Zapuntel is a fantastic little harbour located in a passage between islands Ist and Molat. The harbour is situated on NW most end of Molat Island facing the island Ist and a nother anchorage in Mljake Bay right accross the passage.
Zapuntel is very well protected from winds from all directions, allthough a strong Bora wind from NE does tend to produce a nasty swell in the bay.
The harbour has a L-shapped pier that has a few moorings on the N side and there are a few slips to more up in the inner part of the L pier. Depth there is 2,5 m so you can go in with a decent sized sailing yacht but it fills up quickly. If you have a boat with more than 2,4 m draft we recommend going for a buoy.
The W (outer) side of the pier is reserved for the local line - usually a fast passenger catamaran (not a ferry) that connects Molat Island from Zapuntel and Brgulje with Zadar on mainland and neighbouring island Ist. You can check the schedule on Jadrolinija's official webpage (www.jadrolinija.hr) but do be careful to choose the right time of the year because schedules change with the seasons. You can't stay there long if you tie up alongside, because the harbour master is going to chase you away when the catamaran is about to come.
Apart from the moorings on the pier there are 20 buoys set up and they will cost you 14 Croatian Kuna per meter. You can call +386 98 272 264 to check for free buoys. As everywhere you can also anchor if all the buoys are taken but you can expect to be charged something anyway.
You will find a small shop for basic supplies in a container behind the ticket office right there in the harbour.
There are two restaurants, one of them directly on the water called Škrila located on the NE side of Zapuntel Harbour.
The village Zapuntel is situated a bit further along the road going South towards villages Brgulje and Molat town.
Coming into Zapuntel by sea from the West there is a relatively narrow passage between islands Ist and Molat. Minimum depth in the passage is 5 m and it is lit by a red lateral beacon flashing white in 15 second period. There can be very strong current in the passage (up to 3 knots) but the direction of the current varies.
Sailing into Zapuntel from the East or NE the depth is much bigger and the passage itself is much wider. This entrance is lit by a white lighthouse with a period of 2 seconds located on the Cape Vranač (Rt Vranač) on Molat side of the passage.
If you sail in the Zadar area I recommend stopping in Zapuntel. It lies between islands Ist and Molat.
On both sides you will find buoys to moor your boat but on Ists side there is nothing on shore. On Molats side there is a small village called Zapuntel.
There is a nice simple restaurant Škrila right on waterfront with nice pine trees for shade and a delicious cuisine.
Last year we had shrimp in buzara sauce, sea bass of about 1kg, cabbage salad and some potatoes with that. With 1l of white wine it cost 720 kuna (about 100€) for 4 people. Nice to pay little less than usually for a great dinner, for a change.
Oh, the buoys cost 15 kuna per meter but I think it was around 13 when we were there.


New York [etc] : Haworth Press, 1998.
Haworth Innovations in Feminist Studies.
Add tags for "Breasts : the women's perspective on an american obsession". Be the first.
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text:
Mercedes repeatedly flees petrol station without paying for fuel
Mercedes driver repeatedly flees without paying for fuel at Exelby Services
By Jim Scott jimscottjourno Reporter (North Yorkshire)
The man has been seen on several occasions Picture: NORTH YORKSHIRE POLICE
POLICE have renewed an appeal for information to find a man who has been seen fuelling his car and driving away without paying.
Police are looking for a man in a silver Mercedes, who has repeatedly made of without paying for fuel at Exelby Coneygarth Services at Leeming Bar in North Yorkshire.
Police said the man was seen at Coneygarth Services at Leeming Bar Picture:GOOGLE
The initial incident was reported on Monday, May 20, when the man first committed the offence at the A1 services.
A further 'several' instances of the man returning to the fuel station were reported, with the latest incident taking place on Wednesday, July 3.
Police said a total of £250 worth of fuel has been taken.
A North Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: "Anyone with any information is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for PC 1556 HOWE or email Michael.howe@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk
"If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: "Control for" vs "Ignore" mutually exclusive dummy variables I have come across an excellent answer of @Gung to a previous post. However, I still have a doubt. Using the example of @Gung, suppose that there are three main variables: the dependent variable Y, and two main predictors, X1 and X2. But let X1 and X2 be mutually exclusive dummies, ie, if X1 (X2) is 1, X2 (X1) is 0 (and to avoid the dummy trap let there be also cases in which X1 and X2 are both 0).
In this case, to study the effect of X1 over Y, is "controlling" for X2 similar to "ignoring" it?
Moreover, to analyze the effect of X1 and X2 over Y, is this model
Y = a + b * X1 + c * X2
interchangeable with a two-equations system like this,
(1) Y = v + w * X1, (2) Y = h + k * X2?

A: No, in your example "controlling" for $x_2$ is not similar to "ignoring" it. $x_1$ and $x_2$ are (negatively) correlated. The fewer there are observations where both $x_1$ and $x_2$ have zero values relative to the number of observations where one of $x_1$ and $x_2$ has a unity value, the stronger the correlation. As long as regressors are correlated, excluding one of them will produce all the trouble known as omitted variable bias. That was illustrated in the post you are referring to.
(Excluding $x_2$ from the model ("ignoring" $x_2$) would do limited harm if $x_1$ and $x_2$ were orthogonal -- see Problem 93.4.1 here.)
Thus also the answer to your second question: you cannot use the model with both $x_1$ and $x_2$ and two separate models with just $x_1$ and just $x_2$ interchangeably.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
namespace Services
{
    using System;
    using System.Collections;
    using System.Collections.Generic;
    using System.Threading;
    using System.Threading.Tasks;
    using Microsoft.Rest;
    using Models;

    /// <summary>
    /// Extension methods for Auth0SwaggerSampleAPI.
    /// </summary>
    public static partial class Auth0SwaggerSampleAPIExtensions
    {
            /// <param name='operations'>
            /// The operations group for this extension method.
            /// </param>
            public static IList<MyModel> ValuesGet(this IAuth0SwaggerSampleAPI operations)
            {
                return Task.Factory.StartNew(s => ((IAuth0SwaggerSampleAPI)s).ValuesGetAsync(), operations, CancellationToken.None, TaskCreationOptions.None, TaskScheduler.Default).Unwrap().GetAwaiter().GetResult();
            }

            /// <param name='operations'>
            /// The operations group for this extension method.
            /// </param>
            /// <param name='cancellationToken'>
            /// The cancellation token.
            /// </param>
            public static async Task<IList<MyModel>> ValuesGetAsync(this IAuth0SwaggerSampleAPI operations, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default(CancellationToken))
            {
                using (var _result = await operations.ValuesGetWithHttpMessagesAsync(null, cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false))
                {
                    return _result.Body;
                }
            }

            /// <param name='operations'>
            /// The operations group for this extension method.
            /// </param>
            /// <param name='item'>
            /// </param>
            public static MyModel ValuesPost(this IAuth0SwaggerSampleAPI operations, MyModel item = default(MyModel))
            {
                return Task.Factory.StartNew(s => ((IAuth0SwaggerSampleAPI)s).ValuesPostAsync(item), operations, CancellationToken.None, TaskCreationOptions.None, TaskScheduler.Default).Unwrap().GetAwaiter().GetResult();
            }

            /// <param name='operations'>
            /// The operations group for this extension method.
            /// </param>
            /// <param name='item'>
            /// </param>
            /// <param name='cancellationToken'>
            /// The cancellation token.
            /// </param>
            public static async Task<MyModel> ValuesPostAsync(this IAuth0SwaggerSampleAPI operations, MyModel item = default(MyModel), CancellationToken cancellationToken = default(CancellationToken))
            {
                using (var _result = await operations.ValuesPostWithHttpMessagesAsync(item, null, cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false))
                {
                    return _result.Body;
                }
            }

            /// <param name='operations'>
            /// The operations group for this extension method.
            /// </param>
            /// <param name='id'>
            /// </param>
            public static MyModel ValuesByIdGet(this IAuth0SwaggerSampleAPI operations, string id)
            {
                return Task.Factory.StartNew(s => ((IAuth0SwaggerSampleAPI)s).ValuesByIdGetAsync(id), operations, CancellationToken.None, TaskCreationOptions.None, TaskScheduler.Default).Unwrap().GetAwaiter().GetResult();
            }

            /// <param name='operations'>
            /// The operations group for this extension method.
            /// </param>
            /// <param name='id'>
            /// </param>
            /// <param name='cancellationToken'>
            /// The cancellation token.
            /// </param>
            public static async Task<MyModel> ValuesByIdGetAsync(this IAuth0SwaggerSampleAPI operations, string id, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default(CancellationToken))
            {
                using (var _result = await operations.ValuesByIdGetWithHttpMessagesAsync(id, null, cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false))
                {
                    return _result.Body;
                }
            }

            /// <param name='operations'>
            /// The operations group for this extension method.
            /// </param>
            /// <param name='id'>
            /// </param>
            /// <param name='item'>
            /// </param>
            public static void ValuesByIdPut(this IAuth0SwaggerSampleAPI operations, string id, MyModel item = default(MyModel))
            {
                Task.Factory.StartNew(s => ((IAuth0SwaggerSampleAPI)s).ValuesByIdPutAsync(id, item), operations, CancellationToken.None, TaskCreationOptions.None, TaskScheduler.Default).Unwrap().GetAwaiter().GetResult();
            }

            /// <param name='operations'>
            /// The operations group for this extension method.
            /// </param>
            /// <param name='id'>
            /// </param>
            /// <param name='item'>
            /// </param>
            /// <param name='cancellationToken'>
            /// The cancellation token.
            /// </param>
            public static async Task ValuesByIdPutAsync(this IAuth0SwaggerSampleAPI operations, string id, MyModel item = default(MyModel), CancellationToken cancellationToken = default(CancellationToken))
            {
                await operations.ValuesByIdPutWithHttpMessagesAsync(id, item, null, cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
            }

            /// <param name='operations'>
            /// The operations group for this extension method.
            /// </param>
            /// <param name='id'>
            /// </param>
            public static void ValuesByIdDelete(this IAuth0SwaggerSampleAPI operations, string id)
            {
                Task.Factory.StartNew(s => ((IAuth0SwaggerSampleAPI)s).ValuesByIdDeleteAsync(id), operations, CancellationToken.None, TaskCreationOptions.None, TaskScheduler.Default).Unwrap().GetAwaiter().GetResult();
            }

            /// <param name='operations'>
            /// The operations group for this extension method.
            /// </param>
            /// <param name='id'>
            /// </param>
            /// <param name='cancellationToken'>
            /// The cancellation token.
            /// </param>
            public static async Task ValuesByIdDeleteAsync(this IAuth0SwaggerSampleAPI operations, string id, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default(CancellationToken))
            {
                await operations.ValuesByIdDeleteWithHttpMessagesAsync(id, null, cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
            }

    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Link module
Over Skyteam opens in new window
Over Air France opens in new window
Over KLM opens in new window
Air France-KLM continues to actively manage its debt.
Following the successful launch last week of a seven-year bond for 600 million euros, Air France-KLM announces today the final results of the tender offer launched by HSBC on June 2, 2014 for outstanding bonds maturing in October 2016 (ISIN FR0010814459).
Bonds for a nominal amount of 94 million euros, representing 13.4% of the outstanding bonds were presented and accepted for repurchase. The principal amount of this bond will thus be reduced to 606 million euros.
In addition, the group intends to realize approximately 200 million euros of early repayments of bank debt.
These transactions enable Air France-KLM to lengthen its debt maturity profile while benefiting from favorable market conditions.


text:
Key FiguresTo our shareholdersAbout Precious Woods
VisionFocus on economic, social, and environmental added valueProducts and marketsGlobal and economic challenges in a dynamic environmentA pioneering role – more than just certified sustainable managementStrategy: Market orientation and continuous optimization of the value chainMedium term goals: Sustainable growthManagement organization with increased market orientationMilestones Precious Woods
Higher harvest volume – increased production volumes with higher yieldContinuous efforts on legacies and exceptional factorsPrecious Woods Amazon in briefSocial and environmental sustainabilityOutlook for 2019
Productivity and profitability have sufferedSetbacks can be overcomeReport on further progress in social and environmental sustainabilityPrecious Woods Gabon in briefOutlook for 2019
Precious Woods Trading in brief
Carbon & Energy
CERs from Brazilian biomassEmission trading together with myclimatePrecious Woods Carbon & Energy
Selective wood utilization is not synonymous with sustainable forestrySustainability goals of the UN4 : 1330 000 000 tCFauna / FloraPrecious Woods Amazon closely connected with the local populationPrecious Woods in Gabon – gentle use and wildlife protectionIllegal logging threatens certified timber trade and sustainable developmentSustainability as our entrepreneurial principleOpportunities for FSC certified timberThe role of forestry in the climate change debateSustainability Advisory Committee (SAC)
Share capitalEquivalent to 100 sharesStock market listingShare register information as of 1 January 2019Company headquartersStock price development
Consolidated statement of financial positionConsolidated statement of profit or lossConsolidated statement of comprehensive incomeConsolidated statement of changes in equityConsolidated statement of cash flowsNotes to the consolidated financial statements
1. Basis of presentation and accounting policies2. Financial risk management3. Trade and other receivables4. Inventories5. Prepayments6. Property, plant and equipment7. Forest, forest improvements8. Intangible assets9. Investment in associates10. Non current financial assets11. Trade and other payables12. Financial liabilities13. Provisions14. Financial instruments by category15. Share capital16. Related party balances and transactions17. Employee benefits18. Net revenues from contracts with customers19. Other production costs20. Depreciation, amortization and impairment21. Direct and indirect labour costs22. Other operating income and expenses23. Financial income and expenses24. Leasing25. Earnings per share26. Contingencies27. Financial information by segment28. Major shareholders29. Income taxes30. Currency translation rates31. Divestments and acquisitions32. Subsequent events33. Approval of financial statements and dividends
Essential accounting and valuation principles1. General2. Authorized share capital3. Conditional share capital4. Investments in subsidiaries5. Other short term receivables against group6. Other short term interest bearing liabilities7. Long term interest bearing liabilities8. Board and Executive compensation9. Depreciation, amortization and impairment10. Major shareholders11. Pledged assets / other securities12. Other note / Full time employment13. Other note / Residual amount of leasing obligations14. Other note / Significant events after the reporting date
The net sales in 2018 amounted to EUR 46.3 million, which is 3.0 % higher than the previous year's sales of EUR 45.0 million. Currency effects amounted to -1.0 %, volumes increased by 2.9 %, and shifts in the price/product mix contributed 2.0 % to sales. Emission certificates were not settled in the reporting year.
Starting September 2018, regular shipments from the port of Gabon were no longer possible. On the one hand, there was a lack of containers; on the other hand, the ships could not dock due to damage in the port's infrastructure. In addition, there were transport problems by rail, due to a lack of railcars, and the road network was interrupted for a long period of time. Inventories not delivered at the end of the year amounted to about EUR 3 million, which represents an increased capital commitment but also a lack of margins. The delivery situation in Brazil improved over the course of the first quarter of 2018, and Precious Woods was subsequently able to ship again normally.
Due to delivery delays, we recorded a decline in sales from Gabon of about EUR 1.4 million. In contrast, sales from Brazil rose by EUR 3.1 million. Trading sales in logs and sawn timber from Europe increased by 5.6 % over the previous year.
Emission certificates were not settled in 2018; the proceeds from our activities will accrue in 2019 (previous year: EUR 0.4 million). The prices of the certificates are about 60 % lower due to overcapacities on the market. The calculation basis also changed, and about 30 % fewer certificates were projected.
Operational development: Costs and market
The production volume of sawn timber in Brazil was 14.4 % higher than in the previous year, and yield was increased by 2.4 percentage points. Sales increased by 31.9 % as a result of the additional reduction in inventory of finished goods. The disproportionately low development of local costs and a positive exchange rate effect of about 12 % led to a significant improvement in earnings. However, the result was negatively impacted by one-off legal charges of about EUR 1 million. These legal cases originated in the years 2008-2013.
In the sawmills in Gabon, 0.8 % fewer logs were processed, and a total of 6.7 % less sawn timber was produced. The reason for this was an unscheduled three-week production interruption in November/December because two storms affected our infrastructure in Bambidie.
In the veneer plant in Gabon, production volume fell by 5.0 %, and sales were 4.5 % lower than in the previous year.
The investment volume amounted to EUR 3.5 million (previous year: EUR 2.2 million). The focus was on the new sawmill in Gabon, which will be productive in 2020. Replacement investments were also made in machinery and vehicles, renovation projects in road construction and the expansion of seasoning capacities for sawn timber. These targeted investments will improve the Group's earning power. Maintenance work at all plants was carried out on schedule.
The average prices for sawn timber across the Group were above the previous year's level. This was despite the fact that the market was very volatile; in Asia in general and China in particular. New markets had to be found for the main timber species from Gabon (Okoumé), given that demand in Asia declined abruptly. The tightening of import regulations in individual countries is having a positive effect for us. Proof of legality and, to an increasing extent, of sustainability is becoming increasingly important. With our dual certification and credibility, we have a head start here. However, the challenge remains to establish even small quantities of lesser-known species on the markets and with customers. Europe continues to be our main sales market with a share of about 61 %, followed by Asia with 18 %, Africa with 15 %, and other countries with 6 %. The share in Europe fell by 5.6 percentage points in favor of the Asian market.
Operational contribution
Production costs increased by 21.6 %, and the operational contribution decreased by 6.6 % or EUR 1.9 million compared with the previous year. This must be interpreted in the context of unrealized sales, the interruption of operations, and the high one-off charges. Given that the margins not realized in 2018 will accrue in 2019, the result in 2019 will be correspondingly better.
Operating result (EBITDA)
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) amounted to EUR 5.1 million, which was EUR 3.1 million or 37.7 % lower than in the previous year (EUR 8.2 million). This corresponds to an EBITDA margin of 11.0 % (previous year: 18.2 %).
Due to higher sales and the positive currency effect, PW Amazon's EBITDA margin increased to 12.4 % or EUR 1.6 million (previous year: 1.2 %). Without one-off charges, it would even be 20.1 %. At PW Gabon, the EBITDA margin fell to 18.9 % (previous year 32.4 %). Without the special effects as already reported, operating revenue would have been at the previous year's level. Consolidated depreciation was EUR 3.4 million, 27 % lower than in the previous year. This is due to the fact, that some assets are fully depreciated. Investments totaled EUR 2.2 million. At Group level, earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) reached EUR 1.7 million (previous year: EUR 3.5 million). This corresponds to a margin of 3.7 % (previous year: 7.8 %).
At EUR -2.8 million, the financial result was significantly below the previous year's figure of EUR -1.8 million. New loans had to be taken up to finance investments but also working capital. However, the greatest impact on the result came from exchange rates. In 2017 we recorded a positive currency effect of EUR 0.9 million, while in 2018 the account was affected by a negative impact of EUR -0.3 million. This represents a change of EUR -1.1 million. Net debt was EUR 3.2 million higher than in the previous year and amounted to EUR 34.4 million. Loans increased by EUR 0.9 million due to exchange rates.
Net result
The net loss amounted to EUR 1.7 million, compared with the previous year's profit of EUR 1.6 million.
Production capacity in Brazil was expanded, which will lead to higher processing volumes and higher yields. The total harvest volume will increase slightly and the sawmill for hardwood in Gabon will be completed by the end of the year. The production volume will increase in 2019 mainly by improving yield. The net sales increase will be between 3 % and 7 %; the costs will not develop linearly, resulting in a strong improvement of the operating result. The investment volume will reach about EUR 5 million. The steady improvements in the production workflow and procedures enable us to process higher volumes and strengthen the operating result. Given this background, we are seeking additional concession areas. In the future, an additional harvest quantity could be processed in the existing sawmills.


If you have never been to the summit of Mauna Kea, it is simply breathtaking. It feels, truly, like the meeting place of heaven and earth.
The structures on the summit feel invasive and polluting. They are like an ugly stain on a beautiful, finely woven rug. To see them there is sad and painful, because they are so distinctly out of place and blights on an otherwise sublime landscape.
The Thirty Meter Telescope is like proposing to place a large structure in Yosemite or the Grand Canyon. It's akin to placing it on Mount Fuji or in the Sistine Chapel. To the many Hawaiians who honestly view the site with reverence, it's such an entirely preposterous proposal it would be laughable it if weren't so insultingly painful.
The conflict is not science versus culture. It seems every time Hawaiians have legitimate concerns about the adverse effects a project may have on the resources we rely on for subsistence or cultural practices, the assumption is that we're angry or anti-something.
One of the telescopes on the summit of Mauna Kea.
Why can't it simply be that we're just advocates for preservation, cultural resources, historic sites, sound conservation practices, and controls on development and urbanization?
The reality is that the Hawaiians I know love science. We have been the original scientists and engineers of these lands for centuries. We just firmly believe that innovation should enhance resources, not harm them.
In this world that feels obsessed with doing things first and fast, it feels like we are too busy asking ourselves what we can do and not often enough asking ourselves what we should do.
Mauna Kea should have never been built on in the first place. It's always been a sacred space and it is wholly unique in Hawaiian cosmology. I understand the importance of the site for research, but the hard reality is that the research can be done somewhere else, even if admittedly, not as well.
Hawaiians have no other Mauna Kea.
I have difficulty seeing how TMT is bringing enough benefit to Hawaii to justify the permanent desecration of a sacred site.
So it is important that Hawaiians hold the line on this issue. And it is equally important that the University of Hawaii, as a self-proclaimed "Hawaiian place of learning" and extension of the State of Hawaii, walk away.
The desire to destroy the mountain is not based on some humanitarian crisis or some great social need, they just want to do it. They want the newest, biggest machine. The problem is, as soon as they finish building it, they will be onto wanting something newer and bigger. We have over a dozen telescopes already on the summit as evidence of this, and we have decades of the university's mismanagement of the mountain as precedent of its inability to respectfully manage this resource.
I don't mean to trivialize the importance of TMT's scientific endeavors, but equally, if not more important, is the intangible cultural heritage of Mauna Kea. For hundreds of years, Mauna Kea has stood as an unblemished symbol of Hawaiian knowledge and cosmology. Astronomers believe there are great discoveries to be made "out there," whereas Hawaiians believe there are equally great discoveries to be made right here.
The University of Hawaii says it supports TMT "because it contributes significantly to the university's mission of advancing knowledge." Yet, not building TMT also allows for the pursuit of knowledge. I understand UH wants to "maintain Hawaii's worldwide leadership in astronomy," but Hawaii can also be a worldwide leader in preservation, conservation, and heritage.
It is also unclear what Hawaii gains from its potential sacrifice. TMT is based in California, where the overwhelming majority of the funding for the project seems to be spent. The TMT International Observatory LLC is a partnership between the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, the National Institutes of Natural Sciences of Japan, the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Department of Science and Technology of India and the National Research Council (Canada). UH is not even a member of this partnership-based LLC.
TIO LLC brought in $57,620,363 in receipts alone for 2016, with the vast majority of its expenditures appearing to be spent outside of Hawaii. Most of the project's leaders are based in California.
Looking at salaries alone, very little money, if any, is actually coming to Hawaii. In this respect, Hawaii's role is rather limited and it would not be impossible for UH to step away from the project.
Additionally, the TMT International Observatory, LLC has contracted millions to universities and contractors in California, Virginia, Arizona and Massachusetts.
While I understand the economy is important, I have difficulty seeing how TMT is bringing enough benefit to Hawaii to justify the permanent desecration of a sacred site. Based on their own reporting, a lot of high-paying jobs are being created in California and a lot of contract work goes out across the continental United States, but the reality is that it seems the vast majority of the $1.5 billion from this project will never come to Hawaii.
Building TMT would require Hawaii absorbing an irreparable loss for very little gain.
At its core, the conflict over Mauna Kea is the oldest type of conflict there is in Hawaii: the fight over land. It's Hawaiians and their allies standing firm to protect the resources that have been under their stewardship for centuries against the might of outsiders who want to use those resources how they think best. The conflict is not very different today than it was in 1893.
As the population grows and resources continue to decrease, we, as a community, are going to have to make many hard choices. Mauna Kea is only one of those wicked problems. There will be more, and they will be harder, so it is important for us collectively to resolve this conflict.
How this story ends will tell us everything about who we are today and who we will be in the coming decades.
Mauna Kea is an opportunity for UH and the State of Hawaii to prove they are truly committed to not only Native Hawaiians, but genuine conservation and the intangible cultural resources that make Hawaii extraordinary.
Let us only hope that university and state leaders quickly realize that Mauna Kea's greatest potential will not be found beyond the stars, but right here in our islands as an immaculate and majestic landscape.


text:
NFL already had access to full Tyreek Hill audio
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill is playing on the final year of his rookie contract. File Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI | License Photo
July 10 (UPI) -- A Kansas City radio station released the full portion of the audio recording featuring Kansas City Chiefs star Tyreek Hill arguing with his fiancee about alleged child abuse, but NFL investigators already had access to the recording.
The full version of the recording was released Tuesday by 610 Sports Radio. KCTV5 released an initial portion of the recording April 25. Sources told NFL Network and ESPN that league investigators already had access to the full recording and are factoring it into potential discipline against the Pro Bowl wide receiver.
In the newly released 11-minute full version, Hill denies committing assault and battery against his fiancee, Crystal Espinal, despite pleading guilty to that charge in 2015. Hill accused Espinal of lying about the 2014 incident in the recently released recording.
"[I] didn't touch you in 2014," Hill said in the recording.
RELATED Fantasy football wide receiver rankings: Thomas, Hopkins, Beckham top list
Hill played at Oklahoma State in 2014, before being dismissed from the team. He played at the University of West Alabama in 2015. He joined the Chiefs as a fifth round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.
"You was in my house," Hill said in the recording, referencing the 2014 incident. "And, did I pick you up and slam you? [Expletive] no, I picked you up and put you out my door and after that you left.
"And, on my son you did that, bro. And then when you get in the courtroom, you want to sit up there and cry on the stand. 'He hit me, he hit me.' Man, come on, bro."
RELATED Chiefs' Tyreek Hill meets with NFL, expected at training camp
Espinal also accused Hill of abusing the couple's 3-year-old son. The boy sustained a broken arm, sparking an investigation into possible child abuse. Hill has denied abusing his son and has not been charged with a crime in relation to the alleged child abuse.
"You know how I am with kids and you know how I am with [omitted name]," Hill said in the recording. "I'm very hard. But I would never ever hurt my son in life."
Hill met for eight hours on June 26 with NFL investigators to discuss the child abuse investigation. He is still subject to league discipline under the personal conduct policy. Sources told NFL Network the league has had access to the complete audio recording "for months."
RELATED Chiefs' Tyreek Hill meeting with NFL investigators Wednesday
He remains banned from the Chiefs' training facility. There is no active criminal investigation focused on Hill, but he is being investigated by the Kansas Department of Children and Families for possible child abuse, battery or neglect.
Sources told NFL Network after Hill's meeting with investigators that the wide receiver is expected to attend Chiefs' training camp on July 26 barring a significant development in the matter.
RELATED Kansas prosecutors not actively investigating Chiefs' Hill
RELATED Lawyer confirms Tyreek Hill audio, denies child abuse
San Francisco Giants plan to trade veterans despite winning streak


text:
Early Civilizations 400,000 B.C – 648 B. C.
The Coming of Man
Mesopotamia, Where Civilization Began 4000 B.C. – 1750 B.C.
Hittite Warriors Build a Kingdom 1750 B. C. – 700 B. C.
The Gift of the Nile 3300 B.C. – 30 B.C.
The People of One God 3000 B. C. – 30 B. C.
The Rise of the Assyrians 1600 B. C. – 539 B. C.
A New People, a New Faith 650 B. C. – 330 B. C
Civilization comes to India 3500 B.C to 200 B.C.
The Land of the Great Wall 4000 B.C. to A.D. 220
Ancient Greece 3000 B.C. – 323 B.C.
The Silent Peninsula 3000 B.C. to 1600 B.C.
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Christian Knights and Mongol Horsemen A. D. 099-1404
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The Ottomans, the Last Great Islamic Power A.D. 1299-1922
Islam the Civilizer A. D. 622-1406
India: A Thousand Years of History A. D. 1 – 710
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The Moguls Take Over A.D. 1504-1605
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China under the Han 206 B. C. – A. D. 221
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Contact with the West Brings Changes in Asia (the East)
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Imperialism Affects the Moslem World
World Conflicts Threaten to Destroy Civilization
World War I and the Peace that Failed
Russia Becomes a Communist Dictatorship
Dictators in Germany and Italy Challenge Democracies
Aggressor Nations Fail to Achieve World Conquest
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Nationalist Beliefs in Asia and Africa after WW 2
Postwar World Looks for Ways to Live at Peace
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Home / Hellenes - Ancient Greece / Athenian Democracy
Athenian Democracy
July 19, 2018	Hellenes - Ancient Greece
The heroism of Harmodius and Aristogeiton was a myth, but Athenian democracy was not. In the two great wars of the fifth century — the Persian and the Peloponnesian — the Athenians clearly felt they had what would now be called a "way of life" which was worth fighting for. Cleisthenes, although he was of nobler blood than Solon, gave more power to the poor than Solon had done. Nearly all Athenian citizens now had a vote in the Assembly, a body which approved laws discussed in the Council of Five Hundred. The Five Hundred were elected by the citizens and anyone over thirty could be a member.
As well as taking his share in lawmaking and government a citizen also played his part as a juryman in seeing that justice was done. Even the archons could be brought to trial when their year of office was over, if they were thought to have misused their power. There was a kind of police force consisting of Scythian archers which Peisistratus had set up. But they were the citizens' servants, not his masters.
There is often a good deal of argument about what is meant by a "free" country. A useful test is to ask: Can police knock on the door in the middle of the night and take people away to death or imprisonment without a public trial? If this "knock on the door" question is asked about fifth-century Athens the answer to it would be: No. There were no secret police and there were no mysterious disappearances in the middle of the night.
These privileges of citizenship, however, were not shared by everyone living in Attica. "An Athenian citizen" does not mean the same as "a resident in Athens".
Neither women nor slaves might vote and immigrants from other cities, metics, even though they might be Greeks, found citizens' rights very difficult to obtain, however wealthy they might be. This is one of the two main differences between Athenian and modern democracy. The other is that Athenian citizens attended their Assembly in person. There was no representative government.
Finally, among all the privileges of citizenship, Cleisthenes introduced a new safety measure, ostracism. Once a year the Assembly might decide to take a vote on the question whether one of their number should be banished. The method of voting was to write the name of the person you wanted banished on a piece of broken pottery, the Greek word for which is "ostrakon". If at least six thousand votes were cast, the man against whom the majority voted had to go into banishment for ten years. The idea was to prevent a recurrence of tyranny or civil strife. It is said that one of the earliest victims of this ingenious procedure was Cleisthenes.
Unfortimately we do not know for certain how the great law-maker met his end; but as the curtain rises on the fifth century he is no longer on the stage. The year is 498 and the scene shifts from Athens to Asia Minor, whither Athens had sent a small force to help the Ionian Greeks, who had revolted against Persia. This force lit two fires. One was at Sardis; it burned the city to the ground and flickered out. The other was in the heart of Darius, the Persian king; this was a fire of fury that burned on and on. Darius had taken care that it should not go out. Every evening the breath of a slave fanned the flames with the urgent whisper, "sire, remember the Athenians."
Ostracon — a piece of broken pottery used by a voter who wished Aristides to be 'ostracized'. Broken pottery was used as we use scrap paper. This piece has been further chipped since it was written on. Originally it bore the full names of Aristides and his father Lysimachus. (Greeks had no surnames, so they had to be distinguished by adding the father's name, or the occupation.)
Tags archons Aristides Aristogeiton Asia Minor Attica Cleisthenes Council of Five Hundred Greeks Harmodius juryman lawmaking Lysimachus ostracized Ostracon ostrakon Peloponnesian Persian Sardis Scythian Solon Tyranny
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Nepal's criminalisation of conversion seems to protect Hinduism at the expense of other religions.
Three years on from the date that Nepal adopted its new constitution, there are concerns about its 'anti-conversion' clause, which seemed designed to specifically protect Hinduism at the expense of other religions.
The clause, in Article 26 (3) of the constitution, states:
"No person shall, in the exercise of the right conferred by this Article, do, or cause to be done, any act which may be contrary to public health, decency and morality or breach public peace, or convert another person from one religion to another or any act or conduct that may jeopardize other's religion and such act shall be punishable by law."
These provisions were strengthened in the Penal Code 2017 which came into force in August 2018. Section 158 states that "No person shall convert any one from one religion to another or make attempt to or abet such conversion" and carries a punishment of up to five years imprisonment and a fine of up to fifty thousand rupees.
The criminalisation of conversion is a direct infringement on freedom of religion or belief as it robs individuals of the right to change their religion. These provisions also threaten the right to freedom of expression as they could be used to prohibit a range of legitimate expressions of religion or belief such as charitable activities or speaking about one's faith.
Fuelling religious intolerance
Similar laws exist in Burma and several states in India, where they have been abused to foster social intolerance and violence towards peaceful religious activities. Recent events appear to confirm initial fears that the laws would have the same effect in Nepal.
For example, in May 2018 four Christian churches were set on fire and one was bombed in just over a week. No-one was killed in the attacks, but these incidents illustrate a worrying increase in hostilities towards Christian groups in Nepal, and suggest that religious intolerance is increasing in the country.
Another indicator of increased religious intolerance in Nepal is the cancellation of December 25th as a public holiday by the Nepalese government. Now, only Christian civil servants are given a Christmas holiday. The decision to cancel this public holiday is considered the result of strong anti-Christian tendencies; the fact that the government gave in to these pressures illuminates the extent to which such tendencies are becoming more prevalent in Nepal.
Nepal has already seen several cases which demonstrate the ease with which the constitution's anti-conversion laws can be misused.
In June 2016, Article 26(3) was used to charge eight Christians in Charikot with attempting to convert children through distributing a comic book on the story of Jesus. While the accused were acquitted of all charges in December 2016, the Religious Liberty Forum Nepal have since documented multiple similar cases which have taken place this year, these include:
Sonia Chanda Thakuri, arrested along with her six month-old baby on 22 March after being falsely accused with attempting religious conversion and destroying Hindu idols. Sonia has since been released, but her case remains ongoing.
Devi Rai, arrested with her friends in Chitwan on 30 April and accused of attempting to convert a Hindu family and encouraging them to destroy the Hindu idols. They were reportedly released a few days after the arrest.
Sumitra Gauli, Radhika Maharjan and Phuldevi Bhattarai, arrested in their church in Kathmandu on 8 May, falsely accused of attempted religious conversion.
Bhim Br. Pradhan and Nabin Kumar Mandal, arrested in Morang on 19 May for presenting Christian materials on a laptop. They are accused of speaking against Hindu gods and attempted conversion.
It is clear from the above cases that the anti-conversion laws can be used to make false accusations against anyone, which makes them highly vulnerable to misinterpretation and misuse for personal vendettas.
The cases also appear to suggest that the criminalisation of conversion is specifically designed to protect Hinduism.
Although Article 4 (1) of the constitution claims that Nepal is a secular state, the word secular is defined as the "protection of religion and culture being practised since ancient times and religious and cultural freedom," which has been interpreted as affording special position to Hinduism. The constitution also stipulates that 'Sanatana Dharma' (the Hindu faith) will be protected by the state
This continues a long-standing history of protection of Hinduism in Nepal. In a famous case long before the new constitution was introduced, Christian pastor Charles Mendes was charged with 'creating a disturbance to Hinduism' by distributing pamphlets about Christianity and eventually sentenced to six years in prison.
It is important to note that not all Hindus benefit from the anti-conversion laws. The Dalit minority group face severe discrimination in the Hindu caste system, many Dalits therefore change their religion in order to escape this. By prohibiting this practice the anti-conversion laws essentially lock Dalits and other minority groups into positions of subordination within the caste system.
Falling foul of international law
Nepal has made several national and international commitments to uphold and implement acts that will protect fundamental human rights. The country ratified the ICCPR in 1991, which it followed by introducing a national law, the Nepal Act, to fulfil its obligations. The Covenant is legally binding, and Articles 18 and 19 guarantee the right to freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression respectively. By undermining these two fundamental rights, Nepal's anti-conversion laws mean that the country falls short of its obligations under the ICCPR.
Nepal has also been elected to be a member of the HRC from 2018 to 2020, which makes these contraventions of international human rights law even more striking. As the country is now supposedly responsible for the promotion and protection of human rights around the world, it must first prioritise the promotion and protection of such rights within its own borders.
Under Nepal's last Universal Periodic Review Cycle in November 2015, the government chose not to accept recommendations from both the USA and Spain relating to the amendment of the constitution, in order to ensure that freedom of religion or belief was fully upheld.
The misuse of the anti-conversion laws observed in subsequent years demonstrate that this cannot continue: Nepal must amend Article 26(3) of the constitution to prohibit only forceful conversion, and remove any clause prohibiting conversion in and of itself.
As a secular republic, Nepal now has the opportunity to achieve remarkable political, economic and social transformation since it attained 'independence' from a Hindu monarchy that ruled for over 200 years. To do so, it must not succumb to policies and practices that pave the way for polarisation of the country's cultural and religious diversity.
By Ellis Heasley, CSW's Public Affairs Officer
Tagged anti-conversion law, arrest, attack, bombing, charikot, christians, constitution, freedom of expression, hindu
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Doc. 14540
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Report | Doc. 14540 | 24 April 2018
Follow-up to the report of the Independent Investigation Body on the allegations of corruption within the Parliamentary Assembly
Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs
Rapporteur : Ms Petra De SUTTER, Belgium, SOC
Origin - Reference to committee: Assembly decision, Reference 4372 of 23 April 2018. 2018 - Second part-session
On 22 April 2018, the Independent Investigation Body on allegations of corruption, which was tasked with conducting a detailed independent investigation into the allegations of corruption and fostering of interests made against certain members or former members of the Parliamentary Assembly, after ten months of investigations, delivered its report. The report of the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs draws the first lessons from the recommendations and conclusions of the investigation body, be they recommendations aimed at improving the general operating framework of the Assembly and at remedying shortcomings in the transparency of parliamentary procedures, or conclusions criticising the conduct of some members or former members of the Assembly who had conflicts of interest and breached the Assembly's rules of conduct.
A.	Draft resolution
(open)
1.	In January 2017, the Parliamentary Assembly took a courageous step in response to the allegations of corruption and fostering of interests against members or former members of the Assembly, and put in place an overall strategy to firmly promote the principles of integrity and transparency in its functioning and strengthen the duty of integrity of its members. In this connection, the Assembly draws attention to its Resolution 2182 (2017) "Follow-up to Resolution 1903 (2012): promoting and strengthening transparency, accountability and integrity of Parliamentary Assembly members", which helped to improve its rules of conduct and in particular to make provisions related to conflicts of interest more consistent.
2.	On 24 April 2017, the Assembly approved the terms of reference of an independent external body of investigation into allegations of corruption (IBAC), which was tasked with conducting a detailed independent investigation into the allegations of corruption and fostering of interests with a view to putting an end to impunity and restoring confidence in the Parliamentary Assembly, its activities and its decisions.
3.	The Assembly took note of the report submitted by the IBAC, which was published on 22 April 2018. The allegations made by non-governmental organisations and by the media through reports, reporting or journalistic inquiries, which had until recently been criticised, challenged or denied, are now indisputable.
4.	The Assembly expresses its sincere thanks to the members of the IBAC, Sir Nicolas Bratza, Mr Jean-Louis Bruguière and Ms Elisabet Fura, and to its secretariat, for their invaluable assistance to the Assembly during this critical period. It also pays tribute to their excellent work, which was carried out in difficult conditions, given the time constraints to which they were subjected and the specific and restricted scope of the investigation.
5.	The Assembly believes that although the report deals principally with allegations and facts concerning Azerbaijan, similar practices have probably also existed in relations with the authorities and parliamentary delegations of other member States. The Assembly notes with satisfaction that the report presented by the IBAC gives grounds to hope that the image of integrity of the Assembly and the confidence in its some 600 other members can be restored, given that the allegations concern the conduct of only a few members or former members. The Assembly has the vital support of a large number of upright and committed parliamentarians, who have been unfairly brought into disrepute on account of these allegations of corruption against a number of their peers. Nevertheless, the report uncovers practices of which few parliamentarians are unaware, but which they may have allowed to prosper for too long through their silence, their indifference or their passive complicity.
6.	The Assembly, seeking to restore its credibility, has undertaken to establish an environment of zero tolerance of corruption and of any practice which may leave any doubt as to a possible conflict of interests; it is up to its members to ensure that this is achieved, without compromise.
7.	In the context of its terms of reference, the IBAC was asked not only to review and update the conduct and practices which are incompatible with the rules of conduct of the Assembly, but also to make recommendations with regard to the measures required to address any weaknesses and shortcomings in those rules. The Assembly takes note of the IBAC's recommendations concerning its methods of functioning and its procedures. It notes that the report mentions problems in the appointment of the members of the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee) and of the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs, as well as in the appointment of rapporteurs.
8.	The report identifies three former members of the Assembly who "engaged in activity of a corruptive nature" and "seriously breached the Code of Conduct of members of the Parliamentary Assembly". The report also refers to the use of financial means and corruptive activities in influencing the Assembly's work concerning Azerbaijan, and mentions the names of former members who have taken part in lobbying activities in the Assembly, in breach of the Code of Conduct.
9.	The report also reveals a number of cases of breach of some of the provisions of the Code of Conduct for Assembly rapporteurs and/or the Code of Conduct for members of the Parliamentary Assembly by members or former members of the Assembly.
10.	Moreover, the IBAC has drawn up a list of members and honorary members of the Assembly who refused to co-operate in the investigation.
11.	The Assembly believes that the conclusions of the IBAC with regard to the individual conduct of members of the Assembly mentioned in the report require serious consideration. It points out that the Code of Conduct which it revised in October 2017 establishes a precise and detailed procedure, including respect for the principle of adversarial proceedings and the rights of the defence, with which it intends to comply in the action it takes in response to these conclusions.
12.	In response to the IBAC's report and with regard to the general recommendations and conclusions set out therein, the Assembly:
12.1.	invites the political groups of the Assembly to draw the consequences from the standpoint of their practices, in particular their position and decisions with regard to appointments to the Monitoring Committee and the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs, and to the Committee on the Election of Judges to the European Court of Human Rights, as well as to ad hoc committees for the observation of elections, when putting forward candidatures for posts of rapporteur, or in elections of the bureaux of committees or sub-committees;
12.2.	instructs the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs to give thought to the changes that must be made to the Rules of Procedure and to the integrity framework of the Assembly;
13.	With regard to the recommendations and conclusions concerning the individual conduct of members or former members, the Assembly:
13.1.	invites the political groups of the Assembly, as well as the political groups within the national parliaments, to each draw the consequences of any allegations against their members;
13.2.	invites the national parliaments of member States, and their national delegations to the Parliamentary Assembly, as well as the national governments, to examine the IBAC's report and to take the necessary measures in respect of the cases mentioned, which require their full attention;
13.3.	instructs the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs to implement, as soon as possible, the procedure provided for in paragraphs 20 et seq. of the Code of Conduct of members of the Parliamentary Assembly in respect of the members mentioned in the report, including those who have refused to co-operate with the IBAC, bearing in mind that it falls within the committee's remit to assess the degree of seriousness of alleged breaches of the Code of Conduct in respect of each member concerned.
14.	The Assembly calls on the European Parliament and the parliamentary assemblies of other international organisations, in particular the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), to follow the example of the Parliamentary Assembly and to draw on the recommendations of the IBAC.
15.	Neither the measures taken nor any future measures concerning the examination of individual cases nor subsequent changes to rules and regulations must become the sole focus of debate. The Assembly cannot stop halfway; it requires a complete overhaul: and that calls for a profound and real change in parliamentary attitudes and practices. The Assembly therefore urges its members to put the interests of the 825 million European citizens they represent above any private interests, so as to restore the full political legitimacy of the Assembly, in a period when the Council of Europe has a greater need of a strong parliamentary body than ever before.
B.	Draft recommendation
1.	With reference to Resolution …. (2018) on follow-up to the report of the Independent Investigation Body on the allegations of corruption within the Parliamentary Assembly, the Parliamentary Assembly affirms its determination to promote an atmosphere of zero tolerance towards corruption and to fully recover its institutional and political credibility within the Council of Europe. It recalls the decisions it has taken to deal with the allegations of corruption and fostering of interests made against some of its members or former members, which have led it to improve its integrity and transparency framework.
2.	On 22 April 2018, the Independent External Investigation Body on allegations of corruption (IBAC), set up a year earlier on the Assembly's initiative to conduct a detailed independent investigation into the allegations of corruption and fostering of interests, delivered its report.
3.	As the Investigation Body acknowledges, "the Parliamentary Assembly is to be commended for its courage in reacting to these allegations and making clear its determination not to tolerate corruption within its ranks. It has done so not only by inviting GRECO [the Group of States against Corruption] to assess and recommend improvements to the regulatory framework governing the conduct of members of the Assembly but by responding to the call, made both inside and outside the institution itself, for an independent investigation of the allegations of corruption and other forms of unethical conduct. In doing so, it has set an example to other national and international institutions confronted with similar grave challenges" (report of the Independent Investigation Body on the allegations of corruption within the Parliamentary Assembly, paragraph 759).
4.	The Assembly intends to draw all the necessary consequences, on all levels, from the recommendations and conclusions of the Investigation Body's report, be they the recommendations aimed at improving its general operating framework and at remedying shortcomings in the transparency of parliamentary procedures, or the conclusions criticising the conduct of some members or former members of the Assembly who had conflicts of interest and breached the Assembly's rules of conduct.
5.	The Assembly nevertheless notes that, although the Investigation Body cannot provide proof of the existence of a co-ordinated network of corruption within the Assembly, the failings of some members and former members clearly involve corrupt practices extending far beyond the scope of the Parliamentary Assembly itself and, indeed, the parliamentary environment itself: they were only possible, and might still persist, as a result of the direct involvement, the active support or, at the very least, the culpable abstention of governments of Council of Europe member States. The Assembly deplores this behaviour and invites them to take appropriate action.
6.	The Assembly therefore invites the Committee of Ministers to take due stock of the steps taken by the Assembly since January 2017 and to support it in its efforts. "The fight against corruption … is not one for the Assembly alone", as the Investigation Body stresses.
C.	Explanatory memorandum by Ms Petra De Sutter, rapporteur
1.	On 23 April 2018 the Parliamentary Assembly decided to hold a debate under urgent procedure on the follow-up to the report of the Independent Investigation Body on the allegations of corruption within the Parliamentary Assembly, which had been made public on the evening of the previous day after ten months of investigations, and asked the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs to draw up a further report. At its meeting on 24 April 2018, the committee appointed me rapporteur and held an initial in-depth exchange of views.
1.	Reminder
2.	During the January 2017 part-session, the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs decided to respond to the allegations of corruption and fostering of interests against members or former members of the Assembly, revealed by a number of international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and given wide coverage in the European media, in particular in the context of the "Volonté affair". These allegations highlighted shortcomings in the procedures and mechanisms for implementing rules of conduct in force in the Assembly at that time. These NGOs and several parliamentary delegations – the Swiss, Luxembourg, Belgian, Dutch, French and German delegations, and eight delegations from the Baltic and Nordic regions – the EPP/CD and SOC groups, and a substantial number of members (64 signed a written declaration on "Parliamentary Assembly integrity") voiced their extreme concern with regard to the impact such allegations of corruption could have on the image, reputation and credibility of the Assembly and asked that the Assembly conduct an investigation to shed light on the allegations.
3.	On 26 January 2017, in response to these calls for an investigation, the Committee on Rules of Procedure unanimously adopted an official declaration on the allegations of corruption and fostering of interests against certain members or former members of the Assembly, reaffirmed its commitment to promoting the principles of integrity and transparency in the functioning of the Parliamentary Assembly and said that it stood ready and was determined to do everything it could to respond usefully to the allegations of corruption.
4.	On 27 January 2017, the Bureau of the Assembly took note of the declaration of the Committee on Rules of Procedure and unanimously endorsed the three-pronged overall strategy advocated by the committee to deal with the situation:
to set up an Independent External Investigation Body (hereafter referred to as the "IBAC"), tasked with assessing the functioning of the Assembly and shedding full light on covert practices facilitating corruption, the only measure likely to put an end to impunity for certain acts and to restore confidence in the Assembly, its activities and its decisions;
to ask the Council of Europe's Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) to provide the Assembly with guidance in establishing a sound and coherent framework of integrity;
to review the Code of Conduct for members of the Assembly so as to establish new rules of conduct and declaratory requirements to prevent all forms of corruption within the Assembly, including the revision of arrangements for the oversight of principles and rules governing the conduct of its members.
5.	On 10 October 2017, the Assembly adopted Resolution 2182 (2017) "Follow-up to Resolution 1903 (2012): promoting and strengthening transparency, accountability and integrity of Parliamentary Assembly members", which provided the opportunity to:
strengthen the duty of integrity, accountability and transparency of its members;
to make provisions related to conflicts of interest more consistent;
give the Assembly a coherent framework to strengthen transparency in relations with extra-institutional actors and prevent any undue influence of public or private interests on the independent, impartial and objective exercise of the parliamentary mandate in the Assembly.
6.	Members are henceforth asked to undertake not to promise, give, solicit or accept any reward, payment or gratification in the performance of their duties and must submit a declaration of interests at the opening of each annual session. With a view to increasing transparency, these declarations of interests will be published online. Measures aimed at increasing transparency in relations with extra-institutional actors during the sessions and meetings of the Assembly and more rigorous restrictions on lobbyists, including stricter rules on access to and movement within Council of Europe premises, will be introduced. Finally, measures will be taken to guarantee that former members who are remunerated for their consultations do not benefit from any special privileges.
7.	From now on, new oversight arrangements, set out in the Code of Conduct of members of the Parliamentary Assembly, will make it possible to expedite the opening of investigations into allegations of breaches of the rules of conduct by its members, including when such violations are revealed by external sources, as well an impartial examination of such allegations of breaches of the rules. The Committee on Rules of Procedure can also open an investigation at its own initiative.
8.	The system of penalties has also been reviewed and the list of possible penalties extended. In the event of serious or repeated breach of the rules of conduct by a member, the Committee on Rules of Procedure can take one or several measures, from temporary deprivation of the right to speak, of the right to be appointed rapporteur or to take part in an ad hoc committee for the observation of elections, to standing for election as President of the Assembly or as the Chair or Vice-Chair of a committee or sub-committee.
9.	The revision of the Code of Conduct of the members of the Assembly takes account of the recommendations of GRECO, which carried out a thorough review of the Assembly's integrity framework and the set of rules and mechanisms governing the conduct of the members of the Assembly.
10.	Finally, it should also be noted that in adopting Resolution 2169 (2017) "Recognition and implementation of the principle of accountability in the Parliamentary Assembly" in June 2017, the Assembly drew attention to the fact that "[t]he members of the Parliamentary Assembly are required to act in the strictest compliance with the duties and obligations by which they are bound, as set out in particular in Rule 6.2.b (statement that members subscribe to the aims and basic principles of the Council of Europe), Rule 13 (members' ethical conduct) and Rule 22 (maintenance of order) of the Rules of Procedure, and in the Code of Conduct for Members of the Parliamentary Assembly" and underlined the fact that "in a representative democracy, the requirements of transparency, integrity, responsibility, primacy of the public interest, confidence and accountability constitute the foundation of the contract which binds an elective representative to citizens, the Assembly wishes to reiterate the importance of the principle of accountability which links those of its members who are elected to certain functions with those who have elected them. If this undertaking of accountability, which includes a duty of transparency and an obligation to account for one's acts, is not fulfilled, the Assembly cannot have any confidence in those it has elected to office. Representing an institution also means respecting it with integrity and honesty".
2.	Recommendations and conclusions of the Independent External Investigation Body
2.1.	The IBAC: purpose and terms of reference
11.	On 24 April 2017, the Assembly approved the terms of reference of an independent external body into allegations of corruption (IBAC), which was tasked with conducting a detailed independent investigation into the allegations of corruption and fostering of interests with a view to putting an end to impunity and restoring confidence in the Parliamentary Assembly, its activities and decisions. On 29 May 2017, the Bureau appointed the three members of the IBAC:
Sir Nicolas Bratza (United Kingdom), former judge and former President of the European Court of Human Rights;
Jean-Louis Bruguière (France), former judge in charge of investigations, in particular in cases linked to terrorism, and expert with international organisations and States on anti-terrorism issues;
Elisabet Fura (Sweden), former judge at the European Court of Human Rights and former chief parliamentary Ombudsman of Sweden, legal adviser.
The IBAC began its investigations on 26 June 2017.
12.	The IBAC's task is to carry out a detailed independent investigation into the allegations of corruption and fostering of interests made against certain members or former members of the Assembly, to examine the practical functioning of the Assembly in its various activities (including but not restricted to part-sessions, committee and sub-committee meetings, rapporteur missions, election observation missions and participation in various events) and its decision-making mechanisms.
13.	In the light of these findings, the Investigation Body was asked to:
verify whether there are any forms of individual conduct by members of the Assembly or former members of the Assembly which are incompatible with the provisions of the Code of Conduct for members of the Parliamentary Assembly and other relevant codes of conduct;
identify any practices contrary to the Assembly's ethical standards, and determine the extent thereof;
establish, in the light of these findings, whether there is sufficient proof to take action against members or former members of the Assembly, pursuant to paragraphs 19 and 20 of the Code of Conduct for members of the Parliamentary Assembly;
draw up recommendations on the measures to be implemented to rectify the shortcomings and fill the gaps in the Assembly's ethical framework.
The investigation body shall have no jurisdictional competence.
14.	The IBAC's report was published on the internet site of the Assembly on the evening of Sunday 22 April. It was sent by letter by the President of the Parliamentary Assembly to the Presidents of national parliaments of member States.
2.2.	Findings on the general functioning of the Assembly
15.	From its assessment of the general functioning of the Assembly, the Investigation Body drew a number of conclusions and made some very detailed recommendations on the measures to be implemented to rectify the identified shortcomings and fill the gaps found in the Assembly's ethical framework.
16.	Firstly, the Investigation Body calls on the Assembly to "consider implementing all the remaining recommendations made by GRECO which are not fully or partially covered by the new ethical framework", namely:
the need to further harmonise the various existing codes and guidelines on the conduct of Assembly members;
to define more clearly the sanctions that may be applied for breaches of the Code of Conduct, in particular by clarifying the meaning of the concept "minor violation" and "serious breach" of the Code and by providing guidance on when to publish a finding of a "minor violation" by an MP and when to apply a sanction for a "serious breach";
to complement the existing rules on immunity with a set of clear and objective criteria;
to establish mechanisms for the receipt and processing of information on allegations of corruption and fraud.
17.	Secondly, as regards transparency in the work and decision-making processes, the IBAC noted that the key deficiency relates to the manner in which the decisions on appointments to different functions are made and, specifically, the lack of transparency and insufficient regulation of the procedures for such appointments, which are a matter of particular concern in connection with the appointments of members of the Monitoring Committee and the Rules Committee, as well as the appointments of rapporteurs in general. A similar lack of transparency and safeguards against abuses was observed with regard to the voting processes in the committees, which may affect the voting results and open the door to the possibility of the exertion of improper influence. The IBAC accordingly invites the Assembly:
to establish mechanisms which will ensure that the decision-making processes on appointments in the Assembly's various committees and other bodies, notably in the Monitoring Committee and the Rules Committee, are transparent and sufficiently regulated;
to ensure that transparent and sufficiently regulated procedures for the appointment of rapporteurs are put in place;
to ensure that the principles related to the concept of "conflict of interest" are made clearer to rapporteurs;
to emphasise the rapporteurs' duty to make the necessary declarations of the absence of any such conflict, and to ensure that a robust and consistent approach is applied to monitor the observance of these declarations, both at the time when the declaration is made and at any time during a rapporteur's term of office. In particular, procedures should be put in place to allow for arguable allegations of a conflict of interest on the part of a rapporteur, or other forms of inappropriate conduct or breaches of ethical standards, to be investigated and, where appropriate, sanctioned;
to consider introducing a fully transparent voting system in the committees, based on the one existing in the Assembly's plenary sittings, subject to ensuring that adequate safeguards against abuse are put in place;
to put in place relevant procedures to allow for a clear identification of those who have the right to vote in a committee and to safeguard against deliberate attempts to falsify the vote. Any attempt to falsify a vote must be investigated and met with appropriate sanctions;
to take steps to ensure that improper pressure, including pressure from governments, is not brought to bear on the free and independent voting of MPs.
18.	As regards the conduct of MPs in the context of missions undertaken on behalf of the Assembly, the IBAC recommends putting in place clear rules and procedures and ensuring that those rules and procedures are made known to every MP taking part in such missions. These procedures should in particular regulate:
participation in meetings (including the reporting protocols for cases where private meetings are held with the authorities);
compliance with the agreed programme for a visit;
conduct in the context of an offer of hospitality by the local authorities;
the respective roles of the Assembly secretariat and MPs in the mechanisms for reporting on missions.
Failure to comply with the procedures regulating appropriate conduct in the context of missions should be investigated and met with appropriate sanctions.
19.	As regards the Assembly's election observation missions, the IBAC proposes strengthening the Guidelines on the observation of elections and including them in the ethical framework. It further emphasises that:
the Assembly should in principle refrain from deploying election observation missions if the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) decides for valid reasons not to deploy its own;
for the same reasons, the heads of the Assembly's election observation missions should use every endeavour to reach a common position with ODIHR and the other members of the International Election Observation Mission in any statements made on election observation.
20.	As regards gifts and different forms of benefits, the Investigation Body "has not found that the receipt of gifts and benefits has played a prominent role in the PACE activities concerning Azerbaijan or that it has been shown to have affected the requirements of neutrality in the work of the PACE MPs, in particular the rapporteurs". Nevertheless the Investigation Body "notes with concern that only a few declarations of gifts have been made so far in PACE" and that, in accordance with the principle of transparency, "there is a need for diligent observance by MPs of the rules on declarations of gifts and interests as envisaged under the relevant PACE ethical framework".
2.3.	Findings on the individual behaviour of Assembly members
21.	The Investigation Body "established the facts concerning two principal forms of the use of financial means to influence PACE's work concerning Azerbaijan. The first concerned the remunerated lobbying activities performed by a number of former PACE MPs. The second concerned the actual use of money and other corruptive activities as a means of influencing various activities which were directly or indirectly seen as being in favour of Azerbaijan". With regard to the performance of lobbying activities in the Assembly, the Investigation Body found that a number of former members of the Assembly who had performed such activities had acted contrary to the Assembly's Code of Conduct. As to the corruptive activities in favour of Azerbaijan, the Investigation Body established that there was a strong suspicion that certain current and former members of the Assembly had engaged in activity of a corruptive nature.
22.	The Investigation Body found that the following current and former members of the Assembly had violated certain provisions of the Code of Conduct for rapporteurs of the Assembly and/or the Assembly's Code of Conduct (paragraphs 748, 749, 750 and 752 of the report), namely:
as regards serving members of the Parliamentary Assembly (in alphabetical order):
Mr Pedro Agramunt (Spain, EPP/CD)
Mr Cezar Florin Preda (Romania, EPP/CD)
Mr Stefan Schennach (Austria, SOC)
Mr Samad Seyidov (Azerbaijan, EC)
Mr Jordi Xuclà (Spain, ALDE)
as regards former members of the Parliamentary Assembly (in alphabetical order):
Mr Alain Destexhe
Ms Karin Strenz
Mr Robert Walter.
23.	As regards the use of financial means and corruptive activities in influencing the Assembly's work concerning Azerbaijan, the Investigation Body has found that the following former Assembly members performed lobbying activities in the Assembly in breach of the Assembly's Code of Conduct:
M. Eduard Lintner
M. Stef Goris
M. Jaakko Laakso
Mme Karin S. Woldseth
M. Göran Lindblad.
And it concludes that: "There are substantial grounds to believe that Mr Luca Volontè, Mr Elkhan Suleymanov and Mr Muslum Mammadov engaged in activity of a corruptive nature and that Mr Volontè and Mr Suleymanov seriously breached paragraph 12 of the PACE Code of Conduct. There is a strong suspicion that Mr Pedro Agramunt was party to activity of a corruptive nature" (paragraph 756).
24.	Lastly, the Investigation Body compiled a list of the members and honorary members of the Assembly who were summoned but who failed or declined to appear before the Investigation Body:
as regards serving members of the Assembly:
as regards former members of the Assembly:
Mr Elkhan Suleymanov
Mr Muslum Mammadov
Mr Luca Volontè
Mr Andeas Gross
Mr Michael Hancock.
Some former members of the Assembly were summoned to give evidence before the Investigation Body and declined to appear but provided written statements:
Mr Eduard Lintner
Ms Karin Woldseth.
Lastly, other current or former members were not summoned but failed to comply with the IBAC's requests for the submission of written statements:
Mr Tiny Kox (Netherlands, UEL)
Ms Ria Oomen-Ruijten (Netherlands, EPP/CD)
Mr Ondřej Benešik (Czech Republic, EPP/CD)
Ms Gultakin Hajibayli
Mr Zmago Jelinčič Plemeniti
Mr Jaakko Laakso.
3.	Thoughts of the Rules Committee
25.	At its meeting on 22 April 2018, the Bureau of the Assembly took note of the Investigation Body's report and, in response, decided to:
invite the current and former members of the Assembly whose behaviour had been found by the investigation body as unethical or in violation of the Assembly's Code of Conduct, or who had refused to co-operate with the Investigation Body, to suspend all their activities within the Assembly with immediate effect;
invite the Rules Committee to consider further possible actions;
invite the Rules Committee to ensure proper follow-up to the recommendations for the Assembly's ethical framework made in the report.
26.	At its previous meeting on 15 March 2018, the Bureau had, as a preliminary measure, decided "to invite the members of the Assembly whose behaviour has been found by the investigation body as unethical or in violation of the Assembly's Code of Conduct, or who have refused to co-operate with the investigation body, to suspend all their activities within the Assembly with immediate effect".
27.	As part of the follow-up to the IBAC report, it is essential for the Rules Committee to first of all define its framework for action. To this end, a distinction must be made between, on the one hand, the Investigation Body's recommendations relating to the functioning of the Assembly, current procedures, the decision-making mechanism and, in general, its integrity framework (see Section 2.2 above), and, on the other, the conclusions which call into question, at an individual level, the actions of certain members or former members of the Assembly who have violated the Assembly's ethical rules and principles (see Section 2.3 above).
3.1.	The committee's proposed response to the recommendations on the general functioning of the Assembly and on improving its integrity framework
28.	The IBAC report acknowledges the Assembly's efforts to improve its integrity framework and consequently makes a rather positive assessment. Some of the recommendations made – drawing up a set of criteria on immunities, strengthening the guidelines on election observation – are currently being considered by the Assembly. Other recommendations relate more to clarifying certain existing regulatory provisions (the concept of rapporteurs' "conflict of interest"; scrutiny of rapporteurs' declarations of interest; assessing the seriousness of a violation of the ethical rules and principles), "logistical" implementation of integrity measures (reception and processing of information on allegations of corruption; drawing up guidelines on the conduct of missions) but in no cases do these require a modification of the Rules of Procedure.
29.	In contrast, the Rules Committee should continue its deliberations, if appropriate in the report under preparation on "Modification of various provisions of the Rules of Procedure", concerning a number of the IBAC's recommendations, and in particular:
procedures governing the appointment of members of the Monitoring Committee and the Rules Committee;
the procedures for appointing rapporteurs;
voting procedures in committee;
These deliberations could result in a modification of the procedures currently in force.
30.	Moreover, the committee considers that the framework for preventing corruption and fraud should be strengthened, and that there is a need for a better protection of whistle-blowers in this context. It shall be recalled that, within the Council of Europe, not only staff of the Council of Europe Secretariat, including the Assembly secretariat, shall be covered, from the point of view of whistle-blowing, but this protection shall also apply to "persons who are not Council of Europe Secretariat members who participate in the Council of Europe's activities, wherever they may be held. These include, but are not limited to, judges of the European Court of Human Rights, the Commissioner for Human Rights, members of the Parliamentary Assembly and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, members of Permanent Representations, trainees, experts, consultants, and employees of outside companies", pursuant to Rule No. 1327 of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe of 10 January 2011 on awareness and prevention of fraud and corruption. Rule No. 1327 requires staff and the above-mentioned persons to report suspected fraud and corruption.
3.2.	The committee's proposed response to the conclusions on the actions of certain members or former members of the Assembly in violation of the Assembly's integrity framework
31.	The Rules Committee was asked by the Bureau to consider "further possible actions" relating to Assembly members whose behaviour was deemed by the Investigation Body to be contrary to the Assembly's ethos or in violation of the Assembly's Code of Conduct, or who had refused to co-operate with the Investigation Body.
32.	It should be recalled that when the Assembly revised its Code of Conduct for members in October 2017, it set up a means of monitoring implementation of this code, making provision for an impartial examination of the alleged breaches of ethical rules and principles, offering the Assembly members in question the necessary procedural guarantees:
an adversarial procedure (enabling the person in question to become aware of and comment on the observations put forward and the evidence adduced, at all stages);
equality of arms (granting each party a reasonable opportunity to have his or her case heard in conditions which do not place him or her at a disadvantage vis-à-vis the other party).
33.	It is therefore proposed to implement this procedure forthwith, as the committee has the authority to initiate an investigation of its own motion (paragraph 20 of the Code of Conduct), bearing in mind that some of the Assembly members concerned have already suspended their activities, as requested by the Bureau, pending a decision by the Rules Committee.
34.	Pursuant to paragraph 21 of the Code of Conduct, the committee may examine cases relating to serving members of the Assembly who:
have violated certain provisions of the Code of Conduct for Assembly rapporteurs and/or the Code of Conduct for members of the Parliamentary Assembly, namely Mr Pedro Agramunt, Mr Cezar Florin Preda, Mr Stefan Schennach, Mr Samad Seyidov and Mr Jordi Xuclà;
have failed to comply with their duty to co-operate with the Investigation Body by not responding to the summons to appear addressed to them, namely Mr Pedro Agramunt and Mr Cezar Florin Preda.
35.	With regard to the former members of the Assembly, the sanctions provided for in paragraph 16 of the Code of Conduct for members of the Assembly ("Former members of the Parliamentary Assembly involved in representing and fostering another person's or entity's interests in the Parliamentary Assembly shall not, throughout the period of such activity, benefit from the prerogatives of the honorary associates or the Honorary President of the Parliamentary Assembly as far as the distribution of documents and access to the buildings and meeting rooms are concerned") should be applied.
36.	Consequently, the committee should examine the cases of the following former members (in alphabetical order) and ascertain whether they have breached the provisions of paragraph 16 of the Code of Conduct: Mr Agustín Conde, Mr Alain Destexhe, Mr Stef Goris, Mr Michael Hancock, Mr Tadeusz Iwinski, Mr Jaakko Laakso, Mr Goran Lindblad, Mr Eduard Lintner, Mr Muslum Mammadov, Ms Karin Strenz, Mr Elkhan Suleymanov, Mr Luca Volontè, Mr Robert Walter and Ms Karin Woldseth. If such is the case, they will no longer be allowed access to the buildings of the Council of Europe.
37.	For those who have the title of honorary associate with the Assembly, namely Mr Agustín Conde, Mr Stef Goris, Mr Michael Hancock, Mr Jaakko Laakso, Mr Goran Lindblad, Mr Eduard Lintner, Mr Luca Volontè, Mr Robert Walter and Ms Karin Woldseth, it will be necessary to verify, in the light of the declarations on honour they have submitted to the Assembly secretariat, whether paragraph 3 of the Special rules on honorary association with the Parliamentary Assembly should apply ("When awarded the title of honorary associate, the former member of the Assembly shall sign a sworn declaration stating that he or she is not involved in representing or fostering another person's or entity's interests in the Assembly. The former member shall be stripped of the title if he or she failed to declare any relevant interests or made an untruthful declaration"). Decisions concerning them will be taken later, in due course.