From sky-high platforms to flaming wedges, these attention-grabbing shoes were meant to be seen!
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Thursday, October 10, 2013
Stars' Funky Footwear: Guess Who Wore the Shoes!
Category: pittsburgh pirates Tony Gonzalez Tomas Hertl scarlett johansson Cristy Nicole Deweese
Eminem's Daughter Is Homecoming Queen? Yeah, We Feel Old
Remember how Eminem has a cute little daughter named Hailie? At the height of his fame, she was frequently mentioned in his songs, occasionally appeared on his records, and was at the center of a vicious custody battle with his ex-wife, Kim Scott. Critics of the rapper's lyrics loved to raise the question: "What effect will these words have on his daughter?" Well, now we can ask her. Because she's 17 years old.
Related Topics: Ed Sheeran today show amber alert detroit tigers act
Eminem's Daughter Is Homecoming Queen? Yeah, We Feel Old
Remember how Eminem has a cute little daughter named Hailie? At the height of his fame, she was frequently mentioned in his songs, occasionally appeared on his records, and was at the center of a vicious custody battle with his ex-wife, Kim Scott. Critics of the rapper's lyrics loved to raise the question: "What effect will these words have on his daughter?" Well, now we can ask her. Because she's 17 years old.
Related Topics: Ed Sheeran today show amber alert detroit tigers act
Monday, August 5, 2013
ESPN: NCAA investigating Manziel over autographs
BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) -- ESPN says the NCAA is investigating whether Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel was paid for signing hundreds of autographs in January.
Citing unidentified sources, ESPN's "Outside the Lines" said the Heisman Trophy winner signed items in exchange for a five-figure fee during his trip to Miami for the BCS championship game.
ESPN said sources told "Outside the Lines" that Manziel signed photographs, footballs, mini football helmets and other items at the request of autograph broker Drew Tieman.
Reached at his home Sunday night in Pembroke Pines, Fla., Tieman declined to make any comment or take any questions from The Associated Press.
ESPN reported that a source said James Garland, the NCAA's assistant director of enforcement, contacted Tieman and at least one person associated with the signings in June.
"We cannot comment on current, pending or potential investigations," NCAA spokeswoman Emily Potter told the AP in an email statement Sunday night.
Texas A&M also declined to comment.
"It is Texas A&M's long-standing practice not to respond to such questions concerning specific student-athletes," the school said in an email statement to the AP.
It's unclear what level of involvement the NCAA has at this point. When a player is believed to have broken rules, it's not uncommon for a school to declare that player ineligible, then ask the NCAA to investigate and reinstate the athlete's eligibility.
Nate Fitch, a friend of Manziel's, posted several tweets at that time saying he was with the Heisman winner in South Florida for the BCS title game. None of Fitch's tweets around the dates of that trip suggested anything about meeting with Tieman, or any memorabilia signings.
Tieman's Facebook page was taken down Sunday night, but cached images collected from the page included a photo of him and Notre Dame's Manti Te'o, which was purportedly taken Jan. 3, less than a week before the BCS game.
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At church, a growing emphasis on charity beyond passing the plate
From the back seat of their Toyota SUV, Tracy Scott's children spotted the woman.
She was standing near a highway entrance ramp on the North Side, apparently homeless, and the Scott kids wanted to say hello.
But they were in the wrong lane. So Scott steered her Sequoia back onto the interstate, went up two exits and looped around so they'd be able to present the woman with a paper bag stuffed with snacks, water, a McDonald's gift card and a note.
"She just kind of reached out and grabbed my hand and said, 'Thank you,'" said Scott, a member of Park Community Church. "I said, 'It's our pleasure.' Then the light was green, so off we went."
That gift ? and the 15 or so similar ones Scott and her three children passed out this past spring ? originated with a $2 bill, an envelope and a pastoral charge to go forth and do good. It also reflects what at least one expert sees as a growing commitment to Christian philanthropy that moves beyond passing the plate on Sundays.
In January, the Tribune wrote about Park's decision to give worshippers back a portion of their tithes. Everyone at the Near North Side sanctuary that weekend received at least $2 and heard a sermon that focused largely on the violence endemic in Chicago. Leaders sent members out to invest that money somewhere it might make a difference.
For thousands of years, worshippers have made offerings and supported charities and evangelism efforts. But as Christians try to reconcile Chicago's shootings, poverty and homelessness with their religious duties, more churches are sending their faithful out to minister on an individual level.
Scott Thumma, a Hartford Seminary professor, said such calls for Christians to address pressing needs within their communities are becoming more common across the country. In just over a decade, the percentage of large churches he surveyed that said their congregations were "working for social justice" increased from about 1 in 3 to about 6 in 10.
Such work fulfills a clear doctrinal purpose, Thumma wrote in an email: It answers the Bible's mandate that believers "serve others, offer a cup of water to the thirsty and food to the hungry."
On Sunday, another example of boots-on-the-ground giving took place at Chicago's Willow Creek Community Church, which launched its Luminocity project that encourages members to go out into the city to make a difference.
"Look at our city," said the Rev. Jon Klinepeter, Willow's pastor. "It's falling in on itself. People are killing each other at a rate that's shocking."
He then urged the mostly young congregation that packed into the Loop's Auditorium Theatre to figure out the "village" that makes up their sphere of influence and to pray about how to make a difference there. With everyone's participation, he said, the church could have a meaningful, citywide impact.
"We're waiting for someone else to fix the problem," Klinepeter said. "What if it's your job to be an agent of change in your village?"
Klinepeter told his church that it's about giving boldly instead of just giving. While all offerings are appreciated, he said, it's the ones that require actual sacrifice that demonstrate the truest sort of generosity.
"You can't leverage your influence in your world if you don't hurt a little," he said. "Sometimes I have to put my agenda on hold for the purpose of someone else's need being met."
For Scott, the Park Community member who distributed provisions to homeless people, such intentional, person-to-person ministry produced powerful results. After she worked with her kids to choose the treats, decorate the bags and compose notes, the family spent an afternoon scouring the city for people who looked like they needed some help. As she drove away from the homeless woman her kids spotted on the entrance ramp, the giver and the recipient were in tears.
"For me, personally, it just makes it much more real," Scott said. "I can give money to Park. I know who they're giving money to and completely trust them with that. That is an entirely different process than the messier, grittier thing we went through with our kids saying, 'We live in this city. What's something we want to help with? And how can we take $2 and make it mean something?'"
mitsmith@tribune.com
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChicagoBreakingNews/~3/Aij7xkF9-U4/story01.htm
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Sunday, August 4, 2013
Stamkos, St. Louis invited to Team Canada camp
Tribune staff
Published: July 22, 2013
Steven Stamkos and Marty St. Louis of the Tampa Bay Lightning were invited to an orientation camp for the Canadian national team, Hockey Canada announced Monday.A total of 47 players were invited to the camp, the first step in assembling the team that will represent Canada in the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russa. The camp is Aug. 25-28 in Calgary.
Stamkos and St. Louis were among 25 forwards invited. St. Louis played for Canada in the 2006 Olympics.
Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Stve Yzerman is Team Canada's executive director.
"I would like to congratulate the players being invited today to our orientation camp," Yzerman said in a statement. "This marks an important step for this program, as it is our only opportunity to be together as a group before Sochi."
The team will be coached by Mike Babcock, coach of the Detroit Red Wings.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tbo/bolts/~3/cMZ0rFkjc6A/
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World Citizen: Turkey and Israel, Still No Happy Ending
It was the phone call heard around the world: The conversation between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was hailed as a major diplomatic breakthrough, a triumph for U.S. President Barack Obama, who in the last moments of his trip to Israel last March nudged the two leaders to end their festering disagreement.
Reconciliation, however, is yet to come. ...
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Rare Dinosaur Find: Abandoned Nests with Eggshells
Huge meat-eating dinosaurs that stalked a vast floodplain some 150 million years ago in what is now Portugal left behind traces of their progeny: eggshells.
Some of the eggshells, which belonged to two Jurassic-Era theropods, or a group of carnivorous dinosaurs, once harbored embryos of Torvosaurus, the largest predator of its day.
"It was the equivalent of the T. rex in the Cretaceous," said study co-author Vasco Ribeiro, a paleontologist at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa in Portugal.
Ribeiro and his colleagues aren?t sure how the eggs came to be abandoned.
Delicate finds
Because they are so delicate, dinosaur eggs are a relatively rare find. Paleontologists unearthed some of the most primitive Torovosaurus embryos ever found earlier this year, and there have been occasional dinosaur nursery finds, including a clutch of hundreds of dinosaur egg fragments found in Spain. [Image Gallery: Dinosaur Daycare]
Ribeiro and his colleagues found the eggshell fragments at two separate sites, both of which were part of the Lourinh? Formation, a geological formation known for its rich Jurassic dinosaur nest sites. During that time period, the area was a floodplain that cycled through dry seasons and monsoon rains.
The eggshells were shattered and there was no trace of the dinosaur embryos that once coiled inside. But by analyzing the size, shape and texture of the eggshells, the team was able to deduce which animals left those eggs so long ago.
The shells found at one site came from spherical eggs that were about 6 inches (15 centimeters) in diameter. They likely belonged to a Torvosaurus, a massive, bipedal dinosaur that grew up to 36 feet (11 meters) tall.
The eggs at the other site were harder to identify. But the researchers believe the eggs may have contained embryos of Lourinhanosaurus antunesi, a theropod that was about 15 feet (4.5 m) long when full-grown. When intact, the eggs from that site would have been about 5 inches (13 cm) along the long axis and 3.5 inches (9 cm) along the short axis.
Neglected or protected?
The researchers don't know exactly how the eggs came to be abandoned.
One possibility is that the ancient carnivores laid many eggs and simply left those eggs to their own fates. Other researchers argue that these dinosaurs, like crocodiles, were attentive parents during embryonic development, guarding their clutches from predators.
Either way, once the hatchlings emerged, they were probably on their own, Ribeiro said.
"We have no evidence that mother dinosaur took food to the nest or protected the nest," Ribeiro told LiveScience.
Follow Tia Ghose on Twitterand Google+.?Follow?LiveScience @livescience, Facebook?& Google+. Original article on?LiveScience.com.
Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rare-dinosaur-abandoned-nests-eggshells-132223648.html
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McConnell, Senate challengers share stage in Ky.
FANCY FARM, Ky. (AP) ? Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell largely ignored his challengers at Kentucky's premier political showdown Saturday, aiming his criticism instead at President Barack Obama while touting his GOP leadership role.
His Democratic rival in the 2014 race, Alison Lundergan Grimes, and McConnell's GOP challenger went on the attack as they shared the stage with Kentucky's longest-serving senator at the annual Fancy Farm picnic in western Kentucky. It was the first joint appearance by the three, though they have been trading jabs for weeks in speeches and TV ads.
Grimes, Kentucky's secretary of state, portrayed McConnell as the chief Republican obstructionist and made her case for a change.
"If doctors told Sen. McConnell he has a kidney stone, he'd refuse to pass it," said Grimes, drawing cheers from her supporters and jeers from McConnell's at the raucous event.
Louisville businessman Matt Bevin, trying to capitalize on tea party influence in the GOP, declared that he would defeat McConnell in the primary election next May.
"I don't intend to run to the right of Mitch McConnell," said Bevin, a political newcomer. "I don't intend to run to the left of Mitch McConnell. I intend to run straight over the top of Mitch McConnell."
By the time he made the bold declaration, McConnell had left the stage. Bevin criticized McConnell for leaving the event early, starting a chant with the crowd: "Where's Mitch? Where's Mitch? Where's Mitch?" Then adding: "The people of Kentucky have been wondering that for quite a while now."
The stump speeches drew a large crowd of sign-waving, chanting partisans, signaling the fervor for a race that won't ultimately be decided until November 2014.
McConnell tried to score political points by criticizing Obama, who has never been popular in Kentucky. Republicans are trying to tie Grimes to Obama, and some Republicans in the crowd had signs that showed pictures of Obama on one side and Grimes on the other.
McConnell said the federal health-care law championed by Obama has been a "disaster for America," and he criticized the Democratic president for his administration's policies that he said are hurting Kentucky's coal industry. Kentucky is one of the nation's leading coal producers.
"I fought them every step of the way," said McConnell, who's making a bid for a sixth term.
Turning to a local issue, McConnell said that he ? along with fellow U.S. Sen. Rand Paul and U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield ? forced the government to reverse its decision to halt fishing below the dam of a popular waterway in the area. Obama recently signed a bill imposing a two-year moratorium on barriers to prevent fishing in the tailwaters near dams along the Cumberland and its tributaries.
"You can't get any of those things done from the back bench," McConnell said, in the only criticism that appeared to be directed at his challengers.
"We're not just deciding who represents Kentucky in the Senate," McConnell added. "We're going to be deciding who runs the Senate."
Grimes said the GOP stands for "gridlock, obstruction and partisan," and said McConnell has been a key player in pursuing the strategy.
"There's a disease of dysfunction in Washington D.C., and after 30 years, Sen. McConnell is at the center of it," she said.
Grimes accused McConnell of voting against the interests of workers, women and retirees.
The Senate race is expected to shatter fund-raising records in Kentucky. It's unclear whether Bevin will have the campaign funds to mount a strong primary challenge to McConnell, who at last count had raised more than $15 million. Bevin refused Saturday to say how much of his own cash he will invest in the race, or how much has put in already. The campaign has been running a TV ad since he announced his candidacy last month.
The setting for Saturday's showdown was the shaded grounds of St. Jerome Catholic Church in the tiny western Kentucky community of Fancy Farm where people started showing up on Friday. It's an annual rite that dates back more than a century. By mid-day Saturday, hundreds of people, many waving placards, had gathered in and around an outdoor pavilion.
The raucous event ? a holdover from the days before television, when politicians had to seek out crowds to solicit votes ? takes on the aura of a sporting event, with spectators shouting themselves hoarse heckling some speakers and cheering others, depending on their philosophies.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mcconnell-senate-challengers-share-stage-ky-225040367.html
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AP sources: A-Rod, union reach out to Yankees, MLB
NEW YORK (AP) ? Major League Baseball and the New York Yankees turned down requests Saturday to meet with Alex Rodriguez's camp and the union about the embattled star's expected drug penalty, two people familiar with the talks told The Associated Press.
The overtures were made two days before MLB was poised to hand Rodriguez a lengthy suspension for his part in the Biogenesis case. The two people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because no public statements were authorized.
Rodriguez, meanwhile, was in Trenton, N.J., playing what could be his last game in a while. He drew four straight walks and scored a run while on a minor league rehabilitation assignment with the Double-A Thunder. He was scheduled to be off Sunday.
The All-Star third baseman said Friday night the Yankees' tentative plan was for him to join them in Chicago for Monday night's game against the White Sox.
Before Rodriguez took the field, his side reached out to the Yankees and union head Michael Weiner contacted MLB Executive Vice President Rob Manfred. The Yankees and MLB said they had no interest in such talks.
There was always the chance, however, that further negotiations could take place at the last minute.
The New York Post, Daily News and New York Times reported the discussions earlier Saturday.
There hasn't been any definite word on the severity of Rodriguez's looming penalty, with speculation ranging from a lifetime ban to a suspension through the 2014 season.
Also possible, according to those familiar with the talks, was a suspension lasting until Aug. 31, 2014, the day before all teams are permitted to expand their rosters from 25 players to 40.
The 38-year-old Rodriguez hasn't played in the majors this season. The three-time American League MVP is recovering from hip surgery and a strained quadriceps.
A day after Rodriguez homered for Trenton, Thunder manager Tony Franklin hedged on whether A-Rod was ready to rejoin the majors.
"That's not for me to say," Franklin said. "His swing is getting better. He's running better. He's doing the baseball things OK right now. But that's a different game up there."
"I think he can handle it because he's been there for a number of years," he said. "I don't think he'll be surprised by anything on the baseball field despite what's going on now. He's been one of the best baseball players I have ever seen. Once they decide he's ready to go back, I don't think he'll have any trouble adapting at all."
Rodriguez certainly had no trouble tracking balls, drawing three of his four walks on full-count pitches against Reading. He swung through a 91 mph fastball on a 3-0 pitch his third time up in the fifth and flipped his bat.
A high-and-tight fastball backed him off the plate in the seventh, and he turned and smiled, thankful the pitch didn't hit him.
Rodriguez ran the bases, then left the game after the seventh. He gave his batting gloves and a bat to fans in the sellout crowd of 8,113 before heading into the dugout.
A few minutes before the national anthem, he chatted up fans near the dugout, fist-pumped a kid and walked off to have a catch.
Rodriguez caught a knuckling line drive by the game's first batter and later fielded a grounder and began an inning-ending double play.
Batting second, Rodriguez walked to the plate to Jay-Z's "On To The Next One" and received a mixture of cheers and boos in the first. He fouled off a 2-2 pitch before eventually drawing a walk.
Rodriguez slowly went first to third on a double off the right-field wall and was stranded. He also walked in the third while his girlfriend, former pro wrestler Torrie Wilson, held up her cellphone to video the action from a second-row seat behind the plate.
In the top of the second, Rodriguez ranged to his right to field a grounder and threw high and wide to second. It was ruled an infield hit, though he probably would've made the play a few years ago.
The next inning, Rodriguez fielded a slow bouncer down the line and made a strong throw to first to get the out. He heard loud cheers as he jogged slowly to the dugout, looking around and seemingly taking in the crowd's appreciation.
___
Rob Maaddi reported from Trenton, N.J.
___
Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_RobMaaddi
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-sources-rod-union-reach-yankees-mlb-233425919.html
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Saturday, August 3, 2013
Iran's president-elect Hassan Rouhani has called Israel an old "wound" that must...
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Source: http://www.facebook.com/unwatch/posts/10151514161531561
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Thursday, August 1, 2013
Mayor: Spirit Airlines move 'no big deal'
Obama asks Graham, McCain to travel to Egypt
Tuesday, Jul 30, 3:57 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) _ Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham and John McCain have been asked by President Barack Obama to travel to Egypt next week to urge the military to move ahead on new elections, the senators... Read more...Source: http://www.ktar.com?nid=22&sid=1652300
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Adam Rutherford's Creation Science (The Real Kind) Part 1
Science journalist, author and Nature editor Adam Rutherford talks about new book Creation: How Science Is Reinventing Life Itself, which looks at the science of the origin of life and at the emerging science of synthetic biology
More Science Talk
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Science journalist, author and Nature editor Adam Rutherford talks about new book Creation: How Science Is Reinventing Life Itself, which looks at the science of the origin of life and at the emerging science of synthetic biology.???
Also check out the podcast interview with Nobel laureate Jack Szostak about his origin of life research. And the podcast interview with Jerry Coyne about his book Why Evolution Is True. As well as the preview of the article Are Aliens Among Us?
Source: http://rss.sciam.com/~r/sciam/basic-science/~3/z_TN48zs_CU/episode.cfm
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LIVONIA: Co-op Services Credit Union hits goal to save community more than $200,000
LIVONIA ? Co-op Services Credit Union announced it achieved its goal to save members of the community more than $200,000 in auto loan interest through the ?Amazing Auto Loan Challenge.? ?
The challenge offered rates as low as 1.79 percent for up to 72 months, along with an additional $100 for members who helped the credit union achieve its goal by financing a new vehicle or refinancing an existing auto loan from another financial institution between April 17 and July 31. Everyone who participated was to receive $100 deposited into their account.
?We created the Auto Loan Challenge because we realized that we could save members an average of more than $550 over the life of the auto loan. We wanted to bring that savings to the entire community,? said Lisa Fawcett, Co-op Services? vice president of marketing. ?We give our members special thanks for spreading the word to their friends and family about the challenge. ?They helped us hit our goal.?
There is still an opportunity for people to take advantage of these low rate loans and to refinance auto loans from other financial institutions.
For more information about Co-op Services? low interest auto loans or to apply for an auto loan online, visit www.cscu.org.
LIVONIA ? Co-op Services Credit Union announced it achieved its goal to save members of the community more than $200,000 in auto loan interest through the ?Amazing Auto Loan Challenge.? ?The challenge offered rates as low as 1.79 percent for up to 72 months, along with an additional $100 for members who helped the credit union achieve its goal by financing a new vehicle or refinancing an existing auto loan from another financial institution between April 17 and July 31. Everyone who participated was to receive $100 deposited into their account.
?We created the Auto Loan Challenge because we realized that we could save members an average of more than $550 over the life of the auto loan. We wanted to bring that savings to the entire community,? said Lisa Fawcett, Co-op Services? vice president of marketing. ?We give our members special thanks for spreading the word to their friends and family about the challenge. ?They helped us hit our goal.?
There is still an opportunity for people to take advantage of these low rate loans and to refinance auto loans from other financial institutions.
For more information about Co-op Services? low interest auto loans or to apply for an auto loan online, visit www.cscu.org.
Source: http://www.pressandguide.com/articles/2013/08/01/news/doc51fa522778786940586983.txt
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Wednesday, July 31, 2013
What Exactly Is Horsepower, Anyway?
Like almost any automotive publication, we use the term "horsepower" all the time. It's one of those words that seems so straightforward. What is horsepower? Why, it's the power of a horse! What does that mean? Physical power? Political? Sexual? What horse? How is it measured? Let's find out, with pictures!
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Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/lEXYUSNlO6I/what-exactly-is-horsepower-anyway-953467880
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Start-up news channel hopes to counter anti-Israel bias in the media
TEL AVIV, Israel -?State-of-the-art TV studios above an ancient Mideast port signal Israel?s arrival in a modern media landscape in which countries increasingly seek to broadcast their own perspective to the world.
Israel advocates have long alleged that their country is portrayed in an unfair and one-dimensional way by the international media, largely as an occupier of the Palestinians.
Now the answer has arrived in the form of i24news ? the first international channel dedicated to reporting the news from an Israeli point of view. Its goal is to tell the rest of the Israel story in English, Arabic and French.
The new station?s founders insist they aren?t an Israeli version of the Qatar-funded Al-Jazeera pan-Arab channel. They receive no government funding, hold no political affiliation and pledge to cover the news dispassionately and objectively.?
The initiative, which follows dozens of other attempts to tell Israel?s side of the story, highlights a deep-seated sense that Israel is losing the battle over international public opinion and that its voice has been missing from a smorgasbord of news outlets.
?When you are talking about Israel in the international media today, it is only through the perspective of the Arab-Israeli conflict. We have to show that there are a lot of things about Israel that people don?t know about,? said Frank Melloul, the channel?s chief executive. ?What I want to do with this channel is to connect Israel to the world and connect the world to the Israeli reality.?
To do so, i24news broadcasts around the clock, devoting 30 percent of its content to local coverage, including culture, technology and sports.?
Its spacious studios in Jaffa, an ancient port city merged with Tel Aviv, include three glass-encased sets for simultaneous broadcasts in three languages, along with an integrated news desk for its 150 journalists.?
The station went on the air less than two weeks ago, and most of the office space is still under construction. Though it is not yet clear how many people are watching, i24news says it can potentially reach 350 million households via cable and satellite operators in Europe, Asia and Africa. An expansion to the North American market is expected in early 2014.
Mr. Melloul, a former French diplomat, helped launch France24, a satellite channel aimed at improving France?s international image. Other governments have engaged in similar outreach efforts, resulting in Russia Today, China?s CCTV and Qatar?s Al-Jazeera.
The Israeli effort is funded by private money. Much of it comes from Patrick Drahi, a French-Israeli telecom tycoon who owns HOT, an Israeli cable network of TV channels and telephone service providers.
Calling i24news a ?startup channel,? Mr. Melloul said its private ownership frees the station from government intervention.
?We are not talking about propaganda,? he said, ?[But] it is time to listen to another voice from the Middle East besides Al-Jazeera.?
Walid Omary, Middle East bureau chief of the pace-setting and influential Al-Jazeera, said he was not familiar with the new station, but he welcomed the competition and considered it a compliment that others were trying to emulate his network.
?Apparently Al-Jazeera has a quality that everyone wants to challenge,? he said. ?Even those who criticize us recognize we have an impact.?
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Level 1 cricket coaching course | Sports News
The SWD Cricket coaching department will be running a Level 1 coaching course for all coaches who wish to further their coaching development at the Recreation Ground on the 13 August.
Aspirant coaches must meet the following requirements as stipulated by Cricket South Africa:
- Be 18 years or older.
- Coaches must be actively coaching a team at present or be a registered member at a club affiliated to the SWD Cricket Board.
- Coaches must register with the Coaching Forum in their region (details available from the SWD Offices).
- Coaches must pass the pre-course assignment in order to qualify for the course.
The course details are:
Evening sessions on 13, 14, 20 and 22 August from 17:30-20:30. Afternoon of 16 August from 15:00-18:00.
Tuesday 13 August 18:00 ? Level 1 theory exams.
Practical assessments of coaches ? dates to be arranged with individual coaches after the theory exams has been written.
Coaches must attend ALL sessions in order to sit the exams.
Enquires must be directed to Garry Hampson, SWD Coaching Manager, or Jacques Van Aswegen, Oudtshoorn Coaching Forum Coordinator on 083 350 9308.
?We bring you the latest Garden Route | Klein-Karoo news?
Source: Knysna-Plett Herald
Source: http://showme.co.za/george/news/sports-news/level-1-cricket-coaching-course/
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Samsung Tweaks Graphics in Exynos Galaxy S4 to Inflate Popular Benchmark Scores
For any of our members who have been around PC technology for a decade or more, you might remember long ago when the graphics card makers like NVIDIA and ATI used to artificially boost their graphics benchmark scores by including "optimization tweaks" for certain benchmarks. It was basically a sneaky way of manipulating the results of graphics results in the popular benchmarks of the time, but didn't really translate to real world performance numbers. The sole purpose of this was to make their benchmark numbers look better than the competition to entice consumers to their product.
For the most part this ended up "biting them on the behind" when it was later uncovered by savvy tech-guru sites like Anandtech. The practice was mostly dropped because it ended up resulting in bad PR. Sadly, it looks like history has repeated itself in the mobile industry, and never everyone has learned from the past. Samsung has been caught red-handed doing exactly this with their Exynos 5 Octa-core on the Galaxy S4. Once again, Anandtech was one of the tech sites which helped confirm/uncover the deception.
Apparently, what is occurring is that Samsung's Exynos 5 chip in the SGS4 can detect if one of the popular benchmarks (like AnuTuTu, Quadrant and GLBenchmark 2.5.1) is being run. It then automatically unlocks a higher clock speed in the PowerVR SGX 544MP3 graphics chip, boosting it from 480MHz to 533MHz. This results in as much as a 10% boost in graphics performance which will never actually translate into a faster experience for end users in their apps and games.
Even if you are huge fan of Samsung and the SGS4, we should still call them out on this one. It's just a stinky thing to do, and it needs to stop. In the mean-time, this reminds us that the artificial benchmarks should never be completely trusted. They can still be a decent tool to offer an overall impression of performance; however, ultimately, your experience on your device could vary, and the best "benchmark" you can use is the apps and games which you like to use.
Source: GalaxyS4Forums.net via Anandtech
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Future Windows Could Use A Biomimetic Circulatory System To Save Energy
Windows, our source of life-giving sunlight indoors, are a menace to your electrical bill. In the summer, windows bleed cold and in the winter they ooze heat. To save energy, researchers want to give window panes a circulatory system that could pump in cool, liquid relief when they get too hot.
In research published in Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, researchers from Harvard describe an artificial vascular system, which could help make windows more energy-efficient by controlling their temperature with water.
The technology consists of a thin, clear sheet of silicone rubber which is stuck over the surface of a pane of glass, as in the image below. The silicone is moulded with 1-2mm channels, which can be pumped with water when a pane gets too hot. The basic principle is illustrated in the thermal GIF above. Water comes in one end, and cools the glass down as it flows towards the other. And as you can see, the silicon webbing is essentially invisible when its laid over the glass. So you get the sunlight without the heat.
The system?s efficacy varies depending on how fast you pump water through it, as you can see in the thermal video below. The cooling happens much faster at 10mL/min than at .2 mL/Min
But the key is that even at a relatively low flow rate, the technology could make an impact at the scale of a regular person?s house. From the release:
Pumping just half a soda can?s worth of water through the window?s circulatory system would cool a full-size window pane by a full 8 C (14 F), [the researchers] calculated. The energy needed to pump water would be far less than the heat energy the water absorbed. This suggested that installing the cooled windows throughout a building would generate a big net win.
Beyond using the technology to control the temperature of windows, the researchers also suggest that it could be used to keep photovoltaic solar panels from burning up since they lose efficiency when they get too hot. Which is, you know, pretty cool. [Science Direct via Harvard]
Gif by Nick Stango
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Tuesday, July 30, 2013
The problem with Obama's visit to Amazon
It seems like only yesterday that The New York Times was marveling at Amazon.com?s transformation into ?an engine for jobs:? Having increased its workforce by 40% in a year, it now employs 97,000 people, and announced plans to add 5,000 more at its network of U.S. fulfillment centers.
Actually, it was the day before yesterday. But it sure sounded sensible, all those hours ago, for President Obama to choose one of those centers, in Chattanooga, TN, as the setting for a speech about jobs: In Amazon we have a powerful technology brand that?s hiring Americans like crazy ? a great 21st Century political ally, right?
Not so much, it turns out. A chorus of critics, mostly liberal-leaning, have been spending the day of Obama?s actual speech arguing that Amazon is an engine for terrible jobs that have no relevance to strengthening the middle class. (?Why In The World Is Obama Going to an Amazon Warehouse?? scolds The New Republic.)
Meanwhile, what seems like the entirety of a particular category of small business ? indie book stores ? has been howling for years that Amazon has in effect been a destroyer of jobs by wiping out many of their shops. (?Does President Obama Hate Indie Bookstores?? asks Publishers Weekly.)
?In many ways, this is an Amazon-driven economy,? writes Alliance for American Manufacturers president Scott Paul on The Huffington Post, bringing things full circle. ?Want a new TV? Click here and it can arrive at your doorstep in a day. Just charge it to your card. But would you like a good job? Wait in line.? Finally, Salon tries to close the deal by officially nominating Amazon for the role of Official Corporate Whipping Boy, declaring: ?Amazon Is Worse Than Wal-Mart.?
And actually, what?s more interesting than the political ?optics? here is actually how this plays out for Amazon. The complaints of indie bookstores and their fans are extremely old news by now, but (as Paul actually suggests) most people think of the company as cheap and convenient, and not a big, mean, bad corporate actor. Salon may have branded Amazon as more odious than Wal-Mart, but it?s not at all clear that consumers have.
(And while we're talking political optics: President Barack Obama cannot enjoy what seemed like a slam dunk photo op at a job-creating American company being turned into a debate about Amazon's value.)
Thanks to today?s backlash, a harrowing 2012 Mother Jones report about ?wage slave? warehouse work is getting a lot of new exposure: Practically every critic is linking to it, though not all are acknowledging that Mac McLelland?s (excellent) story does not actually name Amazon or any other company. Other past (and actually Amazon-specific) expos?s and lawsuits are getting a fresh look, too.
Of course the American attention span is fleeting, and Amazon?s cheap-and-convenient strategy is popular for a reason, so who knows whether this abrupt recasting of the company in the role of economic heavy will stick. But you have to wonder whether the firm is having any second thoughts about what must have, just days ago, seemed like an awesome PR coup. Welcoming a presidential visit with a big ?We?re hiring!? announcement sounds like a great way to spark a conversation about its role in rebuilding the economy.
This is not, I suspect, the conversation Amazon was hoping for. Maybe next time Jeff Bezos will redirect the president to Fayetteville.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/amazon-obama-visit-jobs-walmart-180602880.html
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Monday, July 29, 2013
Ariz. flash flood carries away tour bus, none hurt
DOLAN SPRINGS, Ariz. (AP) ? Flash flood waters swept a tour bus with 33 people aboard hundreds of yards down a wash in northwestern Arizona and the vehicle flipped on its side, but no one was injured, officials said.
The Las Vegas-bound bus was returning Sunday afternoon from a day-trip to the Grand Canyon's west rim when the driver attempted to cross the wash on a rural road.
The high waters pushed the vehicle down the wash for an estimated 300 yards around 1:50 p.m. near Kingman, said Patrick Moore, chief of the Northern Arizona Consolidated Fire District, which had firefighters at the scene. The crash happened as northern Arizona was hit with a second day of heavy rain.
The area where the bus accident occurred received 0.75 inches of rain in about an hour on Sunday afternoon, said Chris Stumpf, a National Weather Service forecaster in Las Vegas. A flash flood warning was in effect when the accident occurred, he said.
"It was a really strong storm dumping quite a bit of rain ... and it caused flash flooding," Stumpf said. "They were driving on a portion of the road where they shouldn't have tried to drive across. They should not have been driving through there."
Rhonda Ho, operations manager for Canyon Coach Lines, said the bus owned by the Las Vegas-based company was being driven by Joseph Razon, who saw a car right in front of him go through a section of the highway covered by some water.
"He thought, if a car can go through it, I can go through it," Ho said.
"Then he got slammed by a rushing current of water that came out of nowhere," she said. "He was driving in almost neck-deep water and trying to control the bus while it was floating."
She said the driver managed to bring the bus against an embankment so it would stop and passengers could escape. People inside the bus were able to climb out of the driver's side windows and walked to dry land.
"I'm glad the driver kept his cool and everybody got out safely. No one screamed on the bus and everyone kept their cool and that's amazing," Ho said.
She described Razon as a "very professional driver" with a spotless record. He has worked for the company since 2005.
Kingman is near the Arizona-Nevada stateline and about 100 miles southeast of Las Vegas. The bus passengers and driver returned on another bus to Las Vegas, where Ho was able to speak to the driver.
On Sunday evening, as a tow truck was preparing to take away the bus, it was lying on its side and had grass and other debris hanging from it. Two escape hatches on its roof were opened. Writing on the side of the bus said: "C.H. Destination" and "DBA: Canyon Coach Lines"
The passengers were no longer at the scene. The company had sent another bus to pick them up.
There were some swift-water rescues of stranded motorists Saturday night after a storm dropped nearly 2 inches of rain in about 90 minutes around Kingman, Stumpf said.
The flash flood warning around the accident scene has expired, he said, but there's a chance for more heavy rain and another similar warning on Monday.
The crash happened as Northern Arizona was hit with a second day of heavy rain.
The Arizona Department of Transportation closed an 18-mile stretch of Interstate-40 Saturday night between Flagstaff and Kingman because of the flash flooding.
___
Associated Press writers Jacques Billeaud in Phoenix and Martin Griffith in Reno, Nev., contributed to this report.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ariz-flash-flood-carries-away-tour-bus-none-082358597.html
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Fear over default as personal bank debt in Russia doubles in two years
Published time: July 29, 2013 10:04
Edited time: July 29, 2013 11:17
Edited time: July 29, 2013 11:17
Personal loans in Russia have reached almost $275bn during the past two years as people take up to 5 loans per person. Some Russian cities see 100% of the economically active population taking out loans.
Russia risks seeing a retail credit default, business daily Vedomosti quotes research by Svyaznoj Bank that examined data from the country?s two biggest credit agencies NBCH and Equifax.
The bank studied the credit history of people applying for loans and called the results of the study "depressing",? Vedomosti quotes the bank representative.? The number of borrowers with five or more loans increased from 6% to 19% last year.? The average debt now exceeds $15 000 per person, according to the newspaper. Russia?s average annual? income per capita is just half of it at $7500.
The number of retail borrowers in Russia? is estimated at 34 million people which is 45% of the economically active population, Vedomosti quotes the Central Bank and the National Bureau of Credit Histories. The share of the economically active population that took out loans is close to 100% in some Russian regions.
S&P expects the consumer lending to growth by about? 30% in 2013-2014 leading to the the credit bubble, newsru.com reports.
The portfolios of Russian banks hold troubled loans of about 425 billion rubles, according to the Central Bank. These are loans with payments overdue for 90 days or more. During January - May, this increased by 92 billion rubles, against 50 billion increase last year.
The debt burden of Russian households is now close to 20% of the annual income, gazeta.ru quotes Aleksey Volkov of the? National Bureau of Credit Histories.? That?s double of US households that owe 10.9% to the banks, Volkov said referring to IMF data.
Source: http://rt.com/business/russia-banks-people-debt-doubled-732/
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Karl Rove Focuses on Senate GOP Takeover in Fundraising Email
Can the Republican Party pick up six Senate seats in the 2014 election and in the process retake the majority in the U.S. Senate? Republican strategist Karl Rove thinks so.
Rove, a Fox News contributor, is using the possibility of a Senate takeover as a fundraising tool in his latest appeal to GOP donors.
A former senior advisor and deputy chief of staff to President George W. Bush, Rove sent an email to donors on Sunday citing favorable polls and remarks from former New York Times number cruncher Nate Silver as leading indicators that the GOP has a chance to take back the Senate in 2014, so long as the monetary support is there.
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"Washington is buzzing with the news! Even liberal prognosticators now admit Republicans can pick up six seats to take the U.S. Senate in 2014," Rove's email reads.
In his email suggesting a Republican majority in the Senate is possible, Rove noted that six of the seven Democratic Senate seats up for reelection are in states that were won by Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney in the 2012 race by a margin of 10 percent or greater.
Rove also highlighted the recent announcement by former Montana Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer that he will not run for the state's open Senate seat in 2014.
"The GOP can win a Senate majority, but it won't be easy. Your support is vital to ensuring Republicans have the resources necessary for victory," Rove's email reads. "Early fundraising is key. Harry Reid knows that: that?s why he announced he?ll try raising $125 million to beat Republicans."
In his attempt to convince GOP donors to make a contribution to the Republican initiative some 16 months before elections are held, Rove also cites "Obama campaign?s favorite number cruncher, Nate Silver."
Editor's Note: Should ObamaCare Be Repealed? Vote in Urgent National Poll
In a New York Times "FiveThirtyEight" blog, Silver wrote: "Best guess, after assigning probabilities of the likelihood of a GOP pickup in each state, is that Republicans will end up with somewhere between 50 and 51 Senate seats after 2014, putting them right on the threshold of a majority."
"Not only is Republican candidate recruitment going well and Democratic recruitment badly, but issues are helping," wrote Rove, "with Obamacare, the sluggish job picture, scandals and an incompetent and out-of-touch White House shaping the political landscape."
If Republicans are able to win back the Senate, it will be the first time since losing the majority in 2006.
? 2013 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
Source: http://www.newsmax.com/TheWire/karl-rove-senate-gop-takeover/2013/07/29/id/517452
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At least 38 dead after coach plunges off viaduct in Italy
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MONTEFORTE IRPINO, Italy - Thirty-eight people were killed and 10 injured when a bus plunged off a viaduct in southern Italy in one of the country's worst road accidents.
Initial reports suggested that the coach was travelling at speed and had hit four or five cars before crashing over the roadside barriers on a stretch of road near Monteforte Irpino, east of Naples, on Sunday night.
Many children were among the 50 people on board.
"It was an immense tragedy where we first had to rescue the injured people who were trapped inside the coach and then successively have had to work to pull out the bodies," said Alessio Barbarulo, head of the local fire brigade division that coordinated the rescue effort.
It was the second transport disaster to hit southern Europe in the space of five days. Seventy-nine people were killed when a high-speed train derailed in the Spanish pilgrimage town of Santiago de Compostela on Wednesday.
Crushed wreckage from the coach lay on its side, while bodies covered in white sheets were lined up on the road. It was not clear for the moment whether there was any mechanical damage to the vehicle's brakes or problems with its tyres, or whether there was any fault on the part of the driver, who was killed in the accident.
"You would think that the barriers on the viaducts and bridges should prevent this type of accident but evidently it seems the impact was so strong that even the barrier gave way," Barbarulo said.
Prosecutors have already opened an investigation into the case.
All of the victims appear to have been Italians returning from an excursion to the town of Telese Terme, known for its hot sulphurous springs and a nearby lake popular as a fishing spot. Local media said the stretch of road where the bus crashed had been the scene of repeated accidents.
?
Source: http://www.edmontonsun.com/2013/07/28/at-least-24-dead-after-coach-plunges-off-viaduct-in-italy
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Japan bags maiden East Asian Cup win
Take that ... Yoichiro Kakitani strikes against Korea Republic for Japan (Getty)
Japan claimed its first East Asian Cup crown with a 2-1 win over host Korea Republic at Seoul's Olympic Stadium on Sunday night.
Two goals from Kakitani Yoichiro did the job for Japan in front of a crowd of 47,000 fans, with the clincher coming in injury time after Korea's Yun Il-Lok had cancelled out his first half opener.
The Blue Samurai, the current Asian Cup champion, ended the tournament with seven points from its three matches, two points in front of second-placed China.
Korea Republic finished third with two points, while Australia lagged last on the ladder with only one point.
Source: http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/eaff-east-asian-cup/news/1161462/Japan-bags-maiden-East-Asian-Cup-win
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Saturday, July 27, 2013
UK weather: Tornado pictured over Scotland as storms sweep Britain
- Heavy rain and storms set to sweep across Britain as the long-running heatwave comes to an end
- South East will be worst affected with 30mm of rain falling in just one hour - nearly half the average for the month
- Tornado struck village of Bothwell in Lanarkshire yesterday destroying trees and damaging roofs
By Hugo Gye
|
Britain has seen another day of gorgeous sunshine today, but the good weather is not set to last long as the sun is replaced by storms and temperatures start to drop.
An early warning of the unsettled conditions came in Scotland yesterday when a village was hit by a tornado which ripped off roof tiles and damaged trees.
And the storms will quickly move across the rest of Britain, with the South East of England set to see as much as 30mm in a single hour tomorrow.
Coming to an end: The gorgeous weather in places such as Hitchin, Hertfordshire is not forecast to survive the weekend
Glee: But the likes of six-year-old Tom Stocks do not have much longer to enjoy the lavender fields of Britain before rain comes
Harvesting: Teenager Bethany Joseph picks lavender at Cadwell Farm in Hitchin today
Summery: Plants have thrived in the weather but the sunshine is set to end for the time being
The tornado which struck Bothwell in Lanarkshire yesterday afternoon left residents cowering in fear as the twister ripped through the village.
The streets were strewn with tree branches, roof tiles and other debris, prompting a massive clear-up operation.
Locals described seeing the atmosphere suddenly darken with violent winds prompting the sensation of an earthquake.
?
'I was sitting in the living room,' said John Rundell, 69. 'The next thing I knew the fire place started shaking as if it was going to collapse.
'I didn?t know what was happening, but I got up and looked out the living room window. I saw loads of roof tiles flying around and crashing down into the street.
'The whole thing lasted around a minute and after it was over lots of neighbours came out to help clear up the mess in the street.'
Twister: A tornado was pictured over the village of Bothwell in Lanarkshire yesterday as Britain faces storms in many parts
Damage: Car windscreens were smashed after debris flew around the town thanks to the sudden storm
Roof: Tiles were ripped off this home in Bothwell by the vicious tornado which swept through the village yesterday
Destruction: Trees had branches torn off them in the storm, which foreshadows a weekend of bad weather
Ross Neilson, 25, who filmed the terrifying event, added: 'I had just been at a meeting for work when I came out and realised it was very windy.
'As I crossed the road, the winds changed and rubbish started flying about in front of me. The sky grew very dark and there had been thunder grumbling away just before.
'I looked up and could see the winds spiralling and could make out debris being sucked up and spinning about.'
Despite the sunny weather which has been prevailing in most of Britain for the past week, the Met Office has warned that many areas face a sudden downpour tomorrow.
The South East will bear the brunt of the rain, with 30mm forecast to fall within an hour - compared to an average rainfall of 78.1mm in the whole month of July.
By the seaside: Brightly coloured beach huts pictured in Scarborough today as visitors soaked up the sunshine
Spectacle: The Scarborough huts were first introduced more than 100 years ago and were looking at their best today
Ominous: This weekend is set to bring heavy rain and storms across most of Britain following the heatwave
A Met Office spokesman said: 'It?s going to be very wet over the weekend for some and we have a warning out for Saturday, as the South-East and Cambridgeshire receive a band of thunderstorms and heavy rain that is moving northwards from France.
'Then on Sunday we have another warning for the South West and south-west Wales as well as the East of England and East Midlands, the North West, Yorkshire and Humberside and the North East as well.'
But the downturn in conditions doesn?t necessarily herald the end of summer and a return to the typically wet British climate.
The spokesman said: 'It looks like July is going to end with unsettled conditions, but outside those areas temperatures will be normal for this time of year.
Dry: The lack of rain this month has affected the soil in which crops are grown, such as this wheat field in County Durham
Longing for rain: Farmers and gardeners are likely to welcome the prospect of wet weather this weekend
'Compared to the last couple of weeks, temperatures will be lower, but will still be mainly near or perhaps a little above average for the time of year.
'As a result conditions will feel fresher, especially at night, but it should still feel pleasantly warm in the sunshine.
'Over the weekend outside the areas where there are storms and showers it will be around 26 in the south east, mid 20s in central parts and around 20/21 in the south west.
Umbrella: One shopper in Glasgow came prepared for a downpour yesterday as the long-running heatwave began to ease
Dry: People fish in Dowry Reservoir near Oldham yesterday, as the water levels recede due to the hot weather across the UK in recent weeks
Record: Blueberry picker Eva Vavrova at Trehane Nurseries in Wimborne, Dorset, which is celebrating a bounty of blueberries that have the sweetest taste in recent years
The Met Office has issued yellow rain warnings ? which advise residents to ?be aware? of the risk of flooding ? for the thunder and storms due to hit the South East and the North at the weekend.
The bleak outlook is a far cry from the two previous weekends, during which Britain baked in? temperatures of up to 31C (88F) before the thermometer hit its highest point of the year this week ? a sizzling 33.5C (92F).
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Friday, July 26, 2013
Australia ends asylum by boat, begins debate over racism
Last week Australia said it would divert boats with asylum seekers, most of whom come from Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Sri Lanka.
A woman holds a poster during a rally in support of asylum seekers in central Sydney July 20, 2013. Australia announced tough new measures to stem a dramatic increase in refugee boats from Indonesia on July 19, with a deal to send all boat arrivals to Papua New Guinea (PNG) for assessment and eventual settlement.
Daniel Munoz/Reuters
EnlargeShe is clearly distraught. Holding her head in her hands, the young Iranian asylum seeker sobs inconsolably. A male companion puts an arm on her shoulder to comfort her as she comes to terms with the news that she will never be resettled in Australia.
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The photograph, taken earlier this week by Australian immigration officials, is being used as part of a government campaign aimed at deterring others like her from undertaking the perilous journey from Indonesia to Christmas Island to seek refugee status in Australia.
Last week Australia introduced the most draconian measures yet to stop the hundreds of people arriving by boat every week from countries such as Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Sri Lanka. From now on all boat arrivals are to be sent the Manus Island detention center in Papua New Guinea. Those found to be refugees will be settled there, those who do not meet refugee status requirements will be sent back to their country of origin.
In a blunt message to people smugglers when announcing what has been dubbed the ?PNG solution,? Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said: ?Your business model is over.?
But some worry that moving so ruthlessly to neutralize one of Australia?s most divisive political issues tarnishes the country?s reputation as a model liberal society. Since World War II, Australia has successfully settled more than 7 million migrants ? among them hundreds of thousands of refugees.
?With a cruel but politically brilliant stroke, Rudd has ended this bigger and more noble national idea of ourselves. We are firmly back in the bounded national community,? says former Australian ambassador to Cambodia and author of a number of books on asylum seekers, Tony Kevin.
The unnamed Iranian woman in the photo, her features blurred to protect her identity, has become an unlikely ambassador for critics of the government who fear that the demonizing of refugees signals a return to the overt racism encapsulated in the country?s notorious ?White Australia? policy.
Introduced at the beginning of the last century, the White Australia policy was designed to shut the door to Chinese miners and cheap labor from the South Pacific. The policy with its stress on assimilation was gradually dismantled in the 1970s in favor of a more inclusive model of multiculturalism where migrants were encouraged to maintain their ethnic and cultural identities as long as they adhered to basic social and legal norms.
The policy was put to the test following the end of the war in Vietnam when the first boat filled with Vietnamese asylum seekers arrived in Darwin Harbor in early 1976. ?If we were ever threatened, that was then,? says Neville Roach, a former chair of the National Multicultural Advisory Council. ?There were a million or more people in refugee camps in South East Asia and we were the closest country that could take them. Yet by coming up with a very positive regional solution we managed the crisis.??
Under that regional framework, Australia took more than 100,000 Vietnamese refugees from camps in Guam, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia, while the United States and Canada took thousands more.
Today's asylum seekers
But today?s asylum seeker crisis is very different. Barely 2,000 Vietnamese made it by boat to Australia in the 1970s. This year that number has been exceeded almost every month. The bipartisanship of those times has been replaced by an acrimonious political debate and countries like Indonesia are proving harder to co-opt when it comes to finding a regional solution.
?The current political rhetoric has been giving the term 'regional solution' a bad name,? says Mr. Roach. ?Australia as the richest country in the region should contribute financially to help South East Asian countries process the refugees and even accept some. This time we?re only talking about 100,000 or so, a number that can easily be accommodated across the region.?
For workers on the frontline like Pamela Curr of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre in Melbourne, which provides resettlement services, there has been a discernible hardening of attitudes toward asylum seekers. ?The [Afghan] Hazaras I work with are reporting being attacked on the streets. They are afraid of catching the trains.?
Ms. Curr blames the politicians for ?constantly fanning the flames of conflict and fear? in the community over the asylum issue. ?They are shredding our social fabric, pitting one ethnic group against another. We?ve done well for a frontier settlement ??a new country ??but we?ve destroyed a lot of that.?
Traces of racism?
Melbourne has only recently recovered from the opprobrium associated with a rash of attacks on Indian students that peaked in 2008 and 2009. The attacks were branded by sections of the Indian media as being racially motivated.
But a 2011 study by the Australian Institute of Criminology determined that race played little or no role. It found that many Indian students were more vulnerable to assaults because they often worked in late-night service jobs such as taxi driving, working in gas stations and convenience stores.
While Australians have largely welcomed the contribution migrants have made to Australian society, attitudes toward boat arrivals and Muslims have hardened in recent years.
A survey published by Scanlon Foundation at Melbourne?s Monash University last year found that only 22 percent of Australians believed asylum seekers arriving by boat should be given the chance to permanently settle, while 23 percent thought ?turning back the boats? is the best policy. The survey also found that 25 percent had a negative attitude toward Iraqis and Lebanese specifically.
Neville Roach fears that the current debate over asylum seekers will undermine community tolerance of outsiders even further. ?I am surprised by how rapidly attitudes have changed,? he says.
Meanwhile the government?s PNG solution is already coming under strain. There has been no let up in the number of boats leaving Java bound for Christmas Island. Nor has it prevented deaths at seas. At least nine asylum seekers drowned on Wednesday when a boat carrying up to 200 people started to take on water southwest of Java.
?What we can see in this policy is another in a very long line of policies that?s designed to provide a very quick fix to what is in essence a very complex global phenomenon,? says Michelle Foster, director of the International Refugee Law Research Program?at Melbourne Law School.
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