The Speaker News Journal

Rape Accusations “Good Weapons to Seek Personal revenge” in India – Indian Politicians

October 15, 2014August 2, 2014 by The Speaker Editors

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The Hindu nationalist party, Shiv Sena, has published claims that rape accusations are being used as political weapons to destroy careers overnight. The comments came in response to recent rape allegations filed against an Indian police officer who is currently under police protection due to death threats.

“After he has served for so many years in the police force, one model now charges DIG [deputy inspector general] Sunil Paraskar with rape and in one night he becomes a villain,” the party stated. “Such accusations have become good weapons to seek personal revenge.

“Cases of charging [prominent] men with molestation and rape in to create hype is on a rise now. It has almost become a fashion,” continued the statement.

Paraskar was accused of rape and molestation during a three-month period by a model.

In the wake of a gang rape that lead to the death of a Delhi student two years ago, India toughened its rape and sexual assault laws, which, Shiv Sena claimed, were being abused. The party stated that rape accusations had now become “fashionable.”

Suspicions that the new, tougher laws were being abused have existed for a while, but recently statistical evidence has been found to support the claim.

Since the December 16, 2012, gang rape, the acquittal rate for rape cases has shot up from 46 in the first part of 2013 to 75 percent, and is currently around 70 percent.

“It’s sad but true,” said one of the prosecutors on the Nirbhaya trial, A T Ansari. “Registration of false cases is rampant and hence, the alarming acquittal rate. The new law is being misused because of the widened definition of rape.

“This is an unfortunate trend. In many cases, women come up with the plea that they had registered the case out of anger and due to misunderstanding.”

Another senior prosecutor commented on the matter, “In around 90% of acquittal cases, the victim turns hostile. Mostly, it turns out to be a case of a relationship gone bad. The sex is consensual but the victim claims that the consent was given on account of promise of marriage.”

Other cases involve extortion, property disputes, extra-marital affairs, and recovery of dues.

Senior Advocate Aman Lekhi offered a possible explanation for the trend. “The courts generally don’t use this discretion because they don’t want genuine victims to be wary of approaching courts for justice.”

By James Haleavy

Land Grabbing Spree in Sierra Leone Meets Opposition: Citizens Issue Declaration Against Land Grabbing

October 17, 2014August 2, 2014 by The Speaker Editors

land grabbing in sierra leone is bananas

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In an attempt to stem the current land grabbing spree taking place in Sierra Leone, citizens of the capital city, Freetown, have issued the Freetown Declaration. The Declaration stated that despite the benefit of increased investment in the country, there was an urgent need to protect the land rights of rural residents, who were being hurt by the land grab.

The Declaration recognized the “mass influx of various Foreign Direct Investors” who have invested in Sierra Leone over the past 10 years. The investors have acquired large tracts of forest, mining and arable land.

The problem, as addressed in the Declaration, is that the rising demand for land to undertake foreign investment has been accompanied by “a disproportionate dividend” for rural residents, “most of whom have been dispossessed of land which has had very negative implications for their livelihood and invariably leading to an infringement of fundamental rights…”

While recognizing the benefits Sierra Leone received from foreign investment, the citizens resolved that there was an urgent need “to recognise and respect all legitimate tenure right holders and their rights owing to the very little community involvement in land acquisition.” Food security and livelihood were at issue, the Declaration noted.

The citizens called an acknowledgement of the environmental degradation that was taking place in communities where mining and agri-business were located. They also called for legal changes, including the insertion of humane and non-discriminatory clauses in relevant laws.

The landgrabbing problem in Sierra Leone was recently commented on publicly by the Director of Criminal Services in Sierra Leone Police, Assistant Inspector General Morie Lengor, who said that much violence was attached to the issue, making it a serious security threat and concern.

The Freetown Declaration was issued at the Atlantic Hall in Freetown late last month.

By Day Blakely Donaldson

Australia Launches Green Army

October 15, 2014August 2, 2014 by Sid Douglas

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The largest of its kind ever mobilized in Australia, the force was launched by Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott Sunday with the words, “The Green Army is on the march from today.”

“The Green Army is a hands-on, practical, grassroots environmental action programme that supports local environment and heritage conservation projects across Australia,” according to the organization itself.

“It’s the largest environmental workforce Australia has ever mobilized for land care,” said Abbott.

The Army seeks to recruit 15,000 members. It is targeting Australians aged 17-24, and offers to provide training and experience in environmental and heritage conservation fields and conservation management. At the same time, the Army aims to benefit the environment by staffing real projects. Army workers will receive a wage similar to a traineeship–around US$9.30-14.90 per hour.

Green Army teams will be deployed on 20-26-week projects across Australia. In the next year, 250 projects have been planned. Five hundred are planned for 2015-16, 750 for 22016-17 and 1,150 for 2017-18.

Among these tasks are tree planting, restoring koala habitats, cleaning up creeks and rivers, conserving heritage sites and monitoring endangered species.

The program has been provided with $525 million tax money for four years.

“It’s about projects around Australia, which will help improve river banks, revegetate, encourage threatened species’ recovery, shore up sand dunes, be engaged in the health and rehabilitation of both urban and rural landscapes,” said Abbott. “Secondly, it’s about ensuring that young people have training and work skills and opportunity.”

Australians interested in joining the Green Army are advised to contact a Service Provider in their state or territory.

By Sid Douglas

“When Well-Managed, an Ebola Outbreak Can Be Stopped” – UN with Affected Nations Launch Joint $100 Million Response Plan

August 1, 2014 by The Speaker Editors

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With the intention of marking “a turning point” in the intensifying Ebola outbreak plaguing three West African nations, the WHO met with the presidents of all the affected nations Friday to launch a joint $100 million response plan.

Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of the UN’s World Health Organization (WHO) met the leaders of Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Cote d’Ivoire in the Guinean capital.

“When well-managed, an Ebola outbreak can be stopped,” said Chan, referencing four decades of experience dealing with Ebola in Africa. “Ebola outbreaks can be contained. Chains of transmission can be broken. Together, we must do so.”

Chan called for an accurate and detailed mapping of the outbreak and an increase in information distribution about the facts of Ebola. Chan also called for an increase in aid workers. The WHO plan also stresses surveillance, particularly in border areas

Among the most serious problems associated with the African outbreak is that the region suffers from a lack of health education. To this point, the UN chief said that Ebola was a social problem, not a medical or public health problem.

“West Africa is facing its first outbreak of Ebola virus disease,” remarked Chan. “This is an unprecedented outbreak accompanied by unprecedented challenges. And these challenges are extraordinary.”

“West Africa’s outbreak is caused by the most lethal strain in the family of Ebola viruses. The outbreak is by far the largest ever in the nearly four-decade history of this disease. It is the largest in terms of geographical areas already affected and others at immediate risk of further spread.

“The current outbreak is moving faster than our efforts to control it,” said Chan. “If the situation continues to deteriorate, the consequences can be catastrophic in terms of lost lives, but also severe socio-economic disruption and a high risk of spread to other countries.”

The Ebola virus rapidly spreading in West Africa has infected 1,323 people, according to the WHO, among whom 729 have died. Of those 729, 60 have been health care workers.

The UN will meet August 6-7 to discuss whether the outbreak constitutes a “public health emergency of international concern.”

By Day Blakely Donaldson

Imam of Xinjiang Province’s Largest Mosque, Who Had Been Appointed by Chinese Government, Killed — Suspects Also Killed

November 23, 2014August 1, 2014 by The Speaker Editors

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The imam of Xinjiang’s largest mosque, located in Kashgar, was killed Wednesday, and shortly afterwards police shot dead two suspects in the murder, who, according to the police, “resisted arrest with knives and axes.”

The suspects had been located shortly after the murder, according to police, who said the men had been “influenced by religious extremism.”

The suspects, according to Chinese state media agency Xinhua, had planned to “do something big” to boost their influence in the region.

The imam, Jume Tahir, was appointed to the position of imam of the mosque by China’s ruling Communist Party.

There have been reports that the imam was unpopular for praising Chinese policies while preaching.

Xinjiang is composed of 43.3 percent Uyghur, 41 percent Han Chinese, 8.3 percent Kazakh, 5 percent Hui and small numbers of other ethnic groups. Han have been migrating to Xinjiang on a large scale in recent years, and tensions have been rising between the local Uyghurs and their Chinese rulers.

By Day Blakely Donaldson

Thailand’s Military Government Approves Massive Railway to Connect to China and Laos

October 15, 2014August 1, 2014 by Sid Douglas

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Today, Thailand’s military government, the Thai National Council for Peace and Order, approved two massive railway projects to link Bangkok and the southern coast with southern China and Laos.

A 737-kilometer line will extend from northeastern Nong Khai to coastal Map Ta Phut in Rayong province. Another line will run from northern Chiang Khong in Chiang Rai province to Ayutthaya province.

The lines will run trains capable of 160 kilometers per hour.

The two rails will cost more than $23bn total, and construction is expected to begin next year, with a projected completion in 2021.

The rail lines will eventually be tied into a greater system of high-speed rails that are planned to connect all of Southeast Asia. Much of the push for this network has come from China.

China’s line to connect its southwestern Yunnan Province with Singapore is expected to transform rural Laos, where the majority of the 6.5 million Laotians have never ridden a train. China aims to sell goods in Southeast Asia while receiving natural resources in return.

However, the Chinese plan is not going as smoothly in Burma, where a plan to link Arakan State with China was recently abandoned over potential cost and environmental concerns. The line was to cost $20bn and would have been operated by China for 50 years before being handed over to the Burmese government.

China also has plans to connect to Tibet, India, Nepal and Bhutan by 2020.

By Sid Douglas

82 Percent of California is in “Extreme Drought” and Almost 60 Percent is Now in “Exceptional Drought”

October 15, 2014August 1, 2014 by The Speaker Editors

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California is experiencing drought for a third year. Intensity levels have already increased to “extreme drought” in 82 percent of the state. This number has remained relatively stable for the previous three months. There has been marked increase, however, in “exceptional drought” areas–From 25 percent of the state three months ago, the area increased to 36 percent last week and this week jumped to nearly 60 percent.

At the end of June, for California’s 154 intrastate reservoirs, storage stood at 60% of the historical average. Storage has fallen to 17.3 million acre-feet.

California calculates a yearly need of 11.6 million acre-feet storage. This means that California is short more than one year’s worth of reservoir water.

This is the third year of drought in California. California’s topsoil moisture and subsoil moisture reserves are nearly depleted. Rangeland and pasture-land are now rated 70 percent very poor to poor, and continue to deteriorate.

Recently, wildfires have burned thousands of acres of vegetation in northern and central California. The Sand fire, which raged over an area north of Plymouth, burned over 4,000 acres and 66 structures, including 19 residences.

Conditions are not appreciably better in northern than in central or southern California.

Current drought intensity in California is still short of the historic 1977 drought, when interstate reservoirs dropped to 41 percent of average.

By James Haleavy

Russia’s Sanctions Against Moldova: Moldova Thanks Russia’s Closest Trade Partners Belarus and Kazakhstan For Not Joining in Sanctions

July 31, 2014 by The Speaker Editors

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Two of Russia’s closest trade partners, Belarus and Kazakhstan, have declined to join Russia in trade sanctions against Moldova, and recently Moldovan Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Natalia Gherman stated her country’s appreciation of Belarus and Kazakhstan for their decisions not to join Russia in sanctions.

The minister made her comments in an interview with Europe Libera. The minister also announced Wednesday that Moldova will participate in September’s NATO summit for the first time.

“It is an important event for Moldova,” said Gherman. “This year, through its armed contingent in the International Force Mission in Kosovo (KFOR), Moldova contributed to the successful implementation of the North Atlantic Alliance missions to maintain security and stability on the European continent. Moldova is not only a consumer of security in this European zone, but also a country that contributes to security strengthening. Thanks to this, we are firstly invited to the summit of the Alliance.”

Some analysts have noted a possible trend in the decisions of Belarus and Kazakhstan. Belarus and Kazakhstan also declined to support Moscow when the US imposed sanctions against Russia several times this year.

Belarus also recently suggested postponing the formation of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEC), stating that Russia and Kazakhstan were not ready for it. Kazakhstan has expressed concern that the absence of Ukraine and Moldova in the EEC reduces its value to Kazakhstan.

Russia imposed customs duties on Moldova last September in retaliation for Moldovan rapprochement with the EU, following up on previous threats to the same effect. Moscow justified a time-unlimited ban on Moldovan alcohol by a discovery of harmful chemicals in Moldovan products.

Within the Russian Customs Union, decisions are supposedly taken by consensus, but Russia’s actions regarding Moldova seem to show that Russia is acting when there is no consensus, analysts have noted.

Georgia left the CIS in 2009, Ukraine is currently in the process of leaving, and Moldova has announced its intention to reevaluate its membership. All three are moving towards closer EU relations.

By Day Blakely Donaldson

Russia Plans Upcoming Census in Crimea

July 31, 2014 by The Speaker Editors

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Russia has planned a census to be taken in Crimea in October. The census will include 33 questions, which will be answered by declaration and without documented proof, will be accounted by “foreigners temporarily residing in Crimea,” and will have special focus placed on foreigners working and studying in Crimea. The plans were announced this week by Krymstat, the statistical body of Russia’s Crimean occupation authority. Russian authorities have commented that they expect the census will provide a needed picture of the actual populace of Crimea, which they believe may have been misrepresented in past censuses.

Among the 33 questions will be queries about date and place of birth, ethnic origin, migration activeness, citizenship, income sources, education, marital status, fertility and residence.

A separate section will be devoted to housing conditions questions.

The census will be based on declarations–not documents. Krymstat has stated that census takers will not require documentary validification for any census declarations.

Krymstat also has said it they will include foreign residents in Crimea, and will place a focus on foreign nationals who have come to Crimea to work or study, although details as to how Krymstat would count or group foreigners have not been not given.

Soldiers of the Black Sea Fleet will also be included in the census.

A decree to organize the census was signed by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev earlier this month. The census will cost approximately 387 million rubles, according to RIA Novosti.

Accounting of the census will be conducted by “foreigners temporarily residing in Crimea,” reportedly. Specialists will examine in detail the working and student migrants category.

Russian news sources have reported that the census is important as a recognition of the actual populace of Crimea, and also because Russian experts suspect Crimean Tatar organizations overestimate the strength of their people.

By Day Blakely Donaldson

Coke, Pepsi and Dr. Pepper Snapper Reported Second Quarter Sales and Profits Showing Consumers Prefer Stevia and Sugar over Aspartame, the Artificial Sweetener in Most Diet Varieties–But Scientists Are Still Debating About Sugar

October 15, 2014July 30, 2014 by Tina Zhang

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Last week, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Dr. Pepper Snapper all revealed their second quarter earnings report. Coca-Cola’s soda sales were flat in North America and its revenue fell 1.4 percent, despite a sales volume increase in other parts of the world. PepsiCo suffered a two percent fall in both profit and soda sales volume. Dr. Pepper Snapper reported an increase of over one percent of revenue and its soda sales volume climbed two percent. These numbers reflected consumers’ attitudes on different types of sweeteners.

For the decline in profits, Coke and Pepsi both blamed the weak market for diet soda. The artificial sweeteners in diet soda were supposed to win over consumers who are concerned over the negative impact of high sugar intake. But the safety and quality of artificial sweeteners became a stronger concern, causing a continuous and accelerated fall in diet soda sales. As the new report revealed, the sales volume for regular Coke actually rose one percent in North America, while Diet Coke sales dropped further.

Aspartame is the artificial sweetener used in most diet sodas for Coke, Pepsi and Dr. Pepper brands. It has very little nutrient value, and thus is nonfattening. And it is much sweeter than sugar gram for gram, which is interesting because the two amino acids used in forming this substance do not taste sweet. Individuals with phenylketonuria, a genetically transmitted disease, are unable to break down one of the two amino acids in aspartame and thus must avoid it. Explicit warnings are placed on such products.

FDA considers aspartame to be safe for the vast majority of consumers, and approved the sweetener in 1981. Although a few cases of adverse side effects have been attributed to aspartame, exhaustive reviews have failed to show an unequivocal and direct connection between the symptoms and the sweetener. Coke ran a national print ad, “The safety of aspartame is supported by more than 200 studies over the last 40 years,” in the summer 2013. The continuous declining in diet soda sales shows it is an uphill battle to assure consumers of the safety of this artificial “chemical.”

Dr. Pepper Snapper’s soda sales volume increase was largely due to the brands Canada Dry, Peñafiel (in Mexico) and Schweppes. The latter two offer carbonated water in addition to sugary drinks. All three brands do not have artificial sweeteners, but use sugar or high fructose corn syrup instead.

For low and mid calorie soda, all three companies are working hard. Dr. Pepper Snapper introduced ten lineups in 2011 which use only small quantities of high-fructose corn syrup, and from March this year started to test soda that has 60 calories per can with only the natural sweetener stevia and sugar. Coke and Pepsi both failed before with non-natural sweeteners— “C2” from Coke in 2011 and “Pepsi Edge” from Pepsi in 2005. Coke released “Coca-Cola Life,” which contained stevia in Argentina and Chile last year, and will market it in UK this autumn. Pepsi Next does not use aspartame and has 30 percent less sugar than regular Pepsi.

Stevia is rising start as a natural sweetener. This non-caloric sweetener is found in the leaves of Stevia rebaudian (one species in the genus Stevia in the sunflower family). Native to subtropical and tropical regions from western North America to South America, local populations have used these sweet leaves for centuries. It has a slower onset and longer duration in comparison to sugar. With negligible effects on blood glucose, it is attractive to people on carbohydrate-controlled diets. Stevia causes a bitter or licorice-like aftertaste at high concentrations and therefore is often used together with sugar.

Sugar seems to be the devil people know. But how much is really known? It became a part of the human diet after the domestication of the sugarcane in 8,000 BC. “Sugars” include honey, sucrose (table sugar), high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate and agave nectar. There is a direct relation between intake of dietary sugars and the dental caries (decay and crumbling of a tooth or bone) across the life span.

Other than these, not much can be agreed on regarding the role of sugar and its recommended intake. The linkage between high sugar intake and obesity and other health complications is inconclusive, according to the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), the world’s largest food science organization. At IFT’s annual meeting in New Orleans at the end of June, a discussion panel stated that government and health organizations’ recommendations for sugar intake have varied significantly based on different studies and different methodologies to evaluate those studies.

While sugar intakes in the US have decreased over the past 10-15 years, obesity has continued to increase. The North American branch of the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI), a nonprofit organization in Washington, DC, has undertaken a project to better understand the interplay between sugar in the diet and health outcomes and to identify research gaps.

Some of the questions ILSI plans to address with respect to sugar and health are: What is the long-term effect of a reduction in sugar intake on body weight and/or fatness in overweight/obese adults and in children? Do dietary sugars impact how the body accumulates fat differently than other energy-yielding nutrients? What is the effect of sugar intake on satiety and hunger mechanisms? What are the mechanisms in the brain linking sugar consumption to a reward system/insulin and glycemic levels (“addictive behavior” or “sugar addiction”)?

These answers will aid the emergence of an evidence-based and more meaningful sugar intake recommendation. Still beverages–non-carbonated drinks such as energy drinks, fruit juice and flavored water–have seen a quick rise in market shares since they are deemed healthier than the carbonated sugar bombs. But it is not unusual for natural fruit juice, with no sugar added, to have as much sugar and calories as traditional Coke at the same volume. A deeper and more comprehensive understanding of sugar will help a concerned and confused public, and impact the future of all sugary drink industries.

By Tina Zhang

Sources:

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Science Daily

The Biggest Consumers of Water on the Planet are Not Measured for Water Use, New Study Discovers

November 14, 2014July 30, 2014 by The Speaker Editors

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A new study by CNA Corporation has discovered that the biggest consumers of water on the planet are not measured for water use. Neither the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) nor the Department of Energy (DOE), which regulate the power sector, measure water use. Water use is therefore left out of policy decisions. CNA found this information while investigating energy generation water consumption, which, CNA found, will begin to compete with human consumption needs for available water in the near future. By 2020, 30-40 percent of the world will face this type of water use decision, and by 2040, the world will face a global shortage if usage continues, CNA found.

“At least in part, this is because the EPA has no authority to regulate water quantity, only quality,” CNA stated in its report.

“Although the EPA regulates the power sector, which withdraws more water than any other, the agency is unable to consider the water use impact of its regulations, which include rules on cooling methods,” CNA wrote.

This was found to be because water management does not extend to its biggest user.” Although water availability is clearly a critical issue for the power sector, neither the EPA nor the DOE [which produces official long-term energy forecasts for the government] has policy models that include water,” CNA stated.

The effects of not monitoring water use could be large, CNA found, because considerations of water availability could produce very different projections for how the power sector would develop in the future. Knowing the amounts of water usage and availability could also alter the feasibility of technology options.

“It’s a huge problem that the electricity sector do not even realise how much water they actually consume. And together with the fact that we do not have unlimited water resources, it could lead to a serious crisis if nobody acts on it soon,” said Professor Benjamin Sovacool, one of the researchers in the study.

The water shortage will affect 30-40 percent of the world by 2020, CNA found, and it will be impossible to maintain current water usage by 2040, resulting in future competition between energy and human consumption needs.

“It’s a very important issue,” said Paul Faeth, lead researcher and Director of Energy, Water, & Climate at CNA. “Water used to cool power plants is the largest source of water withdrawals in the United States and France, and a large source in China and India.”

CNA found that omitting water use from policymaking is typical around the world. Power production scenarios usually operate with an assumption of no limits on water use. This blind spot extends to policy and technology analysis for the sector, according to the report.

“One area where this really matters is climate mitigation policy, because of the water use impacts of carbon capture and sequestration, which uses much more cooling water than does coal technology without CCS [carbon capture and storage/sequestration],” the report stated.

When CNA modeled scenarios in which water is assumed to be limited–a more realistic assumption, according to CNA–outcomes looked different.

When the CCS was factored into calculations, the impact on water consumption was substantial. The researchers gave the example of China, where 60 percent of generating capacity lies in the north, which has just 20 percent of its freshwater supply. After factoring in CCS, the impact on water consumption was 322 percent larger than the the WaterLimit consumption value by 2040, and 171 percent larger than even the Baseline. CNA concluded, “It’s very likely that CCS would not be a viable option in the North Grid of China due to water resource constraints, but the extent of the problem would be unknown if water were not included in our model.

“If we keep doing business as usual, we are facing an insurmountable water shortage–even if water was free–because it’s not a matter of the price. There will no water by 2040 if we keep doing what we’re doing today. There’s no time to waste. We need to act now,” concluded Sovacool.

By Day Blakely Donaldson

UN Report: East Ukraine Armed Groups Causing “Reign of Fear and Terror”

July 29, 2014 by The Speaker Editors

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The UN released a report on Ukraine Monday that stated that armed groups in Eastern Ukraine have caused a “total breakdown of law and order and a reign of fear and terror.” The report found that the armed groups “continue to abduct, detain, torture and execute people kept as hostages in order to intimidate and to exercise their power over the population in raw and brutal ways.”

The report listed some of the 812 people reportedly abducted and detained by armed groups in Donetsk and Luhansk, and also listed various crimes allegedly committed by the armed groups, such as torture and ill-treatment, sexual violence, enforced disappearances and the planting of landmines and explosive remnants.

“Some of those detained by the armed groups are local politicians, public officials and employees of the local coal mining industry,” the report said, “the majority are ordinary citizens, including teachers, journalists, members of the clergy and students.”

The report also noted documents indicating that the armed groups were conducting “military tribunals” and group leaders were signing “execution orders.” Those executed were reported to be members of armed groups and a common criminal. The Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) is verifying the details of these reports with relatives of the victims and a witness, the UN reported.

Since fighting broke out early this year, over 1,129 people have been killed and 3,442 wounded in Ukraine, according to UN and WHO estimates. The material cost of the damage done so far is estimated at $750 million USD. Over 100,000 people have been displaced.

By Day Blakely Donaldson