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Tag Archives: al-Shabaab
September 8, 2014 by craftymcclever
Ebola Vaccine Testing Promising, Post-War Gaza Update, and Islamic Militants Increase Activity As U.S. Puts Together Game Plan
Sierra Leone has decided for three days to lockdown the country in order to curb the Ebola epidemic sweeping across West Africa as the WHO announced that over 2,000 people have died from the outbreak across the three hardest hit countries of Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia. AOL reports, Sierra Leone Plans lockdown to fight Ebola, Sierra Leone hopes it will stop the spread of the virus that killed 491 people in the country, according to WHO estimates. Sierra Leone's information minister told CNN," "Locking down the country is like turning the whole country into an open laboratory. … When they develop symptoms within three days, they will be identified and taken to treatment centers." However, a Doctors Without Borders spokesperson told reporters, lockdowns and quarantines "end up driving people underground and jeopardizing the trust between people and health providers. This leads to the concealment of potential cases and ends up spreading the disease further." One medical official told the New York Times educating communities about the risk of harboring Ebola patients is much more effective than lockdowns. Liberia responded with lockdowns as well in August when the Liberian government shit down a neighborhood in the capital of Monrovia that led to protests and clashes between residents and security forces. The Ebola epidemic shows no signs of slowing down, and agencies around the world are racing to develop a treatment. Yesterday, the WHO greenlit the use of blood transfusions from Ebola survivors to combat the virus. Josh Funk reports, Nebraska doctors say Ebola patient making progress, the Nebraska doctors treating Dr. Rick Sacra, 51, who arrived at the Nebraska Medical Center on Friday for treatment in the specialized isolation unit after contracting the disease in Liberia, said he remains stable and was more alert Sunday. Dr. Phil Smith, one of the doctors, said on Sunday: "We are encouraged by what we see, but it's too early to say he has turned a corner." In the race to treat the disease, Lauran Neergaard reports, Researchers rolling up their sleeves for first human safety study of Ebola vaccine, that new monkey studies show one shot of an experimental Ebola vaccine triggers fast protection and waned if the animal did not get a booster shot in a different way. Some healthy people are rolling up their sleeves at the National Institutes of Health for the first human safety study of this vaccine in hopes it eventually might be used in the current Ebola outbreak in West Africa. The NIH on Sunday published some of their findings in the Nature Medicine journal that showed a single dose of vaccine protected all four vaccinated monkeys when exposed to high levels of Ebola just five weeks later. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said it didn't take multiple doses to trigger protection which is in line with other vaccines today. The problem is the vaccine wanes over time as researchers exposed monkeys to Ebola 10 months later to find that only half were protected. The vaccine is made with a chimpanzee cold virus, used as a delivery system for pieces of an Ebola gene. Since giving another dose two months later was not enough, researchers used a different approach called "prime boost" where the fist does primes the immune system which was the original virus based Ebola vaccine then for the booster two months later encased the Ebola gene inside a poxvirus used to make a vaccine against smallpox. This time, all four monkeys were still protected 10 months later. Neergaard explains: "The booster-shot findings illustrate an added complexity to speeding an experimental vaccine into the field. The initial first phase study results would shed light only on that "priming" vaccine made from the chimp cold virus, Fauci said. The poxvirus booster step would be tested later only if scientists decided the initial vaccine was promising enough." Still, manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline has said it plans to begin manufacturing up to 10,000 doses of the initial NIH-developed vaccine. Canadian researchers created a similar Ebola vaccine that works in monkeys. Manufacturer NewLink Genetics of Ames, Iowa, said first-stage safety testing in healthy volunteers is set to begin in a few weeks.
Meanwhile, back in Gaza, President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday threatened to dissolve his alliance with Hamas if the Islamic militant group does not hand over power in Gaza Strip, Mohammed Daraghmeh and Sarah El Deeb reports, Palestinian President Urges Hamas To Give Up Power In Gaza. Hamas has controlled Gaza since overrunning Abbas' forces in 2007, however due to international isolation and deep financial crisis, the Islamic militant group agreed to form a new unity government with Abbas' Fatah movement in June which would restore power to Abbas in the territory. Unfortunately, it has yet to yield any power. Late Saturday in Cairo in comments carried by Egypt's state news agency MENA, Abbas said: "We will not accept having a partnership if their status in Gaza remains this way. Unity has terms. This situation does not represent any kind of unity. If Hamas does not want one authority, one law, one weapon, we will not accept a partnership with it." Abbas said that as long as Hamas remains in control of Gaza, he added, "the government of national unity can do nothing on the ground." Ismail Radwan, a Hamas leader, denounced Abbas' comments, saying they "contradict the spirit of the new partnership and play down the victory of the resistance." Abbas under the new deal will form a Cabinet of apolitical technocrats as Hamas offers its backing from the outside. Israel has boycotted the government saying Hamas' involvement is clear, while Western countries want to give the government an opportunity to prove itself. Abbas criticized the heavy death toll and damage saying, "With every passing day, more blood was shed. Is this the victory they talk about? Regrettably, I can only say the results are tragic." Daraghmeh and El Deeb sum up what each side in the negotiation are asking for: "In the coming weeks, Israel and Hamas are expected to start a new round of indirect, Egyptian-mediated talks for an extended cease-fire. Hamas is demanding a full lifting of an Israeli-Egyptian blockade of Gaza, including the reopening of a sea and airport. Israel has said the blockade will remain in effect as long as Hamas controls Gaza. The international community has made clear that all funding and reconstruction efforts be handled through Abbas' government. Israel, and the West, want guarantees that none of the aid will be diverted for military use by Hamas. A conference of donor nations is expected to take place in October. Hamas has expressed willingness to turn over control of border crossings with Israel and Egypt to Abbas' forces. But over the weekend, Ismail Haniyeh, a top Hamas leader in Gaza, rejected Israel's demand that the group be disarmed as a condition for ending the blockade." In internal Palestinian negotiations, Abbas' aides said he president will seek full control of Gaza.
While the fighting has temporarily stop in Gaza with one branch of al-Qaida, other branches, possibly more extreme, continue to ravage the Middle East and Nigeria. Lolita C. Baldor reports, U.S. Launches Airstrikes Around Iraq's Haditha Dam, the U.S. military on Sunday launched airstrikes around Haditha Dam in western Iraq targeting Islamic State insurgents in order to prevent the group from capturing the vital dam. The strikes are part of a broader U.S. campaign against the group moving the military operation closer to Syria where the group also operates. Speaking in Georgia at his meeting with government and defense officials, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said if the dam falls into militant hands "or if that dam would be destroyed, the damage that that would cause would be very significant and it would put a significant additional and big risk into the mix in Iraq" including U.S. interests there. Georgian Minister of Defense Irakli Alasania said Georgia will provide some assistance in the campaign against the Islamic State such as training and carrying out military exercises with the Iraqi forces with plans to discuss it further. U.S. officials said while the Anbar Province dam remains in control of the Iraqis, the U.S. offensive was an effort to beat back the militants who are try to take over key dams across the country. Hagel said the Iraqi government asked the U.S. to launch airstrikes and the Iraqi forces on the ground conceived the operation. Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby, in a statement said: "We conducted these strikes to prevent terrorists from further threatening the security of the dam, which remains under control of Iraqi Security Forces, with support from Sunni tribes. We will continue to conduct operations as needed in support of the Iraqi Security Forces and the Sunni tribes, working with those forces securing Haditha Dam." U.S. officials are concerned that militants could flood Baghdad and other large swaths of the country if they control the dams and could gain control over the residents if they control the electricity. Water is a precious commodity in Iraq, a largely desert country of 32.5 million people. The decline of water levels in the Euphrates over recent years has led to electricity shortages in towns south of Baghdad, where steam-powered generators depend entirely on water levels. Ibrahim Abulaziz and Michelle Faul report, Islamic extremists grab towns in northeast Nigeria, the Nigerian Islamic extremist group, Boko Haram, has seized more towns in northeastern Nigeria along the Cameroon border and is adopting a strategy of encouraging civilians to stay as militants carve out an Islamic caliphate, witness said Sunday. Nigerian army soldiers fled when hundreds of insurgents in stolen military armored personnel carriers, trucks and motorcycles attacked Gulak, an administrative headquarters of Adamawa state, said resident Michael Kirshinga. The nearby towns of Duhu, Shuwa, Kirshinga and others also fell in assaults over Friday night and Saturday, witnesses said. Further north, soldiers fought off rebels advancing Saturday on Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, headquarters of the military campaign against the insurgency and the birthplace of Boko Haram. The military attacked the rebels' camp at a village outside Kondudga, just 25 miles (40 kilometers) from Maiduguri. In Gulak, Kirshinga said, "They assured us that they will not attack us, but people begun to run for their lives, some of us have fled for fear that, after subduing the soldiers, the insurgents will turn their (gun) barrels on us." The Nigerian Emergency Management Agency reported 26,000 people fled Bama adding to the 1.5 million people forced to flee their homes since Nigeria declared a state of emergency in May 2013, according to U.N. figures. They need shelter and food which officials war of a looming food crisis since most refugees are farmers. Boko Haram's April kidnapping of more than 300 schoolgirls, of whom more than 200 remain captive, attracted international attention and promises of help from several countries including the United States, China and former colonizer Britain. Nigeria has a large army of 80,000 troops and a $2.3 billion budget but soldiers say they are outgunned with some of their colleagues colluding with and fighting for the insurgents. Boko Haram now holds a string of towns in all three of the northeastern states that have been under a military emergency since May 2014 – Adamawa, Yobe and hardest-hit Borno. The seizures come as the United States announced it would launch a major border security program for Nigeria and its neighbors to fight Boko Haram. Meanwhile three German men suspected of being members of Somalian terrorist organization al-Shabab were arrested at Frankfurt airport attempting to re-enter the country, according to prosecutors Monday, AOL reports, 3 al-Shabab suspects arrested in Frankfurt. The Federal Prosecutor's Office said they were arrested Saturday after landing in Frankfurt from Kenya on charges of membership in a foreign terrorist organization and preparing acts of violence in connection with their time in Somalia. At the moment, however, "there is no evidence the suspects had made any concrete preparations or plans for attacks" in Europe, the office said. The three – identified only as Steven N., 26; Abdullah W., 28; and Abdulsalam W., 23, in line with German privacy laws – are alleged to have gone to Somalia in 2012 and 2013 to join al-Shabab, and received weapons and combat training.
While Islamic extremist groups seems to be spreading like a cancer throughout the world, President Barack Obama said this week his plan to start his offensive against the Islamic State militants, who he said could pose a threat to the U.S., will be explained to Americans and congressional leaders, according to Roberta Rampton, Obama To Announce Game Plan Against ISIS. Obama will make a speech Wednesday to "describe what our game plan's going to be," and meet congressional leaders on Tuesday for support for his strategy to halt the group controlling parts of Syria and Iraq. Aired on Sunday, Obama in an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" said: "I just want the American people to understand the nature of the threat and how we're going to deal with it and to have confidence that we'll be able to deal with it. The next phase is now to start going on some offense. I want everybody to understand that we have not seen any immediate intelligence about threats to the homeland." However, the group has attracted foreign fighters from Western Nations who could travel to the United States, which over time could be a serious threat to the homeland, according to Obama. He ruled out sending in ground troops into Iraq and Syria as this is not the same as the Iraq war. He did say that this is going to be "similar to the kinds of counterterrorism campaigns that we've been engaging in consistently over the last five, six, seven years." He added: "We are going to be a part of an international coalition, carrying out air strikes in support of work on the ground by Iraqi troops, Kurdish troops. We are going to systematically degrade their capabilities. We're going to shrink the territory that they control. And ultimately we're going to defeat 'em. The strategy both for Iraq and for Syria is that we will hunt down ISIL members and assets wherever they are. I think, for … perhaps the first time, you have absolute clarity that the problem for Sunni states in the region, many of whom are our allies, is not simply Iran. It's not simply a Sunni-Shia issue." Obama wants regional allies to help win over and work with disaffected Sunni tribes in Iraq which could include an "economic element." Meanwhile, Lawmakers returned to Capital Hill after a summer vacation for a September session where feuding Republicans and Democrats promise action to prevent government shutdown while holding votes aimed at defining the parties for the fall campaign, Andrew Taylor reports, Congress Returns To Work With Government Shutdown Threat Looming. Republicans control the House and intend on a drama free passage of temporary spending bill to prevent a shutdown at the end of the month and fund government agencies into mid-December. The Senate is hopeful it will pass as long as it is free of objectionable add ons. House Republicans plan to votes aimed at drawing attention to legislation they say would boost jobs and energy production. Republicans and Democrats are clamoring for legislation authorizing Obama to use military forces against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, but the short session and lack of consensus raises doubts about whether congressional action is possible. Some lawmakers say the president under the 1973 War Powers Resolution has the power to act without permission and several Republicans are willing to give Obama blanket authority without a detailed strategy from the administration. Several lawmakers want new economic penalties against Russia in response to its aggressions toward Ukraine, but it's doubtful Congress will move quickly on a measure.
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Tagged 2014 Election, Abu Mazen Hamas, Al Shabab, al-Shabaab, AP, Boko Haram, Boko Haram Nigeria, CDC, CDC Ebola, Congress, Congress Government Shutdown, Congress Recess, Ebola Death Toll, Ebola vaccine, Ebola West Africa, Ebola West African countries, Elections 2014, Fatah Abbas, Gaza, Government Shutdown, Government Shutdown 2014, Hamas, Hamas Abbas, Iraq, Iraq Airstrikes, Iraq Dam, Isil, Isis, Islamic State, Islamic State Airstrikes, Islamic State Barack Obama, Islamic State Dam, Mahmoud Abbas, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, MH370 Anniversary, mystery virus U.S., Nebraska Ebola patient, new search MH370, Nigeria's Islamic extremist, Obama Isis, Obama Islamic State, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian Territories, Politics News, remembering MH370, Reuters, Sierra Leone Ebola, six months MH370, u.s. Airstrikes, U.S. airstrikes Iraq, u.s. Airstrikes Isis, U.S. virus, video, WHO, Who Ebola
How to Stop Ebola, NATO and the E.U. Try to Deter Russia As Ukraine Signs Ceasefire Deal, NATO Allies Join Forces to Fight Militants as Militants Vow Revenge and the Impact of NO Net Neutrality on the World
The United Nations on Wednesday, said $600 million in supplies were needed to fight West Africa's Ebola outbreak that has killed 1,900 people and entered new territory within Guinea, Reuters reports, U.N. says $600 million needed to tackle Ebola as deaths top 1,900. The pace of the infection has accelerated with 400 deaths in the past week, officials reported Wednesday. The current outbreak was first identified in March in Guinea and spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Nigeria, and Senegal, and has killed more people than all outbreaks since Ebola was first uncovered in 1976. Though there are no approved Ebola vaccines or treatments, Ottawa on Aug. 12 said it would donate 1,000 doses of an experimental Ebola vaccine being held at Canada's National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg for use in Africa. In a statement, Health Canada spokesman Sean Upton said: "We are now working with the WHO to address complex regulatory, logistical and ethical issues so that the vaccine can be safely and ethically deployed as rapidly as possible. For example, the logistics surrounding the safe delivery of the vaccine are complicated." Human safety trials will begin this week on a vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline Plc and later this year on one from NewLink Genetics Corp. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday said a federal contract worth up to $42.3 million will help accelerate testing for an experimental Ebola treatment being developed by Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc. Senior U.N. Coordinator for Ebola, Dr. David Nabarro, said the cost for supplies needed by West Africa to control the crisis will cost $600 million which is higher than the $490 million estimated by the WHO last week. Nabarro explained, "We are working intensively with those governments to encourage them to commit to the movement of people and planes and at the same time deal with anxieties about the possibility of infection." Ivory Coast, which closed its borders with Liberia and Guinea last month, said on Tuesday it would open humanitarian and economic corridors to its two western neighbors. With more than 3,500 cases across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Dr. Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) told a press conference in Washington, "This Ebola epidemic is the longest, the most severe and the most complex we've ever seen." While a shortage of equipment and trained staff plague West Africa and the virus has claimed more than 120 healthcare workers, the Liberian government now offers $1,000 bonus to any healthcare workers who will agree to work in Ebola treatment facilities. Meanwhile in Guinea, Aboubacar Sikidi Diakité, head of Guinea's Ebola task force, said: "There has been a new outbreak in Kerouane, but we have sent in a team to contain it." Guinea has recorded 489 deaths and 749 Ebola cases as of Sept.1, and the epicenter has shifted to neighboring Liberia and Sierra Leone. In a television broadcast, Guinean President Alpha Conde said: "Even for a simple malaria (case), you have to protect yourselves before consulting any sick person until the end of this epidemic. We had started to succeed, but you dropped the ball and here we go again." Nigeria, Senegal and the Democratic Republic of Congo , though not linked to the West African cases, have all reported cases of Ebola. Since Ebola was first detected in Congo in 1976, WHO reports more than 20 outbreaks in Africa and 1,590 victims. The WHO warned last week the Ebola epidemic could spread to 10 countries and infect more than 20,0000 people. Dr. Thomas Kenyon, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Centre for Global Health, said on Wednesday: "Guinea did show that with action, they brought it partially under control. But unfortunately it is back on the increase now. It's not under control anywhere." He warns that the longer the disease goes uncontained, the greater the possibility it will mutate with suspected cases of airborne infection already being reported in monkeys in laboratories. In a conference call, Gayle Smith, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Development and Democracy on the National Security Council, said: "I don't think at this point deploying biological incident response teams is exactly what's needed." Regarding a rapid increase in Ebola treatment centers in affected countries and other required staff and equipment, Smith added: "We will see a considerable ramp-up in the coming days and weeks. If we find it is still moving out of control, we will look at other options." Margery A. Beck reports, US doctor infected with Ebola arrives in Nebraska, the third American aid worker to become sickened with the disease, Dr. Rick Sacra, arrived Friday at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha and officials said he will be treated at the hospital's 10 bed special isolation unit on the seventh floor which is the largest of four in the U.S. Sacra delivered babies but was not involved in treating Ebola patients, so how he contracted the disease is unclear. Dr. Phil Smith, medical director of the Omaha unit, said a team of 35 doctors, nurses and other medical staffers will provide Sacra with basic care, including ensuring he is hydrated and keeping his vital signs stable. He added, "We've been trying to collect as much information on possible treatments as we can." Sacra was in stable condition in Liberia ans was able to board the plane to the U.S. under his own power.
While West Africa fights a microscopic enemy, the U.S., E.U. and other NATO allies try to ensure Ukraine's ceasefire between pro-Russian rebels and the Kiev government remains in place with no inference from Russia. Nataliya Vasilyeva and Peter Leonard report, Ukraine signs cease-fire with pro-Russian rebels, the Ukrainian president declared the ceasefire Friday to end the five month long war in the eastern Ukraine after representatives reached a deal with the Russian backed rebels at peace talks in Minsk. President Petro Proshenko said he ordered government forced to stop fighting at 11 am EDT following a protocol signed by representatives of Ukraine, Russia, the rebels and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. In a statement, Poroshenko said: "Human life is of the highest value. And we need to do everything that is possible and impossible to stop bloodshed and end people's suffering." Heidi Tagliavini of the OSCE told reporters the deal focused on 12 separate points, while Poroshenko said a prisoner exchange would begin Saturday and international monitors would keep watch over the ceasefire. Since April, Moscow backed separatists and government forces have been fighting in eastern Ukraine that has killed nearly 2,600 people, according to U.N> estimates. The rebel leader, Alexander Zakharchenko, said from Donetsk: "The cease-fire will allow us to save not only civilians lives, but also the lives of the people who took up arms in order to defend their land and ideals." However, Igor Plotnitsky, leader of the separatist Luhansk region, told reporters "this doesn't mean that our course for secession is over." A plan approved Friday in Wales by NATO leaders will create a rapid response force with a headquarters in Eastern Europe that could quickly mobilize if an alliance country is attacked. Even though Ukraine is not a member, the entire alliance has been alarmed by Russia's actions in Ukraine causing U.S. and E.U. sanctions to go into effect due to Russia's backing of the rebels. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Friday from Wales at the NATO summit: "We have to see whether this cease-fire is being applied. Do Russian troops withdraw, so far as they're there? Are there buffer zones and things like that – a lot of things will have to be sorted out. These sanctions certainly could be put into force – this is all in flux – but with the proviso that they can be suspended again if we see that this process really yields results." As of late Friday, Associate Press reporters heard heavy shelling north and east of the key southeastern port of Mariupol suggesting the rebels had partially surrounded the area. Tatyana Chronovil, a Ukrainian activist at a mustering point for the volunteer Azov Battalion on the eastern edge of the city, said, "Mariupol is a strategic point. If we lose it then we could lose the entire coastline, the whole south of Ukraine." Col. Andriy Lysenko, a spokesman for Ukraine's national security council in Kiev, said seven servicemen had been killed over the past day, bringing the Ukrainian forces' death toll to 846. As of Saturday, the Associate Press reports Cease-fire in Ukraine appears to hold, National Guard Commander Stepan Poltorak was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying that some shooting took place 45 miniutes after the cease-fire, "as of this morning there haven't been any violations, either from our side, of course, or from the terrorists." Alexander Zakharchenko, top separatist leader from Donetsk, told the Russian news agency RIA Novosti that the ceasefire had been violated by two rounds of shelling in Amvrosiivka, 50 miles southeast of Donetsk. Earlier Saturday, the mayor's office in Donetsk said there were no reports of shooting or shelling with some shelling late Friday afternoon.
While battle may be over, the United States and other world leaders are taking on the Islamic State. Reuters reports, Obama To Meet Congressional Leaders On ISIS: Source, U.S. president Barack Obama will meet with four leaders of U.S. Congress Tuesday to discuss rising concerns over the advancement of the Islamic State, a senior congressional source said Friday. Lawmakers return Monday after their five week August recess. The meeting will include Harry Reid, the Democratic leader of the U.S. Senate, and Mitch McConnell, the chamber's top Republican, as well as John Boehner, the speaker of the House of Representatives and Nancy Pelosi, the House's top Democrat. Julie Pace reports, US and UK seeks partners to go after Islamic State, President Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday asked NATO leaders to confront the Islamic State militants who have taken large parts of Syria and Iraq, urging regional partners like Jordan and Turkey to join the effort. IN a joint editorial published as the meeting began, they wrote: "Those who want to adopt an isolationist approach misunderstand the nature of security in the 21st century. Developments in other parts of the world, particularly in Iraq and Syria, threaten our security at home." NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said he believed the broader international community "has an obligation to stop the Islamic State from advancing further" and would seriously consider requests for assistance, particularly from the Iraqi government. The Islamic State became an international priority after taking large parts of Syria and Iraq to create a caliphate and is considered more merciless than al-Qaida with intelligence officials warning that the violence could spread beyond its declared borders as hundreds of Westerners join. The U.S. launched airstrikes against militant targets in Iraq last month with Britain joining American forces in humanitarian airdrops to minority populations. The militants' killing of two American journalists inside Syria has raised questions about targeting the group there as well. Beyond direct military action, the White House said it was also seeking commitments from allies to send weapons, ammunition and other assistance to Western-backed Syrian rebels and to Iraqi forces. Pace reports: "Germany moved in that direction Thursday, with the government announcing that it had sent a first planeload of military equipment to the Kurds in Iraq's north, including helmets, protective vests, field glasses and mine-searching devices. The German government also said it had decided to send assault rifles, ammunition, anti-tank weapons and armored vehicles to the Kurdish forces, but it hadn't yet set a date for the arms deliveries." In between sessions on Afghanistan and Ukraine, Obama and Cameron met with Jordan's King Abdullah II Thursday, and both plan to meet Friday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, who are both with Obama in Wales, plan to travel to the Middle East next week to rally more support from regional partners. Cameron told the British network ITV: "We need to show real resolve and determination; we need to use every power and everything in our armory with our allies – with those on the ground – to make sure we do everything we can to squeeze this dreadful organization out of existence." Lolita C. Baldor reports, NATO allies agree to take on Islamic State threat, on Friday the U.S. and 10 of its allies agreed that the Islamic State group posed a significant threat to NATO countries and they will take them on by squeezing their financial resources and going after them with military might. Obama said the new NATO coalition will mount a sustained effort to push back the militants.At the summit conclusion, Obama said: "I did not get any resistance or push back to the basic notion that we have a critical role to play in rolling back this savage organization that is causing so much chaos in the region and is harming so many people and poses a long-term threat to the safety and security of NATO members. So there's great conviction that we have to act, as part of the international community, to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL, and that was extremely encouraging. I think it is absolutely critical that we have Arab states and specifically Sunni-majority states that are rejecting the kind of extremist nihilism that we're seeing out of ISIL, that say that is not what Islam is about and are prepared to join us actively in the fight. What we can accomplish is to dismantle this network, this force that has claimed to control this much territory, so that they can't do us harm. They have been, to some degree, outgunned and outmanned. And that's why it's important for us to work with our friends and allies to support them more effectively." In a meeting with the foreign and defense ministers from the coalition countries, Secretary of State John Kerry said: "We very much hope that people will be as declarative as some of our friends around the table have been in order to be clear about what they're willing to commit, because we must be able to have a plan together by the time we come to (the United Nations General Assembly). We need to have this coalesce." Along with the United States, the coalition comprises the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Germany, Canada, Turkey, Italy, Poland and Denmark. One prong of a Western coalition approach would be for nations' law enforcement and intelligence agencies to work together to go after the group's financing in banks and more informal funding networks; however, U.S. intelligence officials say oil revenue will keep them well funded. NATO agreed to increase cooperation among nations on sharing information about foreign fighters. Denmark's Foreign Minister Martin Lidegaard said the effort against the militants "is not only about a military effort, it is also about stopping the financial contributions to ISIS, to coordinate intelligence, it is about stopping foreign fighters, young people from our own societies. It is decisive that we get more countries along."
While a solid plan seems to be forming for dealing with ISIS, Somalian government is warning terrorists could strike back after the death of an Islamic Insurgent group who was killed in a U.S. air strike Monday in southern Somalia, the Associated Press reports, Somalia warns of attacks to revenge Godane death. In televised speech Friday night, Gen. Khalif Ahmed Ereg, Somalia's national security minister, said based on credible intelligence that militants plan to attack key targets including medical and educational institutions following the death of Ahmed Abdi Godane. Godane had publicly claimed al-Shabab was responsible for the deadly Westgate Mall attack in Nairobi, Kenya almost a year ago that left 67 people dead. President Barrack Obama confirmed Friday that Godane was killed by the U.S. airstrike. Robert Burns and Lolita C. Baldar report, Al Shabab Leader Ahmed Godane Killed In U.S. Strike: Pentagon, it took the Pentagon four days to conclusively determine that Godane had not survived Monday's strike, according to Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby, the Pentagon's press secretary, via written statement. Al-Shabab has not publicly confirmed Godane's death. In a statement Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said, "While an extreme hardcore may fight over the leadership of al-Shabab, this is a chance for the majority of members of al-Shabab to change course and reject Godane's decision to make them the pawns of an international terror campaign." The Somali president said the U.S. operation was carried out "with the full knowledge and agreement of" his government and that Somalis "greatly value the support of our international allies" in the fight against al-Shabab. The Associated Press reports: "Obama, speaking at the conclusion of a NATO summit in Newport, Wales, told reporters the success against al-Shabab should leave no doubt about his determination to degrade and eventually destroy the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. The U.S. military announced later Friday that a mix of fighter jets, drones, attack planes and bombers launched four airstrikes Thursday and Friday in northern Iraq, destroying a host of Islamic State targets including an observation post, an armed vehicle and three mortar positions." Army Col, Steven Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, said, "The individual who takes his place will live in fear." Matt Bryden, the head of Sahan Research in Nairobi, Kenya, said due to Godane weakening and effectively dismantling the al-Shabab council of leaders known as shura, a meeting of regional commanders will have to take place to pick his successor which will be difficult and dangerous to organize. Terrorism analyst J.M. Berger predicted a significant splintering between al-Shabab's domestically focused insurgents and internationally aspiring terrorists. Abdi Aynte, a Somali analyst who runs a Mogadishu-based think tank called the Heritage Institute for Policy Studies, predicted that Godane's death "will almost certainly be the beginning of the end of the organization."
While biological and man made wars are continually fought through out the world, the war over who owns the internet has just begun and may lead to catastrophic consequences for internet users. Ryan Gorman reports, The 'Battle for the Net': Companies fighting to save free and open Internet access, several brand name websites are banding together to protest the end of net neutrality which allows equal access to the net. Net neutrality is what keeps the internet free and open from corporate interest, however recent deals by Netflix to secure bandwidth from cable companies are bringing that to an end. Activist group Battle for the Net is organizing a September 10 Internet protest and has been joined by the likes of Etsy, Foursquare, General Assembly Imgur, Kickstarter, Namecheap, Reddit, Vimeo, WordPress and others. The sites are will use animations to simulate the slower loads times on their websites and sevices in a way similar to how activists and experts believe cable companies will if net neutrality ends. "Cable companies want to slow down (and break!) your favorite sites, for profit," Battle for the Net claims on its website. The group is urging people to put these GIFs on websites as well as email regulators and politicians protesting what it says is the end of open and free Internet. The Federal Communications Commission first introduced net neutrality rules in 2010. They require Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to provide fair and equal "lanes" for all web traffic regardless of content. Earlier this year, a U.S. appeals court tossed out this rule that could change the world forever as the court ruled that ISPs are not utilities like phone and electric companies and are free to charge for their services how they see fit. This brought a wave of deals between bandwidth-hungry Netflix and Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Verizon and others. Experts claimed immediately after the ruling in a Wall Street Journal report that tiered web access, in which sites who pony up the most money are afforded the fastest loading times, would soon become the norm. The fear is the cost will be passed to the web surfers leading to a barrier to entry for less prosperous people. In a Wired op-ed announcing Etsy's participation in the September 10 protest, site founder and CEO Chad Dickerson wrote that "the FCC has proposed an end to the open Internet… If internet users find it too difficult to load our websites and see our products, it will be impossible for us to grow or succeed. Companies would succeed because of deals struck with cable companies, not because of superior products." That sentiment is being echoed not only in forums and article comments, but also in the more than one million comments sent to the FCC in response to a recent proposal basically bringing an end to net neutrality. The Washington Post reports less than one percent of the comments received support the end of net neutrality with 500,000 coming from individuals concerned about internet access and the rest from foundations, law firms, companies and other organizations.
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Tagged Ahmed Godane, Ahmed Godane Killed, Ahmed Godane Somalia, Air Strikes Iraq, airstrikes, Airstrikes Foreign Policy, Airstrikes Poll, Al Shabaab Somalia, Al Shabab, Al Shabab Ahmed Godane, al-Shabaab, American Air Strikes, AP, CDC Ebola, companies fight for free internet, Congress Obama, Congressional Leaders Barack Obama, Core Coalition, Drone Strikes Polls, Ebola, Ebola Congo, Ebola Crisis 2014, Ebola experimental drug, Ebola Guinea, Ebola Liberia, Ebola Nigeria, Ebola Outbreak 2014, Ebola Outbreak Africa, Ebola outbreak five countries, Ebola Sierra Leone, end of net neutrality, EU Russia, Foreign Policy Poll, free and open internet access, Harry Reid, Iraq Barack Obama, Iraq Isis US, Isis, Isis Obama, Islamic State, Islamic State Iraq Syria, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, John Boehner, John Kerry, Military Congress, Mitch McConnell, Nancy Pelosi, Nato Russia, NATO Summit, NATO Ukraine, Nebraska Ebola patient, net neutrality, net neutrality protest, New Russia Sanctions, news, Obama Airstrikes, Obama Congress, Obama Isis, Obama Islamic State, Pentagon Ebola, Reuters, Russia, Russia Ukraine, Somalia Airstrike, Stopping Ebola, Syria airstrikes, Ukraine, Ukraine ceasefire deal, Ukraine ceasefire holds, Ukraine Conflict, Ukraine Nato, Ukraine News, US Core Coalition, US Ebola patients, US Isis Iraq, video, West Africa Ebola, Who Ebola, worst ebola outbreak, ZMapp Ebola
Ebola in Senegal While Human Trials Begin, Ukraine Crisis Deepens, E.U. Plans to Deal with ISIS, Hong Kong and Pakistan Divided After Elections and Americans Detained in North Korea Need U.S. Help
Senegalese authorities confirmed Monday they are monitoring everyone who was in contact with a student infected with Ebola who crossed into the country and who has lost three family members to the disease, according to Babacar Dione, Senegal monitors contacts of first Ebola patient. So far, more than 1,500 people have died from the latest Ebola outbreak that hit Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. The university student is Senegal's first case of the dreaded disease. Dione reports: "The 21-year-old left Guinea on Aug. 15, just days after his brother died of the disease, according to Guinea's Health Ministry. It said that the brother apparently caught Ebola in Sierra Leone. The student traveled by road, crossing into Senegal despite a border closure. He arrived in Dakar, the Senegalese capital, on Aug. 20, according to the World Health Organization, and was staying with relatives on the outskirts of the city. The agency said that on Aug. 23, he went to a medical facility seeking treatment for fever, diarrhea and vomiting – all symptoms of Ebola but also many other diseases. But he concealed from doctors that he had had contact with infected people. He was treated instead for malaria and continued to stay with his relatives before turning up at a Dakar hospital on Aug. 26." Senegal's Health Ministry said Sunday that they are examining every person who came into contact with the student twice a day. Since the man left home, the Health Ministry in Guinea reports his mother and a sister have died from the disease, while two other brothers area being treated. The arrival of the disease in Senegal has raised fears that the disease will spread even farther, but public health experts said that shutting borders and banning flights is not the answer. During a visit to the airport in Conakry, Guinea on Monday, Tom Frieden, the director of the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said: "Countries might try to restrict travel in order to protect themselves, and it will do the opposite. If we cut off these countries, we will interfere with our ability to support them and stop the outbreak and that will actually increase the risk to the rest of the world." On Monday, Liberia's President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf ordered civil servants to stay home to prevent the disease from spreading for another month and schools have been closed. Caleb Hellerman reports, Human trial of experimental Ebola vaccine begins this week, the National Institutes of Health will begin this week testing an experimental Ebola vaccine as anxiety and fears increase about the spread of the disease in West Africa. After an expedited reveiw by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, researchers will begin human safety trials, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, confirmed. The process for testing Hellerman describes as follows: "The experimental vaccine, developed by the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline and the NIAID, will first be given to three healthy human volunteers to see if they suffer any adverse effects. If deemed safe, it will then be given to another small group of volunteers, aged 18 to 50, to see if it produces a strong immune response to the virus. All will be monitored closely for side effects. The vaccine will be administered to volunteers by an injection in the deltoid muscle of their arm, first in a lower dose, then later in a higher dose after the safety of the vaccine has been determined." Fauci said preclinical studies normally done were waived by the FDA during reviews, so "we want to take extra special care that we go slowly with the dosing." In addition, the vaccine tested on chimpanzees worked well noting that the method being used to prompt an immune response to Ebola cannot cause a healthy person to become infected with the virus. According to NIH, the vaccine will then be tested on healthy volunteers in the United Kingdom, Gambia and Mali after details are finalized in those countries. Fauci remarked the reason trials cannot be done in the countries currently affected is due to a health care infrastructure that cannot not support it, while Gambia and Mali were chosen due to a "long-standing collaborative relationships" with researchers in those countries. However, according to the NIH, officials from the CDC are in talks with health officials from Nigeria to conduct part of the safety trial there. Funding from an international consortium will allow GlaxoSmithKline to begin manufacturing 10,000 additional doses of vaccine while clinical trials are ongoing, according to a statement from the pharmaceutical company. These doses will made available to the WHO if they decide to do emergency immunizations in high risk communities. Another vaccine, developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada and licensed this month to NewLink Genetics, a company based in Iowa. According to the NIH, safety trials of that vaccine will start this fall. A third vaccine given in combination with Depovax developed by the NIH was tested on primates and found to protect them from infection. While vaccine will help to prevent the disease among health workers and other people high risk, development has also sped up for drugs to treat patients with the disease already. ZMapp, the most publicized in recent months, was formally tested on humans with five of the seven treated in the current outbreak still alive. However, experts say there is too little data to say whether it played a role in recovery of these patients including two American missionary medical workers, Nancy Writebol and Dr. Kent Brantly.
Meanwhile, at the start of Monday's negotiations in Minsk, the Belarusian capital, pro-Russian rebels said they would respect Ukraine's sovereignty in exchange for autonomy reflecting Moscow's desire to strike a deal at this new round of peace talks, the Associate Press reports, Pro-Russian rebels lower demands in peace talks. The same day, brutal fighting continued in eastern Ukraine with rebels pushing government forces from an airport near Luhansk adding to their military gains. The peace talks follow last week's meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. The negotiations involve former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma, Russia's ambassador to Ukraine, an envoy from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and representatives of the rebels. This round of negotiations are quite different as rebels in a statement carried by Russia's state run RIA Novosti news agency said they are willing to discuss "the preservation of the united economic, cultural and political space of Ukraine." However, they demand amnesty and broad local power including being able to appoint their own local law enforcement officials in eastern Ukraine as Crimea is not part of this negotiation. According to RIA Novosti, rebel negotiator Andrei Purgin said the talks lasted for several hours Monday and will continue Friday as parties will discuss a ceasefire and an exchange of prisoners. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told students at at Moscow State Institute of International Relations on Monday: "There will be no military intervention. We call for an exclusively peaceful settlement of this severe crisis, this tragedy." Ukrainian National Security Council spokesman Col. Andriy Lysenko said on Monday that "not less than four battalions and tactical groups of the Russian armed forces are active in Ukraine." Fighting in eastern Ukraine between rebels and government forces began a month after the annexation of Crimea in mid-April killing 2,600 people so far and forced 340,000 to flee their homes, the U.N. reports. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Monday regarding a planned summit in Wales to discuss how to protect member nations against Russian aggression: "(This) ensures that we have the right forces and the right equipment in the right place at the right time. Not because NATO wants to attack anyone. But because the dangers and the threats are more present and more visible. And we will do what it takes to defend our allies."
While Ukraine deals with its own insurgency problems, Iraq and other world leaders address the issue of the Islamic State Militants that has overran large parts of Syria and Iraq. Nour al-Maliki, Iraq's outgoing prim minister, Monday announced during an unannounced visit to Amirli that he would turn his country into "a big grave" for Sunni militants from the Islamic State group and praised security forces for their victory that ended the siege of a the Shiite town, according to Sameer N. Yacoub, Iraqi prime minister pledges to root out militants. In footage on state TV, al-Maliki ordered promotions and awards fro those who fought the battle. He vowed to root out Sunni militants from areas they control in the country. The U.S. airstrikes helped to liberate Amirli and were the first to hit areas where Iranian backed militias were fighting Sunni militants making an unlikely alliance between the U.S. and Shiite militiamen who fought American soldiers in Iraq. Since Aug. 8, the U.S. has conducted 120 airstrikes with aircraft and unmanned drones against the militants focusing on areas bordering self ruled northern Kurdish region where Kurdish forces are fighting militants. Monday, the United Nations reported 1,420 Iraqis have been killed in the violence in August which is down from the previous month. According to Yacoub: "The U.N. mission to Iraq, known as UNAMI, said in its monthly statement that the death toll includes 1,265 civilians and 155 members of Iraq's security forces. Another 1,370 were wounded, including 1,198 civilians. July's death toll stood at 1,737 people. In June, 2,400 were killed as Sunni militants swept across the country, the highest figure since at least April 2005." In Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel defended the decision to send arms to Kurds fighting the Islamic State in Iraq by telling parliament Monday that the group poses a major security threat to Germany and Europe, Noah Barkin reports, Merkel: ISIS Poses Major Risk To Europe. In a speech to the Bundestag lower house, Merkel said, "The far-reaching destabilization of an entire region affects Germany and Europe. Ladies and gentlemen, when terrorists take control of a vast territory to give themselves and other fanatics a base for their acts of terror, then the danger rises for us, then our security interests are affected." Recent polls show that two out of three Germans think the government should not send arms to Kurdish fighters for fears the arms could end up in the hands of jihadists or could put a target on Germany's back. However, Merkel in her speech notes over 400 German and hundreds of Europeans have taken up arms to fight alongside Islamic State militants and could return home at any time presenting a threat to Germany. Merkel said, "We faced a choice: not to take any risks, not to deliver (arms) and to accept the spread of terror; or to support those who are desperately but courageously fighting the barbarous terror of ISIS with limited resources. We are aware of the risks of this support, of course we considered them. But we also asked ourselves about the acute risks from ISIS if we do not deliver arms." In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister David Cameron has laid out his plan to fight the threat posed by the group as returning citizens come home after fighting with the militants, but many doubt if Parliament will go for it, according to Karl Penhaul, Susannah Cullinane and Laura Smith-Spark, Cameron lays out plans to counter UK jihadi threat. Announcing his plan on Monday, Cameron said, "Dealing with this terrorist threat is not just about new powers, it is also about how we combat extremism in all its forms…Passports are not an automatic right. We will introduce specific and targeted legislation to fill this gap by providing the police with a temporary power to seize a passport at the border, during which time they will be able to investigate the individual concerned. This power will include appropriate safeguards and oversight arrangements." While it will help to stop would be jihadists, Cameron said Britain need measures to prevent foreign fighters from returning. UK authorities estimate 500 Britons have gone to fight in Iraq and Syria with Islamist militants. However, oppositions lawmakers question whether it is legal to do so. The White House spokesman Josh Earnest said, "The most detailed intelligence assessment that I can offer from here is that there is no evidence or indication right now that ISIL is actively plotting to attack the United States homeland." U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson believes while ISIS is not a threat at home, they prove to be a threat to Americans overseas notably the execution of American journalist James Foley and the threats of more killings to follow. Paul Cruickshank, a CNN terrorism analyst, said, "The threat is much greater in the UK, and that's why you are seeing a raft of new measures in the UK to try and tackle this problem. They are very, very worried that ISIS may try and retaliate in some form or way." Meanwhile, a U.S. drone strike against senior leaders of Al-Shabaab in southern Somalia Monday highlights continuing concern about extremists around the world. Will Geddes, a security analyst and managing director of International Corporate Protection, told CNN: "You will have various groups working together, sharing resources, sharing capability, and in this particular region, it's important to try to dismantle it where possible" adding that Somalia's porous borders mean it presents a particular risk. Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said it would be "a mistake to take our eye off the ball when it comes it al Qaeda" and warned that the rise of ISIS could aid the terror network. He added: "With ISIS's rise, it gives al Qaeda a prime opportunity to rebrand itself as being a more rational, more moderate voice of jihadism, and as a result I think there's a lot of risks of more money channeling into the al Qaeda network."
While Europe becomes increasingly concerned over the Islamic State, Pakistan and China face problems within their own government. Jack Chang and Kelvin Chan report, China: No Open Nominations For Hong Kong Leader, China's legislature on Sunday will not allow open nominations in the inaugural vote for Hong Kong's leader stating it would create chaos, while democracy activists in the Asian financial hub said that a long threatened mass occupation of the heart of the city will happen. The guidelines laid out by China's communist leaders could pit Beijing against Hong Kong democracy supporters representing a large swath of society, including students, religious leaders and financial workers. Benny Tai, a leader of the Occupy Central with Love and Peace protest movement, said: "At this very moment, the path of dialogue has been exhausted." Tai told reporters the group will launch "wave after wave of protest action" in the coming weeks "until we get to a point when we launch the all-out Occupy Central action." Li Fei, deputy secretary general of the National People's Congress' Standing Committee, told a news conference in Beijing: "These rights come from laws, they don't come from the sky. Many Hong Kong people have wasted a lot of time discussing things that are not appropriate and aren't discussing things that are appropriate. He has to be responsible to Hong Kong and to the central government. If Hong Kong's chief executive doesn't love the country and love the party, then that can't work in one country." Occupy Central said the plan to block the Central financial district was "the last resort, an action to be taken only if all chances of dialogue have been exhausted and there is no other choice." It said that "the occupation of Central will definitely happen," without specifying a date. Meanwhile Sunday, the incumbent leader of the nearby Chinese-controlled casino capital of Macau, Fernando Chui, was elected to a second five-year term by a Beijing-friendly committee even though 95 percent of 8,688 votes cast in a similar referendum were in favor of universal suffrage in 2019. In Pakistan, anti-government protesters stomred the building and took the state television channel off the air requiring Pakisrani soldiers and paramilitary forces to secure the headquarters Monday, Syed Raza Hassa and Maria Golovnina reports, Pakistani Protesters Clash With Police. The article reports: "Protesters led by opposition leaders Imran Khan, a hero cricket player turned politician, and firebrand Muslim cleric Tahir ul-Qadri have been on the streets for weeks trying to bring down the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Protests descended into deadly chaos over the weekend, with demonstrators clashing with police in a central area near many government buildings and embassies. Three people were killed." Sharif, who was toppled by the army in 1999 coup came back with a big election win in May last year and refused to quite amid protest leaders rejecting his offers of talks creating deadly clashes. Army chief General Raheel Sharif met Prime Minister Sharif on Monday, but it was unclear what they discussed. Defense Minister Khawaja Asif told Reuters that later on Monday another crackdown on protesters could occur warming protestors against storming government buildings : "The writ of the state must be enforced. We hope to make a decisive move sometimes later today, not in the evening but even before that. I personally feel that the next few hours will determine the course of coming events." If the protests get out of hand, the military could step in to impose a curfew or martial law. However, if the army sides with the protestors and put pressure on Sharif to resign, then an interim government would be put into place and early parliamentary elections would be held to elect an new government. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said: "Violence and destruction of private property and government buildings are not acceptable means of resolving political differences, however, and we strongly oppose any efforts to impose extra-constitutional change to the political system." Some ruling party officials accuse the military of orchestrating the protests to weaken the government, while disagreements on how to handle Islamist militants and relations with India have also caused turmoil.
In North Korea, three detained Americans told the foreign media on Monday that they were allowed to contact their families and called for Washington to negotiate their freedom, the Associated Press reports, Americans detained in North Korea call for U.S. help. Jeffrey Fowle and Mathew Miller said they expect to face trial within a month, but do not know what they will be charged with or what the punishment is, while Kenneth Bae, serving a 15 year term, said his heath has deteriorated at the labor camp where he works eight hours a day. Talking to the Associate Press in Pyongyang, they said the only solution to their situation is for a U.S. representative to come to North Korea to make a direct appeal. No date has been announced for a trial, but North Korea says Fowle and Miller committed Hostile acts that violate their status as tourists. In Washington, National Security Council spokesman Patrick Ventrell said, "We have seen the reports of interviews with the three American citizens detained in North Korea. Securing the release of U.S. citizens is a top priority and we have followed these cases closely in the White House. We continue to do all we can to secure their earliest possible release." Ventrell noted that the State Department has issued a travel warning recommending not to travel to North Korea. According to the Associated Press: "Fowle arrived in North Korea on April 29. He is suspected of leaving a Bible in a nightclub in the northern port city of Chongjin. Christian proselytizing is considered a crime in North Korea. Fowle, 56, lives in Miamisburg, Ohio, where he works in a city streets department. He has a wife and three children aged 9, 10, and 12. North Korea says Miller, 24, entered the country on April 10 with a tourist visa, but tore it up at the airport and shouted that he wanted to seek asylum. Miller refused to comment on whether he was seeking asylum. Bae, a 46-year-old Korean-American missionary, has been held since November 2012. He was moved from a work camp to a hospital because of failing health and weight loss but last month was sent back to the work camp outside of Pyongyang, where he said he does farm-related labor. He said he has lost 15 pounds (6.8 kilograms) and has severe back pain, along with a sleep disorder. His family has said his health problems include diabetes, an enlarged heart, liver problems and back pain." The U.S. has repeatedly offered to send an envoy for North Korean human rights issues, Robert King, to Pyongyang to seek a pardon for Bae and other U.S. detainees, but will no success as Washington has no diplomatic ties with North Korea and no embassy in Pyongyang. Instead, the Swedish Embassy has taken responsibility for U.S. consular affairs and met with Fowle and Miller. North Korea has been pushing tourism lately to bring in foreign cash, but remains highly sensitive to any action it deems political particular anything deemed to be Christian proselytizing. In March, North Korea deported an Australian missionary who was spreading Christianity after he apologized and requested forgiveness.
Posted in 2014, activism, al-Qaida, bombing, China, civil rights, conflict, congress, controversial, crime, death, democracy, disease, goverment, health, hostage, human rights, insurgency, international, Iran, Iraq War, Islamic State, militants, military, news, North Korea, Pakistan, peace, people, politics, Russia, terrorism, tragedy, United Nations, United States, US, violence, war, wellness, white house, world, world health
Tagged 2017 Election Hong Kong Election, al-Shabaab, Americans Detained North Korea, Angela Merkel, AP China, Army Pakistan Nawaz Sharif, Beijing Occupy Central Protest, Cameron Islamic State, CDC Ebola, China, Chinese government, David Cameron, Death Toll Ebola, Democracy Hong Kong, Democracy in China, Ebola first human trial, Ebola West Africa, Hong Kong, Hong Kong Democracy, Hong Kong Vote, human trial Ebola drug, Iraq prime minister, Iraq War, Isil, Isis, Isis Iraq, Islamic State, Li Fei, Merkel, Merkel Isis, Merkel Islamic State, North Korea, Obama North Korea, Pakistan Army, Pakistan Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan Protests, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Senegal Ebola, South China Morning Post, Standing Committee, U.S. military attack Somalia, UK Prime MInister David Cameron ISIS, UK Prime Minister ISIS, White House North Korea, Who Ebola


text:
"Anniversary"
Street Date: April 16, 2018
61st Annual Grammy Award Winner for BEST TROPICAL LATIN ALBUM
On Anniversary the powerhouse 13-piece all-star salsa big band demonstrates why they are the "the leading light of the salsa reconstruction movement" (Newsday) by doing what they do best: hard-hitting, no-holds-barred New York salsa that is both contemporary and reverent to its rich musical history.
Since their inception 15 years ago, Spanish Harlem Orchestra (SHO), under the direction of pianist, composer and arranger Oscar Hernández, has earned its reputation as the true voice of the barrio with intricate arrangements and pulsating rhythms that are steeped in the authentic salsa tradition. Their high-energy performances have delighted audiences across the globe from Asia to Australia, from Latin America to Europe. Grounded in the past, but with a focused eye on the future, Spanish Harlem Orchestra continues to play an integral role in ensuring salsa dura ("hard salsa") is not just alive, but a thriving musical force. "Over the course of 15 years, the consistent thread in each of our records has been the hardcore rhythm, sophisticated arrangements and a lot of care toward producing quality music with high integrity for our genre," says Hernández.
Each member of Spanish Harlem Orchestra has a significant connection to the authentic salsa tradition. It begins with Hernández, who has long been considered one of the most prominent musicians on the Latin, salsa and Latin-jazz music scene. Hernández's musical legacy can be traced back to the 1970's, a time in which he performed with a who's who of salsa legends ranging from Celia Cruz and Ray Barreto to Ismael Miranda and Conjunto Libre, and later Tito Puente and Willie Colon.
Along with showcasing the vocal prowess of long-time members Marco Bermudez and Carlos Cascante, Anniversary displays the talents of one of Latin music's most promising up and coming stars in vocalist and flutist Jeremy Bosch. On his recording debut for SHO, the 27-year-old talent contributes, in the words of Hernández, an "instant new dynamic and energy to the band". One of Bosch's brightest moments can be heard on the album's second offering "Yo Te Prometo."
While SHO's previous album featured jazz greats Chick Corea and Joe Lovano, Anniversary allows the band to speak for themselves over the course of 13 lively tracks. Standout moments include the album opener "Esa Nena", which swings to no end while highlighting SHO's signature sophisticated arrangements, and Hernández's "Goza El Ritmo", which will instantly bring listeners to their feet. Other noteworthy flashes include three modern arrangements of salsa classics: the bolero "La Media Vuelta" is reworked in a salsa style featuring 3-part harmonies and a simmering brass section, while "Y Deja" (Ruben Blades/Willie Colon) and "Guaracha Y Bembe" (Joe Cuba/Cheo Feliciano) are given contemporary updates with a flesh flair. On all their recordings, SHO includes some Latin Jazz. This time jazz trumpet legend Randy Brecker is a featured guest on Hernández's original song "Somos Uno".
Produced by Hernández and co-produced by SHO trombonist Doug Beavers, Anniversary builds on the dynamic legacy built by their previous five releases, which have garnered four GRAMMY® nominations and two wins (in 2004 for sophomore album Across 110th Street and again in 2010 for Viva La Tradicion). Considered "virtuosic journeymen who are one of New York's great musical resources" (The New York Times), SHO has expanded greatly from their home turf of Harlem to some of the world's premiere stages including the Sydney Opera House, the Playboy Jazz Festival, Carnegie Hall, and many others.
To celebrate the release of Anniversary, Spanish Harlem Orchestra will be performing on Wednesday, April 4th, at Le Poisson Rouge located at 158 Bleeker Street in New York City.
MOLLY GALLEGOS
UK VIBE
"Grounded in the past, while focused on the future, they strive to keep the music relevant, while creating a unique and fresh approach." Read the full review here.
RUSS MUSTO
NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD
"Driven by a powerful rhythm section, the band's five horns and three vocalists perform the urbane orchestrations with enviable sophistication." Read the full review here.
HECTOR AVILES
LATINO MUSIC CAFÉ
"The arrangements are sure to delight those of us that reminisce on the Salsa sound of the 70's and 80's." Read the full review here.
RAUL DA GAMA
"The facts are remarkable: For 15 years the Spanish Harlem Orchestra has been a force of nature as the group rules the salsa waves that start in El Barrio in East Harlem and wash over the whole world wherever salsa and Latin jazz is heard and loved." Read the full review here.
GEORGE HARRIS
JAZZ WEEKLY
"Pianist Oscar Hernandez leads the formidable Spanish Harlem Orchestra through an exciting collection of material." Read the full review here.
TOM SCHNABEL
"The high-energy sound of SHO—in the salsa dura (hard salsa) style—incorporates driving rhythms perfect for the dance floor." Listen to the full interview here.
ROGER LEVESQUE
"More than just expert, authentic, tight Latin jazz, it's a true work of art. And when you hear its infectious rhythms, good luck trying not to move." Read the full feature here.
ROBIN LLOYD
KNKX - JAZZ CALIENTE
Read full feature/ review here.
LUCID CULTURE
"At this point in history, salsa is a legacy genre like Chicago blues, roots reggae and bluegrass; there aren't as many people taking it to new places anymore and this is one group who still are." Review here.
ANDREW GILBERT
"Sizzling Spanish Harlem Orchestra back in Bay Area." Read the full feature here.
LEONID AUSKERN
JAZZQUAD
"Among the compositions there is cha-cha-cha, and jazz, and bolero, but all of them are translated into a flexible, slightly sentimental, but winding and energetic salsa language." Read the full Russian review here.
CHRIS SPECTOR
MIDWEST RECORD
Bold, brassy and bright, this is top shelf fun stuff that gets the party started but doesn't let it end. A first class party on a platter, this is a smashing way to ring in their 15th year of keeping things hot. A muy caliente garden of delights. Read the full review here.
ARLENE MUKOKO
BRONX NET
Watch full interview during SummerStage NYC here.
MARK GILBERT
JAZZ JOURNAL
"There's huge variety and virtuosity in all departments in this typically bravura performance of New York "salsa dura" – in the writing, arranging, playing and singing." Read the full review here.
"Champions of salsa dura ("hard salsa"), this is a band whose technical skill is matched only by their consistent high energy." Read the full review here.
LATIN JAZZ NETWORK
"The cherry on the cake may be "Tres Palabras" but every other work is sparkling and gem-like so that even after just over an hour, one is left quite simply gasping for more." Read the full review here.
BOBBY REED
"Led by pianist, composer and arranger Oscar Hernandez, this salsa powerhouse presents a generous, 68-minute program that highlights the compositions of its members, including high-octane, dance-worthy tunes by Hernandez and singers Marco Bermudez, Carlos Cascante and Jeremy Bosch as well as conguero George Delgado." Read the full review here.
NELSON BRILL
BOSTON CONCERT REVIEWS
"From their first fiery notes, Spanish Harlem Orchestra proved to be a tight, dynamic band that wasted no time in igniting their propulsive songs drenched in their Puerto Rican heritage." Read the full concert review here.
JANE CORNWELL
"This celebratory disc, released to mark the band's very own quince anos, boasts 13 tracks whose sophisticated arrangements take nothing away from the wallop packed by salsa dura as it was meant to be played: hot, hard and straight out of the barrio."
← Jake Leckie
Vanessa Rubin →

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Hans von Luck
Hans-Ulrich Freiherr von Luck und Witten (a.k.a. Hans von Luck) was a German army officer from 1929 until he was captured by Soviet forces in 1945; by which point he had earned the Knight's Cross, German Cross in Gold, and Iron Cross 1st & 2nd Class. By that time, he had also been promoted to the rank of Colonel. He served in several theatres during World War II, including France and North Africa, where he was under the command of Erwin Rommel.
After the war, von Luck wrote a memoir which was highly praised; this led to his acquaintance, and ultimately friendship, with both historians of the war and also Allied officers he had fought against.
Published book:
Panzer Commander: The Memoirs of Colonel Hans von Luck – 1989


Our AGM took place on 30th March, when Nigel Morris (Asst DoM, St Chad's Cathedral) was elected President. New members of Council, Anne Ellis and Ashley Wagner were also welcomed. Ashley (see photo) then gave our annual recital on the organ of St Alban's Conybere Street.


If present in large numbers they may give rise to obstruction of the liver-ducts or to inflammation of other tissues.
Caesar had no resource left but uncompromising obstruction, which he sustained by enormous bribes.
Again obstruction precluded debate, and on the 22nd of July 1899 the decree automatically acquired force of law, pending the adoption of a bill of indemnity by the Chamber.
His efforts were impeded by the obstruction of the clergy of Cracow, who regarded him as an adventurer; but he succeeded in reforming the university after his own mind, and was its rector for three years (1782-1785).
The application of vestibules is practically limited to trains making long journeys, as it is an obstruction to the free ingress and egress of passengers on local trains that make frequent stops.
The extreme pain and rapid swelling of the vocal cords - with threatened obstruction to the respiration - that characterize acute laryngitis may often be relieved by the sedative action of this drug upon the circulation.
In the case of pyloric obstruction a permanent opening may be established between the stomach and a neighbouring piece of intestine, so that the food may find its way along the alimentary canal greatly to the relief of the symptoms of gastric dilatation.
In the case of gastric dilatation from pyloric obstruction great relief may be afforded by washing out the viscus by means of a long rubber tube, a funnel, and a jug of hot water, as originally suggested by Adolf Kussmaul.
In cases of great dilatation of the stomach with no obstruction to the outlet the slack of the walls may be gathered up by pleating and so permanently secured by suturing.
The irreconcilable minority, recognizing this, exhausted all the resources of " technical obstruction " in order to reduce the government to impotence, a task made easy by the absurd standing-rules of the House which enabled any single member to block a measure.
In like manner our present law (20) would apply to the kind of obstruction that would be caused by an actual physical division of the elastic medium, extending over the whole of the area supposed to be occupied by the intercepting screen, but of course not extending to the parts supposed to be perforated.
Should the portion of tissue deprived of its circulation be contained in an internal organ, as is so often the case where the obstruction in the artery is due to embolism, it becomes converted into what is known as an " infarction."
- For conservancy purposes, regulation of navigation, removal of obstruction, dredging, &c.
The river became almost blocked by the accumulation of this obstruction during the rule of the Mandists.
In cases of obstruction or of palsy of the gullet, his three modes of treatment are ingenious.
Sir Lintorn Simmons was appointed envoy to the Holy See, to ascertain how far legislation might be pushed in the direction of civil marriage without justifying clerical agitation and obstruction in the council.
It had to wheel half-right in mass to bring it in the required direction, and then to advance till its rear was clear of the obstruction formed by the gardens of St Marie.
She had exhausted every art of diplomatic obstruction to the aggressive action of France; her counterstroke to the unexpectedly easy victory of the French arms was the formal recognition of the revolted colonies as independent states.
The amount of precipitation is greater in the north-west and on the mountains, because in the one case the mountains of lower elevation are a less obstruction to the moisturebearing winds from the west, and in the other the mountains condense the moisture; the mountains which stand in isolated groups upon the plains are frequently in summer the focus of local thunder showers.
The waterway of the present London Bridge is 690 ft., and the removal of the obstruction caused by the old bridge caused a lowering of the low-water level by 5 ft., and a considerable deepening of the river-bed.
With the extension of the suffrage and the growth of nationalist conflicts, the powers of the president were no longer sufficient, and he was unable to deal with the obstruction of even a small group. At.
The Germans thereupon paralyzed the Prague Diet by means of obstruction, upon which the Czech members of the Beck Cabinet left it, and the prime minister, seeing himself abandoned by both Germans and Czechs, resigned on Nov.
This time the Poles came to the rescue of the Government in its hour of need, by getting a form of standing order approved which rendered obstruction somewhat more difficult, and in this, curiously enough, they were helped by the Czechs; for obstruction had brought even them into an impasse, since their financial requirements had not been met.
The basins have been variously ascribed to glacial erosion, to obstruction of normal outlet valleys by barriers of glacial drift, and to crustal warping in connection with or independent of the presence of the glacial sheet.
A remedy against obstruction has been.
Sometimes a gall-stone which has found its way into the intestine is large enough to block the bowel and give rise to intestinal obstruction which demands abdominal section.
His leadership of the House of Commons in the first session of the new parliament was marked by considerable firmness in the suppression of obstruction, but there was a slight revival of the criticisms which had been current in 1896.
The removal from the branch of a ring of bark, or the application of a tight cincture, in consequence of which the growth of the fruits above the wound or the obstruction is enhanced.
The advantage depends on the obstruction given to the descent of the sap. The ring should be cut out in spring, and be of such a width that the bark may remain separated for the season.
Owing to the obstruction which they offer to drifting sands, artificial dunes are in course of time formed about them, and in this way they become at once more effective and less costly to maintain.
The gate regulates the speed of the wheel by varying the quantity of water; when fully open it merely forms a continuation of the guide passages, and thus offers no obstruction to the flow of the water, but by giving it a movement through a part of a revolution the passages are partly blocked and the flow of the water is checked.
But the proposals of the latter met with organized obstruction on the part of the Socialist deputies, and after a few months' tenure of office he gave way to M.
The first of these tariffs, which in order to overcome Socialist obstruction was passed en bloc on December 13-14, 1902, led to an alarming alteration in the balance of parties ~~ in the new Reichstag of 1903, the Socialistswho had previously numbered 58winning 81 seats, a gain of 23.
To telescope the jars for the next blow coming up. A skilful driller never allows his jars to strike on the downstroke, they are only used to jar down when the tools stick on some obstruction in the well before reaching the bottom, and in fishing operations.
Of the Compromise of 1867, the opposition once more took to obstruction, and on the 1st of May 1903 Szell was forced to resign.
In length; with such coils, and a sufficient annular space in the pan free from obstruction, in order to allow a natural down-current of the cooking mass, while an up-current all round is also naturally produced by the action of the heated worms or coils, rapid evaporation and crystallization can be obtained, without any mechanical adjuncts to require attention or afford excuse for negligence.
Obstruction met his well-meant efforts to promote the general good, and before twelve months of the presidential term had run public affairs were at a deadlock.
The laws and regulations concerning vakuf are too intricate to be described; generally it may be said that they form a great obstruction to dealing with a large proportion of the most valuable property in Turkey, and therefore to the prosperity of the country.
The bestknown parts of Boerhaave's system are his doctrines of inflammation, obstruction and "plethora.
The Highway Act of 1835 specified as offences for which the driver of a carriage on the public highway might be punished by a fine, in addition to any civil action that might be brought against him - riding upon the cart, or upon any horse drawing it, and not having some other person to guide it, unless there be some person driving it; negligence causing damage to person or goods being conveyed on the highway; quitting his cart, or leaving control of the horses, or leaving the cart so as to be an obstruction on the highway; not having the owner's name painted up; refusing to give the same; and not keeping on the left or near side of the road, when meeting any other carriage or horse.
The Germans were thereby deprived of their weapon of obstruction, and the Czechs lost the power of misusing their majority to oppress the Germans.
The reason for this exemption from glaciation is the converse of that for the southward convexity of the morainic loops; for while they mark the paths of greatest glacial advance along lowland troughs (lake basins), the driftless area is a district protected from ice invasion by reason of the obstruction which the highlands of northern Wisconsin and Michigan (part of the Superior oldland~ offered to glacial advance.
Since the last election in the spring of 1908 the Bohemian Diet had been unworkable, eventually owing to obstruction on the part of the Germans, who saw themselves handed over hopelessly to the Czech majority, until a rearrangement of the voting groups (curiae) should afford them protection against Czech oppression.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Helly Hansen provides a Norwegian protection against the elements with their range of coats and jackets. Using technologically focused materials to craft their garments, Helly Hansen coats don't diminish on style or practicality. Available in a multitude of colours, flashes of bold and monochromic colours span the collection.
Discover the range of coats and jackets by Helly Hansen at Psyche today.


This study has established expert consensus on minimum reporting requirements for clinical studies evaluating Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) in orthopaedics using Delphi consensus methods.
Interpretation of clinical studies evaluating the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for orthopaedic applications is limited by inadequate reporting of scientific details critical to outcome. The need for international consensus on minimum reporting requirements for studies evaluating biologic therapies to treat musculoskeletal injuries was agreed at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Biologic Treatments for Orthopaedic Injuries Symposium 2015 and the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) Biologics II Think-Tank 2015. This study developed a checklist of minimum reporting requirements for clinical studies evaluating MSCs using Delphi consensus methods.
A working group of four experts, convened at the AAOS Biologic Treatments for Orthopaedic Injuries Symposium 2015 and the AOSSM Biologics II Think-Tank 2015, was made responsible for facilitating the development of a consensus through a modified Delphi process. The working group generated an exhaustive list of items that could be reported by studies evaluating MSCs in orthopaedics through a search of published literature and MSC-related protocols. Twenty-four experts who were invited faculty at these symposia were surveyed three-times using a modified Delphi process to establish a consensus on the inclusion of each item within minimum reporting guidelines. Fifteen (62.5%) experts were from the Americas, seven (29.2%) were from Europe, and two were from (8.3%) Asia. In addition to rating agreement, experts were provided the opportunity to suggest modifications or propose further items. Items not meeting pre-defined criteria were discarded after each survey. For consensus, defined a priori, items were included in the final information set if over 75% of respondents were in agreement, and fewer than 5% disagreed. The final shortlist was compiled into a checklist of statements and checked for feasibility in routine practice. Institutional review board approval was not required because the study did not involve patient or registry data.
Review of all data sources generated 103 items for rating within the round one survey. Items were categorised into 12 groups: study design, recipient details, injury details, intervention, donor, tissue harvest, processing, cell culture, MSC characteristics, delivery, post-operative care and outcomes. In the third round survey 62 individual items achieved consensus with over 75% agreement, with less than 5% of experts in disagreement. A checklist of 25 statements incorporating those items reaching consensus was compiled by the working group.
This study has established a consensus on the minimum information that must be reported in clinical studies evaluating MSCs in orthopaedics. This checklist can be used to assist authors in writing reports of clinical studies evaluating MSCs, editors and peer reviewers in reviewing manuscripts for publication, and readers in critically appraising published articles. This checklist includes critical scientific variables specific to the study of MSCs and should be used in conjunction with checklists that guide the reporting of universal study design features including CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials).


text:
Mei Lian
meilian@paulhastings.com
Phone: 44-020-3023-5214
Fax: 44-020-3023-5314
Mei Lian is a partner in the Finance and Restructuring practice, based in London. She has a broad and extensive practice with years of experience across a wide spectrum of high-end finance transactions, which often involve cross-border features.
Ms. Lian focuses her practice on representing institutional investors, as well as corporate borrowers, issuers, private equity funds and sponsors on a wide range of finance transactions. She has particular expertise navigating complex stressed and distressed situations, advising across the entire capital structure, and utilizing various finance instruments. Ms. Lian also represents hedge funds and alternative credit providers in connection with bespoke financing transactions and distressed and restructuring investment opportunities.
Recommended for Corporate Restructuring and Insolvency, Bank Lending: Investment Grade Debt, and Syndicated Loans and Acquisition Finance and is recognised as an "incredibly gifted" key member of the bank lending team. Sources also note, "Mei Lian has a knack for explaining complex things in a clear, easy to understand way. Her manner has often helped defuse heated negotiations and drive them to success through a constructive and business friendly ability to think out of the box." Legal 500 UK, 2020.
Selected for the IFLR Women Leaders List for 2019-2021 by IFLR1000.
Recognised as the best lawyer in Insolvency & Restructuring at the Euromoney Europe Women in Business Law Awards 2018.
Magdalene College, Cambridge, B.A. (LL.B.) with honors
Represented Nokia Corporation in connection with its €1.5 billion five-year multicurrency revolving credit facility, which included a sustainability feature tracking Nokia's key sustainability targets relating to reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Represented Piraeus Bank S.A. as originator on Project Amoeba, involving the securitization of a €1.9 billion portfolio of non-performing exposures, comprising mainly mortgage-backed loans, pursuant to the Hellenic Asset Protection Scheme (HAPS).
Represented Carlyle Group, Goldman Sachs and LGT on a preferred equity investment for Apex Group Ltd.
Represented The Frigoglass group in connection with the restructuring of its existing indebtedness, which included €250 million 8.25% senior notes due 2018 issued by Frigoglass Finance and over €80 million of existing bank debt across eight facilities agreements, through a scheme of arrangement.
Represented a consortium of funds in connection with the restructuring of a portfolio of care homes in connection with the Four Seasons Healthcare Group restructuring.
Represented Metric Capital and a consortium of investors in connection with their investment in Sanovel, a Turkish generic pharmaceutical manufacturer.
Represented King Street Capital on its investment in FC Girondins de Bordeaux.
Paul Hastings Practices and Lawyers Recognized for Excellence in Legal 500 United Kingdom 2022 - October 1st, 2021
Piraeus Bank Completes Landmark €7.2 billion Securitisation - July 29th, 2021
Paul Hastings advises Metric Capital in connection with the financing of Eurohold's acquisition of CEZ - July 27th, 2021
Paul Hastings Continues Top-Tier Talent Surge in London with Addition of Leading Energy and Infrastructure Finance Partner - August 25th, 2020
Mei Lian and Cathleen McLaughlin Named IFLR 1000 Women Leaders - June 23rd, 2020
Finance & Restructuring Growth Continues at Paul Hastings with Notable Partner Addition in London - May 1st, 2020
Recognized for Excellence in Legal 500 United Kingdom - October 1st, 2021
Recognized among IFLR1000's Top Women Leaders for Transactional Law (2020) - June 23rd, 2020
Structuring loan buybacks - May 21st, 2021
Alternative Lender and Private Credit
England and Wales Solicitor
Magdalene College, University of Cambridge, B.A./LL.B. 1996