is some of the worst we've ever seen. The cost of the storm is incalculable at this point."</span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More than 8.2 million people across the East were without power. Airlines canceled more than 15,000 flights around the world, and it could be days before the mess is untangled and passengers can get where they're going.</span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The storm also disrupted the presidential campaign with just a week to go before Election Day.</span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">President Barack Obama canceled a third straight day of campaigning, scratching events scheduled for Wednesday in swing state Ohio. Republican Mitt Romney resumed his campaign, but with plans to turn a political rally in Ohio into a "storm relief event."</span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lower Manhattan, which includes Wall Street, was among the hardest-hit areas after the storm sent a nearly 14-foot surge of seawater, a record, coursing over its seawalls and highways.</span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Water cascaded into the gaping, unfinished construction pit at the World Trade Center, and the New York Stock Exchange was closed for a second day, the first time that has happened because of weather since the Blizzard of 1888. The NYSE said it will reopen on Wednesday.</span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A huge fire destroyed as many as 100 houses in a flooded beachfront neighborhood in Queens on Tuesday, forcing firefighters to undertake daring rescues. Three people were injured.</span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">New York University's Tisch Hospital evacuated 200 patients after its backup generator failed. About 20 babies from the neonatal intensive care unit were carried down staircases and were given battery-powered respirators.</span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A construction crane that collapsed in the high winds on Monday still dangled precariously 74 floors above the streets of midtown Manhattan, and hundreds of people were evacuated as a precaution. And on Staten Island, a tanker ship wound up beached on the shore.</span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With water standing in two major commuter tunnels and seven subway tunnels under the East River, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said it was unclear when the nation's largest transit system would be rolling again. It shut down Sunday night ahead of the storm.</span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Joseph Lhota, chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, said the damage was the worst in the 108-year history of the New York subway.</span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The saltwater surge inundated subway signals, switches and the electrified third rails, and covered tracks with sludge. Workers began pumping the water out and will ultimately have to walk the hundreds of miles of track to inspect it.</span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Millions of more fortunate New Yorkers surveyed the damage as dawn broke, their city brought to an extraordinary standstill.</span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Oh, Jesus. Oh, no," Faye Schwartz said she looked over her neighborhood in Brooklyn, where cars were scattered like leaves.</span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Reggie Thomas, a maintenance supervisor at a prison near the overflowing Hudson River, emerged from an overnight shift, a toothbrush in his front pocket, to find his Honda with its windows down and a foot of water inside. The windows automatically go down when the car is submerged to free drivers.</span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"It's totaled," Thomas said with a shrug. "You would have needed a boat last night."</span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most major tunnels and bridges in New York were closed, as were schools, Broadway theaters and the metropolitan area's three main airports, LaGuardia, Kennedy and Newark.</span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"This will be one for the record books," said John Miksad, senior vice president for electric operations at Consolidated Edison, which had more than 670,000 customers without power in and around New York City.</span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Around midday, Sandy was about 120 miles east of Pittsburgh, pushing westward with winds of 45 mph, and was expected to make a turn into New York State on Tuesday night. Although weakening as it goes, the storm will continue to bring heavy rain and flooding, said Daniel Brown of the National Hurricane Center in Miami.</span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a measure of the storm's immense size and power, waves on southern Lake Michigan rose to a record-tying 20.3 feet. High winds spinning off Sandy's edges clobbered the Cleveland area early Tuesday, uprooting trees, cutting power to hundreds of thousands, closing schools and flooding major roads along Lake Erie.</span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Portland, Maine, gusts topping 60 mph scared away several cruise ships and prompted officials to close the port.</span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sandy also brought blizzard conditions to parts of West Virginia and neighboring Appalachian states, with more than 2 feet of snow expected in some places. A snowstorm in western Maryland caused a pileup of tractor-trailers that blocked part of Interstate 68 on slippery Big Savage Mountain.</span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"It's like a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs up here," said Bill Wiltson, a Maryland State Police dispatcher.</span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The death toll climbed rapidly, and included 17 victims in New York State -- 10 of them in New York City -- along with five dead in Pennsylvania and four in New Jersey. Sandy also killed 69 people in the Caribbean before making its way up the Eastern Seaboard.</span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In New Jersey, Sandy cut off barrier islands, swept houses from their foundations and washed amusement pier rides into the ocean. It also wrecked several boardwalks up and down the coast, tearing away a section of Atlantic City's world-famous promenade.</span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A huge swell of water swept over the small New Jersey town of Moonachie, near the Hackensack River, and authorities struggled to rescue about 800 people, some living in a trailer park. And in neighboring Little Ferry, water suddenly started gushing out of storm drains overnight, submerging a road under 4 feet of water and swamping houses.</span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Police and fire officials used boats and trucks to reach the stranded.</span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I looked out and the next thing you know, the water just came up through the grates. It came up so quickly you couldn't do anything about it. If you wanted to move your car to higher ground you didn't have enough time," said Little Ferry resident Leo Quigley, who with his wife was taken to higher ground by boat.</span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jersey City was closed to cars because traffic lights were out, and Hoboken, just over the Hudson River from Manhattan, was hit with major flooding.</span></div>
</div>
Jamshaid Yousafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11983070484013651808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616895603823099916.post-15772267594386250232012-10-30T10:58:00.002-07:002012-10-30T11:00:21.043-07:00Some in NYC to be without power at least a week<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
NEW YORK (AP) -- Consolidated Edison says power will be restored everywhere in Manhattan and Brooklyn within four days, but it could be at least a week for other boroughs and Westchester County because power is delivered to those areas largely using overhead lines.<br />
<br />
Repairing those lines is more labor intensive.<br />
<br />
On Tuesday morning, ConEd said that 337,000 customers were without power in the two boroughs. There were 442,000 without power in the boroughs of Queens, Staten Island, the Bronx and Westchester County following Hurricane Sandy.<br />
<br />
ConEd cut power to some neighborhoods served by underground lines as the advancing storm surge from Hurricane Sandy threatened to flood substations. Floodwaters later led to explosions that disabled a substation in Lower Manhattan, cutting power tens of thousands of customers south of 39th Street.</div>
Jamshaid Yousafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11983070484013651808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616895603823099916.post-77219699265676473112012-05-30T22:58:00.000-07:002012-05-30T22:58:31.914-07:00The Green Life: Top 5 Green Life Ingredients<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <br />
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">For anyone who really wants to green their life,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">really</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>wants to, I think there are 5 basic requirements… or, to make them sound nicer, we’ll call them ingredients.</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Can you live a ‘green’ life without one of these? Well, yeah, but maybe not THE Green Life. Think of it like this: you need some basic ingredients to make a pizza — pizza dough, tomato sauce, and cheese (note that you can use non-dairy cheese, of course). Without one of these ingredients, you can call what you make a pizza, but is it<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">really</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>a pizza?</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">So, what are the 5 ingredients for The Green Life?</div><h2 style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 2em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 0.1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">The Big 3</h2><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
The first three involve things you do every day. Everyday activities have a profoundly stronger impact than once-in-awhile activities. That may be obvious, but it seems like we spend a lot of time talking about once-in-awhile things (clothes, furniture, kitchenware, laundry detergent) when talking about going green.</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">If you look at the top 3 contributors to global warming and climate change, they are undoubtedly transportation, electricity, and food (though, the order varies based on the assumptions and the location).</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></div><a name='more'></a>So, the top 3 things you can green, in no particular order, are:<br />
<ul style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 1em 25px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><li style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">your electricity supply</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>— by<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>going solar; using<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>small-scale wind turbines; paying for renewable energy instead of dirty energy from your electricity company; using<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>small hydro; or perhaps some other, obscure option that I’ve left out;</li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">your transportation</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>— by<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>bicycling, walking,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>using transit,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>traveling by train, using an<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>electric vehicle (especially a<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>solar-powered one), or carpooling;</li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">your food</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>— while<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>nothing relatively mainstream is greener<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>than<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>going vegan<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(or at least<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>vegetarian),<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>eating local,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>eating organic, buying food in bulk, and avoiding unnecessary packaging whenever possible are some other obvious ways to green your body’s fuel. (Even<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Mike Tyson has gone vegan<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>— don’t you think you can do something along those lines?!) With perhaps<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>51% or more of greenhouse gas emissions coming from livestock production, this is a pretty hard one to avoid if you are serious about tackling global warming (& you know you should be).</li>
</ul><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Now, while those are the biggies in your personal life, there’s still something missing….</div><h2 style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 2em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 0.1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">2 More Truly Big Ones</h2><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
Two more biggies involve your role in society. “No man is an island,” and we have societal influence and duties, all the more so in a democracy (or, ahem, a<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>representative democracy<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>or<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>democratic republic).</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Our world is governed by us. If we aren’t doing any governing,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>we aren’t doing our duty. And, of course, if we leave this governing for others, the question becomes, “who have we left it to?” — I think you can guess the answer to that one.</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">What kind of governing must we do? We should keep ourselves informed, know who the heck we’re voting for when we vote (know what they’ve voted for in the past or worked on in the past),<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">vote</em>, engage in political discussions and town hall meetings, and inform others of important matters and opportunities.</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Sound like a lot? Well, it’s that or let a<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>small minority of the population govern our country<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>for<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>their own benefit.</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><em style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">…<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So, finally, you long-winded bastard, what are the next 2?</strong></em></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">So, the big two here are:</div><ol style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; list-style: decimal; margin: 0px 0px 1em 25px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><li style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">run for office, or help those out who are running for or are in office and have a clear understanding of how the environment works (combined with a strong inclination towards ensuring it remains livable and healthy, of course);</li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">take<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>direct action<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>— it’s the most powerful way to influence those in office, no matter what their understanding of environmental issues happens to be.</li>
</ol><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><em style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Image:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-41918551/stock-photo-map-of-world-painted-on-hands-isolated-on-white-background.html" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">World on hands</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>via shutterstock</em></div></div>Jamshaid Yousafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11983070484013651808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616895603823099916.post-42526202818338470602012-05-30T22:54:00.000-07:002012-05-30T22:54:19.732-07:00Global Warming Effects and Causes: A Top 10 List<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <br />
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_810642499" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="earth global warming" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-27217" height="456" src="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2009/06/earth-full-globe.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; display: block; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="earth full globe" width="500" /></a></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">One of the biggest issues facing us right now is global warming. Its<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>effects on animals<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>and on agriculture are indeed frightening, and the effects on the human population are even scarier. The<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>facts about global warming<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>are often debated in politics and the media, but, unfortunately, even if we disagree about the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>causes, global warming effects are real, global, and measurable. The causes are mainly from us, the human race, and the effects on us will be severe.</div><h3 style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 1.5em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 0.1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Global Warming Effects and Causes: A Top 10 List</h3><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><img alt="global warming causes" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4531" height="300" src="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2009/06/global-warming.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; display: block; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="450" /></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1. Global Warming Cause: Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel burning power plants</strong></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Our ever increasing addiction to electricity from coal burning power plants releases enormous amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. 40% of U.S. CO2 emissions come from electricity production, and burning coal accounts for 93% of emissions from the electric utility industry [EPA, pg. 10]. </div><a name='more'></a>Every day, more electric gadgets flood the market, and without widespread alternative energy sources, we are highly dependent on burning coal for our personal and commercial electrical supply.<br />
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><img alt="global warming causes" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4532" height="338" src="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2009/06/smog.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; display: block; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="450" /></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2. Global Warming Cause: Carbon dioxide emissions from burning gasoline for transportation</strong></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Our modern car culture and appetite for globally sourced goods is responsible for about 33% of emissions in the U.S. [EPA pg. 8] With our population growing at an alarming rate, the demand for more cars and consumer goods means that we are increasing the use of fossil fuels for transportation and manufacturing. Our consumption is outpacing our discoveries of ways to mitigate the effects, with no end in sight to our massive consumer culture.</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><img alt="global warming causes" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4533" height="199" src="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2009/06/cows-lined-up.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; display: block; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="450" /></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3. Global Warming Cause: Methane emissions from<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>animals,</strong><strong style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">agriculture such as rice paddies, and from Arctic seabeds</strong></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Methane is another extremely potent greenhouse gas, ranking right behind CO2. When organic matter is broken down by bacteria under oxygen-starved conditions (anaerobic decomposition) as in rice paddies, methane is produced. The process also takes place in the intestines of herbivorous animals, and with the increase in the amount of concentrated livestock production, the levels of methane released into the atmosphere is increasing. Another source of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>methane<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>is methane clathrate, a compound containing large amounts of methane trapped in the crystal structure of ice. As<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>methane escapes from the Arctic seabed, the rate of global warming will increase significantly.</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><img alt="global warming causes" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4534" height="338" src="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2009/06/deforestation.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; display: block; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="450" /></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">4. Global Warming Cause:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Deforestation, especially tropical forests for wood, pulp, and farmland</strong></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">The use of forests for fuel (both wood and for charcoal) is one cause of deforestation, but in the first world, our appetite for wood and paper products, our consumption of livestock grazed on former forest land, and the use of tropical forest lands for commodities like palm oil plantations contributes to the mass deforestation of our world. Forests remove and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and this deforestation releases large amounts of carbon, as well as reducing the amount of carbon capture on the planet.</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><img alt="global warming causes" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4535" height="311" src="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2009/06/fertilizer-application.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; display: block; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="450" /></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">5. Global Warming Cause: Increase in usage of chemical fertilizers on croplands</strong></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">In the last half of the 20th century, the use of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>chemical fertilizers<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(as opposed to the historical use of animal manure) has risen dramatically. The high rate of application of nitrogen-rich fertilizers has effects on the heat storage of cropland (nitrogen oxides have 300 times more heat-trapping capacity per unit of volume than carbon dioxide) and the run-off of excess fertilizers creates<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>‘dead-zones’ in our oceans. In addition to these effects, high nitrate levels in groundwater due to over-fertilization are cause for concern for human health.</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><img alt="global warming effects" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4536" height="299" src="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2009/06/sea-levels.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; display: block; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="450" /></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">6. Global Warming Effect:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Rise in sea levels<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>worldwide</strong></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Scientists predict an increase in sea levels worldwide due to the melting of two massive ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland, especially on the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>East coast of the U.S. However, many nations around the world will experience the effects of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>rising sea levels, which could displace millions of people. One nation,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>the Maldives, is already looking for a new home, thanks to rising sea levels.</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><img alt="global warming effects" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4537" height="450" src="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2009/06/hurricane-norbert.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; display: block; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="450" /></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">7. Global Warming Effect: More killer storms</strong></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">The<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>severity of storms such as hurricanes and cyclones is increasing, and research published in<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Nature</em>found:</div><blockquote style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #f7f7f7; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221) rgb(233, 233, 233) rgb(233, 233, 233) rgb(221, 221, 221); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 1em 1em 0.5em; quotes: none; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“Scientists have come up with the firmest evidence so far thatglobal warming will significantly increase the intensity of the most extreme storms worldwide. The maximum wind speeds of the strongest tropical cyclones have increased significantly since 1981, according to research published in Nature this week. And the upward trend, thought to be driven by rising ocean temperatures, is unlikely to stop at any time soon.”</div></blockquote><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><img alt="global warming effects" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4538" height="243" src="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2009/06/crops.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; display: block; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="450" /></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">8. Global Warming Effect: Massive crop failures</strong></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">According to recent research, there is a<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>90% chance that 3 billion people worldwide will have to choose between moving their families to milder climes and going hungry due to climate change within 100 years.</div><blockquote style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #f7f7f7; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221) rgb(233, 233, 233) rgb(233, 233, 233) rgb(221, 221, 221); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 1em 1em 0.5em; quotes: none; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“Climate change is expected to have the most severe impact on water supplies. “Shortages in future are likely to threaten food production, reduce sanitation, hinder economic development and damage ecosystems. It causes more violent swings between floods and droughts.”" – Guardian:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Global warming causes 300,000 deaths a year</div></blockquote><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><img alt="global warming effects" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4539" height="300" src="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2009/06/polar-bear.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; display: block; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="450" /></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">9. Global Warming Effect: Widespread extinction of species</strong></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">According to research published in<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Nature</em>, by 2050,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>rising temperatures could lead to the extinction of more than a million species. And because we can’t exist without a diverse population of species on Earth, this is scary news for humans.</div><blockquote style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #f7f7f7; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221) rgb(233, 233, 233) rgb(233, 233, 233) rgb(221, 221, 221); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 1em 1em 0.5em; quotes: none; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“Climate change now represents at least as great a threat to the number of species surviving on Earth as habitat-destruction and modification.” Chris Thomas, conservation biologist at the University of Leeds</div></blockquote><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><img alt="global warming effects" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4540" height="299" src="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2009/06/great-barrier-reef.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; display: block; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="450" /></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">10. Global Warming Effect: Disappearance of coral reefs</strong></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">A<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>report on coral reefs from WWF<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>says that in a worst case scenario, coral populations will collapse by 2100 due to increased temperatures and<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>ocean acidification. The<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>‘bleaching’ of coralsfrom small but prolonged rises in sea temperature is a severe danger for ocean ecosystems, and many other species in the oceans rely on coral reefs for their survival.</div><blockquote style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #f7f7f7; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221) rgb(233, 233, 233) rgb(233, 233, 233) rgb(221, 221, 221); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 1em 1em 0.5em; quotes: none; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“Despite the oceans’s immensity — 71 per cent of the Earth’s surface with an average depth of almost 4km (2½m) — there are indications that it is approaching its tipping point. For reefs, warming waters and acidification are closing in like a pair of jaws that threaten to make them the first global ecosystem to disappear.” – Times Online:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>21st-century Noah’s Ark needed to save coral reefs from extinction</div></blockquote><br />
</div>Jamshaid Yousafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11983070484013651808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616895603823099916.post-6465200261612342302012-05-30T22:48:00.000-07:002012-05-30T22:48:20.037-07:00Top 10 Benefits of Bicycling<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <br />
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">If you weren’t aware, today is National Bike to Work Day in the U.S. That means that even if it is the only day of the year you do so, you should bike to work today!</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2011/05/groningen.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-21217" height="334" src="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2011/05/groningen.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; display: block; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="groningen" width="500" /></a></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Of course, biking is such a pleasant experience (for most people) if you get out there and try it out for transportation purposes, you’ll probably find that you love it & want to do it more.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2011/05/bicycling-fun.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-21215" height="335" src="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2011/05/bicycling-fun.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; display: block; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="bicycling fun" width="500" /></a></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">I was wondering what to write about for bike to work day, and have just decided to write on the top 10 reasons you should bike, while including a lot of cool, bicycling pictures. So, here we go:</span></div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2011/05/dutch-bicyclist.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-21216" height="338" src="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2011/05/dutch-bicyclist.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; display: block; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="dutch bicyclist" width="500" /></a></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">1. Bicycling is fun!</span></strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Really, this is something that doesn’t get emphasized enough by bicycling advocates trying to address environmental problems. While it’s obvious once you get out there and do it, for the many people who haven’t (for transportation purposes), these may not be so obvious.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2011/05/bicycling-environment.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-21206" height="375" src="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2011/05/bicycling-environment.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; display: block; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="bicycling environment" width="500" /></a></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">2. You’ll protect the climate and environment.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span></span></strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Transportation is one of the</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span></span><a href="http://planetsave.com/2009/06/07/global-warming-effects-and-causes-a-top-10-list/" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">leading causes (if not the #1 cause) of global warming</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">. It is also what</span><a href="http://planetsave.com/2010/07/12/where-oil-comes-from-and-how-we-use-oil/" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">over 70% of oil</span></a><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">is used for in the U.S. (So, if you’re concerned about global warming or peak oil — AND YOU SHOULD BE — bicycling is an easy, quick, fun solution you can implement today.)</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2011/05/hundred-dollar-bill.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-21212" height="500" src="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2011/05/hundred-dollar-bill.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; display: block; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="hundred dollar bill" width="499" /></a></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">3. It’ll save you a ton of money.</span></strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">The average American spends about</span><a href="http://www.joshuakennon.com/how-the-average-american-family-spends-its-money/" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">$8,758 or 15% of their income</span></a><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">a year on transportation, largely on automobiles — in DIRECT COSTS. If you add in the</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.oasisdesign.net/transport/cars/cost.htm" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">costs of war for oil</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">, the increased cost of healthcare from air and water pollution and climate change, and</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.oasisdesign.net/transport/cars/cost.htm" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">other externalities</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">, that will even go much higher. Luckily, if you want to save thousands upon thousands of dollars a year, you probably can by ditching the car and biking instead. Think it’s a scam? How could it be? I and many other people have done so and saved thousands if not</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.oasisdesign.net/transport/cars/cost.htm" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">hundreds of thousands</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2011/05/green-bikeway.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-21207" height="375" src="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2011/05/green-bikeway.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; display: block; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="green bikeway" width="500" /></a></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">4. It’s good for your health!</span></strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Everyone wants to be healthier, right? Well, the moderate or rigorous exercise you get from bicycling (depending on how and where you bike) can go a looooong way in helping you on that. It’s definitely an easy, fun, and cheap way to improve your health and feel better.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2011/05/bicyclists-traffic-light.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-21214" height="375" src="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2011/05/bicyclists-traffic-light.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; display: block; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="bicyclists traffic light" width="500" /></a></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">5. You can skip the traffic headache.</span></strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Traffic, it’s generally one of the top complaints of Americans, #2 last time I saw (but that was awhile ago). While bikers do have to ride in traffic as well, the details are a bit different. While cars pile up at red lights and might have to sit through 3 or 4 light changes, bikers can easily coast to the front of the line and don’t have to experience the boring torture of stop-and-go traffic. There’s definitely a great feeling involved in coasting past dozens of cars stuck in traffic and then pedaling off as soon as the light turns green.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2011/05/biking-style.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-21208" height="375" src="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2011/05/biking-style.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; display: block; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="biking style" width="500" /></a></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">6. The bicycling community.</span></strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Driving, you probably don’t think much about connecting with or being a part of the same community as other drivers, but that’s different when you’re biking. Whether you just see a few bikers or see hundreds on your ride (like in</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span></span><a href="http://ecolocalizer.com/2011/05/19/berlin-bike-paradise/" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Berlin, a great bicycle city</span></a><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">I recently visited), you feel a sort of kinship with them all when you see them out there in the same way. I think this is one reason why bicycle groups are so big and why mini bicycle communities seem to pop up wherever there are more than 5 bicyclists.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2011/05/bicyclists.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-21210" height="375" src="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2011/05/bicyclists.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; display: block; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="bicyclists" width="500" /></a></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">7. Bicycling makes streets and cities nicer</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">. There’s no doubt about it — people don’t like pollution, including noise pollution, traffic, or unsafe streets. Bicycling cuts down on pollution, noise, and traffic tremendously. Additionally, it makes streets much safer. I lived in</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span></span><a href="http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/10/30/6-groningen-netherlands-great-bicycle-city-photo-tour/" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Groningen</span></a><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">in the Netherlands for 5 months, a city named “World Bicycling City” on a number of occasions and boasting a 50-60% bicycle commute rate. I noticed after awhile that I lived on one of the busiest and ‘largest’ streets in the city — I was right in between the city center (and the whole rest of the city) and the city’s huge University. It took me awhile to realize because the street was so tranquil, only two lanes, and despite thousands and thousands of people going by my window every morning, I could mostly just here the clicks of broken bicycles (there are a lot in the Netherlands) or their bells (used well when bicyclists pass each other in the wide bike lanes). There’s hardly a street nicer to live on, but if the bicycle commute rate were, say, 1% instead of 50-60%, the street and living on it would be an absolute nightmare!</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2011/05/bicycling-cool.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-21209" height="500" src="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2011/05/bicycling-cool.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; display: block; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="bicycling cool" width="375" /></a></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">8. Bicycles & bicyclists are cool.</span></strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Come on, everyone knows it. Want to be cool? Get on a bike. It can be a road bike, cruiser, city bike, folding bike, mountain bike, or something else, but chances are that no matter what kind of bike it is, it will make you cooler.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2011/05/bicycling-fast.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-21211" height="331" src="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2011/05/bicycling-fast.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; display: block; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="bicycling fast" width="500" /></a></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">9. Bicycling is efficient and fast.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span></span></strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">As perhaps the most efficient mode of transport, bicycling can get you someplace using minimal energy and time. In cities, in particular, which are, by definition, places where a lot of people live in relatively small areas, moving around by bike rather than a large automobile can be faster for many or most trips. 40% of trips in the U.S. are 2 miles or less, perfect distances for bicycling, and you don’t have to spend time in traffic, finding parking, filling up on gas, or waiting for a bus or subway train.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2011/05/bike-parking.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: #225e9b; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-21213" height="333" src="http://c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2011/05/bike-parking.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; display: block; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="World Naked Bike Ride - Albany, NY - 09, Jun - 02" width="500" /></a></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">10. You can forget about parking.</span></strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Another things Americans love — finding parking… not! It is a complaint of too many people. But what did I just mention above? Cities are dense places. Cars don’t exactly fit well in them. Rather than struggle to find parking in a dense city, you can easily lock your bike up right outside the entrance of your destination and skip that whole mess.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Some good reasons to bike today (& every day)? I think so.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Now, I didn’t mention this above, but since today is bike to work day… a lot of employers offer benefits or cash for bicycling to work these days (since it saves them money on parking, increases your work performance, decreases your sick days, and makes them look good). Check out if your employer does (or try to convince them to) and, if they do, add that to the list above somewhere.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">More reasons bicycling is great & you should bike to work today?</span></div></div>Jamshaid Yousafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11983070484013651808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616895603823099916.post-33820217156652592932012-05-30T22:45:00.000-07:002012-05-30T22:45:38.142-07:00Apple to Double Down on Secrecy as Alleged New iPhone Design Leaked<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2012/05/tim_cook_apple_press_pic-11366089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2012/05/tim_cook_apple_press_pic-11366089.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company would increase secrecy of the products in its pipeline, a speech that occurred on the same day alleged designs of the iPhone 5 were leaked online. Speaking at the D10: All Things Digital conference, Cook said: “We’re going to double down on secrecy on products.” Meanwhile, online photos of what appear to be parts of the next-generation iPhone were published by 9To5Mac.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Could it be a coincidence that Cook gave his speech on the same day the photos were leaked? Absolutely. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time we have seen alleged parts of a future iPhone that turn out to be wildly off-base when the real product arrives.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">It’s just that the photos of the purported iPhone 5 casings obtained by 9To5Mac match many of the tipped changes for the next-generation Apple smartphone, expected later this year. They show a greatly reduced dock connector at the bottom, redesigned speaker grills and the headphone jack relocated to the bottom left of the phone -- a first for Apple’s phones.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">An additional opening between the camera lens and the LED flash can be observed, which 9To5Mac speculates could be where the secondary microphone (used for noise reduction since the iPhone 4) was moved in order to allow for better audio capture during voice recordings.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2012/05/iphone_5_9to5mac-11366092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2012/05/iphone_5_9to5mac-11366092.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">More strikingly, the back of the pictured phone has a large metal plate that could be made of Liquidmetal, a material Apple purchased exclusive rights to and is already using for the SIM ejector tool. The antenna band seems to be molded into the metal backplates and the top and bottom of the device still appear covered in glass, probably to allow for better signal reception. The original iPhone had a metal back, but subsequent iterations used plastic and then glass.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">What about that bigger screen? Well, the photos don’t reveal much about that, if they actually depict an iPhone 5 prototype casing. It appears the parts have the same width as the current iPhone 4S, but it’s taller, which is in keeping with recent reports that Apple is looking to increase the phone’s height in order to accommodate a 4-inch screen and 4G LTE connectivity (along with a bigger battery).</span></div>Jamshaid Yousafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11983070484013651808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616895603823099916.post-62865239818707524572012-05-30T22:29:00.002-07:002012-05-30T22:29:34.138-07:00Computer virus briefly hits Iran's oil industry<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">A senior Iranian military official says Iran's oil industry was briefly affected by a powerful computer virus that has unprecedented data-snatching capabilities and can eavesdrop on computer users.</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Gholam Reza Jalali, who heads an Iranian military unit in charge of fighting sabotage, said Wednesday that Iranian experts had found and defeated the "Flame" virus.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Jalali told state radio Wednesday that the oil industry was the only governmental body affected and all problems had been resolved.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- A senior Iranian official claims Tehran has defeated a powerful computer virus that has unprecedented data-snatching capabilities and can eavesdrop on computer users.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Ali Hakim Javadi, who is Iran's deputy Minister of Communications and Information Technology, is quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying Wednesday that Iranian experts have already produced an anti-virus capable of identifying and removing "Flame" from computers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Iran's government-run Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Center has said the Flame virus was focused on expionage.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Javadi did not say whether any Iranian government bodies or industries were affected by the virus.</span></div>Jamshaid Yousafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11983070484013651808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616895603823099916.post-44724944438245970352012-03-20T09:38:00.004-07:002012-03-20T09:38:55.971-07:00BANK CANCELS CREDIT CARD<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNA1hWPp-9i0DIPyxBQtttzrGdJmJSwCo9KfiVtQHFOXhSrOEEC1LUX7MjH7rk4vwSCyxumIRn_7BmaW8rdc9HJd9wv7RSM1A4FhrZG0PFfQTAYdqCMOW1IuBnLA0F3GONoevirGjjXSkh/s1600/1332215242561nw9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNA1hWPp-9i0DIPyxBQtttzrGdJmJSwCo9KfiVtQHFOXhSrOEEC1LUX7MjH7rk4vwSCyxumIRn_7BmaW8rdc9HJd9wv7RSM1A4FhrZG0PFfQTAYdqCMOW1IuBnLA0F3GONoevirGjjXSkh/s1600/1332215242561nw9.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Vernella says sorry to TOP while 'Express' confirms...</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b></b>By Ria Taitt and Elizabeth Williams
Story Created: Mar 19, 2012 at 11:56 PM ECT (Story Updated: Mar 19, 2012 at 11:56 PM ECT)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The Government-issued credit card of Tobago Development Minister Vernella Alleyne-Toppin has been cancelled.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> And yesterday the Minister apologised to her party, the Tobago Organisation of the People (TOP), for her misuse of the Government-issued credit card.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> TOP had "categorically condemned" her misuse of the card and had called on her to make a "full and unconditional apology to her constituents and the people of Trinidad and Tobago".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> In a letter addressed to chairman of TOP, Stanley Beard, Alleyne-Toppin stated she "unreservedly apologises for the issues that arose surrounding the use of the State-issued credit card". She further stated that: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1) All balances drawn on the account have been repaid in full</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 2) Use of the card has been discontinued </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3) The actual card has been returned to First Citizens.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Sources confirmed to the Express the card was cancelled by the bank.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Yesterday, Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley, who made the revelations about the misuse of the card in the debate on the no-confidence motion in the House of Representatives two weeks ago, called for her resignation.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> "The Minister is playing games with her feigned apology. She resolutely refuses to accept that she did anything wrong. The apology is only for the embarrassment and not for the act," he said.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Rowley said Alleyne-Toppin had not come clean on the nature and extent of the "abuse" of the card and the role which the Ministry of Finance played in treating with her "abuse". </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"After her bombastic response and her childish attempts to gain sympathy and steer the public away from viewing her unacceptable conduct, which includes breach of trust in dealing with public money, she cannot simply excuse herself by continuing to attempt to mislead the public," Rowley stated.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Alleyne-Toppin's credit card had a balance as of December 2011, of $68,048.16. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Former head of the Public Service Reginald Dumas welcomed the apology but noted it should have come sooner.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> "I hope Minister Alleyne-Toppin exercises due vigilance in her ministerial functions in the future," Dumas said.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> However, he stressed, the question now should be asked, how was the $68,048.16</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> sourced, and the fact the monies were already paid back, proves the government was aware of the matter in the first instance.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> "Such a large amount of funds used in such a short period of time, I am hopeful this does not reoccur. This kind of behaviour is not expected of a Cabinet minister," Dumas said.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Dumas insisted Alleyne-Toppin should not be blamed for the use of the card since she claims she did not know how it should be used, but she should be held accountable for the fact the card was not properly used by her</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.
Alleyne-Toppin's apology comes on the heels of a more comprehensive and unsolicited apology which was given by her colleague, Health Minister Fuad Khan.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Alleyne-Toppin stated in her letter to Beard she had also taken steps to personally review and address any areas of breakdown in the administrative process in the Ministry of Tobago Development to ensure matters of this nature do not occur in the future in keeping with her commitment to transparency, integrity and accountability in all operations.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> She thanked her constituents, the TOP, the People's Partnership and the national community for their continued support and reaffirmed her pledge to the service of the people of Tobago and Trinidad and Tobago.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616895603823099916.post-80782433960950076362012-03-17T07:22:00.000-07:002012-03-17T07:22:33.584-07:00Baird warns of Russian 'homosexual propaganda' law<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
OTTAWA — Canada is warning gay and lesbian travellers bound for Russia's historic St. Petersburg to be wary after the city enacted a new law banning what it calls homosexual propaganda.<br />
<br />
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird has told the House of Commons he is deeply concerned by the legislation, which he says runs counter to core Canadian values of freedom of speech, human rights and the rule of law.<br />
<br />
The warning comes after the governor of St. Petersburg signed a law that makes it a criminal offence to publicize acts of sodomy, bisexualism or lesbianism.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;">Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird stands in the House of Commons during Question Period, Friday March 16, 2012 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Chartrand</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDdLlxjv3lMcEIEU-5Y9n89d0THuTpzjRVn39rG_2aqx9aO-51vtcNnOJMQ3Mj4aFYvQWTAYpyoiHM5iQEEglwazL_rifB1RO1xxq9xl2sdDGMG1lfby_tJRmSVatjcE8yhwzAfoZ5HNUl/s1600/800_john_baird_cp_120317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDdLlxjv3lMcEIEU-5Y9n89d0THuTpzjRVn39rG_2aqx9aO-51vtcNnOJMQ3Mj4aFYvQWTAYpyoiHM5iQEEglwazL_rifB1RO1xxq9xl2sdDGMG1lfby_tJRmSVatjcE8yhwzAfoZ5HNUl/s320/800_john_baird_cp_120317.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The city says the law, which comes into effect Saturday, is designed to protect children.
But gay rights groups see it as part of a backlash led by some politicians and the Russian Orthodox Church.<br />
<br />
St. Petersburg is the fourth Russian city to be enact such a law.<br />
<br />
Baird said Canada has lodged an official protest, as well as warning travellers.<br />
<br />
"Canada's ambassador has written to the Russian government to express our deep concern and, yes, we have at his request, put a travel advisory on our website," Baird said.<br />
<br />
Scenic, historic and cosmopolitan, St. Petersburg is one of Russia's -- if not one of the world's -- top travel destinations.<br />
<br />
Canada's new travel advisory has been amended to read: "Homosexuality is legal, though some still strongly disapprove of it. Canadians are advised to avoid displaying affection in public, as homosexuals can be targets of violence.<br />
<br />
"
The advisory states that the new law prohibits "propagandizing homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality and transsexuality among minors, and prohibiting public actions propagandizing pedophilia.<br />
<br />
"
Among other things, the advisory warns travellers against "displays or conspicuous behaviour," which could lead to arrest or a fine.<br />
<br />
Baird said he will consider amending travel advisories to other destinations to deal with specific threats to gay and lesbian travellers.<br />
<br />
"We'll certainly look at that," said Baird. "Obviously one of the core responsibilities I have as Canada's foreign minister is to promote Canadian values around the world, and I will continue to do this." </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616895603823099916.post-26723877630583378192012-03-15T03:30:00.003-07:002012-03-15T03:30:49.047-07:00Suicide blast in Peshawar kills police superintendent<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdT3Kd90walqsucMPELiMdkUY4c3OSkoYUvihgwzgtrBgstUq2u35qFMKdL2fJ8zzDbrQF8mwFycjjh9ncBtcIyJoPFrqKvX2J0pqt9P9OD2HiLYaF1soe7fih-azb1rn_8Ckzzir0lnEu/s1600/Peshawar_Blast_SP_Reuters_3_543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdT3Kd90walqsucMPELiMdkUY4c3OSkoYUvihgwzgtrBgstUq2u35qFMKdL2fJ8zzDbrQF8mwFycjjh9ncBtcIyJoPFrqKvX2J0pqt9P9OD2HiLYaF1soe7fih-azb1rn_8Ckzzir0lnEu/s640/Peshawar_Blast_SP_Reuters_3_543.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">—Reuters Photo</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>_______________________________________________________________________</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> PESHAWAR: A suicide attack on Thursday killed a senior Pakistani police officer and wounded his bodyguard in the northwestern city of Peshawar, troubled by a new wave of violence, police said.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
“Police Superintendent Kalam Khan died in the blast and his driver and a guard were injured,” police officer Tahir Ayub said.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> “The bomber came on foot and detonated explosives strapped to his body near Khan’s jeep,” bomb disposal squad chief Hukum Khan said.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> “We have found the bomber’s head,” he added.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The incident took place on a road under construction in Peshawar’s Pishta Khara neighbourhood that meant Khan’s car had to drive slowly, police said.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Khan had been on his way to work in the suburban town of Badaber, where a suicide attack killed 15 people at a funeral on Sunday.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It lies close to Bara town, a stronghold of local warlord Mangal Bagh, who is linked to Islamist militants.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Peshawar has a population of 2.5 million people and has long been on the frontline of violence blamed on an insurgency led by Taliban militants opposed to Islamabad’s alliance with the United States.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Islamist militants have killed more than 4,900 people across Pakistan since government troops raided an extremist mosque in Islamabad in July 2007.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616895603823099916.post-52570447535959173132012-03-13T01:59:00.000-07:002012-03-13T01:59:01.587-07:00FACEBOOK TO CHARGE USERS!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvIt-NDU88GkTLbRQCGUvNyTgcv5KqTHVjjTf5IPrfQgTqKkmANQqAkGS57x8tMT2oGzDmfegyfKp6L73eOYMmc6ZBE0zv3GI2wl7QxJmpX8KRap91gcgvB8iVMV2NCsdUOAzko-cPUlG/s1600/facebook_charge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvIt-NDU88GkTLbRQCGUvNyTgcv5KqTHVjjTf5IPrfQgTqKkmANQqAkGS57x8tMT2oGzDmfegyfKp6L73eOYMmc6ZBE0zv3GI2wl7QxJmpX8KRap91gcgvB8iVMV2NCsdUOAzko-cPUlG/s320/facebook_charge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>BREAKING</b> - Facebook has announced a host of new changes to its design and new plan – charging users!
<br />
<br />
Mark Zuckerberg announced a host of new changes to Facebook. He did not, however, comment on the fact that he was closing Facebook down next year.<br />
<br />
WWN’s J.B. Smitts broke the story that Facebook was shutting down on March 15th, 2012. Maybe this helped Zuckerberg come up with his new plan?<br />
<br />
Pressure from angry users has been too much and Facebook is looking at an alternative, something that will persuade Mark Zuckerberg to keep the site alive: his social media platform is going to start charging users!
<br />
<br />
According to sources outside the company, Facebook is planning a subscription-based service with monthly fees starting at $0.99 for a basic “friendship” which allows for the posting of text and just one profile picture. This fee will increase, depending on the number of friends you have, the messages posted and sent, and the pictures/videos/ games put on a user’s page. The monthly fee will be capped at $50.00 per month at the high-end.<br />
<br />
Bottom line: the more you will pay.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP14CgGa92ByGVpa5UX9z9fph8ltLcVqnYYdaFHimAZ2bcrUXMmIp5aptTKdjuUdZAz79q34ebf_aFzud54sMfr-w1J9feAfc64NaNa42C72DYzeXohJ33NXUX_4FA8wi0eniSSoKVKwvB/s1600/facebook_chargeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP14CgGa92ByGVpa5UX9z9fph8ltLcVqnYYdaFHimAZ2bcrUXMmIp5aptTKdjuUdZAz79q34ebf_aFzud54sMfr-w1J9feAfc64NaNa42C72DYzeXohJ33NXUX_4FA8wi0eniSSoKVKwvB/s1600/facebook_chargeb.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Reports are that all existing content has been “grandfathered” and will not be disrupted – though Facebook has decided to share this data with government agencies, including the FBI , the CIA and Michael Moore.
<br />
<br />
Goldman Sachs, which had been planning to raise $1.5 billion in financing before they learned that Mark Zuckerberg wanted to shutter the site, is thrilled at the prospect of Facebook converting to a pay service.
<br />
<br />
“The addition of this substantial revenue windfall makes Facebook all that more attractive as an investment,” said Tom Wotozowski, Senior Vice President of Goldman Sachs. “This will make it the largest corporation on the planet, in the history of the planet.<br />
<br />
”
Industry watchers estimate that the new fee-based program will generate well in excess of $20 billion in new revenue for the company – based on the most conservative assumptions of usage and the proposed tiered fee structure.<br />
<br />
These estimates, of course, account for the fact that millions of users may quit Facebook in response to the imposition of fees. “I’m not going to pay for Facebook! It’s like paying for air. It’s not right,” said longtime Facebook junkie, Jessica Samsille. “Screw them, I’m going back to MySpace,” said Bo Chan.<br />
<br />
No matter. Facebook executives are excited at the prospect of charging users. “We’re going to make money hand over fist,” said Facebook CEO Cindy Shooman. “I think converting to a pay service is something that will make Mark want to keep the site going. And I’ll finally get to buy an island in the Mediterranean.”<br />
<br />
March 15th, 2012 is Facebook Day. The site will either shut down, or start charging users for its service.<br />
<br />
Beware the ides of March…<br />
<br />
[Reporting by Floyd Collins on WWN's Financial News desk] use Facebook, the more you will pay.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616895603823099916.post-68219612976911380482012-03-13T01:27:00.000-07:002012-03-13T01:27:37.555-07:00Health Care Reform<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After decades of failed attempts by a string of Democratic presidents and a year of bitter partisan combat, President Obama signed legislation on March 23, 2010 to overhaul the nation’s health care system and guarantee access to medical insurance for tens of millions of Americans.<br />
<br />
The health care law seeks to extend insurance to more than 30 million people, primarily by expanding Medicaid and providing federal subsidies to help lower- and middle-income Americans buy private coverage. It will create insurance exchanges for those buying individual policies and prohibit insurers from denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing conditions. To reduce the soaring cost of Medicare, it creates a panel of experts to limit government reimbursement to only those treatments shown to be effective, and creates incentives for providers to “bundle’' services rather than charge by individual procedure<br />
<br />
.
The law will cost the government about $938 billion over 10 years, according to the nonpartisan <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/health_insurance_and_managed_care/health_care_reform/index.htm">Congressional Budget Office</a>, which has also estimated that it will reduce the federal deficit by $138 billion over a decade.<br />
<br />
It was the largest single legislative achievement of Mr. Obama’s first two years in office, and the most controversial. Not a single Republican voted for the final version, and Republicans across the country campaigned on a promise to repeal the bill. In January 2011, shortly after they took control of the House, Republicans voted 245 to 189 in favor of repeal, in what both sides agreed was largely a symbolic act, given Democratic control of the Senate and White House.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616895603823099916.post-14646801389659026422012-03-12T08:53:00.000-07:002012-03-12T08:53:39.898-07:00Prince Harry completes first major tour for queen<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">LONDON (AP) -- Say goodbye to the party prince; say hello to the queen's secret weapon.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">That's how royal watchers have seen Prince Harry's first major diplomatic tour - a 10-day jaunt to the Caribbean and South America to represent his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II as part of celebrations marking her Diamond Jubilee.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">The trip offered Harry, 27, a first step onto the international stage in a role that will become increasingly common as a younger generation of royals step to the fore.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAQYX0-X1Sv9evINq-5Q6ALNZ_jVj73O18sLJHeOTYlRFQA42N5uimuC4AxiToTzG-VDA51KiVMHUJWdUDrqxqSwEaJny0kM0Rx_0WNC94PKMwWe4wl7X0j98skBKBVs9O9vrwMmxWMKI/s1600/81ade117-5eaa-43f4-85b0-636e9bf6da06-big.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAQYX0-X1Sv9evINq-5Q6ALNZ_jVj73O18sLJHeOTYlRFQA42N5uimuC4AxiToTzG-VDA51KiVMHUJWdUDrqxqSwEaJny0kM0Rx_0WNC94PKMwWe4wl7X0j98skBKBVs9O9vrwMmxWMKI/s400/81ade117-5eaa-43f4-85b0-636e9bf6da06-big.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">The official part of the trip, which also included a business-boosting visit to Brazil, ended Sunday with a charity polo match after which Harry gave an exuberant thumbs up after he was kissed on the cheek by a brunette model. On Monday, he set out for Brazil's interior to study its ecosystems as part of a private project conducted by the charitable foundation he runs with his brother, Prince William.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Press reports emphasized that Harry had been a hit with locals and made good on his vow to make his grandmother proud.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Robert Lacey, author of several books about the queen, said Harry's successful trip reflects his new maturity.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">"He's grown into this role in the last few years, in part because of his military career," Lacey said "There were concerns because of some mishaps over the years that Harry would be the troublesome one in the family, but he's really doing remarkably well."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">As a younger man and teenager, Harry raised eyebrows with his fondness for partying and - most notoriously - when he wore Nazi gear to a costume party and was photographed wearing a swastika armband.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Lacey said Harry's British military training, and that of his elder brother, Prince William, has greatly impressed the public.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">"People can see that Harry's not getting special treatment, that he has to pass helicopter exams and work really hard," said Lacey. "The same is true for William. It's extraordinarily important to how people see the young princes."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Throughout Harry's trip, the British press was filled with photos of him playing beach volleyball and rugby in Rio, sprinting with Olympics hero Usain Bolt in Jamaica and dancing in the streets with locals in Belize, even enjoying a shot of local rum at the festivities.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">The tone of the coverage was swooning - set by a British TV reporter who said she couldn't believe that Harry was still single.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">But it wasn't all sand and surf. Harry also met with Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller - a sensitive visit given her vocal opposition to maintaining the queen's traditional role as Jamaica's head of state - and in the middle of his tour the prince had to deal publicly with the death of six fellow British servicemen in Afghanistan.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Harry defused potential tension with the prime minister with a warm hug, and canceled plans to abseil a building in Jamaica out of respect for the fallen soldiers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Other senior royals, including William and his wife, the former Kate Middleton, plan similar overseas trips to mark the queen's Jubilee.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">The 85-year-old queen and her husband, Prince Philip, 90, will tour the United Kingdom for Jubilee festivities but do not plan to travel overseas.</span></div>Jamshaid Yousafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11983070484013651808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616895603823099916.post-81761470175331304012012-03-12T08:47:00.000-07:002012-03-12T08:47:02.165-07:00Somali woman shines in military training program<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">IBANDA, Uganda (AP) -- A military instructor clad in fatigues and boots who barks out orders to men half her age has become the unlikely star of a European Union program to train thousands of Somali troops.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Nearly 98 percent of the trainees in the six-month class being held in a remote Ugandan village are men, but it is 40-year-old Fatuma Hassan Noor, who returned for advanced training, who often gets mentioned in discussions of what the program can be proud of after its mandate expires in December.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Western governments are injecting millions of dollars into a program that they hope will contribute to the stabilization of Somalia, and officials stationed here hope dedicated students like Noor, when they finally return home, can prove that the money was not wasted.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Col. Michael Beary, an Irish officer who is in charge of the training mission, said he is not sending soldiers back to Somalia to defeat the militant group al-Shabab. Beary said he is instead trying to create disciplined soldiers who will return home with "a different attitude."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">The 608 Somali soldiers in the current class are being trained on good citizenship, women's rights and how to stop gender-based violence, as well as weapons training, first aid, mine detection and communication during battle.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">The 60 trainers in the village of Ibanda come from 12 European countries. The program has already trained 1,800 Somalis since 2010. The trainers say the mission is a small but vital contribution toward the creation of a professional army.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><a name='more'></a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">"This mission is very successful," Beary said. "It is having a real effect on the ground."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Noor is well-regarded because she was a member of the inaugural 2010 class but returned last year to train as a noncommissioned officer, a forward step toward her goal of practicing as an army nurse. This time, she came with her daughter, Amal Ahmed, who now says she is no longer afraid of a loaded AK-47.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">"We don't feel lonely when we are together," Noor said last week.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">The girl glanced at her mother and said: "We comfort each other. ... Some say my mother brought me here, but I tell them that I am strong enough to correct my mother when she is wrong."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">The mother and daughter presence on a camp dominated by men has infused some excitement into a program that is conditioned by fluid and often volatile events in Somalia, which has lacked a stable government since 1991.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Al-Shabab is on the mind of everyone at the Bihanga camp where students train among structures built to resemble Mogadishu's ruins. But the trainers say they cannot afford to focus on terrorists whose power is fading under pressure from foreign armies backing Somalia's transitional government. The class hopes to create good citizens.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">This thinking, missing in earlier sessions, is being practiced partly through what is called "training of trainers," courses in which a few fast-learning Somalis are taught skills they are expected to pass on. Noor is specializing in saving lives in combat, and these days she spends a lot of time training with rubber dummies.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">"She's good, very good," said Abdullahi Kula, a translator observing her teaching a class on CPR from a distance.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Noor's teachers say they like her enthusiasm.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">"I met her the first day she arrived," said Portuguese Lt. Col. Mariano Alves, the camp's training commander. "She was very active. Immediately she asked me how life was here, how I was doing. She is a nice person."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Noor is a private in the Somali army and the widowed mother of six children. She suspects she would be serving tea back home if she were not in the military. And she says she taught herself how to speak English, a skill that contributes to her popularity.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">"When I go back home the women will look at me and say, 'Look at her, she's 40 years old and we are 20,'" she said. "They will want to come here. But they can't speak English like me."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Many of the Somalis here, who range in age from 18 to 40, are illiterate, and only 15 percent speak English. The trainers rely on a few translators to impart their lessons.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Each of the trainees will get $100 for every month spent at the camp, but they can only receive the cash after completing the course. Trainers say the money does a lot to keep them motivated.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">"Like babies, they start by crawling, and then they start running," said Sgt. Godfrey Onio, a Ugandan who has helped train the Somalis since the mission started.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">European and Ugandan officals say they cannot control what happens after the Somalis return home. There have been defections in the past, with some frustrated trainees joining al-Shabab for better pay.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">Roberto Ridolfi, the Italian head of the EU delegation in Uganda, said any renewal of the military program would be predicated on what happens after the mandate of Somalia's transitional government expires in August.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">The diplomat recalled a recent trip to Bihanga, where he was introduced to trainees including Noor. He was impressed that the woman had returned for advanced training, and he thanked her.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "Helvetica", sans-serif;">"It's a beautiful example," he said. "What the woman is doing is a good example of leadership."</span></div>Jamshaid Yousafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11983070484013651808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616895603823099916.post-42153039731699364402012-03-09T07:50:00.000-08:002012-03-09T07:50:23.013-08:00Facebook 'friend' offer exposes man's other wifeTACOMA, Wash. (AP) -- A Washington state corrections officer has been charged with bigamy after Facebook discovered two women were connected to him and suggested they might want to "friend."<br />
<br />
Prosecutors in Pierce County say Alan L. O'Neill married a woman in 2001, moved out in 2009, changed his name and remarried without divorcing wife No. 1.<br />
<br />
Wife No. 1 found out about Wife No. 2 when Facebook detected their connection to O'Neill and suggested the friendship connection.Jamshaid Yousafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11983070484013651808noreply@blogger.com0